Chapter 4 - The Rattrap

The Gift Left Behind by the Peddler for Edla Williamson
The peddler in the story "The Rattrap" leaves behind a gift for Edla Williamson. This gift is a five-crown note, which he places inside the letter he writes to Edla.

Content of the Letter
In his letter, the peddler expresses his gratitude to Edla for her kindness and hospitality. He acknowledges that she treated him like a human being and not just a vagabond. The peddler admits that he had initially planned to deceive her and steal from her, but her kindness changed his perspective. He confesses that he had always expected rattraps in life, but Edla's kindness had opened his eyes to the possibility of a different path.

The peddler also reveals his true identity in the letter. He discloses that he is actually a former crofter, who had once owned a small piece of land. However, circumstances had forced him to become a wandering peddler. He shares his belief that life is like a rattrap, luring people with false promises and then trapping them. He compares his own life to this rattrap, where poverty and isolation had pushed him to commit wrongful acts.

The peddler expresses his remorse for the wrong choices he had made. He reveals that after leaving Edla's house, he had been caught and imprisoned for his past crimes. However, he had managed to escape and was now on the run. Despite his troubled circumstances, the peddler assures Edla that he had not forgotten her kindness.

The letter concludes with the peddler's wish that Edla and her father would have a merry Christmas. He also requests Edla to accept the enclosed five-crown note as a gesture of his gratitude. He hopes that this small gift will serve as a reminder of the possibility of goodness even in a world full of rattraps.

Summary
In summary, the peddler leaves a five-crown note as a gift for Edla Williamson. In his letter, he expresses his gratitude for her kindness, confesses his past wrongdoings, and shares his belief that life is like a rattrap. The peddler's gift and letter serve as a testament to the transformative power of kindness and the potential for redemption in even the most unexpected circumstances.