knew nothing of that.  Under the willows all was still; there was nothing to be seen beyond but more willows, and the sound of the rushing river came through the silence to their ears.  The children came in among the trees till they could see the water that flowed beyond.  There lay the boat not far from them, and behind the bushes a slender thread of blue smoke rising into the air showed them where the fisherman’s hut was.  A man was just going down to the edge of the water, and presently he began to hammer at something in the boat.  Emma ran towards him, and Fani followed.

“Are you the fisherman?” asked Emma?

The man raised his head, and stopped hammering.

“Yes, I am; at your service,” he answered, politely.  “Do you want to buy some fish?”

Emma explained that they only wanted to hire a boat, just for an hour or two; not to go far away from the shore at all.  The man looked doubtful.  Fani looked like a steady little fellow.  He ought to manage a boat; still, it was best to be prudent, so he asked,—­

“Are you young people in the habit of rowing yourselves?”

“Oh, yes, it is not our first trip, by any means,” said Emma.  “We can take care of ourselves”; and Fani was no less confident.

The fisherman said it was too late to go that day; he should need the boat himself, and there was some mending to be done to it before it could be used.  If they wanted it the next day, he would have it ready; they could take it themselves, if he was not there.  They ought not to go far from shore, and the young gentleman could use the pole where the oars wouldn’t serve; he would understand.  Emma promised to be careful, and they promised to pay on their return; and these arrangements being completed to their immense satisfaction, the children walked happily back to Rosemount, eagerly discussing their plans on the way.  At the same time Elsli came silent and alone along the little foot-path by the river.  All three came from the same place, but they knew nothing of each other, for Elsli had not come out of the house till after the others had reached the road.  In the garden they met, and asked each other whether the supper-bell had rung.  As they spoke they heard it; and, running up the stone steps, they sat down to supper without farther questions, and each was glad that the others asked none.

CHAPTER VI.

ANXIETY AT ROSEMOUNT.

The only really quiet part of the day at Rosemount was during the morning hours, when the children were busy writing letters home and learning their lessons.  To-day, however, a certain restlessness seemed to have taken possession of them all.  Emma and Fani could not keep still a minute.  The latter tossed his papers about as if he couldn’t make up his mind which one he wanted.  The former made all sorts of signs to him across the table, and, in the midst of studying her French verbs, she seemed to be suddenly seized with a desire for lead-pencils, for she began to sharpen all that she could get together, one after the other.  Oscar was writing out his speech.  Any one would have thought that he was composing a drama and acting it out as he went along; he kept throwing up his head, and gazing enthusiastically first at one inkstand and then at another, as if he were summoning them all to great heroic deeds.