quite a little party, the manufacturer playing the host with skill, and we
were all well satisfied. When Miss Palm played folk melodies on the piano,
this heavy-built man grew quiet and sentimental; but he didn't think only
of himself, for suddenly he went out and lowered the flag. Flags should be
lowered at sunset, he said. Once or twice he went across to the cottage,
too, to see if the children were sleeping well. Generally speaking, he
seemed fond of the children. Though he owned factories and hotels and many
other things, yet he seemed to take the greatest pride of all in
possessing a couple of children.

One of the men from Bergen struck his glass for silence, and began to make
a speech.

The Bergensians had all long been very quiet and retiring, but here was a
perfect occasion for making speeches. Was not here a man from the great
world outside, from the heart of life, who had brought them wine and good
cheer and festivity? Strange wares up here in this world of blue
mountains ... and so on.

He talked for about five minutes, and became very animated.

The manufacturer told us a little about Iceland--a neutral country that
neither the Associate Master nor the lawyer had visited, and therefore
could not disagree about. One of the Danes had been there and was able to
confirm the justness of the manufacturer's impressions.

But most of the time he told cheerful anecdotes:

"I have a servant, a young lad, who said to me one day, when I was in a
bad temper: 'You've become a great hand at swearing in Icelandic!' Ha, ha,