had given me the message for his son-in-law he went away. 'Tell
him,' he said, 'that I wish him no ill for letting me lie in the
snow in my agony and not coming to my aid in time; but the Fourth
Commandment is a strict one. Tell him from me he'd better repent
and confess. He will have until the Sunday after Midsummer to do it
in.'"

Jan spoke so rationally and delivered his strange message with such
sincerity that both the pastor and the others firmly believed at
first that Eric of Falla had actually stood outside the door of his
old home and talked with Jan. And naturally they all turned their
eyes toward Lars Gunnarson to see what effect Jan's words had had
on him.

Lars only laughed. "I thought Jan sane," he said, "or I shouldn't
have let him come to the meeting. The pastor will have to pardon
the interruption. It is the madness breaking out again."

"Why of course!" said the pastor, relieved. For he had been on the
point of believing he had come upon something supernatural. It was
well, he thought, that this was only the fancy of a lunatic.

"You see, Pastor," Lars went on explaining, "Jan has no great love
for me, and it's plain now he hasn't the wit to conceal it. I must
confess that in a sense I'm to blame for his daughter having to go
away to earn money. It's this he holds against me."

The parson, a little surprised at Lars's eager tone, gave him a
searching glance. Lars did not meet that gaze, but looked away.
Perceiving his mistake, he tried to look the parson in the face.