In Christiania they are the second Friday after Easter, and the second Friday after Michaelmas.] She went down into the cellar with the lantern one evening to fetch coal and wood, panting and puffing down the stairs as she used to do; she had a bend in both hips from rheumatism, and rocked from one side to the other like a boat's mast in rough weather.
From the wood-cellar she all at once heard a sound as of wailing in the darkness within.

It was as though some one were crying, and now and again sobbing convulsively for some time without being able to produce a distinct sound.
The voice sounded so utterly broken-hearted that Maren stopped putting the wood into her apron and stood by the chopping-block listening.

It seemed to come from one of the coal cellars up the dark passage.

At last she seized the lantern and groped her way in; she must come to the bottom of this.
"Is any one here ?" she cried at the door whence the sobbing came.
There was a sudden complete silence.
She knocked hard with a bit of wood, but then from within there came a terrified scream, which made Maren drop the wood from her apron and pull open the hasp of the door which was fastened with a piece of wood.
"But who has put the poor little boy in here--in the pitch black darkness ?" By the light of the lantern she saw Nikolai staring at her in wild terror.
"I thought it was the devil, I did.

Yes, for he does knock on the wall." "Oh, you'd frighten any one out of their senses, boy, with those ugly words!" "Mrs.Holman says so;" and with a quick, inquiring glance up at Maren he added, "but do you think she only says it so that I shan't touch her sugar ?" "Is that what you are here for ?" "I haven't taken anything from her, but I will, if she says it whether I do or not! It was only that Monday when I put my tongue down into the bag and licked when I'd gone for half a pound.