Fredrik talks of Breidablik, how "tis but little he"s got done there yet awhile.
"Nay," says Isak, ""tis none so little already, I saw when I was down that way."
This was praise from the oldest among them, the giant himself, and Fredrik might well be pleased. He asks frankly enough: "Did you think so, now? Well, it"ll be better before long. I"ve had a deal of things to hinder this year; the house to do up, being leaky and like to fall to pieces; hayloft to take down and put up again, and no sort of room in the turf hut for beasts, seeing I"d cow and heifer more than Brede he"d ever had in his time," says Fredrik proudly.
"And you"re thriving like, up here?" asks Isak.
"Ay, I"ll not say no. And wife, she"s thriving too, why shouldn"t we?
There"s good room and outlook all about; we can see up and down the road both ways. And a neat little copse by the house all pretty to look at, birch and willow--I"ll plant a bit more other side of the house when I"ve time. And it"s fine to see how the bogland"s dried only since last year"s ditching--"tis all a question now what"ll grow on her this year. Ay, thrive? When we"ve house and home and land and all--"tis enough for the two of us surely."
"Ho," says Sivert slyly, "and the two of you--is that all there"s ever to be?"
"Why, as to that," says Fredrik bravely, ""tis like enough there"ll be more to come. And as to thriving--well, the wife"s not falling off anyway, by the looks of her."
They work on until evening, drawing up now and again to straighten their backs, and exchange a word or so.
"And so you didn"t get the tobacco?" says Sivert.
"No, that"s true. But "twas no loss, for I"ve no use for it, anyway,"
says Fredrik.
"No use for tobacco?"
"Nay. "Twas but for to drop in at Aronsen"s like, and hear what he"d got to say." And the two jesters laughed together at that.
On the way home, father and son talk little, as was their way; but Isak must have been thinking out something for himself; he says:
"Sivert?"
"Ay?" says Sivert again.
"Nay, "twas nothing."
They walk on a good ways, and Isak begins again:
"How"s he get on, then, with his trading, Aronsen, when he"s nothing to trade with?"
"Nay," says Sivert. "But there"s not folk enough here now for him to buy for."
"Ho, you think so? Why, I suppose "tis so, ay, well...."
Sivert wondered a little at this. After a while his father went on again:
"There"s but eight places now in all, but there might be more before long. More ... well, I don"t know...."
Sivert wondering more than ever--what can his father be getting at?
The pair of them walk on a long way in silence; they are nearly home now.
"H"m," says Isak. "What you think Aronsen he"d ask for that place of his now?"
"Ho, that"s it!" says Sivert. "Want to buy it, do you?" he asks jestingly. But suddenly he understands what it all means: "tis Eleseus the old man has in mind. Oh, he"s not forgotten him after all, but kept him faithfully in mind, just as his mother, only in his own way, nearer earth, and nearer to Sellanraa.
""Twill be going for a reasonable price, I doubt," says Sivert. And when Sivert says so much, his father knows the lad has read his thought. And as if in fear of having spoken out too clearly, he falls to talking of their road-mending; a good thing they had got it done at last.
For a couple of days after that, Sivert and his mother were putting their heads together and holding councils and whispering--ay, they even wrote a letter. And when Sat.u.r.day came round Sivert suddenly wanted to go down to the village.
"What you want to go down village again for now?" said his father in displeasure. "Wearing boots to rags...." Oh, Isak was more bitter than need be; he knew well enough that Sivert was going to the post.
"Going to church," says Sivert.
"Twas all he could find by way of excuse, and his father muttered:"
Well, what you want to go for ...?"
But if Sivert was going to church, why, he might harness up and take little Rebecca with him. Little Rebecca, ay, surely she might have that bit of a treat for once in her life, after being so clever guarding turnips and being all ways the pearl and blessing of them all, ay, that she was. And they harnessed up, and Rebecca had the maid Jensine to look after her on the way, and Sivert said never a word against that either.
