An Iceland Fisherman

tliking the idea of strolling through the streets with this tallfellow, whom everybody would stare at, on account of his excessiveh

come, andthey talked of giving up any further waiting for him. Then it was shediscovered that it was for his pleasure, and his alo

, and struggling hard themselves tohoist the sails and help in the launching; in fact, a regular"turnout" throughout the places, though in the midst of the companyYann related this very simply; he had been obliged to look out for asubstitute and warrant him to the owner of the boat to which hebelonged for the winter season. It was this that had caused him to belate, and in order not to miss the wedding, he had "turned up"(abandoned) his s

gave their arms to thelasses, the violins beg

ner met at a wedding, and of whom one knows butlittle. Amidst all the couples in the proce

talkbetween them had again turned to the subject of the fish,

else would Ihave come back from my fishing, Mademoiselle Gaud."At first she was rather astonished that this fisherman shoul

nybody else."That was all. But from that moment until the end of the dancing

ecome very close. Simply enough,Yann spoke of his fisher life, its hardships, its wage, and of hisparents' difficulties in former years, when they had fourteen littleGaoses to bring up, he being the eldest. Now, the old folks were outof the reach of need, because of a wreck that their father had foundin

f their conversation at the ball, as ifit had all happened yesterday, and details came regularly back to hermind, as she looked upon the night falling over Paimpol. If Yann hadhad no idea of marriage, why had he

s, andothers twelve hundred, which I get upon my return, and hand over tothe old lady.""To your mother, Monsieur Yann, eh?""Yes, eve

these clothes made for me, without which treat I nevercould have come to the wedding; certain sure, for I never should havedared offer you my arm in my old duds of last year."For one like her, accustomed to seei

her, so as to divine her opinion. And how good and honestwas his look, as he told

towards him. What a mixture of untamedroughness and caressing childishness he was! His earnest voice, shortand blunt towards others, became softer and more and m

ys treated by his familylike a child, and deeming it quite natural; having travelled over allthe earth, met with all

s, or what not, who had pestered her with theirattentions, for the sake of her m

present; that herfather had begun life as a fisherman off Iceland, and always held theIcelanders in great esteem; and tha

May had alreadyreturned. All the sturdy partners of that evening were out fishingyonder now, scattered over the far

kling; everywhere reigned silence. Above the housetops thestill brilliant space of the heavens seemed to grow more hollow, toraise itself up and finally

eir walk and carrying nosegays of May-flowers. One ofthem who knew Gaud, calling out good-evening to her, held up a branchof hawthorn high towards her as if to offer it her to smell; in thetransparent darkness she coul

ugh the air above, like h

gazing uponthe melancholy market-place, thinking of the

ell back, his brown,curled locks falling upon his brow, and floating with the motion ofthe dance. Gaud, who was rather t

/. He smiled with a very tenderlook at seeing them both so young and yet so reserved towards oneanother,

her is!"Towards the close of the evening, all the girls received the breaking-up kiss; cousins, betrothed, and lovers, all, in a good frank, honestway, before everybody. But, of course, Yann had not kissed Gaud; nonemight take that liberty with the dau

er their golden orblack brows, though they had among the dancers one or two lovers, tosay the least. And truly Gaud did lo

sure to meet thefollowing day. To return home, she had crossed this same market-placewith her father, little fatigued, fe

inguish thewhite cap in the darkness, might say to themselves, "That's surelysome girl, dreaming of her sweetheart." It was true, for she wasdreaming of hers, with a wild desire to weep; her tiny

im by chance, he seemed to avoid her, turning asidehis look, which was always fleeting,

e how good he is! And such anA.B. seaman! Every new fishing season the skippers regularly fight tohave him."She was quite sure of her father's permission, for she never had beenthwarted in any of her whims. And it mattered little to her whetherYann were rich or not. To begin with, a sailor like him would need buta l

ries going; but he hadno recognized engagement with any one, he paid no more attention toone than another, but ro

a great marble table through a door that they would not open tohim. But she forgave him all that; we all know what sailors aresometimes when the fit takes them. But if his heart were good, why hadhe sought one out who never had thought of him, to leave herafterward; what reason had he had to look at her for a whole eveningwith his fair, open smile, and to use his softest, tenderest voice tospeak to

y good-bye before his departurefor Iceland. Since he was no longer by, nothing else existed in hereyes; slow

tbells have during the quiet spring nights. At Paimpol eleven o'clock

as so rich? Shewanted to ask him this herself straightforwardly, but Sylvestrethought that it would not be the right thing

y on a chair. The littlelamp, alone to burn at this late hour, bathed her shoulders and bosomin its mysterious l

this remote land, among daughters of fishers, beautyof shape is almost part of the race;

plaits fell upon hershoulders like weighty serpents. She drew them up into a crown on thetop of her head--t

hild playing with a toy,while thinking of something else; and again letting it fall, shequickly unplaited it

to weep,she threw herself roughly in her bed, hiding her face

er anddarker side of her life, had also fallen to sleep--the

vy on this particular evening, Yann and Sylvestre--the two longed-for rovers--sang di