The first time I saw Cavallius on the street I naturally had no idea who he was, so of course I followed him till I saw that he went into Stiansen’s bakery. Fortunately I had two öre[3] in my pocket, so I could make an errand in the shop. I had an overwhelming desire, you see, to find out something about this queer person. Baker Stiansen was in the shop himself. “Two öre worth of brown barley sugar, please.”
Stiansen’s barley sugar is never very good,—it is too soft,—but of course I had to buy something, since I had gone in.
“Who was that who came in here just now, Stiansen, a little man with a yellow beard?” I asked.
“Oh, he is one who takes pictures of people,” Stiansen answered carelessly.
“What is his name?”
“His name is nothing less than Cavallius.”
That is the way I found out who Cavallius was. I didn’t like to ask any more questions, although there was still much I wanted to know. After this, however, I had a tremendous desire to peep into Stiansen’s courtyard to see how the little photographer arranged things there; but I didn’t dare venture through the gate, because Stiansen is so cross and disagreeable if you even stick your nose in his courtyard.
But one day it suddenly occurred to me that any one in the loft up in Peckells’ barn would have the most perfect view over Cavallius in the courtyard. I went immediately to Massa Peckell.
“Oh, Massa!” I said, “let’s go up into your hayloft. Through that round window there we can look right down on the little photographer taking pictures in Stiansen’s courtyard.”
Yes, indeed, Massa would go.