restricted to the books he bought, and now and then a theatre
ticket. One day he carne excitedly into the sitting-room,
and asked:
"'Who took my five franc piece?' It was a five franc piece
that he had got somewhere or other and had stuck in his pocket
to buy a theatre ticket with. It turned out that the maid had
found it and given it to Fru Bjornson. For it seemed quite
unthinkable to her that the master should have any money to
take out with him.
"This complete indifference of Bjornson to small matters
sometimes proved annoying. In this connection I may tell
of a little trip he once took with Jonas Lie.
"The two poets, who did not live far apart, had long counted
with pleasure upon a trip to Pere Lachaise, where they wished
to visit Alfred de Musset's grave. At last the day came,
and with big soft hats on their heads, and engaged earnestly
in conversation, they drove away through Paris.
"When they came to Pere Lachaise, and wanted to enter the
cemetery, the driver stopped them and asked for his pay.
Then it appeared that neither had any money, which they
smilingly explained, and asked him in bad French to wait
and drive them home again. But the two gentlemen with the big
soft hats had not inspired the driver with any marked degree
of confidence. He made a scene, and attracted a great crowd
of the boys, loafers, and well-dressed Frenchmen who always
collect on critical occasions. The end of the affair was that
the poets had to get into their cab again and drive all the long
way back without having had a glimpse of the grave. When they
reached Lie's lodgings, Lie went in to get some money, while
Bjornson sat in the cab as a hostage. Nevertheless, both poets