LIBRARY 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 ^ IE
 
 SYNNOYE SOLBAKKEN
 
 WORKS OF 
 
 BJORNSTJERNE BJORNSON 
 
 'II 
 
 PATRIOTS EDITION 
 
 Synnove Solbakken 
 
 Translated from the Norse 
 
 By 
 
 RASMUS B. ANDERSON 
 
 NEW YORK 
 DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY
 
 Copyright, 1881, 1882, 
 Bt HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN & CO 
 
 All rights reserved.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 
 
 OF 
 
 BJOENSTJERNE BJORNSON". 
 
 Only a very condensed sketch can here be given 
 of the great Norse poet, novelist, dramatist, orator, 
 and political leader, whose works are now offered to 
 the American public. 
 
 Bjornstjerne Bjornson was born December 8, 1832, 
 in Kvikne, a rural district in the central part of Nor- 
 way, at the foot of the beautiful Dovre Mountains, 
 where his father was a Lutheran priest. The scen- 
 ery is grand and majestic, though rather austere; 
 and life is of a somewhat solitary character, for the 
 farm-houses here, as elsewhere in Norway, are widely 
 separated from each other. 
 
 While the poet was yet a mere boy, his father was 
 transferred to the celebrated Romsdal, one of the 
 finest valleys in Western Norway. Here the sombre 
 hues of the mountain-masses are mingled with the 
 variegated splendor of the valley. Dark fjords 
 stretch their long arms into the country. The mount- 
 ains, whose summits are crowned with ice and snow, 
 rise almost perpendicularly from the water's edge in
 
 6 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 some places, while in others golden fields, green mead- 
 ows, and fine forests lie between the fjord and the 
 mountain. The ravines on the mountain-tops are 
 filled with mighty glaciers, that clasp their frosty 
 arms around the valley, and send down, like streams 
 of tears along the weather-beaten cheeks of the mount- 
 ains, countless waterfalls and cascades, overarched 
 by beautiful rainbows, and falling in endless variety 
 into the valley and fjord below. 
 
 The environments are of no slight importance in 
 the development of genius, and we find the impres- 
 sions inspired by the weird scenes amid which Bjorn- 
 sou spent the days of his childhood, constantly unfold- 
 ing blossoms in liis poems, novels, and dramas. Nor is 
 it alone the impressions that these scenes made upon 
 him that are to be taken into account. The Norse 
 folk have been looking upon these same silver-crested 
 mountains, from which the summer sun never de- 
 parts, upon the same ocean, islands, lakes, fjords, and 
 flower-clad valleys, and have listened to the same 
 melodious brooks, babbling streams, thundering riv- 
 ers, roaring waterfalls, and soughing groves, for gen- 
 erations. These surroundings have more or less 
 colored the Norse myths, epics, folk-lore tales, bal- 
 lads, melodies, proverbs, eddas, sagas, customs, man 
 ners ; in short, all the products of the Norse mind and 
 heart, the whole life of the Norsemen. In estimat- 
 ing Bjornson's genius, therefore, the influence of the 
 environments and of Norse traditions upon countless 
 generations of his forefathers must not be over
 
 BJOBNSTJERNE BJORNSON. 7 
 
 Jooked. We hope to be understood when we say, 
 briefly, that the external, physical nature of Norway 
 largely modified and moulded the ancient Norsemen's 
 character ; that nature and the Norse character thus 
 formed gave color to the Norsemen's religion, tales, 
 traditions, and other intellectual products ; that the 
 climate and scenery of Norway, together with the 
 accumulative influence of the national character and 
 the popular traditions and literature upon the people 
 from generation to generation, produced a full-blown 
 flower in the genius of Bjornstjerne Bjornson ; and, 
 finally, that this principle may be applied to any great 
 national writer or artist in any country. Nor do we 
 by this statement mean to exclude the influence exer- 
 cised by foreign nations and foreign literatures upon 
 Bjornson himself, and upon his ancestors. 
 
 At the age of twelve Bjornson was sent to the 
 Molde grammar school. Molde is a small coast town 
 in Romsdal, which is celebrated on account of the 
 grand and beautiful scenery with which it is sur- 
 rounded. But he was a dull scholar. When he was 
 admonished to apply himself, in order that he might 
 learn enough to enter the university, he answered, 
 " They want me to study and read so much, while I 
 would prefer to write." He had already begun to 
 think of becoming a poet, and of course the greatest 
 of all poets, though he was constantly reminded that 
 he was thought stupid. People called the boy an 
 agitator. When he was only fifteen years old, he 
 BrganLzed a society of boys and founded a paper
 
 8 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 written by hand. Its name was, as might be ex- 
 pected, " Liberty." In the society political matters 
 were discussed, and Bjornson was the leader of the 
 republican party. This was in the year 1848, when 
 revolutionary ideas found their way even to the re- 
 motest valleys of Norway. Bjornson's society had a 
 debate on the election of president of the French 
 republic, and he voted for Lamar tine, while the ma- 
 jority voted for Louis Napoleon. 
 
 Nor did Bjornson distinguish himself at the uni- 
 versity in Christiania, whither he was sent in 1852. 
 He continued to neglect his regular studies, and de- 
 voted himself to poetry and journalism. Caring but 
 little for books, he studied all the more earnestly 
 the volumes of nature and human society, both of 
 which he has interpreted with remarkable force and 
 beauty. It is related that a Swede, who visited 
 Christiania in 1853, and was struck by the fine ap- 
 pearance of a young man in a gathering of students, 
 turned to one near him and inquired who that young 
 man was. The answer was, " Bjornstjerne Bjornson, 
 a young man who wants to become a genius." One 
 of the by -slanders, who had listened to the conversa- 
 tion, added, " I would rather call him a young genius 
 \7ho wants to become a man." While pursuing his 
 aniversity course, which he never completed, he pro- 
 iuced his first literary work of any considerable 
 length. It was a drama, entitled " Valborg." It 
 was accepted by the managers of the theatre, but, 
 before it was played, he took it back and destroyed
 
 bjOrnstjkrne bjOrnson. 9 
 
 It. He had already outgrowu it, aud decided that it 
 would not do him credit. For some time afterward 
 (1854-56) he devoted his time mainly to dramatic 
 criticism and to reviewing books for " Aftenbladet," 
 later also for " Morgeubladet," aud to corresponding 
 for provincial newspapers. 
 
 Norway, since her separation from Denmark in 
 1814, had been striving to create a national literature, 
 and when Bjornson entered the university in 1852, 
 the first literary epoch of the young and free nation 
 (the Wergeland-Welhaven epoch) was about being 
 completed. It had produced Mauri ts Christoffer 
 Hansen, the founder of the Norwegian novel ; Johau 
 Welhaven, the leader of the conservative party, 
 which aimed to build up a Norwegian literature on 
 the foundation of foreign, particularly Danish cult- 
 ure ; and his great opponent, Henrik Wergeland, 
 ander whose banner gathered all the liberal spirits, 
 all who had faith in the ability of Norway to develop 
 an entirely independent national literature, art, and 
 life. Their object was to root out every trace of 
 foreign influence. This first epoch had also produced 
 Asbjbrnson and Moe, the collectors of the popular 
 tales of Norway ; the great poet, Andreas Munch ; 
 *he historians, P. A. Muuch and Rudolf Keyser; 
 vnd a considerable number of eminent scholars 
 unong whom may be noted Sars the naturalist, Han 
 ten the astronomer, Abel the matheraatician, Aaseu 
 tne linguist and creator of a new language for 
 Norway, based on the dialects. The famous violin
 
 10 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 ist, Ole Bull, also belougs to this epoch, and around 
 him cluster a magnificent group of musical (om 
 posers, painters, and other artists. 
 
 With the beginning of the second half of this cent- 
 ury we enter upon the second epoch of modern Nor- 
 wegian literature — the so - called Bjornson - Ibsen 
 epoch. The poets of this period are Cjornstjerne 
 Bjornson, Henrik Ibsen, Jonas Lie, and Kristofer 
 Jausou. Of these Bjornson is decidedly the most 
 conspicuous, and may be said to be the legitimate 
 successor to Henrik Wergeland, with whom he has 
 much in common both as poet and political leader. 
 He is in fact carrying forward the work left unfin- 
 ished by Wergeland ; while Welhaven, the great an- 
 tagonist of Wergeland, has found no eminent suc- 
 cessor in the ranks of living Norse writers. 
 
 Bjornson's literary career really begins with the 
 year 1857, when he published his first novel. Since 
 then his life has been singularly varied and active, 
 and in the midst of his many conflicting occupations 
 he has been an exceedingly prolific writer. 
 
