“It is ‘the gang’ from Madam Speckbom’s Ark,” retorted the doctor spitefully.
“The gang!”—yes, “the gang” no one thought of; those abominable people were indeed a disgrace to the whole town.
It made a very disagreeable impression. The chaplain gave up his little speech and only sighed briefly over “the hardened sinners;” and then they parted to hasten home and to seek to recover from that blow upon Christmas festivity.
The police-chief’s wife said to Mrs. Bentzen as they walked home together:
“See how distrait I am. When your husband said: ‘Madam Speckbom’s gang’ I came within a hair of saying, ‘You mean Miss Falbe’s gang.’”
“There’s something in that, too,” responded Mrs. Bentzen and looked at the younger lady admiringly.
Miss Falbe really was running around through the town; she was hunting for Loppen. When she came home at half-past six, Christian had gone out; the whole house was empty and dark and Elsie nowhere to be found.
It was a bitter disappointment to Miss Falbe; she had been so happy in expectation of that evening, and it had never occurred to her to doubt that Elsie would come when she had promised so earnestly.
But then she happened to think that Elsie might possibly have been at the Ark at six o’clock but had gone away again as there was no light. And then she inflicted upon herself severe reproaches that she had allowed herself to remain with the woman at the mill, and especially that she had let Elsie slip away from her when she once had her hands upon her.
The streets were becoming deserted. Before the windows stood only two or three pauper children freezing; the shops were closed, except the hucksters’, which were still full of people.