“A carriage drove up to the gate. “'Your cat has had no milk,' said the maid. “But I had no thought for my flowers, or my cat; I asked: “'Is that Dundas outside there? Ask him to come in here to me at once; I am expecting him; there was something...' “He knocked. I opened the door. “'Iselin!' he cried, and kissed my lips a whole minute long. “'I did not send for you,' I whispered to him. “'Did you not?' he asked. “Then I answered: “'Yes, I did--I sent for you. I was longing so unspeakably for you again. Stay here with me a little.' “And I covered my eyes for love of him. He did not loose me; I sank forward and hid myself close to him. “'Surely that was something crowing again,' he said, listening. “But when I heard what he said, I cut off his words as swiftly as I could, and answered: “'No, how can you imagine it? There was nothing crowing then.' “He kissed me. “Then it was evening again, and Dundas was gone. Something golden thrilling through me. I stood before the glass, and two eyes all alight with love looked out at me; I felt something moving in me at my own glance, and always that something thrilling and thrilling round my heart. Dear God! I had never seen myself with those eyes before, and I kissed my own lips, all love and desire, in the glass... “And now I have told you. Another time I will tell you of Svend Herlufsen. I loved him too; he lived a league away, on the island you can see out there, and I rowed out to him myself on calm summer evenings, because I loved him. And I will tell you of Stamer. He was a priest, and I loved him. I love all...” Through my helf-sleep I heard a cock crowing down at Sirilund. “Iselin, hear! A cock is crowing for us too!” I cried joyfully, and reached out my arms. I woke. Æsop was already moving. “Gone!” I said in burning sorrow, and looked round. There was no one--no one there. It was morning now; the cock was still crowing down at Sirilund. By the hut stood a woman--Eva. She had a rope in her hand; she was going to fetch wood. There was the morning of life in the young girl's figure as she stood there, all golden in the sun. “You must not think...” she stammered out. “What is it I must not think, Eva?” “I--I did not come this way to meet you; I was just passing...” And her face darkened in a blush. XXI My foot continued to trouble me a good deal. It often itched at nights, and kept me awake; a sudden spasm would shoot through it, and in changeable weather it was full of gout. It was like that for many days. But it did not make me lame, after all. The days went on. Herr Mack had returned, and I knew it soon enough. He took my boat away from me, and left me in difficulties, for it was still the closed season, and there was nothing I could shoot. But why did he take the boat away from me like that? Two of Herr Mack's folk from the quay had rowed out with a stranger in the morning. I met the Doctor. “They have taken my boat away,” I said.