 Twice he has been director of a theatre : the first 
 time in 1858, when Ole Bull put the theatre which 
 he had founded in Bergen into his hands; and the 
 second time in 1865, when the management of the 
 Christiania royal theatre was intrusted to him. He 
 held both positions, however, only for a brief space 
 of time. Three times he has entered the field of 
 journalism; the first in 1856, as editor of his own 
 paper, the " Illuatreret Folkeblad " the second in
 
 bjOrnstjerne bjornson. 11 
 
 1859, as co-editor of *' Af tenbladet ; " and the third 
 in 1866, as editor and publisher of " Norsk Folke- 
 blad." Since 1856 he has been a constant and dili- 
 gent contributor to the public press on all ques- 
 tions of national interest. His articles and addresses 
 would alone, if collected, fill many large volumea. 
 His winters he has frequently spent abroad, in Den- 
 mark, Germany, France, and Italy, and he is at this 
 writing visiting the United States, whose citizens 
 everywhere give an enthusiastic welcome to the tall, 
 erect, broad-shouldered, and silver-tongued son of the 
 frozen North, 
 
 His first novel, produced in 1857, was " Synnove 
 Solbakken," the volume now presented to our readers 
 in an English dress. It at once made a profound im- 
 pression, and established his reputation both at home 
 and abroad, not only on account of the simple and 
 charming plot, but also for the short, direct, pithy, 
 saga style in which it was written ; and here we may 
 add that the author has been growing increasingly 
 .erse and concise in his style from that day to this. 
 It became the corner-stone of a new school of litera- 
 ture, and when we take into consideration that the 
 Wergeland-Welhaven epoch continued to be more or 
 less deeply imbued with Danish culture, modern Nor- 
 wegian literature may fairly be said to begin with 
 " Synnove Solbakken." It was the first great national 
 work unimpressed with the old Danish stamp. As is 
 the case in the old Norse sagas, portraits of the char- 
 (icters are no'^ drawn, nor are his works marred bj
 
 12 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 lengthy dissertations from a moral fitand-point. In- 
 stead of long, fine-spun declamations of this sort, he 
 lets his characters speak for themselves, and leaves it 
 to the reader to judge whether they are good or bad. 
 He does not stop to describe separately the details of 
 features and dress, but he watches his opportunity to 
 give glimpses of them as the story progresses. He por- 
 trays his men and women while he tells what they do 
 and say, and thus the reader knows, when he has fin- 
 ished the book, how Synnove, or Thorbjorn, or Aslak 
 must have appeared to the author. As before stated, 
 there has been no interruption in Bjornson's literary 
 activity, and he has given the world a series of novels 
 and dramas, which have found their way into all lands 
 and been translated into many tongues. They all 
 reveal a startling psychological insight and acquaint- 
 ance with the deepest laws of human life. His novels 
 are, besides " Synnove Solbakken ; " " Arne ; " "A 
 Happy Boy ; " " The Fisher Maiden ; " " The Bridal 
 March ; " " Magnhild ; " " Guiseppe Mansana ; " and 
 several short stories. His dramas are : " Halte Hul- 
 da ; " " Mellem Slagene " (Between the Battles) ; 
 'Kong Svajrre;" " Sigurd Slembe ; " " Maria Stu- 
 k,rt ; " " De Nygifte " (The Honeymoon) ; " Sigurd 
 Jorsalfar " (Sigurd the Crusader) ; " En Fallit " (A 
 Bankrupt) ; " Redaktoren " (The Editor) ; " Kon 
 gen" (The King); '-Leonarda;" and " Det Ny 
 System" (The New System). His lyric and national 
 songs are published in one volume, and he is also the 
 author of an epic poem, published in a separate vol-
 
 bjOrnstjerne bjOrnson. 18 
 
 ame, entitled " Arnljot Gelline." When we add to 
 this a small volume, "Vis Knut" (Wise Knut), and 
 his little volume " Republiken " (The Republic), 
 issued late in 1880, we have completed the list of his 
 published works. 
 
 Mr. Bjornsou is without a peer in the north of 
 Europe as novelist, national and lyric poet, orator, 
 and contributor to the daily press ; and as dramatist 
 he knows but one competitor for the first rank, Hen- 
 rik Ibsen, whose "Love's Comedy," " Brand," and 
 " Peer Gynt " Edm. W. Gosse, in his " Studies in the 
 Literature of Northern Europe" (London, 1879), 
 characterizes as " a trilogy, perhaps, for sustained 
 vigor of expression, for afiiuence of execution, and for 
 brilliance of dialogue, the greatest of modern times." 
 On the other hand, it is interesting to notice that 
 Robert Buchanan, an equally high authority in liter- 
 ature, pronounces Audhild, one of the female charac- 
 ers in " Sigurd Slembe," Bjoruson's great dramatic 
 trilogy, " a creation worthy of Goethe at his best," — 
 worthy, in his opinion, " to rank with ' Clarchen,' 
 ' Marguerite,' and ' Mignon ' as a masterpiece of deli- 
 cate characterization." Bjornson has never been 
 surpassed in his delineation of delicate female types, 
 both in his novels and dramas, and this furnishes one 
 of the best proofs of his claim to rank among the 
 master poets of any age. Bjornson's dramas have 
 aad a boundless influence' upon modern thought in 
 Scandinavia, and we might include Germany, and 
 when jjioperly translated they will not fail to secure 
 him the homage of England and America.
 
 14 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 It may be said that Bjornson's great work, or 
 rather the red thread running through all of Bjorn- 
 son's works, is a struggle for the independence of 
 Norway ; an effort to secure an emancipation and de- 
 velopment of all those intellectual energies that Nor- 
 way may properly call her own. We discover this 
 tendency alike in his novels, poems, dramas, and in 
 his miscellaneous writings. He loves his country, 
 and therefore takes a profound interest in every 
 question that concerns its welfare ; and it is safe to 
 say that his name is intimately connected with every 
 important issue that has been raised in Norway dur- 
 ing the past twenty years. In every question his 
 words and his songs have been heard either 'pro or 
 con. In many movements he has been the first who 
 has spoken. His literary works are thoroughly im- 
 bued with the progressive spirit of the age. In his 
 novel " Magnhild " and in his drama " Leonarda " he 
 has championed the rights of women and exposed the 
 wrongs in private and domestic life in a manner that 
 would delight the heart of Julia Ward Howe or T. 
 W. Higginson. He saw the corruption of the press 
 4nd wrote his drama " The Editor." He saw the 
 corruption in the world of trade and commerce, and 
 wrote his drama " The Bankrupt ; " a play, by the 
 way, which it seems might be made very successful 
 on the American stage. Presented by an actor like 
 our Barrett, it could not fail to make a powerful im- 
 pression. In his drama " The King," Bjornson has 
 given the fullest and freest expression to his repub-
 
 BJORNSTJERNE BJORNSON. 1 
 
 t 
 
 Ucan tenets. He there represents monarchism as a lie, 
 ami lets the king himself advocate the republic as the 
 ideal form of government. To those who suggest ex- 
 cuses for and favor the monarchy as a temporary evil, 
 as a necessary school, in which the nation is to be edu- 
 cated and ripened for self-government, he makes the 
 king, who has come to look at his royal position as 
 false and abnormal, address this striking question : 
 " Is it, then, necessary that a people, on their eternal 
 progress toward the truth, should march with a lie as 
 their leader?" That a drama enunciating such prin- 
 ciples could not be played at the royal theatre, needs 
 not to be stated; but those who have embraced the 
 doctrine that all men are created equal and endowed 
 with an inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pur- 
 suit of happiness, hail in Bjornson the promise of a 
 Norwegian republic. With a keen eye to discover 
 corruption and hypocrisy in the church as well as 
 elsewhere, he has broken many a lance with the 
 priests, and has dealt many a blow to the orthodox 
 bigots of his time. 
 
 Bjornson's political speeches are landmarks in the 
 national development of Norway ; and his lectures 
 are models of eloquence, both as regards style and 
 delivery. One of the most splendid efforts of his 
 life as an orator was his address at Ole Bull's grave, 
 •)n August 24, 1880, to an audience of more than 
 twenty thousand people. Ole Bull's funeral was 
 more magnificent and solemn than if he had been a 
 king; but the greatest honor of the f'ay was em»
 
 16 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 bodied in Bjornson's remarks, of which every word 
 was a diamond iu the crown of the violinist's immor- 
 tal fame. 
 
 When Bjbrnson writes a national song it is at once 
 taken up and sung by the whole nation, from Lindes- 
 nes to North Cape. The national hymn of Norway 
 to-day is his song written in 1859, of which we will 
 attempt to translate two or three stanzas : — 
 
 '* Yes, we love with fond devotion 
 
 Norway's mouutaiu domes, 
 Rising, storm-lasiied, o'er the ocean, 
 
 With their thousand homes ; 
 Love our country, while we're bending 
 
 Thoughts to fathers grand, 
 And to saga-night that's sending 
 
 Dreams upon our land. 
 
 " Harald Norway's throne ascended 
 
 By his mighty sword ; 
 Hakon Norway's rights defended 
 
 Helped by Oyviud's word ; 
 From the blood of Olaf sainted 
 
 Christ's red cross arose; 
 From its peaks King Sverre tainted 
 
 Bishops dared oppose. 
 
 " Peasants all their axes brightfned. 
 
 Ready for each foe ; 
 Tordenskjold in battles lightened 
 
 Set the land aglow. 
 Even women did assemble 
 
 On the bloody plain; 
 Others could but weep and tremble, 
 
 But 't wa* not in vam." 
 
 Another very popular song by Bjornson is hii 
 ' Over de hole Fjselde " (Over the Lofty Mountains)
 
 b.jOrnst.terne bjOrnson. 17 
 
 which is V ivy characteristic of the author's style, and 
 expresses in sublime verses the longings and aspiration 
 of the young Norsemen. It is, iu fact, an expression 
 of the yearning of the young Norway, and is not in- 
 applicable to the ambitious struggles of the young 
 Bjoruson himself. Mr. Bjornson told us, when we 
 visited him in 1873, that he considered it his best 
 poem. We are happy to be able to give a spirited 
 and faithful metrical version of it from the pen of 
 Auber Foiestier, the author of " Echoes from Mist- 
 laud, and translator of Kristofer Janson's " The 
 Spell-Bound Fiddler," and various other works. 
 
 " Oh, how I wonder what I should see 
 Over the lofty mountains ! 
 Snow here shuts out the view from me. 
 Round about stands the green pine-tree, 
 Longing to hasten over ; 
 Dare it become a rover V 
 
 " Soars the eagle, with strong wing play, 
 Over the lofty mountains; 
 
 Rows through the young and vigorous day, 
 
 Sating his courage in quest of prey; 
 When he will, swooping downward, 
 Tow'rd far-oS lands gazing onward 
 
 " Leaf-heavy apple, wilt thou not go 
 Over the lofty mountains ? 
 
 Forth putting buds 'mid summer's glow, 
 
 Thou wilt till next time wait, I know ; 
 All of these birds art swinging, 
 Knowing not what they 're singing. 
 
