that we can marry at once."

"How much is there?"

"About two hundred thousand."

"Dollars?"

"No, kroner. And the 50,000 besides."

"It is not enough."

"Along with the rest?"

"The 'rest' is hardly yielding anything at present. That you know."

Mary began to feel ill. He knew it by her voice when she said: "We have
the timber to fall back upon."

"Which cannot be felled for three years; possibly not for four, or even
five? That depends entirely on its growth."

Mary knew that he was right. Why had she mentioned it? "But--ten to
twelve thousand kroner a year...?"

"Is not enough in our position."

Another intermezzo. There was no pavement here. They had come to a
large, open space, thick with mud. Both had forgotten the dog. A fat,
dirty ship-dog, also of the poodle tribe, had come on shore with some
sailors, who were sauntering along in the same direction as Mary and
Joergen. With this welcome playfellow Joergen's dog had joined company.
Joergen had the greatest trouble in inducing him to come back--dirty as
he already was. As soon as Mary called too, he came boldly and joyfully.
But a stroke with the cane awaited him, and called forth a howl.

"It is strange," said Mary, "that you cannot treat a nice dog kindly!"
She was thinking of his cruelty to their neighbour's old Lapland dog.

Joergen did not answer. But as soon as he felt sure that the dog was
following meekly, he said: "Does Uncle Klaus know anything about this
money?"

"I do not believe that any one knows about it except ourselves. Why do
you ask?"

"Because it will be our best plan to speak to Uncle Klaus."

Mary stood still, astonished. "To Uncle Klaus?"

Joergen also stood still. They looked at each other now.

"It will be to our interest," continued Joergen.

"With Uncle Klaus----?" Mary stared. She did not understand him.

"For the sake of the family's honour he will do a great deal," said
Joergen, giving her a quick side-glance as he moved on.

She had turned ghastly white, but she followed. "Must we confide in
Uncle Klaus?" she whispered behind him. A lower depth of humiliation
there could not be.

"Yes, we'll do so!" he answered encouragingly, almost gaily. "Now he
will not say 'No'!"

Had this, too, entered into his calculations?

He went closer to her. "If Uncle Klaus knows nothing about the American
money, we shall get more--do you see?"

How well he had thought it all out! In spite of her disgust, Mary was
impre