ore, and her nose wrinkled up a little as she smelt
the close air. It seemed so stuffy, and so dark.

"We'll light the lamp," he said.

Presently she laughed a little shyly, and asked where she was to sleep.

"Lord bless us, you may well ask!" Peer scratched his head. "There's
only one bed, you see." At that they both burst out laughing.

"The one of us'll have to sleep on the floor," suggested the girl.

"Right. The very thing," said he, delighted. "I've two pillows; you can
have one. And two rugs--anyway, you won't be cold."

"And then I can put on my other dress over," she said. "And maybe you'll
have an old overcoat--"

"Splendid! So we needn't bother any more about that."

"But where do you get your food from?" She evidently meant to have
everything cleared up at once.

Peer felt rather ashamed that he hadn't money enough to invite her to a
meal at an eating-house then and there. But he had to pay his teacher's
fees the next day; and his store-box wanted refilling too.

"I boil the coffee on the stove there overnight," he said, "so that it's
all ready in the morning. And the dry food I keep in that box there.
We'll see about some supper now." He opened the box, fished out a loaf
and some butter, and put the kettle on the stove. She helped him to
clear the papers off the table, and spread the feast on it. There was
only one knife, but it was really much better fun that way than if he
had had two. And soon they were seated on their chairs--they had a chair
each--having their first meal in their own home, he and she together.

It was settled that Louise should sleep on the floor, and they both
laughed a great deal as he tucked her in carefully so that she shouldn't
feel cold. It was not till afterwards, when the lamp was out, that
they noticed that the autumn gales had set in, and there was a loud
north-wester howling over the housetops. And there they lay, chatting to
each other in the dark, before falling asleep.

It seemed a strange and new thing to Peer, this really having a relation
of his own--and a girl, too--a young woman. There she lay on the floor
near by him, and from now on he was responsible for what was to become
of her in the world. How should he put that job through?

He could hear her turning over. The floor was hard, very likely.

"Louise?"

"Yes."

"Did you ever see mother?"

"No."

"Or your father?"

"My father?" She gave a little laugh.

"Yes, haven't you ever seen him eit