to any one else. His mouth opened and his lips moved as though he
were speaking, but not a word was heard by Katrina. Smile after
smile crossed his face, just as when the girl used to stand and
rail at him.

"Why, Jan!" said Katrina, "what has come over you?"

He did not reply, but motioned to her to be still. Then he
straightened himself a little. His gaze seemed to be following
something that glided away over the gray-green waves. Whatever it
was, it moved quickly in the direction the boat had taken. Now Jan
no longer bent forward but stood quite upright, shading his eyes
with his hand that he might see the better. Thus he remained
standing till there was nothing more to be seen, apparently. Then,
turning to Katrina, he said:

"You didn't see anything, perhaps?"

"What can one see here but the lake and its waves?"

"The little girl came rowing back," Jan told her, his voice lowered
to a whisper. "She had borrowed a boat of the captain. I noticed it
was marked exactly like the steamer. She said there was something
she had forgotten about when she left; it was something she wanted
to say to us."

"My dear Jan, you don't know what you're talking about! If the girl
had come back then I, too, would have seen her."

"Hush now, and I'll tell you what she wants of us!" said Jan, in