red; when any one is in his way, he quietly pushes him aside with
his hand. He is silent and knits his brows convulsively. Occasionally he
glances at the door or at the window and listens.

The only woman present there is Mariet. She is sitting by the table
and constantly watching her father with her burning eyes. She shudders
slightly at each loud word, at the sound of the door as it opens, at the
noise of distant footsteps.

At night a fog came from the sea and covered the earth. And such
perfect quiet reigns now that long-drawn tolling is heard in the distant
lighthouse of the Holy Cross. Warning is thus given to the ships that
have lost their way in the fog.

Some one in the corner says:

"Judging from the blow, it was not one of our people that killed him.
Our people can't strike like that. He stuck the knife here, then slashed
over there, and almost cut his head off."

"You can't do that with a dull knife!"

"No. You can't do it with a weak hand. I saw a murdered sailor on the
wharf one day--he was cut up just like this."

Silence.

"And where is his mother?" asks some one, nodding at the curtain.

"Selly is taking care of her. Selly took her to her house."

An old fisherman quietly asks his neighbour:

"Who told you?"

"Francina woke me. Who told you, Marle?"

"Some one knocked on my window."

"Who knocked on your window?"

"I don't know."

Silence.

"How is it you don't know? Who was the first to see?"

"Some one passed by and noticed him."

"None of us passed by. There was nobody among us who passed by."

A fisherman seated at the other end, says:

"There was nobody among us who passed by. Tell us, Thomas."

Thomas takes out his pipe:

"I am a neighbour of Philipp's, of that man there--" he points at the
curtain. "Yes, yes, you all know that I am his neighbour. And if anybody
does not know it--I'll say it again, as in a court of justice: I am his
neighbour--I live right next to him--" he turns to the window.

An elderly fisherman enters and forces himself silently into the line.

"Well, Tibo?" asks the abbot, stopping.

"Nothing."

"Haven't you found Haggart?"

"No. It is so foggy that they are afraid of losing themselves. They walk
and call each other; some of them hold each other by the hand. Even a
lantern can't be seen ten feet away."

The abbot lowers his head and resumes his pacing. The old fisherman
speaks, without addressing any one in particular.

"There are many