 " He who for twenty years long'd to fle« 
 Over the lofty mountains, 
 2
 
 18 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 Nor bej'ond them can hope to see, 
 
 Smaller each year feels himself to be ; 
 Hears what the birds are singing, 
 Thou art with confidence swinging. 
 
 •' Bird, with thy chatt'ring, what wouldst thou here, 
 Over the lofty mountains ? 
 Fairer the lands beyond must appear, 
 Higher the trees, and the skies far more clear: 
 Wouldst thou but longing be bringing, 
 Bird, but no wings with thy singing? 
 
 " Shall I the journey never take 
 Over the lofty mountains V 
 Mast my poor thoughts on this rock-wall break? 
 Must it a dread, ice-bound prison make, 
 Shutting at last in around me, 
 Till for my tomb it surround me ? 
 
 " Forth will I ! forth ! Oh, far, far away, 
 Over the lofty mountains ! 
 I will be crushed and consumed if I stay ; 
 Courage tow'rs up and seeks the way, 
 Let it its flight now be taking. 
 Not on this rock-wall be breaking ! 
 
 " One day I know I shall wander afar 
 Over the lofty mountains ! 
 Lord, my God, is thy door ajar ? 
 Good is thy home, where the blessed are; 
 Keep it, though closed a while longer, 
 Till my deep longing grow stronger." 
 
 The Btirrmg music written for both of these poems 
 will be found in the " Norway Music Album," re- 
 oently published by Oliver Ditson & Co., Boston. 
 
 We cannot close this brief sketch of Mr. Bjornson 
 jfithout giving an account of an interesting ''ncident
 
 B.rORNST.TERNE B.IORNSON. 19 
 
 w^hich occurred in Madison, Wisconsin, during his 
 visit here in the beginning of January, 1881. 
 
 While Mr. Bjoruson was stopping at the hotel in 
 this city, an elderly man came to see him. At the 
 sight of Bjornson tlie man was very much moved, — - 
 sobbed like a child, the tears choking his voice, while 
 he attempted to greet the great skald of the North. 
 Mr. Bjornson also appeared to be deeply touched by 
 the sudden appearance of his guest, and, grasping his 
 hand, he exclaimed, " Why, are you here, my dear 
 Arne ? " The scene of their meeting was intensely 
 affecting, and the reason for it will be evident from 
 the following explanation:^ Arne is not the "Arne" 
 of Bjbrnson's novel of that name, but Arne Kulter- 
 stad, a Norwegian, whose life he had saved twenty 
 years ago. He is a man about fifty years old, has 
 a large frame, and in his younger days must have 
 been the very picture of strength and beauty. 
 
 Some twenty-five years ago, Arne, a fine-looking, 
 vigorous young man, who had been a sergeant in the 
 Norwegian army, and as such had become noted for 
 his athletic strength, as well as for his kindly disposi- 
 tion and honest character, had a serious feud with 
 one of his neighbors in his mountain home in Val- 
 ders, a valley in the central part of Norway. His 
 tnemy was a dissipated, mean, cringing, and base 
 villain, who at a party succeeded in getting Arne 
 
 1 Mr. Bjornson told the story in detail, in my presence, to • 
 reporter of the Madison Slate Journal, from which I have, in 
 r&rt, transcribed it for these pages.
 
 20 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 drunk, and persuaded him to sign papers by which 
 he lost his old homestead. The feud grew in bitter- 
 ness from year to year. One day, when business 
 had brought both to the same place, it came to 
 blows between them, and his foe drew a knife, and 
 gave Arne severe wounds in his hand and arm, the 
 marks of which he bears to this day. There were 
 many other aggravating circumstances, among which 
 may be mentioned, as the worst, the fact that upon 
 the farm which his enemy had gotten possession 
 of Arne's father lived and received his annual al- 
 lowance, according to Norwegian law. When the 
 father lay upon his death-bed, Arne visited him, and 
 learned that he had been ill-treated, and that his 
 death had probably been hastened by the cruelty of 
 the owner of the farm. This so enraged Arne that 
 revenge was a mere question of time and opportunity. 
 The opportunity was not easily found, for the villain 
 feared Arne, and shrewdly avoided meeting him. 
 He never went out alone. One morning, early, he 
 had, however, deemed it safe to go a short distance 
 from home with his team. But it so happened that 
 Arne too had gone out that morning with his rifle to 
 nunt, when on returning he saw his enemy, and at 
 once determined to give him a mark at least as severe 
 as the one he bore himself. He raised his gun to 
 take sight. He was one of the best marksmen in the 
 country, and had brought down many a bird on the 
 wing; but, unfortunately, as his enemy was walking 
 ^y the Bide of his team, he happened to stumble jus.*
 
 B.IORNSTJEKNE lUORNSON. 21 
 
 at the moment when Arne pulled the trigger, and, in- 
 stead of giving him a severe wound in the arm, as he 
 intended, the bullet entered his breast, and he soon 
 after expired. 
 
 Arue was convicted of murder, and sentenced to 
 death. This was in the lower court. The case wab 
 appealed. Mark now the remarkable incident which 
 occurred ! Having been sentenced to death by this 
 lower court, he was to be transferred to an adjoining 
 bailiwick. The bailiJS who had him in charge, know- 
 ing his prisoner's honesty and truthfulness, did what 
 probably no other bailiff ever did. The bailiff was 
 very busy, and Arne, knowing this, told him that 
 there was no necessity of his going with him or send- 
 ing any guards, for he would go alone and place 
 himself in the hands of the officer in the next baili- 
 wick ; and such confidence had the bailiff in Arne's 
 uprightness and integrity that he unhesitatingly sent 
 him alone, without any guard, and Arne promptly did 
 as he had agreed ! 
 
 The sentence of the lower court was confirmed by 
 the supreme court, without any recommendation to 
 pardon. As there was no direct evidence in the case, 
 Arne's lawyer had advised the defendant to deny 
 everything. The effect of a confession was now re- 
 sorted to, but without avail. He was locked up in 
 prison, and in a few days he was to be beheaded. 
 The young and enthusiastic poet Bjornson was at 
 this time in the capital. He had heard of the case, 
 "jad read all that had been said about it in the presa,
 
 22 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF 
 
 and had become so much interested in it that he 
 went to the prison, partly to see this remarkable 
 criminal, partly out of curiosity to see a man who 
 stood at the threshold of execution. He had a long 
 talk with Arne, and was much affected by his man- 
 ner and by his story of the aggravating circum- 
 stances which had led to his great crime. As he was 
 about to leave the prison-cell, Arne arose, stretched 
 out both arms to Bjornson, and besought him in 
 tones of deepest agony : '' Oh, save me ! " These 
 words rang in the ears of the poet, and he determined 
 to move heaven and earth, if this were possible, to 
 procure a pardon. He immediately set himself to 
 work, and wrote for the press what he still considers 
 the most masterly article of his life ; indeed, such an 
 article as but few others than Bjornson could write. 
 It set the whole community, the whole land, in com 
 motion. The wives and daughters of the judges who 
 had pronounced the sentence and the wives of the 
 members of the king's cabinet were the first to sign- a 
 petition to the government for his pardon. The death- 
 sentence was changed by the king to imprisonment for 
 life. For twenty long years Arne had to remain in 
 prison, and not until the summer of 1880 was he re- 
 leased. By this time his wife had died, and his family 
 was scattered. He found himself alone and friendless 
 in a dreary world. After twenty years of confinement 
 within the walls of a prison, liberty itself scarcely 
 seemed a boon. He came to Wisconsin, where he 
 Had a married daughter. Hearing of Bjornson's arri
 
 BJOKNSTJEKNE BJORNSON. 23 
 
 <al in Madison, lie immediately came to visit him ; 
 and the meeting of these two men was indeed an 
 affecting scene. " You are my second father, Bjorn- 
 8on, and I cannot tell you how much I love you," 
 said Arne to his benefactor. " I owe my life to 
 you." Arne is poor, and feels nowhere at home. 
 America seems no place for him. The poet, with hia 
 usual kindness, received him as cordially as a brother. 
 He offered to care for the unfortunate man in his old 
 age, and directed me to advance to Arne the neces- 
 sary funds for defraying his expenses back to Nor- 
 way, where he will have a home and employment on 
 Bjornson's estate. 
 
 This unvarnished tale, besides furnishing a real 
 Arne by the side of the hero of his novel " Arne," 
 gives Bjornson a well-earned place among the philan- 
 thropists of the world. 
 
 Of the translation it is needless to say that pains 
 have been taken to make it as faithful and readable 
 as possible. 
 
 It remains only to be added that in the prepara- 
 tion of this American edition of Bjornson's stories I 
 have availed myself of the experienced and valuable 
 assistance of Auber Forestier, whose kind services 
 are hereby gratefully acknowledged. 
 
 RASMUS B. ANDERSON. 
 Uadisom, Wis., April, 1881.
 
 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 In a large valley it often happens that there 
 18 a high spot, open on every side, which the 
 sun paints with his pencils from early dawn 
 until twilight has faded away. And they who 
 live nearer the foot of the mountains, and sel- 
 domer get the sun, call this spot a Solbakke.^ 
 The person of whom this story tells lived in 
 such a spot as this, and from it the gard ^ took 
 its name. There the snow was last to cover 
 the ground in the autumn, and there it first 
 melted in the spring. 
 
