ey had perhaps awakened a false suspicion, and
this they had no desire to do. So both said at once:

"No, we have heard nothing bad of you."

And the mother hastened to add that it was really the case that they
hardly knew anything about him, for they had so seldom asked about the
Haugen people. She meant no harm at all by saying this, and not till
the words had passed her lips, did she notice that she had expressed
herself unfortunately, and she could see that both her husband and
Mildrid felt the same. It was a little time before the answer came:

"If the family of Tingvold have never asked after the Haugen people,
the fault is not ours; we have been poor people till these last
years."

In these few words lay a reproach that was felt by all three to be
deserved, and that thoroughly. But never till now had it occurred to
either husband or wife that they had been in this case neglecting a
duty; never till now had they reflected that their poor relations at
Haugen should not have been made to suffer for misfortunes of which
they had been in no way the cause. They stole an awkward glance at
each other, and sat still, feeling real shame. Hans had spoken
quietly, though Randi's words must have been very irritating to him.
This made both the old people feel that he was a fine fellow, and that
they had two wrongs to make good again. Thus it came about that Endrid
said:

"Let us take time and think things over; can't you stay here and have
dinner with us? Then we can talk a little."

And Randi added: "Come away here and sit down."

Both of them rose.

Hans set away the gun with his cap on it, and went forward to the
bench on which Mildrid was sitting, whereupon she at once got up, she
did not know why. Her mother said she had things to see to in the
kitchen, and went out. Her father was preparing to go too; but Mildrid
did not wish to be alone with Hans as long as her parents withheld
their consent, so she went towards the other door, and they presently
saw her crossing the yard to her grandmother's house. As Endrid could
not leave Hans alone, he turned and sat down again.

The two men talked together about indifferent matters--first it was
about the hunting, about the Haugen brothers' arrangements in the
little summer huts they had high up on the mountains, about the
profits they made by this sort of thing, &c. &c. From this they came
to Haugen itself, and the tourists, and the farm management; and from
all he hea