The floor was dazzlingly clean and neatly sanded.

The window-panes were small, and the glass of different tints; while over one of the windows was nailed a board, on which was painted in gold letters the words "_L'Esperance_," which was the name of the vessel to which it had belonged.

At length Per came in.
He held out his hand first to the pastor and then to Madeleine, and said, "How do you do ?" to both.

As Madeleine touched the hard and powerful hand, she involuntarily drew back her own, and turned away without pronouncing the usual greeting.

The words seemed to stick in her throat.
At that moment Per's wife entered and asked him in a whisper to cut her a few chips to make the peat fire burn more quickly, as she wished to prepare some coffee.