To speak to the mother about going away, was more easily thought of than done. He spoke again about Christian, and those letters which had never come; but then the mother went away, and for days afterwards he thought her eyes looked red and swollen. He noticed, too, that she then got nicer food for him than usual; and this gave him another sign of her state of mind with regard to him.
One day he went to cut f.a.gots in a wood which bordered upon another belonging to the parsonage, and through which the road ran. Just where he was going to cut his f.a.gots, people used to come in autumn to gather whortleberries. He had laid aside his axe to take off his jacket, and was just going to begin work, when two girls came walking along with a basket to gather berries. He used generally to hide himself rather than meet girls, and he did so now.
"Ah! only see what a lot of berries! Eli, Eli!"
"Yes, dear, I see!"
"Well, but, then, don"t go any farther; here are many basketfuls."
"I thought I heard a rustling among the trees!"
"Oh, nonsense!"
The girls rushed towards each other, clasped each other round the waist, and for a little while stood still, scarcely drawing breath.
"It"s nothing, I dare say; come, let"s go on picking."
"Well, so we will."
And they went on.
"It was nice you came to the parsonage to-day, Eli. Haven"t you anything to tell me?"
"Yes; I"ve been to see G.o.dfather."
"Well, you"ve told me that; but haven"t you anything to tell me about _him_--you know who?"
"Yes, indeed I have!"
"Oh! Eli, have you! make haste and tell me!" "He has been there again."
"Nonsense?"
"Indeed, he has: father and mother pretended to know nothing of it; but I went up-stairs and hid myself."
"Well, what then? did he come after you?"
"Yes; I believe father told him where I was; he"s always so tiresome now."
"And so he came there?--Sit down, sit down; here, near me. Well, and then he came?"
"Yes; but he didn"t say much, for he was so bashful."
"Tell me what he said, every word; pray, every word!"
""Are you afraid of me?" he said. "Why should I be afraid?" I answered. "You know what I want to say to you," he said, sitting down beside me on the chest."
"Beside you!"
"And he took me round my waist."
"Round your waist; nonsense!"
"I wished very much to get loose again; but he wouldn"t let me. "Dear Eli," he said----" She laughed, and the other one laughed, too.
"Well? well?"
""Will you be my wife?" Ha, ha, ha!"
"Ha, ha, ha!"
And then both laughed together, "Ha, ha, ha, ha!"
At last the laughing came to an end, and they were both quiet for a while. Then the one who had first spoken asked in a low voice, "Wasn"t it strange he took you round your waist?"
Either the other girl did not answer that question, or she answered in so low a voice that it could not be heard; perhaps she only answered by a smile.
"Didn"t your father or your mother say anything afterwards?" asked the first girl, after a pause.
"Father came up and looked at me; but I turned away from him because he laughed at me."
"And your mother?"
"No, she didn"t say anything; but she wasn"t so strict as usual."
"Well, you"ve done with him, I think?"
"Of course!"
Then there was again silence awhile.
"Was it thus he took you round your waist?"
"No; thus."
"Well, then;--it was thus...."
"Eli?"
"Well?"
"Do you think there will ever be anybody come in that way to me?"
"Of course, there will!"
"Nonsense! Ah, Eli? If he took me round the waist?" She hid her face.
Then they laughed again; and there was much whispering and t.i.ttering.