pew in the little chapel, which was no longer used for divine
service.

"This might become a pretty little room," said the Kammerjunker,
"but we have enough, and therefore we let this, for curiosity's
sake, remain in its old state. The moon is worth its money!" and he
pointed toward the vaulted ceiling, where the moon was represented
as a white disk, in which the painter, with much naivete, had
introduced a man bearing a load of coals upon his back; in faithful
representation of the popular belief regarding the black spot in
the moon, which supposes this to be a man whom the Lord has sent up
there because he stole his neighbor's coal. "That great picture on
the right, there," pursued he, "is Mrs. Ellen Marsviin; I purchased
it at an auction. One of the peasants put up for it; I asked him
what he would do with this big piece of furniture--he could never
get it in through his door. But do you know what a speculation he
had? It was not such a bad one, after all. See! the rain runs so
beautifully off the painted canvas, he would have a pair of
breeches made out of it, to wear in rainy weather behind the
plough; they would keep the rain off! I thought, however, I ought
to prevent the portrait of the highly honorable Mrs. Ellen Marsviin
being so profaned. I bought it: now she hangs there, and looks
tolerably well pleased. The peasant got a knight instead--perhaps
one of my own ancestors, who was now cut up into breeches. See,
that is what one gets by being painted!"

"But the cupboard in the pillar there?" inquired Otto.

"There, certainly, were Bibles and Prayer-books kept. Now I have in
it what I call sweetmeats for the Chancery-counselor Thomsen: old