ssibly he was musing in silent
resignation upon the problem of matrimony, and the strange law of
consequence which had set him down here in the public-house.

But regularity in all things, said Holman, and when the clock struck
eight, with his tools in his hand and his head bent, he turned his
faltering steps homewards.

On Saturday evenings, when work was over at the workshop, a tall, active
young girl, with large wrists, thin arms and a stooping figure, would
often come down to fetch him. She had a basket, and a piece of paper on
which was written what she was to buy with the week's wages.

The two would then go up the street together, walking slower and slower
as they went. Time after time he would stop, and look thoughtfully about
him with one hand in his pocket, and an occasionally ejaculated "H'm,
h'm!"--until they arrived at Mrs. Selvig's steps and green door, when he
would suddenly declare that he had some "things" lying in there: he
would be out again directly.

Silla knew by experience what "directly" meant, and meanwhile went her
own way over the yards.

Through the lovely August evening, one troop of workmen after another
came over the bridge near the mouth of the river, several of them with
the same sort of escort as her father, of wife or child. It was so usual
and its meaning so self-evident, that no one ever gave it a thought.

While the different gates and yards were emitting their streams of
workmen, Silla had approached one of the narrow passages with which the
loading places are furrowed. On each side was a wooden hoarding, and
there were stacks of timber within. The irregularly cut up, black muddy
roadway led into a forge and implement yard.

Just at the corner lay a heap of rubbish, full of broken bottles and
pottery. She stood there with her basket, every now and then taking a
step backwards, up the heap, to make room for passers-by. In this way
she gained the top of the heap, and could see over the hoarding into the
yard.

They were still busy receiving wages in there in a crowd round a little
shed which did duty as an office.

With outstretched neck, and her two shining dark eyes turned almost like
a bird's, she stood and looked eagerly in. There was no mistake about
her object.

"Well, lass! are you looking for your sweetheart?" said a voice below.

But, as she at that moment caught sight of Nikolai, and he signalled to
her, she took no notice of the voice, and waved her basket vig