All leaned toward him and glared as if they would eat his words, and Loppen drew close to him. Her mouth watered at the corners and she thought she could smell that golden, fat cheese which glistened when they cut into it.
“And there are smoked sausages and hams and ale and wine—hundreds of bottles of sweet, strong wine; and there you can get as much of anything as you like if you only——have the cash.”
“Oh, the deuce!” exclaimed the tinker at the last words, and there was a general growl of dissatisfaction and displeasure; but the mechanic pretended not to notice anything and proceeded smiling and confidently, while his quick eyes glanced from one to the other and, as it were, fastened one word here and another there.
“But when you have no money, of course you don’t go into the store; what business have you there? There is another way which is much easier; it is but to push in, for there’s not a person there. But they have been so kind as to put a light down there so you can see what you want.”
“Where? Where?” was demanded impatiently. This time it was Svend whose dark gypsy eyes were aglow with excitement.
“You know the alley back of Madam Ellingsen’s house; there is no gas-light except on the corner by the bank; at the bend is the door to the cellar beneath the store.”
“Is it open?” asked the tinker.
“It certainly must be, for I only picked the lock a little and the door flew open of itself,” responded the mechanic jestingly and made a few rapid gestures with his hands.
They stared at him with astonishment and Olkonomen whispered encouragingly to Jorgen Tambur:
“Then there can be no talk about burglary.”