"You don't think it'd be worth my while to take it?"

Isak thought for a long while, and answered: "Ay, there's the money,
true, but still...."

"They've offered me more."

"How much?"

"Double."

"Double? Why, then, I'd say you should think it over."

"But they've made the line a bit longer now. No, I don't know what's
best to do--there's not so much timber to sell here as you've got on
yours, and I've need to buy more things for the work that I've got
now. And buying things needs money in 'cash, and I've not so much out
of the land and stock that there's much over to sell. Seems to me I'll
have to try a year at the telegraph to begin with...."

It did not occur to either of them that Brede might "do better" and
keep the post himself.

When they reached Maaneland, Oline was there already, on her way down.
Ay, a strange creature, Oline, crawling about fat and round as a
maggot, and over seventy years and all, but still getting about. She
sits drinking coffee in the hut, but seeing the men come up, all must
give way to that, and she comes out.

"_Goddag_, Axel, and welcome back from the sale. You'll not mind me
looking in to see how you and Barbro's getting on? And you're getting
on finely, to see, and building a new house and getting richer and
richer! And you been buying sheep, Isak?"

"Ay," said Isak. "You know her, maybe?"

"If I know her? Nay...."

"With these flat ears, you can see."

"Flat ears? How d'you mean now? And what then? What I was going to
say: Who bought Brede's place, after all? I was just saying to Barbro
here, who'd be your neighbours that way now? said I. And Barbro,
poor thing, she sits crying, as natural enough, to be sure; but the
Almighty that's decreed her a new home here at Maaneland ... Flat
ears? I've seen a deal of sheep in my day with flat ears and all. And
I'll tell you, Isak, that machine of yours, 'twas almost more than my
old eyes could see nor understand. And what she'll have cost you I
won't even ask for I never could count so far. Axel, if you've seen
it, you know what I mean; 'twas all as it might be Elijah and his
chariot of fire, and Heaven forgive me that I say it...."

When the hay was all in, Eleseus began making preparations for his
return to town. He had written to the engineer to say he was coming,
but received the extraordinary reply that times were bad, and they
would have to economize; the office would have to dispense with
Eleseus' services, and the