Her cousin Gabriel was the only person who seemed to have a friendly word for Madeleine; the others were so reserved that she could not help thinking they were selfish.  With Rachel she could never get on friendly terms, and the two cousins had but little in common.  Although Rachel was only a few years the elder, she was greatly superior to her cousin in knowledge and experience.  Whilst Madeleine was bright and radiant as sunshine, there was something in Rachel’s cold and commanding nature which betokened an uneasy longing for employment, and a desire to take an active part in whatever she could find to occupy her.

Not long previously Rachel had had a sharp dispute with her father.  She came one day into the office, and desired him to give her some employment in the business.  Consul Garman never lost his self-command, but on this occasion he was on the very point of doing so.  The dispute was short, it is true, and soon ended, like every other conflict that was carried on against the father’s principles, in a decided victory for his side; but from that time the daughter became still more cold and reserved in her manner.

It was a light task for Rachel to read her little country cousin through and through, and when she made up her mind that Madeleine had nothing in her except perhaps some undefined longings, but at the same time no real desire for work, she let her go her own way, and the relation between them became almost that of a child to a grown person—­friendly, but without intimacy.

Mrs. Garman was not particularly well disposed towards her new guest, because she had not been originally consulted as to her visit; and even the good-natured Miss Cordsen frightened Madeleine at first, with her tall, spare figure and well-starched cap-strings.

The sewing-maid was a pale, weakly creature, with large wondering eyes which wore a deprecatory expression.  She was still pretty, but the first look told that her face had once been still prettier, and there was something stunted and faded about her appearance.  Her cheeks were somewhat sunken, and it could be seen that she had lost some of her teeth.

During the first few days Madeleine had to spend much of her time with the sewing-maid, for Mrs. Garman was anxious that her dress should be in keeping with the rest of the establishment, and the Consul had given Miss Cordsen strict orders on the subject.  It was a great relief to Madeleine, in her loneliness, to show herself kindly and almost affectionately disposed towards the timid girl.  One evening when she had gone, Madeleine asked Miss Cordsen who she was, and the old lady, after scrutinizing her sharply, answered, “that Marianne was a granddaughter of old Anders Begmand, and that some years before she had had a baby.  Her sweetheart,” said Miss Cordsen, fixing her eyes again sharply on Madeleine, “had gone to America, and the child was dead, and as she had been in service at Sandsgaard, the Garmans had had her taught dressmaking, so that now she had constant employment in the house.”