Presentlythesignalwasgiventhatsupperwasready，andvarioussavoryodors，whichescaped，wheneveradoorwasopened，servedtoarousetheanticipationsoftheboystothehighestpitch.
Now，ifIdidnothavesomuchelsetotellyou，Ishouldstophereanddescribethatsupper.Thereweretwenty—twopeoplewhosatdowntoit;butthatwasnothingunusualatSolheim，foritwasahospitablehouse，whereeverywayfarerwaswelcome，eithertothetableintheservants’hallortothemaster’stableinthedining—room.
III.
Atthestrokeoftenallthefamilyarose，andeachinturnkissedthefatherandmothergood—night;whereuponMr.Hoyertookthegreatlampfromthetableandmountedthestairs，followedbyhispackofnoisyboysandgirls.AlbertandRalphfoundthemselves，withfoursmallerHoyers，inanenormouslow—ceiledroomwithmanywindows.Inthreecornersstoodhugecanopiedbedsteads，withflowered—chintzcurtainsandmountainouseiderdowncoveringswhichswelleduptowardtheceiling.Inthemiddleofthewall，oppositethewindows，abigironstove，liketheoneinthesitting—room（onlythatitwasadornedwithabunchofflowers，peaches，andgrapes，andnotwithDianaandhernymphs），wasroaringmerrily，andsendingalongredsheenfromitsdraught—holeacrossthefloor.
Aroundthebigwarmstovetheboysgathered（foritwaspositivelySiberianintheregionofthewindows），andwhileundressingplayedvariouspranksuponeachother，whichcreatedmuchmerriment.ButthemostlaughterwasprovokedattheexpenseofFinnHoyer，aboyoffourteen，whosebarebackhisbrotherinsisteduponexhibitingtohisguest;foritwasdecoratedwithafacsimileofthepictureonthestove，showingrosesandlusciouspeachesandgrapesinredrelief.Threeyearsbefore，onChristmasEve，theboyshadstoodaboutthered—hotstove，undressingfortheirbath，andFinn，whowasnaked，had，inthegeneralscrimmagetogetfirstintothebath—tub，beenpushedagainsttheglowingiron，theornamentationofwhichhadbeenbeautifullyburneduponhisback.Hehadtobewrappedinoilandcottonafterthatadventure，andherecoveredinduetime，butneverquiterelishedthedistinctionhehadacquiredbyhispictorialskin.