y, so that mother has to give in."

"No, do you think about that, Silla? Then I will come. She'll have to
give in like smoke, if I come only with my credentials, and my honest
trade as well."

What was it that had happened that light, hazy, summer evening, when the
waterfall thundered out beneath the bridge, when the trees seemed to
swell with new budding leaves, and the sun glittered on the windows here
and there? Was he intoxicated, or was it the evening that had taken an
extra Midsummer carouse? The last he saw of Silla was that she hurried
homewards with her can, and that she had looked round at him, as she
turned into the road among the houses.

The world was right enough after all. When he reckoned it up properly,
it was not at all so unreasonable, even if the lock did sometimes get
out of order; and then--well, then one had to be both strong and
neat-handed to get it open again.

No, it was right enough. You only see that when you get inside, and so
there must be police and masters and order in everything, so that it can
lock.

Nikolai stood riveting and meditating down in the smithy. He had now got
his journeyman's credentials, and everything was rose-colour. The fact
that he and the world were becoming reconciled showed in shining
characters over the whole of his broad face. His short, strong figure
moved with a newly-acquired, quick confidence at his work.

He worked now for journeyman's wages, and could save up a nice little
sum each week. One fortunate circumstance in the case was that he never
dared make Silla a present of anything, neither handkerchiefs nor
anything else, because of Mrs. Holman. A penny saved is a penny gained,
and she should have it all in good time.

On Saturday evenings, as soon as he had had a little wash in the
cooling-water, he took his way up towards the manufacturing part of the
town. He carried his hammer and pincers, and an iron plate or a lock in
his hand; he must look as if he were engaged in his lawful work. And
then came the chance whether on his way up or down he caught a glimpse
of Silla.

It was quite a chance, and it sometimes happened that he just met Mrs.
Holman instead. He must put up with that; at any rate, he looked right
into the street there, in the cluster of houses where Silla walked
several times a day. But what he found more difficult to put up with
was, that on those occasions when he was fortunate, she was walking
arm-in-arm with two or three other