r hearts--their own
personal plans in connection with Nikolai and Silla. On that point they
watched each other in diplomatic silence, like two chess-players of whom
the one dare not move until he has seen through the other one's
intention; Mrs. Holman, in the middle of some strictly reserved opinion,
taking in everything with her precise, little face and cold grey eyes,
and seeing it all clear and small as if through the bottom of a tumbler;
and Barbara, round, hospitable, large and fat, with great, overflowing
features, and generally talking about her time at the Consul's.

But during all this, there was one thing upon which each of them became
always more and more decided--if she could not live with them herself,
she would at any rate put a stop to the other coming and filling up the
house.

The two future mothers-in-law were each occupied to the best of their
ability in making it impossible for the other; but of this quietly
calculated conflict which was going on in the ground far below them,
Nikolai and Silla had no suspicion.

CHAPTER X

A RISE IN LIFE

Since Mrs. Holman had seen what Silla could busy herself with--she was
quite struck with amazement at her own blindness--she had become far
more strictly attentive, and also much more on the lookout and watch
against Nikolai.

The fruits of idleness had unfortunately revealed themselves, and there
was no other remedy for them than to watch conscientiously and see that
Silla worked. She must really set about something that there was some
use and help in, all through the long light spring evenings, and not
just run for the milk, or out when any one came and asked if she might.

Nikolai soon found that the situation was far from being improved after
he was acknowledged in the quality of wooer. But notwithstanding that he
saw no more of her than a short glimpse now and then, a great step in
advance had actually been made. He had now only to work hard, and that
he did manfully; the hammer worked, in his hands, as if by steam.

In some ways, too, he was re-assured, for if Mrs. Holman watched against
him so carefully, this same watchfulness was a security against others,
too. It was well to know that she was no longer to be found up there
among those giddy girls in the evening. A cold shiver ran down his back
when he one day met young Veyergang coming out of his mother's. He only
looked indifferently at Nikolai with half-closed eyes, when they met in
the