t her eye,--she could certainly begin to speak about that.

"Kjersti Hoel sent you her greetings, and bade me ask if you would not
try to put up with the lunch she has sent to-day."

"Yes, thank you; but I have some with me, too."

"You must be hungry after your long walk."

"Yes, I can't say that I'm not."

"Then we will set the table here on the stone."

Little by little Lisbeth set out on the stone all the good things which
Kjersti had put in the package; and then she said, as she had heard was
the custom when one entertained strangers, "Be so good as to draw up
your chair, Jacob."

And Jacob hesitated, also according to custom, and said, "Oh, thanks!
but you should not put yourself to any trouble on my account."

They sat down. Ceremonious manners were kept up during the first part
of the meal, and Lisbeth did not forget to say "please" whenever it was
proper. But when Jacob had eaten one of Kjersti's pancakes (a large,
very thin kind, spread with fresh butter or sweetmeats) and was just
beginning on the second, he forgot that he was at a party, so to speak,
and said quite naturally and with conviction, "That was a remarkably
good pancake!"

"Yes, of course; it is from Hoel."

At that it was as if they suddenly knew each other again; as if it had
been only yesterday that they had kneeled on the bench under the window
and looked over the valley and made up their minds where they would
like best to live when they went out to service; as if they had never
been parted from each other. And an instant after they were in eager
dispute about which was the better place to live at, Nordrum or Hoel.
Agree upon that question they could not; but when Jacob's appetite had
been more than satisfied he finally admitted that they were both fine
places, each one in its own way, and that, at any rate, those two were
the best in the whole valley.

And now there was no end to all they had to talk over together and to
tell each other. Jacob told about Nordrum and the Nordrum Saeter and the
goats there; and Lisbeth told about Ole and Peter, and gave Jacob their
greetings. She had much to tell about them both, but Jacob thought it
was queer that she had more to say about Ole than about Peter; for
while Ole was a straight-forward fellow, it could not be denied that he
was a bit of a boaster.

Then they talked about their future. Jacob was going to stay at Nordrum
Farm until he was grown up, and perhaps longer. Nordrum had said