on the pier, with a
crown of gold upon her head, and with seven kings behind her
holding up her royal mantle, and seven tame lions crouched at her
feet, and seven and seventy generals, with drawn swords, going
before her, then we shall see, Praestberg, whether you dare say to
herself what you've just said to me!"

When he had finished speaking he stood still a moment, noting with
satisfaction how terrified they looked, all of them; then, turning
on his heel, he walked away, but without hurry or flurry, of course.

The instant his back was turned there was a terrible commotion on
the pier. At first he paid no attention to it, but presently, on
hearing a heavy thud, he had to look back. Then he saw Agrippa
lying flat on his face and August Daer Nol bending over him with
clenched fists.

"You cur!" cried August. "You knew well enough that he couldn't
stand hearing the truth. You can't have any heart in your body!"

This much Jan heard, but as anything in the way of fighting or
quarrelling was contrary to his nature, he went on up the hill,
without mixing in the fray.

But strangely enough, when he was out of every one's sight an
uncontrollable spell of weeping came over him. He did not know why
he wept, but probably his tears were of joy at having cleared up
the mystery. He felt now as if his little girl had come back to him.

THE EMPEROR

The first Sunday in September the worshippers at Svartsjoe church
had a surprise in store for them.

There was a wide gallery in the church extending clear across the
nave. The first row of pews in this gallery had always been
occupied by the gentry--the gentlemen on the right side and the
ladies on the left--as far back as can be remembered. All the seats
in the church were free, so that other folk were not debarred from
sitting there, if they so wished; but of course it would never have
occurred to any poor cotter to ensconce himself in that row of
pews.

In the old days Jan had thought the occupants of this particular
bench a delight to the eye. Even now he was willing to concede that
the superintendent from Doveness, the lieutenant from Loevdala, and
the engineer from Borg were fine men who made a good appearance.
But they were as nothing to the grandeur which folks beheld that
day. For anything like a real emperor had never before been seen in
the gentry's bench.

But now there sat at the head of this bench just such a great
personage, his hands resting on a long s