ll that passed in it, seemed to float in light, but
suddenly this light was gone. A little later she heard some one say,
"Where is Aksel Aaroe? Has he left?"

Aaroe was not at home for very long that winter. He had already spent
two years at Havre, from which place he had recently returned; he was
now going for a couple of years to Hull. Before this, music had been a
favourite pursuit with Ella; she had especially loved and studied
harmony, but from this time forward she devoted herself to melody. All
music had given her pleasure and she had made some progress in it; but
now it became speech to her. She herself spoke in it or another spoke
to her. Now, whoever she was with, there was always one as well, she
was never alone now, not in the street, not at home; of this the plait
was the sacred symbol.

In the course of the spring Fru Holmbo met Ella in the street as she
was coming from the pastor's house with her prayer-book in her hand.

"Are you going to be confirmed?" asked Fru Holmbo.

"Yes."

"I have a message for you; can you guess from whom?"

Now, Fru Holmbo was a friend of Aksel Aaroe's sister and very intimate
with the family. Ella blushed and could not answer.

"I see that you know who it is from," said Fru Holmbo, and Ella
blushed more than ever.

With a rather superior smile--and the prettiest lady in the town had a
superabundance of them--she said, "Aksel Aaroe is not fond of writing.
We have only just received his first letter since he left; but in it
he writes that when we see 'the girl with the plait,' we are to
remember him to her.' She cried at Moehring's song; other people might
have done so too,'" he wrote.

The tears sprang to Ella's eyes.

"No, no," said Fru Holmbo consolingly, "there is no harm in that."

CHAPTER II

Two years later, in the course of the winter, Ella was coming quickly
up from the ice with her skates in her hand. She wore her new
tight-fitting jacket for the first time; in fact, it was principally
this jacket which had tempted her out. The plait hung jauntily down
from under her grey cap. It was longer and thicker than ever; it
throve wonderfully.

As usual, she went round by "Andresen's at the corner." To see the
house was enough. Just as her eyes rested on it, Aksel Aaroe appeared
in the doorway. He came slowly down the steps. He was at home again!
His fair beard lay on the dark fur of his coat, a fur cap covered his
low forehead and came down almost to his eye