One fortunate circumstance in the case was that he never dared make Silla a present of anything, neither handkerchiefs nor anything else, because of Mrs.Holman.A penny saved is a penny gained, and she should have it all in good time.
On Saturday evenings, as soon as he had had a little wash in the cooling-water, he took his way up towards the manufacturing part of the town.

He carried his hammer and pincers, and an iron plate or a lock in his hand; he must look as if he were engaged in his lawful work.

And then came the chance whether on his way up or down he caught a glimpse of Silla.
It was quite a chance, and it sometimes happened that he just met Mrs.
Holman instead.

He must put up with that; at any rate, he looked right into the street there, in the cluster of houses where Silla walked several times a day.

But what he found more difficult to put up with was, that on those occasions when he was fortunate, she was walking arm-in-arm with two or three other factory-girls, so that he scarcely got more than the one glimpse and short nod from her before they turned in now here, now there.
What did she want to go loitering about in the evening with those dissipated girls for?
Was that the sort of thing for Silla?
She was neither old enough nor wise enough to understand what she was getting mixed up in, and what a fine gentleman meant who nodded to her--for the sake of her pretty eyes.