"I am very sorry," she said, "that I could not do as you asked me; but we are not allowed to go into the kitchen and talk to the people that come there." But Oscar was well satisfied.

He only wanted to know at what time and from which direction the baker's boy came every morning; and this Elsli told him.

"All right!" he said; "I can help myself, now." Meanwhile, Fani and Emma were walking up and down by the river-side, talking with constantly increasing eagerness.

Emma had never been so excited; she had had a tremendous surprise.

Since Fani had left home, she had never lost sight of her hope that he would become a great artist.