He  had  come  of  a  good  stock ;  some  people  even  said
that  he  was  the  son  of  a  Conferentsraad,  *  or  might  have
been  that.  He  had  studied,  had  been  a  teacher's  assist-
ant, assistant  clerk  in  the  church ;  but  these  situations
had  not  done  much  for  him.  At  one  time  he  lived  at
the  chief  clerk's,  and  was  to  have  bed  and  board  free,
lie  was  then  young,  and  somewhat  particular  about  his
dress,  as  I  have  heard.  lie  insisted  on  having  his  boots
polished  and  brushed  with  blacking,  but  the  head  clerk

*  A  Danish  title.
210  THE    SAND-HILLS    OF   JUTLAND.
