“And I want to ask you something more,” began Emma.  “Where do you get those beautiful fish that we have on the table so often?”

“They come out of the water near by,” answered the cook.

“Yes, of course; but I mean, does a fisherman bring them to you, or do you go yourself to fetch them?”

“That would be a queer thing, if I had to trot round a couple of hours before I could have fish for my frying-pan!  There! your shoes are all clean again.”  And she laid the brush away.

“Does it take a couple of hours to go to the fisherman’s?” asked Emma.

“Goodness me!  I can’t speak always as if I were on oath; if you want to know how far it is, you’d better go measure it yourself, miss,” retorted the displeased woman.

“That’s just what I want to do!  Will you please tell me the way?” asked Emma; and she thanked the cook for brushing her shoes, like a little lady.

“You go directly down behind the house, as far as the main road; go along the road a little way, and then turn to the left along a narrow path, till you come to a clump of willows; there you’ll find the fisherman’s house.”

With many thanks Emma ran off.

“She is thinking of going a-fishing herself, I’m sure,” said the cook, looking after her.

Emma rushed into the garden to find Fani.

“Come along, come with me!  I know something nice!  We can do it now!” and, dragging the boy along with her, the impetuous girl told him that the day before she had seen a fisherman out in his boat on the river, and she had made an excuse to go into the kitchen to speak to the cook, because she knew that children were not allowed there unless they had an errand to do; and she had found out where the fisherman lived, and of course they could hire his boat.  In that they could go out on the river, and she would keep the boat still while Fani took a sketch of the ruin.  If he could not finish it the first time, they could go again and again.  It wouldn’t cost so much to hire the boat that they couldn’t take it several times if necessary.

Fani was delighted.  But there was one difficulty.

“Who will row us, Elsli?  I don’t know how, and the fisherman couldn’t leave his work so long.”

“I can row myself.  I took four people out in a boat once, when I was making a visit, near a lake, to some friends of mamma’s.  I have often rowed about alone.  You don’t know how skilful I am.”

Fani was quite satisfied.  He never dreamed of questioning Emma’s capability.  They went down to the road, and, after looking about for some time and retracing their steps, they found at last the narrow foot-path leading to the left, and, after walking a little way, they saw before them the clump of willows at a short distance.  It was now nearly evening, for they had been a long time finding the way.  The path they had taken was twice as long as that by the river, by which Elsli went; but they