us one day.

"Well, go down to Axel Stroem's place and see," said Sivert.

Eleseus went down one Sunday. Ay, he had been away, gained confidence
and high spirits once more; he had tasted excitement of a sort, and he
made things livelier at Axel's little place. Barbro herself was by no
means to be despised; at any rate she was the only one anywhere near.
She played the guitar and talked readily; moreover, she did not smell
of tansy, but of real scent, the sort you buy in shops. Eleseus, on
his part, let it be understood that he was only home for a holiday,
and would soon be called back to the office again. But it was not so
bad being at home after all, in the old place, and, of course, he had
the little bedroom to live in. But it was not like being in town!

"Nay, that's a true word," said Barbro, "Town's very different from
this."

Axel himself was altogether out of it with these two town-folk; he
found it dull with them, and preferred to go out and look over his
land. The pair of them were left to do as they liked, and Eleseus
managed things grandly. He told how he had been over to the
neighbouring village to bury his uncle, and did not forget to mention
the speech he had made over the coffin.

When he took his leave, he asked Barbro to go part of the way home
with him. But Barbro, thank you, was not inclined that way.

"Is that the way they do things where you've been," she asked--"for
the ladies to escort the gentlemen home?"

That was a nasty hit for Eleseus; he turned red, and understood he had
offended her.

Nevertheless, he went down to Maaneland again next Sunday, and this
time he took his stick. They talked as before, and Axel was out of it
altogether, as before. "'Tis a big place your father's got," said he.
"And building again, now, it seems."

"Ay, it's all very well for him," said Eleseus, anxious to show off
a little. "He can afford it. It's another matter with poor folk like
ourselves."

"How d'you mean?"

"Oh, haven't you heard? There's been some Swedish millionaires came
down the other day and bought a mine of him, a copper mine."

"Why, you don't say? And he'll have got a heap of money for it, then?"

"Enormous. Well, I don't want to boast, but it was at any rate ever
so many thousands. What was I going to say? Build? You've a deal of
timber lying about here yourself. When are you going to start?"

Barbro put in her word here: "Never!"

Now that was pure exaggeration and impertinence