near that he
had only to put out his hand and take it. That very day, shut in as
he was, he had the feeling that there was a message from her on the
way. This was why he stood peering out through the little clear
corner of the window. He knew, also, that unless it came very soon
he could not go on living.

It was so dark now that he could hardly see as far as the gate, and
his hopes for that day were at an end. He had no objection to
retiring at once, he said presently. Katrina dished out the
porridge, the evening meal was hurridly eaten, and by a quarter
after six they were abed.

They dropped off to sleep, too; but their slumbers were of short
duration. The hands of the big Dalecarlian clock had barely got
round to six-thirty when Jan sprang out of bed; he quickly
freshened the fire, which was almost burned out, then proceeded to
dress himself.

Jan tried to be as quiet as possible, but for all that Katrina was
awakened; raising herself in bed she asked if it was already
morning.

No, indeed it wasn't, but the little girl had called to Jan in a
dream, and commanded him to go up to the forest.

Now it was Katrina's turn to sigh! It must be the madness come
back, thought she. She had been expecting it every day for some
little time, for Jan had been so depressed and restless of late.

She made no attempt to persuade him to stay at home, but got up,
instead, and put on her clothes.

"Wait a minute!" she said, when Jan was at the door. "If you're
going out into the woods to-night, then I want to go with you."

She feared Jan would raise objections, but he didn't; he remained
at the door till she was ready. Though apparently anxious to be
off, he seemed more controlled and rational than he had been all
day.

And what a night to venture out into! The cold came against them
like a rain of piercing and cutting glass-splinters. Their skins
smarted and they felt as if their noses were being torn from their
faces; their fingertips ached and their toes were as if they had
been cut off; they hardly knew they had any toes.

Jan uttered no word of complaint, neither did Katrina; they just
tramped on and on. Jan turned in on the winter-road across the
heights, the one they had traversed with Glory Goldie one Christmas
morning when she was so little she had to be carried.

There was a clear sky and in the west gleamed a pale crescent moon,
so that the night was far from pitch dark. Still it was difficult
to keep to th