When it became dusk in the room, there came over him a heavy desire to sleep, which was caused from hunger, although he could not now place the cause of the sensation in the right place and thus did not know, when he was hungry or thirsty. However, as the sofa was occupied by the little ones, he laid down on the floor and slept.
When he awoke, it was dark in the room, but the door was open, and a woman stood with a lighted lantern on the threshold.
"Heavenly father, he is lying on the floor," Oman's maid was heard to break out. "But, dear sir, don't you know it is Christmas eve to-day?"
He had slept a day and a night and into the next day.
Unconsciously he arose, missing something, for the custom house men had been down and confiscated the strand goods, but he could not remember what he missed. He felt only a dreadful emptiness as though under a great sorrow.
"Now he shall come up to Oman's and eat the Christmas rice pap, for one is still a Christian being on Christmas eve. Oh, heavenly father, such misery!"
And the girl began to cry.
"To see a human being so wrecked, is enough to make one shed tears of blood! Come now! Come now!"
The half insane man made only a sign that he would come, if she would go first.
When she had gone, he tarried a moment in the cottage, took the lantern she had left and went to the looking glass. When he saw his face, which resembled a savage's, his understanding seemed to light up, and his will expand for a last effort.