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The black eyes of the maiden and the blue over the way, from looking into each other for the first time in life, glanced down to the arched doorway upon Monsieur the manager. Then the black eyes disappeared within, and Kristian Koppig thought again, and re-opening his shutter, stood up at the window prepared to become a bold spectator of what might follow. But for a moment nothing followed.
"Oh, it's about fourteen miles, so of course you'd have to have good eyes," answered Lars Peter, trying to smile. He was not in the humor for fun. Now at last the three little ones were in the big bed, sleeping peacefully, Povl at one end, sister and Kristian at the other. There was just room for Ditte, who had promised to sleep with them the last night.
"No, to the forest," said the little sister, stroking Ditte's cheeks beseechingly with her dirty little hands, which were blue with cold. She had seen it from afar, and longed to go there. "Yes, to the forest. But you must be good; it's a long way." "May we tell pussy?" Söster looked at Ditte with her big expressive eyes. "Yes, and papa," Kristian joined in with.
Then it was the sick calf's turn, with one blow it was killed, and its skin hung up beside the other. Ditte and Kristian were set to clean the guts, which they did very unwillingly. "Good Lord, have you never touched guts before?" said Johannes. "A-a-y. But not of animals that had died," answered Ditte. "Ho, indeed, so you clean the guts while they're alive, eh? I'd like to see that!"
Kristian, who was now five years old, told stories in a deep voice of a dreadful cat that went about the fields eating up all the moo-cows; the two little ones lay across him, their eyes fixed on his lips, and breathless with excitement.
"Hobble!" said he, looking roguishly at her; he was in high spirits. Kristian and Else laughed. "No, now answer properly," said Ditte seriously; she did not allow fun when correcting them. "Say, 'thank you, dear' well?" "Thank you, dear lump!" said the youth, laughing immoderately. "Oh, you're mad today," said Ditte, lifting him down.
"Dutch!" said the manager softly, between his teeth. "He is staring at me," said Kristian Koppig to himself; "but then I am staring at him, which accounts for it." A long pause, and then another long rapping. "They want him to go away," thought Koppig. "Knock hard!" suggested a street youngster, standing by.
Kristian Koppig, lying awake, but motionless and with closed eyes, hears in part, and, fancying he understands, rejoices with silent intensity. When the doctor is gone he calls Zalli. "I give you a great deal of trouble, eh, Madame John?" "No, no; you are no trouble at all. Had you the yellow fever ah! then!"
Kristian and Söster took turns in walking, Povl wanted to walk in the snow too, but was told to stay where he was and be good. All went well until they had got halfway. Then the little ones began to tire of it, asking impatiently for the forest. They were cold, and Ditte had to stop every other moment to rub their fingers.
Even as the earliest calls were being put through a barely perceptible signal passed from the general to Winifred and presently large parts of the Kristian IV bar were being arranged on a long table at the general's elbow.
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