"Is your sister married?" he asked; "and you were not able to be
present?"

"It is too far to go home from here," Julia said; then asked, "Were
you going to the barns?"

"Yes," he answered, suddenly reminded of the fact. Then seeing she did
not resume her seat on the steps, he ventured diffidently, "Will you
come too?"

She assented, and they started together in silence, Joost thinking her
homesick, not knowing quite what to say. When they came to the first
of the dark buildings they went in, and he swung the lantern round so
that their shadows danced fantastically. Then he tried various doors,
and glanced up the wall-ladder to the square opening which led to the
floor above. There was no need to examine the place minutely, it was
all quiet and dark; if there had been any one about they would
certainly have heard, and if there had been anything smouldering--a
danger more to be feared, seeing that the men smoked everywhere--it
could have been smelt in the dry air.

"I like these barns," Julia said, looking round: "they are so big and
quiet and orderly, somehow so respectable."

"Respectable!" he repeated, as if he did not approve of the word. "Is
that what you like? The respectable?"

"Yes, in its place; and its place is here."

"You think us respectable?"