"And we'll go and eat our lunch at Ulrica's too," said Nelly. "We haven't taken it there for ever so long: she said so Tuesday. We'll go to-day." "So we will," said Rob. "Perhaps she'll have stewed chicken." "Oh, for shame, Rob!" said Nelly. "What for?" said Rob: "I don't see any shame. Where's the shame?" "Shame to think about something to eat when you go to see people," replied Nelly. "Now, Nell March, didn't you think of it, honest Indian?" said Rob. "Well, it's worse to say it," stammered Nelly. "Perhaps I did think of it, just a little, little bit; but I always try not to." "Ha! ha! Miss Nell! I've caught you this time; and I don't think it's a bit worse to say it: so, there! Stewed chicken! stewed chicken!" And Rob danced along in front of Nelly, shouting the words in her very face. Nelly could not help laughing, though she was angry. "Rob," she said, "you can be the worst torment I ever saw." "That's only because you haven't had any other torment but me," cried Rob, still dancing along backwards in front of Nelly. "Hullo! hullo!" said a loud, gruff voice just behind him: "don't run me down, young man! Which side of the way will you have, or will you have both?" Very much confused, Rob turned and found himself nearly in the arms of an old man with rough clothes on, but with such a nice, benevolent face that Rob knew he was not going to be angry with him. "I beg your pardon, sir," he said. "I didn't see you." "Naturally you didn't, since you have no eyes in the back of your head," said the old man. "Do you always walk backwards, or is it only when you are teasing your sister?" Nelly hastened to defend Rob. "Oh, sir," she said, "he was not really teasing me: he was only in fun." The old man smiled and nodded. "That's right! that's right!" he said. They had just now reached Mr. Kleesman's steps. Rob sprang up, two steps at a time. "What!" said the old man, "are you going in here? So am I." And they all went in together. Mr. Kleesman was very glad to see Nelly. "I haf miss you for many days," he said. "Vy is it you not come more to see assay?" "We have been very busy," said Nelly: "and have not stayed in town any longer than we needed to sell our things." "I know! I know!" said Mr. Kleesman: "you haf been at the Goot Luck mine!" "Why, who told you about it?" exclaimed Rob. "Ach!" said Mr. Kleesman, "you tink dat mines be to be hid in dis town? Not von but knows of 'Goot Luck,' dat the little maid-child haf found;" and he looked at Nelly and smiled affectionately. "And not von but iss glad," he added, patting her on the head. Then he turned to the old man who had come in with the children, and said, politely:-- "Vat can I do for you, sir?" The man took off his hat and sat down, and pulled out of his pocket a little bag of stones, and threw it on the table. "Tell me if that's worth any thing," he said. Mr. Kleesman took a small stone out of the bag, and called:-- "Franz! Franz!"