“What do you mean, my little piece of stubbornness, do not your lips belong to yourself?”

“From the moment that I entered my bridal chamber, I considered myself as belonging to my husband alone, and Mr. H——­, you can be assured that you are not the person who can cause me to forget my husband’s rights.”

“Look you,” shouted a harsh voice from the door, “before Magde should kiss your wrinkled old lips, I would run into the prison of my own accord;” and first Carl’s head, and then his uncouth form appeared, as he entered the room.  His face was convulsed with passion, and his eyes glanced irefully upon the surprised Fabian.

“Simpleton! you trespass upon my good nature!” exclaimed Mr. Fabian, foaming with rage.

“Do I?” replied Carl, “perhaps I shall trespass upon something else.  Do you know, sir, what I shall say when the justice questions me?”

“What would you say, good Carl?” inquired Magde, encouragingly.

“I would say, for I know exactly how it will come to pass, I would humbly say to the justice, that I did take the hares and partridges from the proprietor of Almvik.”

“Yes,” interrupted Mr. Fabian, “you will be obliged to show your hand.”

“‘Now,’ the judge will reply,” continued Carl, without noticing the interruption, “‘My lad, why did you do so?’ Then I will answer, because it is not forbidden in my catechism; if the game had been an ox or an ass, I would not have taken it.  Then I would say to the justice, at the same time looking at him in this way”—­and Carl made such a ridiculous grimace that Magde nearly laughed outright—­“that there was no danger that Mr. Fabian H——­ would frighten such fierce animals as the ox and the ass, for it is his custom to charm the hares and partridges by the sweet sound of his snores, for your Honor must know that this huntsman pursues his game while comfortably snoring in the grass.”

“What do you say, clown?”

“And then I can call as a witness the very man whom you intend to use against me, and finally I think that the justice will smile a little when I tell him that Mr. Fabian H——­ was willing to forget all harsh measures for a kiss from Magde.”

“Ha! ha! ha!” exclaimed Mr. Fabian, with a forced laugh, with which he attempted to conceal his uneasiness, “you are a waggish rogue!  Your last words have afforded me so much amusement that I have not the heart to injure you for such a trifle.  But listen, you little simpleton; you must not suppose that the justice would allow you to say all that.  No, he would have sent you away long before you could have had time to utter a word about it.”

Carl made no further reply than by applying his thumb to his nasal organ; and gyrating his fingers in a manner so significant that we will not endeavor to interpret his meaning.  Having executed this manoeuver, he hastily left the room, but remained at such a distance that he could keep a watchful eye through the open door upon the unwelcome guest.