“Don't ask me!”
“Not exactly a young one, perhaps, but still—What was I going to say? Come up with me a little, and maybe I'll remember.”
I walked up, and Lars went on talking all the way. He offered to put in a word for me with the Captain, so I could get a clearing like he had.
“Funny to go and forget a thing like that,” he said. “It's gone clean out of my head. But come up home now. I'll be sure to hit on it again.”
All friendliness he was now. But I had one or two things to do myself, and would not go farther.
“You won't see the Captain tonight, anyway.”
No, but it was late. Emma would be in bed, and would only be a trouble.
“Not a bit of it,” said Lars. “And if she has gone to bed, what of it? I shouldn't wonder, now, if there was a shirt of yours up there, too. Better come up and take it with you, and save Emma going all the way down herself.”
But I would not go up. I ventured, however, to send a greeting to Emma this time.
“Ay, surely,” said Lars. “And if so be as you haven't time to come up to my bit of a place now, why, there it is. You'll be going off first thing tomorrow, I suppose?”