The peddler was a poor man. He sold rattraps. He did not earn much money by selling rattraps. So at times he used to beg or steal. He was never welcomed anywhere. Nobody cared for him. So he had developed a kind of aversion to the people around him. That is why he paid little attention to the good treatment that he received from the crofter. When he was mistaken for a captain, he took advantage of that situation. But finally, when he came in contact with the ironmaster's daughter, he realised that the world was not so bad. His meeting with Edla made him change his ways.