"That blackguard who gave the girl the red dress and who afterward
sent her to the devil in Stockholm. First I gave him, on your
account, all the thrashing he could take, and then I told him that
the next time he showed his face around here he'd get just as big a
dose of the same kind of medicine."

Jan would not believe he had heard aright. "But what did he say?"
he questioned eagerly. "Didn't you ask him about Glory Goldie? Had
he no greetings from her?"

"What could he say? He took his punishment and held his tongue. Now
I've done you a decent turn, Jan Anderson, and we're even. Johan
Utter Agrippa Prästberg wants no unpaid scores."

With that he strode on, leaving Jan in the middle of the road,
lamenting loudly. The little girl had wanted to send him a message!
That merchant had come with greetings from her, but not a thing had
he learned because the man had been driven away.

Jan stood wringing his hands. He did not weep, but he ached all
over worse than if he were ill. He felt certain in his own mind
that Glory Goldie had wanted Prästberg to take a message from her
brought by the merchant and convey it to her father. But it was
with Prästberg as with the trolls--whether they wanted to help or
hinder they only wrought mischief.


THE SUNDAY AFTER MIDSUMMER

The first Sunday after Midsummer Day there was a grand party at the