"You've been and found it?"

"I saw it had been in the water."

"Ay," said she, "and well it might. 'Twas born in the water; I slipped
in and couldn't get up again."

"Slipped, did you?"

"Yes, and the child came before I could get out."

"H'm," said he. "But you took the bit of wrapping with you before you
went out--was that in case you should happen to fall in?"

"Wrapping?" said she again.

"A bit of white rag--one of my shirts you'd cut half across."

"Ay," said Barbro, "'twas a bit of rag I took with me to carry back
juniper twigs in."

"Juniper twigs?"

"Yes. Didn't I tell you that was what I'd been for?"

"Ay, so you said. Or else it was twigs for a broom."

"Well, no matter what it was...."

It was an open quarrel between them this time. But even that died
away after a time, and all was well again. That is to say, not well
exactly--no, but passable. Barbro was careful and more submissive; she
knew there was danger. But that way, life at Maaneland grew even more
forced and intolerable--no frankness, no joy between them, always on
guard. It could not last long, but as long as it lasted at all, Axel
was forced to be content. He had got this girl on the place, and had
wanted her for himself and had her, tied his life to her; it was not
an easy matter to alter all that. Barbro knew everything about the
place: where pots and vessels stood, when cows and goats were to bear,
if the winter feed would be short or plenty, how much milk was for
cheese and how much for food--a stranger would know nothing of it all,
and even so, a stranger was perhaps not to be had.

Oh, but Axel had thought many a time of getting rid of Barbro and
taking another girl to help; she was a wicked thing at times, and he
was almost afraid of her. Even when he had the misfortune to get on
well with her he drew back at times in fear of her strange cruelty
and brutal ways; but she was pretty to look at, and could be sweet at
times, and bury him deep in her arms. So it had been--but that was
over now. No, thank you--Barbro was not going to have all that
miserable business over again. But it was not so easy to change....
"Let's get married at once, then," said Axel, urging her.

"At once?" said she. "Nay; I must go into town first about my teeth,
they're all but gone as it is."

So there was nothing to do but go on as before. And Barbro had no real
wages now, but far beyond what her wages would have been; and every
time she asked