142 AN ESKIMO VILLAGE 



wondering in her mind at the strange things we 

 English folk had in our houses. 



So I waited while Henrietta looked about her ; but 

 I knew that there was cogitation going on in that 

 old grey head ; no mere curiosity would have brought 

 her so far afield on a bleak January night. Henrietta 

 was collecting her thoughts, and presently she cast 

 down her eyes and began to shake her head. 



" Kappe, kappe !" (Alas !), she said. 



" And why is it kappe ?" I asked her. 



"Ah, but I have sad words to tell you," said old 

 Henrietta. 



"Sad words," said I ; " but that is bad hearing." 



" Ai, ai, sad words," said she, " and this is how 

 it all was." 



There was another pause, as if the old woman did 

 not know how to begin ; then suddenly she looked up. 



"You know Ernestina," she said. 



Yes, of course, I knew Ernestina, the poor girl 

 whose limbs are stiff and paralysed, Henrietta's 

 granddaughter. 



"Well," said Henrietta, "to-day I washed 

 Ernestina 's clothes. I washed them so that she 

 might have clean clothes for church on Sunday. 

 You know she still goes to church sometimes, for 

 she can walk slowly if I lead her, and we start in 

 good time so as to be there before the bell stops 

 ringing. So I washed her clothes and hung them 

 out to dry. And I heard a great noise, and I went 

 out. And, ai, ai, there I saw that the dogs were 

 eating Ernestina' s clothes. Eh, the bad dogs ! I 

 drove them away, though I am only a poor weak 



