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WALDEMAR DAA AND HIS DAUGHTERS 649
' I made the snow-flakes whirl, and the snow lay like great waves high around the ship, and drifted over it. I let it hear my voice, that it might know what a storm has to say. Certainly I did my part towards teaching it seamanship. Huh—sh ! push along !
' And the winter passed away ; winter and summer, both passed away, and they are still passing away, even as I pass away ; as the snow whirls along, and the apple-blossom whirls along, and the leaves fall—away ! away ! away !—and men are passing away too !
' But the daughters were still young, and little Ida was a rose, as fair to look upon as on the day when the architect saw her. I often seized her long brown hair, when she stood in the garden by the apple-tree, musing, and not heeding how I strewed blossoms on her hair, and loosened it, while she was gazing at the red sun and the golden sky, through the dark underwood and the trees of the garden.
1 Her sister was bright and slender as a lily. Joanna had height and stateliness, but was like her mother, rather stiff in the stalk. She was very fond of walking through the great hall, where hung the portraits of her ancestors. The women were painted in dresses of silk and velvet, with a tiny little hat, embroidered with pearls, on their plaited hair. They were handsome women. Their husbands were in steel, or in costly cloaks lined with squirrel's skin ; they wore little ruffs, and swords at their sides, but not buckled to their hips. Where would Joanna's picture find its place on that wall some day ? and how would he look, her noble lord and husband ? This is what she thought of, and of this she spoke softly to herself. I heard it as I swept into the long hall and turned round to come out again.
' Anna Dorothea, the pale hyacinth, a child of fourteen, was quiet and thoughtful ; her great deep-blue eyes had a musing look, but the childlike smile still played around her lips : I was not able to blow it away, nor did I wish to do so.
1 We met in the garden, in the hollow lane, in the field and meadow ; she gathered herbs and flowers which she knew would be useful to her father in concocting the drinks and drops he distilled. Waldemar Daa was arrogant and
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