 The owners of the gard were Haugians,' and 
 were called Readers, because they read the 
 Bible more diligently than other people. The 
 man's name was Guttorm, his wife's Karen. 
 Their first child was a son ; but death took him 
 from them, and for three years they never went 
 
 1 A sunny hill. 
 ' A Norwegian farm. 
 
 « Followers of Hans Nielsen Hauge, a Norwegian revivalist ii» 
 iie early part of tliis century-
 
 26 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 on tbe east side of the church. At the end of 
 this time a girl was given to them, whom they 
 named after the boy ; his name had been Syvert, 
 and she was christened Synnov, as they could 
 not find anything nearer. But the mother 
 called her Synnove, because she had a habit, as 
 long as the child was small, of adding " mine " 
 to the name, and so this seemed to come easier. 
 However this might be, as the girl grew up 
 every one called ber Synnove, as her mother 
 did, and most people said that, in the memory 
 of man, there had not been in the parish so 
 fair a girl as Synnove Solbakken. She was 
 not man}?^ years old before they took her with 
 them to church every Sunday there was serv- 
 ice, although at first Synnove knew no better 
 than to think the priest was standing there 
 scolding at Slave Bent, whom she saw sitting 
 right down below the pulpit. Her father, how- 
 ever, wanted her to go with them, — " to form 
 the habit," he said ; and her mother wished 
 it, too, " because no one knew how the child 
 would be taken care of at home while they were 
 gone." If there chanced to be a lamb, a kid, 
 or some little pig on the gard that did not 
 thrive, or a cow that anything was the matter 
 with, it was always given over into Synnove's 
 possession ; and the mother seemed to feel sure
 
 SYNNOVE S0LF5AKKEN. 27 
 
 that from that moment it did well. The father 
 did not quite believe this to be the cause ; 
 but '' after all it did not matter which of them 
 owned the beasts, so that these only prospered.' 
 On the opposite side of the valley, and close 
 to the foot of a high mountain, there was a 
 gard named Granliden,^ so called because it 
 lay in the midst of a great spruce forest, the 
 only one for many miles around. The owner's 
 great-grandfather had been among those who 
 lay in waiting for the Russians in Holstein, and 
 from that expedition he had brought home in 
 his knapsack many foreign and strange-looking 
 seeds. These he planted round about his house; 
 but in the course of time one kind after another 
 had died out ; meanwhile some spruce cones, 
 which, oddly enough, had been mixed in with 
 the rest, had produced a dense furest, which 
 now shaded the house on every side. The Hol- 
 stein soldier's name had been Thorbjorn, after 
 his grandfather ; that of his eldest son Seemund, 
 after his father ; and thus the owners of the 
 gard had alternately been named Thorbjorn 
 and Siemund, from time out of mind. But it 
 was said that only every other man at Granli- 
 den had good luck, and it was not he who bore 
 the name Thorbjorn. The present owner, Sae 
 
 1 The sprace slope.
 
 28 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 luund, had tliought the matter over from vari- 
 ous points of view, when liis first son was born, 
 but scarcely liked to break the family custom, 
 and so called him Thorbjorn. He pondered 
 much upon whether the boy might not be so 
 brought up that he would escape the fate gossip 
 had laid in his way. He was not altogether 
 sure, but he thoiight he detected a willful dis- 
 position in the boy. " That shall be plucked 
 out," said he to the mother ; and when Thor- 
 bjorn was only three years old the father would 
 sometimes sit with the switch in his hand, and 
 compel him to carry all the sticks of fire- wood 
 back to their place ; to pick up the cup he had 
 thrown down ; to stroke the cat he had pinched. 
 But the mother preferred to leave the room 
 when the father was in this mood. 
 
 Ssemund was surprised to find that the older 
 the boy grew the more there was to correct in 
 him, and this in spite of the fact that he was 
 dealt with more and more strictly. He set him 
 early to reading, and took him out in the fields 
 with him in order to have an eye upon him. 
 The mother had a large house and small chil- 
 dren ; she could do no more than caress and ad- 
 monish him every morning, while she was dress- 
 ing him, and talk gently with the father when 
 Sabbaths brought them together. But Thor-
 
 synnOve solhakken. 29 
 
 bjorn, when he got a whipping because a-b 
 spelled ab, and not ha, and because he was not 
 allowed to administer the rod to little Ingrid, 
 as his father did to him, thought, " It is strange 
 that I must have such a hard time, while all my 
 little brothers and sisters have everything so 
 nice. 
 
 As he passed most of his time with his father, 
 and did not dare say much to him, he talked 
 little, but thought the more. Once, though, 
 while they were hauling in the wet hay, the 
 words escaped him, — 
 
 " Why is all the hay dry and in over there 
 at Solbakken, while here it is still wet ? " 
 
 " Because they have the sun oftener than we." 
 
 This was the first time he had noticed that 
 the bright sunshine over there, which he so 
 many times had sat and looked at with pleas- 
 ure, was something that he was shut out from. 
 After that day his eye fell oftener on Solbak- 
 ken than befoi'e. 
 
 " Do not sit gaping there," said his father, 
 and gave him a push. '' Over here we have to 
 drudge all we can, both old and young, if we 
 are to get anything housed." 
 
 Sasmund changed his servant-boy when Thor 
 bjorn was about seven or eight. Aslak was the 
 aame of the new servant, and he had alread}
 
 so SYNNOVE SOLBAKKKN. 
 
 been about a good deal, tliougli lie was yet a 
 mere boy. The evening be came Tliorbjoiii 
 had gone to bed ; but the next day, as he sat 
 reading, the door was pushed open with a kick, 
 the like of which he had never heard before. It 
 was Aslak, who came rushing in with a large 
 armful of wood, and flung it down with such 
 force that the sticks flew in every direction 
 Then he jumped up and down to stamp the 
 snow off of him, and with every jump he ex- 
 claimed, — 
 
 " It is cold, said the troll-bride, as she sat in 
 ice up to her waist ! " 
 
 The father was not in, but the mother swept 
 together the snow and carried it out, without a 
 word. 
 
 " What are you staring at? "said Aslak to 
 Thorbjorn. 
 
 "Not at anything," said the latter, for he 
 was frightened. 
 
 " Have you seen the rooster you have in the 
 back of your book there ? " 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 " He has a lot of hens around him when the 
 book is shut ; have you seen that? " 
 
 " No." 
 
 « Well, then, look." 
 
 The boy did so.
 
 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 31 
 
 " You are a dunce ! " said Aslak to him. 
 But from that moment no one had the power 
 over him that Ashik had. 
 
 " You do not know anything," said Aslak, 
 one day, to Thorbjorn, who was trotting after 
 him, as usual, to watch what he was doing. 
 
 '' Yes, I do. I know as far as the fourth part 
 in my catechism." 
 
 "Pooh! No, you have not even heard of 
 the troll who danced with the girl until the sun 
 rose, and then burst like a calf that has been 
 eating sour milk ! " 
 
 In all his days, Thorbjorn had never heard 
 any one display so much knowledge at once. 
 " Where was that? " he asked. 
 "Where? Why, it was — yes, it was over 
 there at Solbakken ! " 
 Thorbjorn stared. 
 
 "Did you ever hear of the man who sold 
 himself to the devil for a pair of old boots ? " 
 
 Thorbjorn forgot to answer, so astonished 
 was he. 
 
 " I suppose you are thinking of where that 
 was, hey ? It was also over there at Solbak- 
 ken, right down there in that brook which you 
 Bee. Lord help us ! Your religious knowledge 
 does not amount to much," added he. " 1 
 fancy you have not even heard of Kari, with 
 the wooden petticoat."
 
 82 SYNNOVE SULBAKKhW. 
 
 No, Thorbjorn had not beard ot an^'Lumg. 
 And while Aslak was working fast he was i?ell- 
 ing still faster, and it was about Kari with the 
 wooden petticoat, about the mill that ground 
 salt at the bottom of the sea, about the devil 
 with the wooden shoes, about the troll that got 
 his beard caught in the branch of a tree, about 
 the seven green maidens who pulled the hair out 
 of Peter Hunter's legs while he slept and could 
 not possibly awakeu ; and it all took place over 
 there at Solbakken. 
 
 " What, in the name of Heaven, ails the 
 boy ? " said the mother, the next day. " He 
 has been on his knees on the bench yonder, 
 looking over at Solbakken, ever since it was 
 light." 
 
 *■'■ Yes, he keeps very busy to-day," said the 
 father, who lay taking his rest the long Sunday. 
 
 " Oh, folks say that he has captured Synnove 
 Solbakken," Aslak was saying; "but folks say 
 so many strange things," added he, 
 
 Thorbjorn did not exactly understand him 
 but nevertheless his whole face grew fiery red. 
 When Aslak commented on this, he crept down 
 from the bench, took his catechism, and seated 
 himself to read. 
 
 " Yes, you may as well console yourself with 
 the word of God," said Aslak ; "you will never 
 get her, any way."
 
 synnOve solbakken. 33 
 
 When the week was so far advanced that he 
 thought they had forgotten this, he asked his 
 mother, quite softly, for he felt bashful about 
 it,— 
 
 ♦' Say, who is Synnove Solbakken ? " 
 
 " She is a little girl who will one day own 
 Solbakken." 
 
 " Has she, then, not a wooden petticoat? " 
 
 The mother looked at him in surprise. " What 
 is that you say ? " said she. 
 
 He felt that he must have said something 
 stupid, and was silent. 
 
 " A prettier child has never been seen than 
 she is," added the mother, "■ and that is her re- 
 wai'd from the Lord because she is always kind 
 and good and is an industrious reader." 
 
 Now he knew that, too. 
 
 One day, when Saemund had been out in the 
 field with Aslak, he said in the evening to 
 Thorbjorn, — 
 
 " You must not go with Aslak any more." 
 
 But Thorbjorn gave little heed to this. So 
 after a while the order came : — 
 
 " If you are found with him any more, it will 
 not be well for you ! " 
 
 Then Thorbjorn stole after Aslak, when the 
 father did not see him. Ssemund surprised 
 them, though, one day, when they sat talking
 
 34 synnOve solbakken. 
 
 together; then Tborbjorn got a thrashmg, and 
 was told to go in. But afterward Tliorbjorn 
 watched his chance to be with Aslak when his 
 father was not at home. 
 
