"Yes," said Paul. "But I'm the master of this farm. I have a say in things too. I'm not without power up here in Reisa, believe me...." Then he said sternly to Solem: "You come to me next time." Whereupon he stalked off to the woods again. "He's a bit tight again, our good Paul," said the lawyer. Nobody replied. "Can you imagine an innkeeper in Switzerland behaving like that?" the lawyer remarked. Mrs. Brede said gently: "What a pity! He never drank before." And at once the lawyer was charitable again: "I'll have a good talk with him," he said. * * * * * There followed a period in which Paul was sober from morning till night, when Manufacturer Brede paid us a visit. The flag was hoisted, and there was great commotion at the farm; Josephine's feet said _whrr_ under her skirt. The manufacturer arrived with a porter; his wife and children went far down the road to meet him, and the visitors at the resort sallied forth too. "Good morning!" he greeted us with a great flourish of his hat. He won us all over. He was big and friendly, fat and cheerful, with the broad good cheer that plenty of money gives. He became good friends with us at once. "How long are you staying, Daddy?" his little girls asked, as they clung to him. "Three days." "Is that all!" said his wife. "Is that all?" he replied, laughing. "That's not such a short time, my dear; three days is a lot for me." "But not for me and the children," she said. "Three whole days," he repeated. "I can tell you I've had to do some moving to be able to stay as quiet as this, ha, ha!" They all went in. The manufacturer had been here before and knew the way to his wife's cottage. He ordered soda water at once. In the evening, when the children had gone to bed, the manufacturer and his wife joined us in the living room; he had brought whisky with him for the gentlemen, and ordered soda water; for the ladies he had wine. It was 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.