drink. Alas, yes, man proposes, God disposes.... And then, perhaps, Fruen
herself might come to hear of it....

"I think I'll take to going over with the men in the evenings," said
Falkenberg, "the same as you."

And I knew well enough why Falkenberg had suddenly taken it into his head
to spend his evenings there; he was not asked to sing now as often as
before; some way or other, he was less in demand of late.




XVIII


The Captain had returned.

A big man, with a full beard, came out to us one day while we were at
work, and said:

"I'm Captain Falkenberg. Well, lads, how goes it?"

We greeted him respectfully, and answered: "Well enough."

Then there was some talk of what we had done and what remained to do. The
Captain was pleased with our work--all clean cut and close to the root.
Then he reckoned out how much we had got through per day, and said it came
to a good average.