 One Sunday, while the father was at churclij 
 Thorbjorn got his hands into mischief at home. 
 Aslak and he were throwing snow-balls at each 
 other. 
 
 " Oh, stop ! you are choking me ! " begged 
 Thorbjorn. " Let us throw together at some- 
 thing else." 
 
 Aslak was ready at once, and so they threw 
 first at the slender spruce over by the store- 
 house, then at the store-house door, and finally 
 at the store-house window. 
 
 " Not at the window itself," said Aslak, "but 
 at the frame around it." Meanwhile, Thor- 
 bjorn hit the window-pane, and turned pale. 
 
 " Pooh, who will know it ? Try it again." 
 
 He did so, but hit another. 
 
 " Now I will not throw any more," said he. 
 
 At that moment his eldest sister, little In- 
 grid, came out. 
 
 " Throw at Aer, Thorbjorn ! " 
 
 Thorbjorn did so immediately. The girl 
 cried, and the mother came out. She bade him 
 stop. 
 
 " Throw, throw ! " whispered Aslak.
 
 synnOve solbakken. 35 
 
 Thorbjorn was hot and excited ; he did so. 
 
 " Why, yoii must be losing your s.enses 1 " 
 said the mother, and rushed toward him, — he 
 ran before, she after, all round the grounds. 
 Aslak laughed and the mother scolded. She 
 caught Thorbjorn at last in a snow-drift, and 
 began to give him a good drubbing. 
 
 " I will strike back again, I will I " said he. 
 " That is the way they do here." 
 
 The mother ceased in surprise, and looked at 
 him. 
 
 " That some one else has taught you," she 
 then said, and taking him silently by the hand, 
 led him in. She spoke not another word to 
 him, but kindly cared for his little brothers and 
 sisters, and told them their father would now 
 soon come home from church. Then it began 
 to grow pretty hot in the room. Aslak asked 
 leave to visit a relative ; he got it at once ; but 
 Thorbjorn felt much smaller when Aslak was 
 gone. He had a terrible pain in his stomach, 
 -ind his hands were so clammy that they made 
 kis book moist when he took hold of it. If 
 jnly his mother would not say anything to his 
 father, when he came home; but Thorbjorn 
 couid not bring himself to ask it. Everything 
 his eye fell on kept changing looks, and the 
 olock said, Spanking, spanking, - spanking,
 
 36 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 spanking. He had to get up to the window 
 and look over at Solbakkeu. It alone, all cov- 
 ered with snow; lay quiet and sparkling in the 
 sunshine, just as usual ; the house stood and 
 laughed out of all the window-panes, and there 
 was surely not one of them broken ; the smoke 
 rose with such tremendous joy from the chim- 
 ney that he judged that over there, too, they 
 were getting dinner for the church people. No 
 doubt Synnove was watching for her father, 
 and was not to have a whipping when he got 
 home. Thorbjorn did not know what to do 
 with himself, and all at once became so affec- 
 tionate to his sisters that there was no end to 
 it. To Ingrid he was so good that he gave her 
 a bright button he had received from Aslak. 
 She put her arms about his neck, and he put 
 his arms about hers, saying, — 
 
 " Dear little Ingrid mine, are you angry with 
 
 me?" 
 
 " No, little Thorbjorn ! You may throw as 
 much snow at me as you like." 
 
 But there was some one stamping the snow 
 cff in the hall. Yes, sure enough, it was the 
 father. Ra appeared to be in a good humor, 
 and that made the matter still worse. 
 
 " Weil? " said he, looking around, — and it 
 was astonishing that the clock did not tumble
 
 synnOve solbakken. 37 
 
 down. The mother put the dinner on the ta- 
 ble. 
 
 " How have things been going here ? " asked 
 the father, as he seated himself and took up hia 
 spoon. 
 
 Thorbjorn looked at his mother until the 
 tears came into his eyes. 
 
 " Oh — well," said she, with incredible slow- 
 ness ; and she meant to say more, — that he 
 plainly saw. " I gave Aslak permission to go 
 out," said she. 
 
 " She did not do it this time," thought Thor- 
 bjorn. He began to play with Ingrid, as though 
 he were thinking of nothing else in the world. 
 The father had never taken so long to eat his 
 dinner, and Thorbjorn set to work, at last, to 
 count every bite ; but when he came to the 
 fourth he wanted to see how many he could 
 count between the fourth and the fifth, and 
 then he lost track of it. Finally, the father rose 
 and went out. The window-panes ! the window- 
 panes ! kept ringing in his ears, and he looked 
 round to see whether those in the room were 
 whole. Yes, they were all whole. But now 
 his mother also went out. Thorbjorn took lit- 
 tle Ingrid in his lap, and said, so gently that 
 she stared at him in amazement, — 
 
 "Come, let us two play the gold princess 
 in the meadow."
 
 38 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 That she would like to do. Aud so he sang 
 while his legs trembled under him : - 
 
 "Little blossom, 
 Meadow blossom, 
 Hearken now to me ! 
 If you will be my sweetheart so true, 
 A velvet cloak I '11 give to you, 
 Adorned with gold 
 And pearls untold. 
 Ditteli, dutteli, deadow, — 
 The sun now shines on the meadow ! " 
 
 Then she answered, — 
 
 "Gold princess, 
 Jewel princess, 
 Hearken now to me ! 
 I '11 never be your sweetheart so true, 
 I '11 have no velvet cloak from you. 
 Adorned with gold 
 And pearls untold. 
 Ditteli, dutteli, deadow, — 
 ^ The sun now shines on the meadow! " i 
 
 But just as this game was well under way, 
 his father came in, and fixed knowing eyes on 
 him. Thorbjorn drew Ingrid closer up in his 
 lap, and did not fall from his chair. 
 
 The father turned away, said nothing. Half 
 an hour passed ; he had not yet said anything, 
 and Thorbjorn was almost about to be happy 
 nut did not dare. He knew not what to think 
 when the father himself helped to undress him 
 
 1 Aaber Forestier's translation.
 
 synnOve solbakken. 39 
 
 no began gradually to tremble again. Then his 
 father patted him on the head and stroked his 
 cheek ; this he had not done as far back as the 
 boy could remember, and therefore Thorbjorn 
 grew so warm about his heart and over his 
 whole body that fear melted off him like ice 
 beneath a sunbeam. He did not know how 
 he got into bed, and as he could take neither 
 to singing nor shouting, he folded his hands., 
 said Our Father six times forwards and. back- 
 wards, quite softly, and felt, as he fell asleep, 
 that there was no one on God's green earth he 
 loved so dearly as his father. 
 
 The next day he awakened in a terrible 
 fright, because he could not scream ; for he wiJ*" 
 now to have a thrashing, after all. Wher 
 opened his eyes, he became aware, to his great 
 relief, that he had only dreamed it; but soon 
 also became aware that some one else was just 
 about to have a thrashing, and that was Aslak. 
 Saemund was pacing the floor, and Thorbjorn 
 well knew that step. The rather short but 
 square-built man looked now and then from 
 under his bushy brows in such a way at Aslak 
 that the latter felt plainly what was in the 
 wind ; Aslak was perched on the top of a great 
 barrel, from the side of which his legs now 
 dangled, now were drawn up. As usual, he
 
 iO SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 had his hands in his pockets and his cap drawn 
 down lightly on his head, so that the matted 
 locks of thick black hair protruded from under 
 the fore-piece. The little crooked mouth was 
 more crooked than ever ; he held his whole 
 head slightly aslant, and looked sideways at 
 Ssemund from beneath his half-closed eyelids. 
 
 " Yes, that boy of yours is bad enough," 
 said he ; " but, worse still, your horse is troll- 
 scared." 
 
 Ssemund paused. " You are a fool I " said 
 he, so that it rang through the room, and As- 
 lak drew his eyelids more closely than ever 
 together. 
 
 Saemund strode on Hgain ; Aslak sat still a 
 while. 
 
 " I tell you he is troll-scared," repeated he, 
 and stole a glance after him to see what effect 
 that had. 
 
 " No ; but he is woods-scared, — that is what 
 he is," said Ssemund, moving on. " You felled a 
 tree over him in the field, you careless slouch, 
 and that is why no one can get him to pass 
 there quietly any more." 
 
 Aslak listened to this a while. 
 
 " Well, believe so, if you choose. It is no 
 disgrace to believe a thing. But I doubt if 
 that will set your horse right again," he added,
 
 synnOve solbakken. 41 
 
 at the same time drawing himself farther back 
 on the barrel, and shading his face with one 
 hand. Sssmund came right over to him, and 
 said in a low, but rather dismal tone, — 
 
 " You are a wicked " 
 
 " Saemund ! " was heard from the hearth. It 
 was Ingebjorg, his wife, who sat there hushing 
 him as she had hushed the youngest child, who 
 was frightened, and had wanted to scream. 
 The child had been quieted before, and now 
 Saemund, too, was silent ; but he stuck his fist, 
 which was a very small one for such a square- 
 built man, right up under Aslak's nose, and 
 held it there a while, as he bent forward and 
 fairly scorched the boy's face with his eyes. 
 Then he walked on as before, bestowing on him 
 every now and then a hasty glance. Aslak was 
 very pale, but he laughed over at Thorbjdrn 
 with one half of his face, while he kept the 
 half turned toward Saemund very straight. 
 
