The room was very small and was something like a big cask cut in half, with its curved wooden ceiling, and its stave-like wooden panels.  A coating of shiny, brown tar covered the walls; in places, especially over the stove, it was black as ebony.  The furniture consisted of a table, two chairs, a chest which served as a bed, and near the chest a white wooden box with two shelves.  On these two shelves lay linen, caps, handkerchiefs, women’s dresses, and men’s jackets, all smelling somewhat of fish.  In one corner hung the nets, together with tarred capes, boots, oilskin hats, and enormous sheepskin gloves.  Strings of onions encircled a picture of the Virgin, and some twenty dried herrings with shining bellies were strung by their gills on a thread under an enameled clock.

All this could be seen by the light of the two candles, whose flicker made the shadows dance on the ceiling; but the fairest thing to see was beautiful dark Riekje sitting near the fire.  She had broad shoulders, a plump neck, and strong arms; her cheeks were round and sunburnt, her eyes of a dusky brown, her lips full and red; and as for her black hair, which was coiled six times round her head, the coils were heavy as the towing ropes used on the banks of the river.  Though so gentle and quiet, she was often lost in sombre fancies; but when Dolf was near, her face lit up with smiles and her teeth were bright as a wet oar’s blade shining in the sun.  Then she no longer gloomed; the cloud which veiled sad memories was lifted, bright hopes irradiated her face, every line in which sparkled like whitebait in the meshes of a net.  Then it was that she would turn to her “beau garcon” and clap her hands.  The flame which escaped through the stove door caught her cheeks at that moment, and they were red as salmon; the dark eyes fixed on her work were bright as living coal.  Yet two other things shone like her eyes; the pendant hanging to the gold ring in her ear, and the silver ring which she wore on her finger.

“Are you comfortable, Riekje?” asked Nelle, from time to time.  “Do your straw-lined sabots keep your feet warm?”

“Yes, maman Nelle, I am as happy as a queen,” she answered, smiling.

“As a queen, you say,” replied Nelle.  “You will be like a queen, soon, my girl, for you are going to eat some of my apple keikebakken.  There comes Dolf over the planks, bringing us flour, eggs, and cream; you will have something to say about my pancakes, Riekje.”

She opened the door, for a heavy step could be heard on the bridge of the boat.

II.

As a broad-shouldered man, with a frank, smiling face, stepped into the cheerful light of the room, his head almost touched the ceiling.

“There you are, mother!” he cried.

He threw his hat into a corner and began to empty his pockets with great care, placing the paper bags on the table.

“Dolf, I was sure you’d do it; you’ve forgotten the pint of milk,” cried maman Nelle when everything was spread out.