it all, and if she has silk
skirts then she must have other things too, and she must know why she
hides all these things in a hut which really does not look larger than a
large henhouse. I wanted only to warn you, Marianne; you surely will be
the loser with such a crowd."

"'Lizebeth," Marianne said now more emphatically than she had ever been
known to speak, "it would be well, if all people were as this woman is,
and you and I could thank God if we were like her. I have never in this
world seen a better and a more patient and a more amiable human being.
And in regard to the silk skirt, please be still and do not talk about
it, 'Lizebeth; many a thing looks different to what it really is, and it
would be better for you, if you would not load your conscience with
wrong against a suffering woman on whom God has His eye."

Marianne did not wish to tell what she knew, that the lady had only the
one skirt and no other whatsoever, and so, of course, was obliged to
wear it. She did not want to tell that to 'Lizebeth now she heard how
the latter judged.

"I do not think of loading my conscience with anything," 'Lizebeth
continued, "and that much is not as it looks, that I know; but when a
little boy of whom no one knows from where he came, wears velvet pants
on bright week-days and even a velvet jacket, then they are velvet pants
and do not only look so, that is certain. There is something behind that
and it will come out and it will not look the best. Yes indeed, wearing
velvet pants, such a little tramp of whom no one knows from where he
comes, yes indeed."

"Do not sin against the dear boy," Marianne said seriously. "Look at him
and you will see that he looks like a little angel, and he is one."

"So, that too," 'Lizebeth continued, "and pray when did you see an
angel, Marianne, that you know he looks just like them? I should like to
know! But I have served over fifty years in a respectable house, and I
have helped to bring up the old parson, and the present one and his two
sons; but we have never known anything of velvet pants, no, never, and
we were, I should think, different people from these. That is what I
wanted to tell you, Marianne, and that is the main reason why I came to
you, so that you should know what one is forced to think. And with
regard to the angels, I can tell you that we have a little boy that
looks exactly like the angels that blow the trumpets in the picture;
such fat, firm, red cheeks has our Mo