He was so young, he had needed some one to back
him up and agree to everything he said; now, however, seeing that a
certain troublesome cousin was going away, he had no further need of
comfort there. Or was my withered soul doing him an injustice?
Grindhusen was greatly distressed. He had reckoned on staying in town all
the summer, as general handyman to the Inspector himself; but all hope of
that was gone now. The Inspector was no longer as good as a father to him.
And Grindhusen bore the disappointment badly. When they came to settle up,
the Inspector had been going to deduct the two-Kroner pieces he had given
him, saying they had only been meant as payment in advance. Grindhusen sat
in the general room at the lodging-house and told us all about it, adding
that the Inspector was pretty mean in the matter of wages after all. At
this, one of the men burst out laughing, and said:
"No; did he, though? He didn't take them back, really?"
"Nay," said Grindhusen. "He didn't dare take off more than the one.
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