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.
"Now for pity's sake don't take it to the parson's or the founderer's!" he said.
This time, also, the little girls volunteered to clean the fish. And now they were repaid for their trouble. There was slom enough for the whole family at supper, and some left over for the Lieutenant's breakfast. But