 " Lord grant us good patience ! " he ex 
 claimed, after a little while ; but at the same 
 time he drew up his elbow, as though to ward 
 off a blow. Saemund stopped suddenly, and 
 fthrieked at the top of his voice, as he brought 
 his foot down on the floor, so that Aslak was 
 completely silenced, — 
 
 ' Do not you dare name Him ! "
 
 42 SYNNOVE ftOLBAKKEN. 
 
 Ingebjorg arose with the infant, and took 
 Sffimund gently by the arm. He did not look 
 at her, but still he let his arm drop. She went 
 to her seat ; he walked to and fro once more , 
 but neither said anything. As this lasted a 
 while, Aslak had to break the silence again : — 
 
 " Aye, He has a great deal to do at Gran- 
 liden, — that He has ! " 
 
 " Ssemund ! Ssemund ! " whispered Ingebjorg, 
 
 but before the words reached hira Ssemund had 
 
 already rushed at Aslak, who thrust out his 
 
 foot. It was pushed down, the fellow seized 
 
 by it and his jacket collar, lifted up, and then 
 
 set against the closed door with such violence 
 
 that the panel gave way, and he went through 
 
 it head foremost. The wife, Thorbjijrn, and all 
 
 the children screamed and begged for him, and 
 
 the whole house was in one wail. But Sasmund 
 
 darted out after him, not remembering to open 
 
 the door properly, but kicking the remainder 
 
 Aside, seized hira again, carried him through 
 
 the passage out into the yard, raised him high 
 
 in the air, and flung him down again with all 
 
 his might. And when Ssemund perceived that 
 
 there was too much snow for him to be hurt 
 
 badly enough, he planted his knee on Aslak'a 
 
 oreast and beat him right in his face, lifted 
 
 him the third time, bore him to a place that
 
 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN 43 
 
 was more free from snow, like a wolf that is 
 dragging after him a dog he has been tearing 
 to pieces, let him fall again, and this time more 
 savagely than before, then sprang on him with 
 his knees ; and no one knows how it might 
 have ended had not Ingebjorg rushed between 
 with the infant in her arms. 
 
 " Do not bring ruin upon us ! " she shrieked. 
 
 A while later Ingebjorg sat in the family 
 room ; Thorbjorn was dressing; the father was 
 pacing the floor once more, and only paused 
 now and then to drink a little water, but his 
 hand shook so that the water flew over his head 
 and splashed on the floor. Aslak did not come 
 in, and presently Ingebjorg made a movement 
 to go out. " Stay in," said Sasmund, as though 
 it were not to her he was speaking ; and she 
 stayed in. But a little later he went out him- 
 self. He did not come in again. Thoibjorn 
 took his book and read incessantly, without 
 looking up, although he did not understand a 
 single sentence. 
 
 A little later in the forenoon the house was 
 in the old order, although every one had a feel- 
 ing as though strangers had been visiting them. 
 Thorbjorn ventured to go out, and the first per- 
 son he met outside the door was Aslak, who had 
 packed all his things on a sled ; but the sled
 
 >4 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 was Thorbjoru's. Thorbjorn stared at him 
 for he looked ugly. The blood had dried on 
 his face, and was smeared all over ; he coughed 
 and clutched often at his breast. He looked for 
 a moment silently at Thorbjorn, and then he 
 burst out violently, — 
 
 " I do not like your eyes, boy ! " 
 
 With this he got astride of the sled, seated 
 himseK, and started down the hill. 
 
 " You can get your sled back where you can 
 find it ! " said he, and laughed, as he turned once 
 more and stuck out his tongue at him. Thus 
 departed Aslak. 
 
 But during the week that followed the lens- 
 mand ^ made his appearance at the house ; the 
 father was sometimes absent ; the mother wept, 
 and she also was away several times. 
 
 " What is it, mother ? " 
 
 " Oh, Aslak is the cause of it all 1 " 
 
 One day they caught little Ingrid, as she sat 
 and sang : — 
 
 " O blessed world, I am weary 
 
 Now of thy doiugs so dreary 1 
 Once the girl puts foot in sight, 
 
 Reason leaves the boy outright ; 
 Wat'ry food the housewife makes, 
 
 Ease her lazy husband takes ; 
 Puss beyond the rest is keen and wily, 
 
 For cream she 'a stealing so slyly." ' 
 
 1 Bailiff. 
 
 « Auber Forestier's translation-
 
 SYNN6VE SOLBAKKEN. 46 
 
 There was of course a query as to whom she 
 could have learned this snatch of a song from. 
 As was expected, it proved to be from Thor- 
 bjorn. He became much alarmed, and said he 
 had learned it from Aslak. He was then made 
 to understand that if he sang any more such 
 verses himself, or taught them to his sister, he 
 would get a whipping. Shortly after this lit- 
 tle Ingrid happened to swear. Thorbjorn was 
 again called up, and Saemund thought he might 
 as well give him a taste of the rod now ; but he 
 cried and made such fair promises for himself 
 that he was allowed to escape this time. 
 
 The next Sunday there was service, his father 
 said to him, " You will not have any chance to 
 get into mischief at home to-day; you are goiug 
 vith me to church."
 
 CHAPTER n. 
 
 The church stands, in the peasant's fancy, on 
 a lofty eminence, apart by itself, consecrated to 
 peace, with the solemnity of the grave about it, 
 and the cheerfulness of the mass within. It is 
 the sole house in the valley upon which he has 
 bestowed any ornamentation, and its spire, there- 
 fore, actually reaches up a little farther than it 
 appears to reach. Its bells greet him on his 
 way thither, of a bright Sunday morning, and 
 he always uncovers his head to them, as though 
 he would return with thanks their greeting ! 
 There is a covenant between him and them 
 which no one can fully estimate. Early in life 
 he doubtless stood by the open door and heark- 
 ened to them, while the church people moved 
 past in silent procession down on the road ; his 
 father was getting ready, but he himself was 
 too small to go. He combined then many 
 ideas with those heavy, sonorous tones which 
 reigned supreme among the mountains for an 
 hour or two, reechoing from one to the other ; 
 but one was inseparably connected therewith
 
 synnOve solbakken. 47 
 
 clean, new clothes, gay-clad women, and well- 
 groomed horses, with bright harnesses. 
 
 And when these bells ring thus one Sunday 
 over his own happiness ; when in brand-new, 
 but too large, clothes he walks with dignified 
 assurance by his father's side, on his way to 
 church for the first time, aye, then there is ex- 
 ultation in them. Then, surely, they can fling 
 open all the doors to what he is going to see. 
 And on the way home, when they still keep up 
 their clanging over his head, rocking the sing- 
 ing, the mass, the words of the sermon, in their 
 reverberations, there is chased back and forth 
 what engrossed the eye during the service, — 
 the altar-piece, the costumes, the people ; then, 
 once for all, they arch over the previously gath- 
 ered impressions, and consecrate the smaller 
 church which henceforth he bears within him. 
 
 When a little older, he has to tend the herds 
 on the mountains, but of a fine, dewy Sunday 
 morning, as he sits on the stone, with the cattle 
 below him, and listens to the church-bells rising 
 above the tinkle of their bells, he grows melan- 
 choly. For there rings through them some- 
 thing bright, cheerful, alluring, from down be- 
 low : thoughts of acquaintances at church ; of 
 the joy when one is there, and the still greater 
 joy, when one has been there, of the good dinner
 
 48 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 at home; of father, mother, brothers, and sis- 
 ters ; of the merriment on the green in the glad 
 Sunday evening, — and the little heart rebels 
 within his breast. But it always ends with the 
 thought that those were the church-bells that 
 were ringing. He reflects a little, and finds 
 stored away in his mind a fragment of some 
 hymn he has learned ; this he sings, hands 
 folded, and eyes peering far down into the 
 valley below, repeats a little prayer, besides, 
 springs up, feels happy, and blows such a blast 
 on his loor that it resounds through the mount- 
 ains. 
 
 Here in the little mountain valley the church 
 has its special language for each age, its peculiar 
 look to each eye ; much may have been built up 
 Detween the individual and it, but never any- 
 thing over it. It stands full-grown and ready, 
 in the eyes of the candidate for confirmation, 
 with finger pointing upward, half threatening, 
 half inviting, for the youth whose choice is 
 made ; broad-shouldered and strong over the 
 sorrows of manhood ; with plenty of room and 
 full of tenderness for weary old age. During 
 divine service, young children are brought in 
 and baptized, and it is well known that during 
 this act the devotion is greatest. 
 
 Therefore, it is impossible to describe Norse
 
 synnOve solbakken. 49 
 
 peasants, corrupted or uncorrupted, without 
 coming into contact at one point or other with 
 the church. There will seem to be a dull uni- 
 formity in this ; but it is, perhaps, not of the 
 worst sort. Let this be said once for all, and 
 not especially on account of the church visit 
 which here follows. 
 
 Thorbjoru rejoiced at the thought of the 
 walk to church and the sights he was to see ; 
 his eyes were dazzled with the manifold colors 
 without the church ; he felt the weight of the 
 stillness which hung over eveiybody and every- 
 thing within before the mass began ; and al- 
 though he did not remember to bow his head 
 himself when the prayer was read, it seemed as 
 though it were bowed by the sight of many hun- 
 dred bowed heads. The singing began, and all 
 sang at once around him, so that it almost ap- 
 palled him. So absorbed did he sit there that 
 he started up as from a dream when their pew 
 door was softly opened for some one who came 
 in. After the singing was over the father took 
 this new-comer by the hand, and asked, — 
 
 « Is aU well at Solbakken ? " 
 
 Thorbjoru raised his eyes ; but whatever he 
 
 saw, or did not see, there was little connection 
 
 to be traced between this man and any kind of 
 
 witchcraft. He was a gentle-looking, fair-corn- 
 4
 
 50 synnOve solrakken. 
 
 plexioned man, with large blue eyes, a high 
 brow, and he looked tall in his seat ; he smiled 
 when he was spoken to, and said " yes " to 
 every remark Ssemund made, but was, on the 
 whole, a man of few words. 
 
