e joyfully from the doorway.

"Yes, child, I see it."

But Louise has only looked in for a moment to beg some cake for Lorentz
and herself, and be off again on her ski to the hill-slopes. "Thank you,
mother--you're a darling!" And with a slice in each hand she dashes out,
glowing with health and the cold air.

If only Peer could glow with health again! But though one day they might
persuade themselves that now--now at last he had turned the corner--the
next he would be lying tossing about in misery, and it all seemed
more hopeless than ever. He had taken to the doctors' medicines
again--arsenic and iron and so forth--and the quiet and fresh air they
had prescribed were here in plenty; would nothing do him any good? There
were not so many months of their year left now.

And then? Another winter here? And living on charity--ah me! Merle shook
her head and sighed.

The time had come, too, when Louise should go to school.

"Send the children over to me--all three of them, if you like," wrote
Aunt Marit from Bruseth. No, thanks; Merle knew what that meant. Aunt
Marit wanted to keep them for good.

Lose her children--give away her children to others? Was the day to come
when that burden, too, would be laid upon them?

But schooling they must have; they must learn enough at least to fit
them to make a living when they grew up. And if their own parents could
not afford them schooling, why--why then perhaps they had no right to
keep them?

Merle sewed and sewed on, lifting her head now and again, so that the
sunlight fell on her face.

How the snow shone--like purple under the red flood of sunlight. After
all, their troubles seemed a little easier to bear to-day. It was as if
something frozen in her heart were beginning to thaw.

Louise was getting on well with her violin. Perhaps one day the child
might go out into the world, and win the triumphs that her mother had
dreamed of in vain.

There was a sound of hurried steps in the passage, and she started and
sat in suspense. Would he come in raging, or in despair, or had the
pains in his head come back? The door opened.

"Merle! I have it now. By all the gods, little woman, something's
happened at last!"

Merle half rose from her seat, but sank back again, gazing at his face.

"I've got it this time, Merle," he said again. "And how on earth I never
hit on it before--when it's as simple as shelling peas!"

He was stalking about the room now, with his hands in h