“I see now that I have interrupted your journey,” he said. “I suppose, if I behaved correctly, I should offer you this salmon as a reward for your labours.”
“No, no, of course not,” Clova said quickly. “You said that you needed it yourself and it will keep you from being hungry.”
She thought as she spoke of how often she had been hungry before her mother had died and how much she had disliked scanty and poor quality food, which was all that they could afford as she suggested,
“Perhaps you have a family waiting for you.”
The fisherman smiled again.
“If you are asking if I am married, the answer is ‘no’, I cannot afford to be. But you have not yet told me about yourself. What is your name?”
“Clova.”
“A Scottish name? But you don’t look like a Scot and most of the women around here are