 " If you look over there you will see Syn- 
 nove," said the father, as he stooped down to 
 Thorbjorn, took him on his knee, and pointed 
 over to the pew opposite, on the women's side. 
 There was a little girl kneeling on the bench 
 and looking over the railing. She was still 
 fairer than the man, — so fair that he had 
 never seen her equal. She had a red streamer 
 to her cap, light yellow hair beneath this, and 
 now smiled at him, so that for a long time he 
 could not see anything but her white teeth. 
 She held a shining hymn-book in one hand, and 
 a folded orange-colored silk handkerchief in the 
 other, and was now amusing herself by strik- 
 ing the handkerchief on the hymn-book. The 
 more he stared, the more she smiled ; and now 
 he chose also to kneel on the bench, just aa 
 she was doing. Then she nodded. He looked 
 gravely at her a moment, then he nodded. She 
 smiled and nodded once more ; he nodded again, 
 and once more, and still once more. She smiled, 
 but did not nod any more, for a little while, 
 until he had quite forgotten it ; then she nod 
 ded.
 
 synnOve solbakicen. 61 
 
 " I want to see, too! " he heard behind him, 
 and at tlie same moment felt some one pull him 
 by the legs to the floor, so that he came near 
 falling ; it was a thick-set little fellow, who now 
 scrambled valiantly up into Thorbjorn's place. 
 He, too, had light, but bristling hair, and a 
 snub-nose. Aslak had probably taught Thor- 
 bjorn how the bad boys he met at church and 
 school should be dealt with. Thorbjorn there- 
 fore pinched the boy in return so hard that he 
 wanted to scream, but did not, and crawled in- 
 stead very quickly down from the bench, and 
 seized Thorbjorn by both ears. The latter 
 made a grab at his hair, and pulled him down 
 under himself ; still the boy did not scream, but 
 bit Thorbjorn in the thigh. Thorbjorn drew it 
 back, and dashed the boy's face right against 
 the floor. Then he was himself seized by the 
 jacket-collar, and lifted up as though he were a 
 bag full of straw ; it was his father, who took 
 Thorbjorn on his lap. 
 
 " If it were not in church, you would get 
 a thrashing ! " he whispered in his ear, and 
 squeezed his hand so that it hurt clear down in 
 his foot. He remembered Synnove, and looked 
 over at her ; she was still there on her knees, 
 out was staring before her with such a vacant 
 look that he began to realize what he had done.
 
 52 synnOve solbakken. 
 
 and that it must be something very wrong. Aa 
 soon as she noticed that he was looking at her 
 she crept down from the bench, and was no 
 more to be seen. 
 
 The chorister came forward, and then the 
 priest ; he listened to and watched them closely. 
 Again the chorister came forward, and again the 
 priest ; but still he sat on his father's knee, and 
 thought, " Will she not soon look up again ? " 
 The little fellow who had dragged him down 
 from the bench sat on a foot-stool, farther up 
 in the pew, and every time he wanted to rise 
 he got a thrust in the back from an old per- 
 son, who sat and nodded, but awakened regu- 
 larly every time the child made a move to rise. 
 " Will she not soon look up again ? " thought 
 Thorbjorn ; and every red ribbon he saw stir- 
 ring round about reminded him of the one she 
 wore, and every flashy painting in the old 
 ohurch was either just as large as, or a little 
 smaller than, she. Yes, now she stretched up 
 her head ; but as soon as she saw him she 
 gravely drew it down again. Once more the 
 chorister came forward, and once more the 
 priest ; the bell was rung, and every one arose. 
 The father talked again in a low tone to the 
 fair-complexioned man ; they went together 
 over to the pew where the women were, whq
 
 SYNNdVE SOLBARKEN. 53 
 
 had already arisen. The first person who came 
 out from there was a fair-complexioned woman, 
 who smiled as the man did, but more faintly ; 
 she was rather small and pale, and held Syn- 
 nove by the hand. Thorbjorn went right over 
 to the latter ; but she went quickly away from 
 him, round her mother's dress. 
 
 " Let me alone ! " said she. 
 
 " This little boy has never been at church 
 before," said the fair woman, and laid her hand 
 on him. 
 
 " No, and that is the reason why he got to 
 fighting the first time," said Saemund. 
 
 Thorbjorn looked bashfully up at her, and 
 then at Synnove, who seemed to him graver than 
 ever. They all went out, — the older ones in 
 conversation, but Thorbjorn following Synnove, 
 who drew closer to her mother whenever he ap- 
 proached her. The other boy he saw no more. 
 Outside of the church they paused, and began 
 a longer conversation. Thorbjorn several times 
 heard Aslak named, and as he feared they might 
 talk a little about him also, ut the same time, he 
 retreated a few steps. 
 
 "This is not for you to hear!" said Synnove'a 
 •nother to her. " Go away a little, ray dear ; go 
 iway, I say." 
 
 Synnove drew lingeringly back. Thorbjorn
 
 64 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 then went nearer her, and looked at her, and 
 she looked at him ; and thus they stood for a 
 long while, just looking at each other. Finally 
 she said, — 
 
 " Fy I " 
 
 " Why do you say fy ? " asked he. 
 
 " Fy ! " said she once more. " Fy I For 
 shame ! " she added. 
 
 " Why, what have I done ? " 
 
 " You have been fighting in church, and while 
 the priest stood there saying mass. Fy ! " 
 
 " Yes, but that was a long time ago." 
 
 This made an impression on her, and she 
 said presently, — 
 
 " Are you the boy whose name is Thorbjorn 
 Granliden ? " 
 
 " Yes ; and is it you they call Synnove Sol- 
 bakken ? " 
 
 " Yes. I have always heard that you were 
 such a good boy." 
 
 " No, that is not true ; for I am the worst 
 one of all of us at home," said Thorbjorn. 
 
 "Well, I have never heard" — said Synnove, 
 and clasped her small hands. " Mother, mother 
 he says " — 
 
 " Hush ! Be quiet, and go away ! " met hei 
 irom that quarter, and she paused, then went 
 plf)wly and l)ack wards to her place, her large 
 blue eyes fixed on her mother.
 
 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 55 
 
 " I have always heard that you were good," 
 said Thorbjorn. 
 
 " Yes, that may be sometimes when I have 
 been reading," she replied. 
 
 " Is it true that you have such a lot of nisses 
 and trolls and other bad things over your way ? " 
 asked he, placing his hands on his sides, with 
 one foot thrust forward, and resting on the 
 other, just as he had seen Aslak do. 
 
 " Mother, mother ! Do you know what he 
 says ? He says " — 
 
 " Let me alone ! Do you hear ? And do 
 not come here before I call you ! " 
 
 She had to retreat again, slowly and back- 
 wards ; as she did so she put a corner of her 
 handkerchief in her mouth, bit it hard, and 
 pulled at it. 
 
 "Is it not true at all that every night there 
 is music inside of the hills over there ? " 
 
 " No ! " 
 
 " Have you never seen trolls, then ? " 
 
 "No!" 
 
 " But, in the name of Jesus " — 
 
 ' Fy ! You must not say that ! " 
 
 " Oh, pshaw ! — that is nothing ! " said he, 
 spitting between his teeth to show how far he 
 could spit. 
 
 " Yes, it is," she replied ; " for if you talk so 
 vou will go to hell."
 
 60 SVNNOVE SOLRAKKEN. 
 
 "Do you think so?" asked he, decidedly 
 more humble ; for he had only thought that he 
 might get a whipping for it, and his father 
 was now standing so far away. " Who, for in- 
 stance, is the strongest over your way?" asked 
 he, and pushed his cap a little more to one 
 side. 
 
 " I am sure I do not know," 
 
 " Well, over our way it is father. He is so 
 strong that he thrashes Aslak ; and Aslak is 
 strong, I can tell you." 
 
 " Ah, indeed ! " 
 
 " Once he lifted a horse." 
 
 " A horse ? " 
 
 " Yes ; that is as true, as true — for he told 
 me so himself." 
 
 Then she could have no doubts, either. 
 
 " Who is Aslak ? " asked she. 
 
 " He is a very bad boy, I can assure you. 
 Father whipped him so hard that in the whole 
 world there never was any one whipped so hard 
 before." 
 
 " Do you fight over there at your house ? " 
 
 " Yes, sometimes, when — Do not you do 
 10 over at your house ? " 
 
 " No, never." 
 
 " What do you do there, then ? " 
 
 ** Oh, mother gets the meals ready, knits, and
 
 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 57 
 
 lews ; Kari d<,)es these things, too, but not as 
 well as mother, for Kari is so lazy. But Randi 
 takes care of the cows ; father and the boys work 
 out in the field, or else keep busy at home." 
 This seemed to him a satisfactory explanation. 
 "Then every evening we read and we sing," she 
 continued, " and we do so on Sundays, too." 
 " All of you ? " 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 " That must be tedious." 
 
 " Tedious ? Mother, he says " — but then 
 she remembered that it was forbidden her to 
 bother her mother. " Oh, you had better be- 
 lieve I own ever so many sheep," said she. 
 
 " Do you ? " 
 
 "Yes. Three of them are going to have 
 lambs this winter, and one of them, I am quite 
 Bui"e, will have two." 
 
 " And so you have sheep, have you ? " 
 
 " Yes ; and I have cows and pigs, too. Have 
 you none ? " 
 
 " No." 
 
 " If you will come over to see me, you shall 
 have a lamb. Then you will surely get more 
 irom it." 
 
 " That would be too nice for anytblng." 
 
 They were silent for a while. " Cannot In- 
 (jrid have a lamb, too ? " asked he.
 
 &8 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKKN. 
 
 " Whoislngi-id?" 
 
 " Why, Ingrid, — little Ingrid." 
 
 No, she did not know her. 
 
 " Is she smaller than you ? " 
 
 " Yes, of course she is smaller than I, — just 
 about like you." 
 
 " Oh, dear me I You must bring her along 
 do you hear ? " 
 
 Yes, he would do so. 
 
 " But," said she, " if you get a lamb, she can 
 have a pig." 
 
 This he, too, thought was far wiser ; and then 
 they talked a little about their common ac- 
 quaintances, of whom, to be sure, they had not 
 many. Their parents were now ready, and they 
 must go home. 
 
