When the Lieutenant saw the boiled slom he looked as glum as the others.
"We are all out of butter," Mamselle Lovisa gave as excuse; "and since you will have slom at every meal we had no choice but to serve it boiled. For my part," she added, "I think it tastes no worse that way than any other."
The Lieutenant made no answer; so they all knew that Mamselle Lovisa had triumphed. He might easily have stepped into the pantry and seen for himself whether the butter was all gone, or ordered a fresh supply; but he did neither.
After that dinner he bought no more slom. What was the use, he said, when the womenfolk were too lazy to prepare the fish in the proper way,? No one contradicted him, though all knew he was as glad as they were to see the last of the slom.