While they are away, it so happens that Aronsen"s man, his chief clerk, from s...o...b..rg, comes up the road. What does this mean? Why, nothing very much, "tis only Andresen, the chief clerk from s...o...b..rg, come up for a bit of a walk this way--his master having sent him.
Nothing more. And no great excitement among the folk at Sellanraa over that--"twas not as in the old days, when a stranger was a rare sight on their new land, and Inger made a great to-do. No, Inger"s grown quieter now, and keeps to herself these days.
A strange thing that book of devotion, a guide upon the way, an arm round one"s neck, no less. When Inger had lost hold of herself a little, lost her way a little out plucking berries, she found her way home again by the thought of her little chamber and the holy book; ay, she was humble now and a G.o.dfearing soul. She can remember long years ago when she would say an evil word if she p.r.i.c.ked her finger sewing--so she had learned to do from her fellow-workers round the big table in the Inst.i.tute. But now she p.r.i.c.ks her finger, and it bleeds, and she sucks the blood away in silence. "Tis no little victory gained to change one"s nature so. And Inger did more than that. When all the workmen were gone, and the stone building was finished, and Sellanraa was all forsaken and still, then came a critical time for Inger; she cried a deal, and suffered much. She blamed none but herself for it all, and she was deeply humbled. If only she could have spoken out to Isak, and relieved her mind, but that was not their way at Sellanraa; there was none of them would talk their feelings and confess things.
All she could do was to be extra careful in the way she asked her husband to come in to meals, going right up to him to say it nicely, instead of shouting from the door. And in the evenings, she looked over his clothes, and sewed b.u.t.tons on. Ay, and even more she did. One night she lifted up on her elbow and said:
"Isak?"
"What is it?" says Isak.
"Are you awake?"
"Ay."
"Nay, "twas nothing," says Inger. "But I"ve not been all as I ought."
"What?" says Isak. Ay, so much he said, and rose up on his elbow in turn.
They lay there, and went on talking. Inger is a matchless woman, after all; and with a full heart, "I"ve not been as I ought towards you,"
she says, "and I"m that sorry about it."
The simple words move him; this barge of a man is touched, ay, he wants to comfort her, knowing nothing of what is the matter, but only that there is none like her. "Naught to cry about, my dear," says Isak. "There"s none of us can be as we ought."
"Nay, "tis true," she answers gratefully. Oh, Isak had a strong, sound way of taking things; straightened them out, he did, when they turned crooked. "None of us can be as we ought." Ay, he was right. The G.o.d of the heart--for all that he is a G.o.d, he goes a deal of crooked ways, goes out adventuring, the wild thing that he is, and we can see it in his looks. One day rolling in a bed of roses and licking his lips and remembering things; next day with a thorn in his foot, desperately trying to get it out. Die of it? Never a bit, he"s as well as ever. A nice look-out it would be if he were to die!
And Inger"s trouble pa.s.sed off too; she got over it, but she keeps on with her hours of devotion, and finds a merciful refuge there.
Hard-working and patient and good she is now every day, knowing Isak different from all other men, and wanting none but him. No gay young spark of a singer, true, in his looks and ways, but good enough, ay, good enough indeed! And once more it is seen that the fear of the Lord and contentment therewith are a precious gain.
And now it was that the little chief clerk from s...o...b..rg, Andresen, came up to Sellanraa one Sunday, and Inger was not in the least affected, far from it; she did not so much as go in herself to give him a mug of milk, but sent Leopoldine in with it, by reason that Jensine the maid was out. And Leopoldine could carry a mug of milk as well as need be, and she gave it him and said, "Here you are," and blushed, for all she was wearing her Sunday clothes and had nothing to be ashamed of, anyway.
"Thanks, "tis overkind of you," says Andresen. "Is your father at home?" says he.
"Ay; he"ll be about the place somewhere."