ing away into almost nothing, as
she gazed with sparkling eyes at Thore, who looked very grave, and had
an almost stupid expression on his face. Ole Nordistuen sat nearly
opposite him, with wide-gaping mouth. Oyvind was the first to rouse
from his astonishment, and burst out,--

"Does it not seem as if good luck went with me!"

With this he crossed the floor to his father, and gave him a slap on
the shoulder that rang through the room. "You, father!" cried he, and
rubbing his hands together he continued his walk.

"How much money might it be?" finally asked Ole, in a low tone, of the
school-master.

"It is not so little."

"Some hundreds?"

"Rather more."

"Rather more? Oyvind, rather more! Lord help us, what a gard it will
be!"

He got up, laughing aloud.

"I must go with you up to Marit," says Oyvind. "We can use the
conveyance that is standing outside, then it will not take long."

"Yes, at once! at once! Do you, too, want everything done with haste?"

"Yes, with haste and wrong."

"With haste and wrong! Just the way it was with me when I was young,
precisely."

"Here is your cap and staff; now I am going to drive you away."

"You are going to drive me away, ha--ha--ha! But you are coming with
me; are you not? You are coming with me? All the rest of you come
along, too; we must sit together this evening as long as the coals are
alive. Come along!"

They promised that they would come. Oyvind helped Ole into the
conveyance, and they drove off to Nordistuen. The large dog was not
the only one up there who was surprised when Ole Nordistuen came
driving into the gard with Oyvind Pladsen. While Oyvind was helping
Ole out of the conveyance, and servants and laborers were gaping at
them, Marit came out in the passage to see what the dog kept barking
at; but paused, as if suddenly bewitched, turned fiery red, and ran in.
Old Ole, meanwhile, shouted so tremendously for her when he got into
the house that she had to come forward again.

"Go and make yourself trim, girl; here is the one who is to have the
gard!"

"Is that true?" she cries, involuntarily, and so loud that the words
rang through the room.

"Yes; it is true!" replies Oyvind, clapping his hands.

At this she swings round on her toe, flings away what she has in her
hand, and runs out; but Oyvind follows her.

Soon came the school-master, and Thore and his wife. The old man had
ordered candles put on the table, which he had