He brightened up at that.
“Yes, yes, of course. Well, I'm very glad you came. We must have the flagstaff white, I suppose?”
I did not dare tell him at once all I wanted done in white, but simply said:
“Yes. I've got hold of some white paint.”
“Have you, though? That's good. You've brought another man up with you, I hear?”
“Yes. I don't know what Captain thinks....”
“He can stay. Nils has got him to work out in the fields already. And anyhow, you all seem to do as you like with me,” he added jestingly. “And you've been working with the lumbermen, have you?”
“Yes.”
“Hardly the sort of thing for you, was it?” Then, as if anxious not to seem curious about my work with Engineer Lassen, he broke off abruptly and said: “When are you going to start painting the house?”
“I thought of beginning this afternoon. It'll need scraping a bit here and there.”