The children after their long silence broke into peals of laughter.
“Oho!” charged the Lieutenant, shaking a finger at them. “So this is why you’ve been running in and out the whole evening and wouldn’t let me read my paper in peace!”
It was an unusually jolly supper. The Lieutenant was always good humoured and talkative, but when he was especially pleased about anything he became quite irresistible. Then he fairly bubbled with amusing anecdotes and kept the whole table convulsed with laughter.
As for the slom, there was no more than the Lieutenant himself could have eaten; but he insisted that all must have a share of this “delicacy.” And of course everyone marvelled that such a tiny fish could be so delicious.
“Now, doesn’t it taste good, Lovisa?” he asked his sister, who was as fond of meat as he was of fish.
Even she had to concede that just for once like this it was not bad—but too much of it——
When the Lieutenant folded his serviette before rising from table, he said very solemnly:
“Now, children, mind what I’m telling you: The King in his royal palace couldn’t have had a better supper than we’ve had. So we must give God proper thanks for the food and not slur the grace.”
Thus ended the first day of the slom season.
The next morning the Gårdsjö fisherman brought a whole pound of slom. He was well met, of course, and he asked twelve skillings the pound for his fish, which was considered a high price. The Lieutenant himself came out to the kitchen with the money in order to thank the old man for coming to Mårbacka with the slom, and request him to continue as he had begun.