"What is it, my dear? Excuse me, I am going to get into bed. That's it!" "I am so happy." "Are you? That's right; you were so unhappy a little while ago." "All that Rendalen said----" "Yes, he was capital this evening." "Fru Rendalen, do you think I might thank him for it? Might I venture?" "Why, of course! What do you mean, my dear?" "I could not rest till I had written----" "Written? When you live in the same house----" "I thought I would get it sent to him this evening." "To-night, you mean; you can wait just as well till to-morrow, my dear, and then you can say it to him. You know Tomas is peculiar." "But this evening he is in a good humour, eh?" "You want to take a letter into his room?" "Oh, no; not I myself. Fancy if Pastor Vangen were to come, or Rendalen himself!" "Would you like me to?" "Dear Fru Rendalen!" "Get me my spectacles, and let me see." "Here they are." Fru Rendalen read: "Herr Rendalen, "I cannot go to bed without thanking you. I did not want you to think I did not wish to do so. I did not find an opportunity for it. Thank you. "Most humbly, "Nora Tue." Fru Rendalen's bed creaked; she got up. "I will put it on his table by the candle. Have you the envelope? There, that's all right. Have you directed it?" "Yes." "Just give me my skirt and slippers--that's it. It was pretty of you, Nora. Yes, he was very good this evening: that's it;" and she trotted off. As she again got into bed she said: "But, Nora, why did you not thank him at once?" Instead of answering, Nora put her head down to Fru Rendalen, kissed her a good-night, and went lightly off. She turned back. "Shall I put out your candle?" "No; good-night, my dear." The winter passed by, and they began to hope that the war might pass off as well as it had done before. But when minds are excited they require but little to aid them. The political strife was now at its height; the so-called people's party had started a newspaper; the _Spectator_ seemed to them to have attained the measure of iniquity. Between this paper and the new one, the _Independence_, a fierce antagonism quickly arose, which became most trying to the nerves.