hfulness and disorder!

There was another sledge party with fine hats and glowing cigars
standing laughing just outside.

Barbara stopped her knitting-pins to listen.

"We have this noise every evening till quite late," she remarked, "as
long as the moon shines on the road."

He turned hot all over. If Silla were to get into this, then he might as
well lay both himself and his hammer down.

Yes, there she was looking about at the corner for her two friends.

"Good evening, old lady," said he, suddenly coming out of the door.

"Is that you, Nikolai?" exclaimed Silla, in surprise. "Have you seen
anything of Kristofa and Kalla? I did so want to speak to them! Haven't
you? Do you know how I got out? I was only going to get the cat in for
the night. I chased it out myself, and hid it so nicely under the wooden
tub out in the shed. If only it doesn't mew."

She looked round again eagerly, while the elongated shadow across the
snow imitated her slender figure and swaying movements.

"Oh, and they promised to wait for me!"

"Well, I suppose they've only gone."

"Only? They thought I was going out with them this evening, and if they
haven't been here already, they may perhaps stand and wait, for I must
go in, you see, or else I shall have mother coming out into the street
after me. Listen, Nik! If you were nice "--she took hold of his jacket,
and pushed him backwards and forwards--"you would find them and tell
them--can you tell them properly?--that I must be good and stay at home
this evening, but hurrah for a holiday to-morrow and the day after! Say
that mother will be washing at the Antonisens' the whole of the end of
the week, and they'll quite understand it. But be sure you find them,
Nikolai, so that they won't blame me."

Nikolai was not insensible to her amiability, nor yet to her liveliness
and prettiness; but it had just the opposite effect. While she stood
pulling his jacket, he heard the voices on the high-road all the time.

"That's it, that's it! You want to get quite free now, Silla. Well, just
let them drag you out among them! But that a respectable girl will let
herself be drawn into such goings on!" he added, out of humour.

"A respectable girl? Respectable girl! May I ask what sort of fun she is
to have then? I really wonder, Nikolai, that you didn't find a
respectable girl for yourself who would walk with her back like a poker,
and her arms under her shawl, and who only lets herself slide by
a