in turn rose as he came to them; the only one who did not rise was
Jan.

"I am not very well acquainted in this district," said the senator,
"but I gather that this must be the place in the Ashdales that is
called Ruffluck Croft."

It was of course. Every one nodded in the affirmative, but no one
was able to utter an audible word. They wondered that Katrina had
the presence of mind to nudge Börje, and make him get up and give
his chair to the senator.

After drawing the chair up to the table the senator laid the roll
of papers down, then he took out his snuff box and placed it beside
the papers, whereupon he removed his spectacles from their case and
wiped them with his big blue-and-white checkered handkerchief.
After these preliminaries he glanced round the room, looking from
one person to the other. Those who sat there were persons of such
little importance he did not even know them by name.

"I wish to speak with Jan Anderson of Ruffluck," he said.

"That's him over there," volunteered the seine-maker, pointing at
the bed.

"Is he sick?" inquired the senator.

"Oh, no! Oh, no!" replied half a dozen at the same time.

"And he isn't drunk, either," added Börje.