her, until, reddening with confusion, she instinctively stretched out
her hand for her bodice, that lay beside her on the bench.

"Good evening, Jacob, old boy," cried Carl, in the frank, off-hand
manner that became him so well, going up to the old fellow, and laying
his hand cordially on his shoulder. "I'm afraid we shall be very
troublesome to you, such a large party; but we want you to let us stay
here till morning, till we see if the weather moderates a bit. We
daren't go driving out in the dark to Great Torungen, on account of
these women folk that we have on board,"--and he pointed, jokingly, to
his sister and her friend.

"I see you have to deal with womankind too, so you know what it is."

The old man was apparently not insensible to this genial way of dealing
with him. He rose from his seat and made room at the fire, begging that
they would put up with what accommodation he had to offer, and telling
Elizabeth at the same time to go out for more wood.

While the party gathered round the fire, and made themselves as
comfortable as they could, Carl Beck was outside with the boatmen,
seeing about having the provisions brought up. He came in again with
Elizabeth, also with an armful of wood. Throwing it down, laughing, he
cried--

"Now for a 'bowl,' as our friends the Swedes have it. But first, out
with the food."

There was no scarcity of eatables, which were discussed amid a running
fire of conversation upon every kind of topic; and then came the "bowl,"