“Thank the Lord we’ve got something to eat in the house once more!” he said, and actually meant it. For to him only fish was food. The children after their long silence broke into peals of laughter. “Oho!” charged the Lieutenant, shaking a finger at them. “So this is why you’ve been running in and out the whole evening and wouldn’t let me read my paper in peace!” It was an unusually jolly supper. The Lieutenant was always good humoured and talkative, but when he was especially pleased about anything he became quite irresistible. Then he fairly bubbled with amusing anecdotes and kept the whole table convulsed with laughter. As for the slom, there was no more than the Lieutenant himself could have eaten; but he insisted that all must have a share of this “delicacy.” And of course everyone marvelled that such a tiny fish could be so delicious. “Now, doesn’t it taste good, Lovisa?” he asked his sister, who was as fond of meat as he was of fish. Even she had to concede that just for once like this it was not bad--but too much of it---- When the Lieutenant folded his serviette before rising from table, he said very solemnly: “Now, children, mind what I’m telling you: The King in his royal palace couldn’t have had a better supper than we’ve had. So we must give God proper thanks for the food and not slur the grace.” Thus ended the first day of the slom season. The next morning the Gårdsjö fisherman brought a whole pound of slom. He was well met, of course, and he asked twelve _skillings_ the pound for his fish, which was considered a high price. The Lieutenant himself came out to the kitchen with the money in order to thank the old man for coming to Mårbacka with the slom, and request him to continue as he had begun. “Now for pity’s sake don’t take it to the parson’s or the founderer’s!” he said. This time, also, the little girls volunteered to clean the fish. And now they were repaid for their trouble. There was slom enough for the whole family at supper, and some left over for the Lieutenant’s breakfast. But the serving-folk did not have any that day, either. It was too choice a dish for them. The third day the fisherman delivered enough slom to fill a large earthen bowl. Slom was now served at the family table for both breakfast and supper, and in the kitchen it was set before the overseer, but not before the stableman or the farmboy. The next few days folk from every little hamlet along the lake came bringing slom to Mårbacka. The Lieutenant bought from all. Soon every earthen vessel in the cupboard was filled to overflowing, and the fish had to be emptied into a huge copper kettle; when even that would not hold it all, it was dumped into a big vat.