of solemnity, of stillness in the home; they
had each had a boiled egg at the last meal, and Sivert stood outside
all ready to go down with his brother and carry his things. It was for
Eleseus to begin.

He began with Leopoldine. Well and good, she said good-bye in return,
and managed it very well. Likewise Jensine the servant-maid, she sat
carding wool and answered good-bye--but both girls stared at him,
confound them! and all because he might perhaps be the least bit red
about the eyes. He shook hands with his mother, and she cried of
course quite openly, never caring to remember how he hated crying."
Goo--ood-bye and bl--bless you!" she sobbed out. It was worst with his
father; worst of all with him. Oh, in every way; he was so toil-worn
and so utterly faithful; he had carried the children in his arms, had
told them of the seagulls and other birds and beasts, and the wonders
of the field; it was not so long ago, a few years.... Father stands by
the glass window, then suddenly he turns round, grasps his son's hand,
and says quickly and peevishly: "Well, good-bye. There's the new horse
getting loose," and he swings out of the door and hurries away. Oh,
but he had himself taken care to let the new horse loose a while ago,
and Sivert, the rascal, knew it too, as he stood outside watching his
father, and smiling to himself. And, anyway, the horse was only in the
rowens.

Eleseus had got it over at last.

And then his mother must needs come out on the door-slab and hiccup
again and say, "God bless you!" and give him something. "Take
this--and you're not to thank him, he says you're not to. And don't
forget to write; write often."

Two hundred _Kroner_.

Eleseus looked down the field: his father was furiously at work
driving a tethering-peg into the ground; he seemed to find it a
difficult matter, for all that the ground was soft enough.

The brothers set off down the road; they came to Maaneland, and there
stood Barbro in the doorway and called to them to come up.

"You going away again, Eleseus? Nay, then, you must come in and take a
cup of coffee at least."

They go into the hut, and Eleseus is no longer a prey to the pangs
of love, nor wishful to jump out of windows and take poison; nay, he
spreads his light spring overcoat across his knees, taking care to lay
it so the silver plate is to be seen; then he wipes his hair with
his handkerchief, and observes delicately: "Beautiful day, isn't
it--simply classic!