and stroked
its back; it was like a wreck lying keel upwards. It certainly was a
skeleton, and could not be called handsome. People smiled when they
saw the two of them coming along the road--he knew it quite well!
But they had shared bad and good together, and the nag was not
particular; it took everything as it came, just as he did.

Lars Peter had never cared for other people's opinion; but now his
existence was shaken, and it was necessary to defend himself and his
own. In the stall beside the horse lay the cow. True enough, if
taken to market now it would not fetch much; it was weak on its legs
and preferred to lie down. But with spring, when it got out to
grass, this would right itself. And it was a good cow for a small
family like his; it did not give much milk at a time, but to make up
for it gave milk all the year round. And rich milk too! When
uncomplimentary remarks were made about it, Lars Peter would
chaffingly declare that he could skim the milk three times, and then
there was nothing but cream left. He was very fond of it, and more
so for the good milk it had given the little ones.

One corner of the outhouse was boarded off for the pig. It too had
heard him, and stood waiting for him to come and scratch its neck.
It suffered from intestinal hernia; it had been given to Lars Peter
by a farmer who wanted to get rid of it. It was not a pretty sight,
but under the circumstances had thriven well, he thought, and would
taste all right when salted. Perhaps it was this Soerine wanted?

The snow lay deep on the fields, but he recognized every landmark
through the white covering. It was sandy soil, and yielded poor
crops, yet for all that Lars Peter was fond of it. To him it was
like a face with dear living features, and he would no more
criticize it than he would his own mother. He stood at the door of
the barn gazing lingeringly at his land. He was not happy--as he
usually was on Sundays when he went about looking at his
possessions. Today he could understand nothing!

Every day Soerine would return to the same subject, with some new
proposal. They would buy her mother's house and move over there; the
beams were of oak, and the hut would last for many years. Or they
would take her as a pensioner, while there was time--in return for
getting all she owned. Her thoughts were ever with her mother and
her possessions. "Suppose she goes to some one else as a pensioner,
and leaves everything to them! or fritters