s with him,
and asked how he was.

"I feel what I have gone through this night," replied Hardy, "but am
quite well."

"An honest answer," said the Pastor.

"But, little father," said Froken Helga, "can you not tell Herr Hardy
that he has been kind and good?"

Praise from her father's lips for a duty well done was with Helga more
than gold or incense; and how wrong had they not all been towards
Hardy!

"Your father has already said enough," said Hardy.

"Then I will speak for myself," said Helga, "and say that I thank you
for your goodness to Rasmussen and his family;" and she took his hand
and kissed it.

Hardy saw she was governed by a momentary impulse, but it evinced a
warm sympathy for what she considered a good act, and impressed him
the more so as her manner was always towards him cold and retiring.

At this juncture Kirstin appeared in an unusual state of agitation.

"I have come," she said, "to ask Herr Hardy's pardon, for what I have
said and done."

"My servant reports to me that you beat him yesterday," said Hardy,
"and as you did not beat me I have nothing to forgive. I have told my
man, if you do so again, to lay the matter before the authorities. He
will have to come here in acting as my servant; but if you beat him
because you cannot understand him, he must be protected, the more so
as his orders are not to strike you, under any circumstances. The
matter has been brought to the Herr Pastor's knowledge, and that is
enough, and you can go out."

There was a stern dignity in John Hardy's manner, always present in a
man of his type when accustomed to obedience.

Kirstin hesitated. "You can go out, Kirstin," repeated Hardy; and she
obeyed.

Froken Helga's implicit faith in the rigid character of Kirstin was
shaken.

Rasmussen's funeral took place shortly after, and on the Sunday the
Pastor referred to Hardy's conduct.

"It may hurt the sensibility of the Englishman who is with us, that I
should refer to him thus publicly; but it is my duty, while the
occurrence of Rasmussen's death has the force of its being recent to
point out, not that it was his simple duty to do what he did, but the
way and manner that duty was done showed a Christian charity that no
one of us could do more than imitate."

"I question whether you are right, to praise the conduct of an
individual from the pulpit, Herr Pastor," said Hardy.

"My duty," said the Pastor, gravely, "is to preach the parable of the
Good Sa