 That night he dreamed about Solbakken, and 
 lie thought he saw only white Iambs over there, 
 and a little fair girl with red ribbons in the 
 midst of them. Ingrid and he talked every 
 single day about going to Solbakken. They 
 had so many lambs and little pigs to tend that 
 they knew not which way to turn among them. 
 Meanwhile, they wondered greatly that they 
 could not go over there at once. 
 
 " Just because that little girl asked you ? ' 
 «aid the mother. " Did you ever hear the like I ' 
 
 " Never mind ; you just wait till the nex*
 
 SYNNOVE SOU'.AKKEN. 59 
 
 Sunday there is service," thought Thorbjom 
 " and then you shall see." 
 
 It came. 
 
 " You are said to be so bad about boasting 
 and lying and swearing," said Synnove to him, 
 " that you cannot be allowed to come until you 
 have stopped your bad habits." 
 
 " Who says so ? " asked Thorbjorn, surprised. 
 
 " Mother." 
 
 Ingrid waited in suspense for his coming 
 home, and he told her and the mother what 
 had happened. 
 
 " Now you see ! " said the mother. Ingrid 
 said nothing ; but after this both she and the 
 mother reminded him every time he swore or 
 boasted. Ingrid and he, meanwhile, fell into a 
 quarrel about whether " the dog take me " was 
 swearing or not. Ingrid got a whipping, and 
 after that he kept using " the dog take me" the 
 whole day. But toward evening his father 
 heard it. " Yes, he shall take you 1 " said he, 
 and gave him a blow that sent him reeling. 
 Thorbjorn felt most ashamed before Ingrid, but 
 after a little while she came over to him and 
 patted him. 
 
 A few months later they both made a visit 
 \o Solbakken ; Synnove afterward came to visit 
 ^hem : they over to Solbakken again and thus
 
 60 SVNMOVE SOLBAKICEN. 
 
 it continued all the while they were growing 
 up. Thorbjoru and Synnove were rivals in their 
 studies ; they went to the same school, and he 
 became at last the more clever scholar of the 
 two, — so clever that the priest interested him- 
 self in him. Ingrid did not get on so well ; and 
 both the others therefore helped her. She and 
 Synnove became so inseparable that people 
 called them the " ptarmigans," because they 
 always flew together, and both had very fair 
 hair and complexions. 
 
 It happened, occasionally, that Synnove got 
 angry with Thorbjorn, because he was so ex- 
 citable and fell into so many squabbles, Ingrid 
 always acted as peacemaker, and then they be- 
 came good friends again as before. But if Syn- 
 niive's mother heard of his fighting, he was not 
 allowed to come to Solbakken that week, and 
 hardly the next. No one dared tell Saemund 
 anything about such things ; " he is so severe 
 with the lad," said his wife, and imposed silence 
 upon all. 
 
 As they grew up, all three became good-look- 
 jiiig, although each in his own way. Synnove 
 grew tall and slender, had flaxen hair, a finely 
 moulded, bright face, with calm blue eyes 
 When she spoke, she smiled, and people sooa 
 said it was a blessing to come within the atmos
 
 synnOve solbakken. 61 
 
 phere of her smiles. Ingrid was smaller, but 
 stouter, had still lighter hair, and a very little 
 face that was soft and round. Thorbjorn be- 
 came of medium height, but was extremely well 
 formed, had dark hair, dark blue eyes, a sharply 
 cut face, and strong limbs. He had a habit of 
 saying of himself, when he was angry, that he 
 could read and write just as well as the school- 
 master, and feared no man in the valley, — ex- 
 cept his father, he thought, but he did not add 
 that. 
 
 Thorbjorn wished to be confirmed early ; but 
 that could not be. " As long as you are not 
 confirmed you are only a boy, and I can better 
 control you ! " said his father. So it chanced 
 that he, Synnove, and Ingrid went to the priest 
 at the same time. Synnove, too, had waited un 
 usually long ; she was fifteen, in her sixteenth 
 year. " We never can know enough when we 
 come to make our confirmation vow," her 
 mother had always said ; and her father, Gut- 
 torm Solbakken, had answered " yes " to this. 
 So it was not strange that a couple of suitors 
 began to put in an appearance : one the son of 
 people of the better class, another a rich neigh- 
 bor. 
 " It is too bad ! She is not yet confirmed 1 " 
 " Well, then, we must have her confirmed.'
 
 62 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 Baid the father. But Synnove herself knew 
 nothing of this. 
 
 At the parsonage, the ladies of the priest's 
 family thought so well of Synnove that they in- 
 vited her in, to talk with her. Ingrid and Thor- 
 bjorn waited outside among the rest, and when a 
 boy said to the latter, " So you did not get in 
 with her ? They are surely going to take her 
 away from you ! " it cost that boy a black eye. 
 From this time forth, it got to be a habit among 
 the other boys to tease him about Synnove, and 
 it became apparent that nothing could throw 
 him into a greater rage. In a grove below the 
 parsonage there took place, at last, by agree- 
 ment, a big fight, which had this teasing for its 
 cause ; the fight had grown to such an extent 
 that Thorbjorn had to deal with a whole crowd 
 at once. The girls had gone on in advance, so 
 there was no one to part them, and the fight 
 grew, therefore, worse and worse. He did not 
 want to give up ; several attacked him at once, 
 and so he defended himself as best he could, 
 and the blows he dealt about him betrayed 
 afterwards what had taken place. The cause 
 came out at the same time, and it made a great 
 deal of talk in the parish. 
 
 The next Sunday there was service Thor- 
 bjorn would not go to church ; and the next day
 
 synnOve solbakkkn. 68 
 
 tliey were to go to the priest he feigned illness. 
 And so IngriJ went alone. He asked her, on 
 her return home, what Synnove had said. 
 
 " Nothing." 
 
 When he joined the others again, he thought 
 that every one looked at him, and that the rest 
 of the class giggled. But Synnove came later 
 than the others, and passed much time with the 
 priest's family that day. He feared a scolding 
 from the priest, but soon became aware that the 
 only two in the parish who knew nothing of tiie 
 fight were his own father and the priest. This 
 matter was not so bad, after all ; but how he 
 should gain access to Synnove again, he knew 
 not, for it was the first time that he did not 
 really like to ask Ingrid to intercede. After 
 the recitation was over, Synnove was again in 
 at the priest's ; he waited as long as there was 
 any cue else in the grounds, but at last he too 
 had to go. Ingrid had gone among the first. 
 
 The next day, Synnove had come before all 
 the others, and was walking in the garden with 
 one of the young ladies and a young gentleman. 
 The young lady took up some flowering plants, 
 and gave them to Synnove ; the gentleman as- 
 sisted ; and Thorbjorn stood among the rest 
 outside, and looked on. They explained to her 
 qjuite loud, so they all heard it, how these plants
 
 64 svnnOve solbakken. 
 
 were to be set out, and Synnove promised to 
 attend to them herself, that everything might 
 be just as they said. " You cannot do it alone,' 
 said the gentleman, and Thorbjoru pondered 
 oyer this. When Synnove came out to the oth- 
 ers, they showed far more respect for her than 
 usual, but Synnove went over to Ingrid, greeted 
 her gently, and asked her to accompany her 
 down to the green. There they seated them- 
 selves, for it was long since they had had a 
 good talk together. Thorbjoru again was left 
 with the others, and looked at Synnove's pretty, 
 strange flowers. 
 
 That day Synnove went at the same time as 
 the rest. " May I carry your flowers for you ? " 
 said Thorbjoru. 
 
 " Yes, if you like," she answered, kindly, but 
 without looking at him, and taking Ingrid by 
 the hand, went on ahead. At the foot of Sol- 
 bakken she paused, and bade Ingrid farewell. 
 " I can carry them myself the short distance 
 that remains," said she, and took up the basket 
 Thorbjorn had set down. The whole way he 
 had been thinking about offering to plant the 
 flowers for her, but now he could not muster 
 the courage, for she turned away so abruptly. 
 Bat afterwards he thought of nothing else ex 
 cept that he, still, ought to have helped hei 
 with those flowers.
 
 synnovp: solbakken. 65 
 
 " What were you two talking about ? " he 
 asked Ingrid. 
 
 " About nothing." 
 
 When the rest were well in bed, he quietly- 
 dressed himself again and went out. It was a 
 beautiful evening, balmy and still ; the sky was 
 faintly overcast with bluish -gray clouds, here 
 and there torn asunder, so that it seemed as 
 though some one might be peering out from 
 the dark blue as from an eye. No one was to 
 be seen about the houses or farther away ; but 
 the grasshoppers were chirping all through 
 the grass, a rail piping on the right was an- 
 swered on the left, and then there began a 
 singing in the grass from place to place, so that 
 it seemed to the wandei'er as though he were 
 attended by a large company of followers, al- 
 though he did not see a single one. The forest 
 stretched upwards, now blue, now dark and 
 still darker toward the rocky waste, and looked 
 like a great sea of mist. But thioiigh this he 
 heard the heath-cock strike up its note, a single 
 owl shriek, and the force chant its old, vigorous 
 rhymes louder than ever, now that all had set- 
 tled down to give ear thereto. Thorbjorn 
 looked over toward Solbakken, and went on- 
 ward. He turned off from the usual path, 
 quickly reached the gard, and very soon stood
 
 66 synnOve solbakkex. 
 
 in the little garden that belonged to Synnove, 
 and that lay directly beneath the one loft win- 
 dow he knew so well, that of the chamber 
 in which she slept. He listened and peered 
 around, but all was still. Then he searched 
 about the garden for working implements, and 
 sure enough there he found both spade and hoe. 
 The spading of a bed had been commenced ; 
 only a small corner was finished, but in it two 
 plants were already set out, probably to see 
 how they looked. '' She became tired, poor girl, 
 and left it," he thought. " It takes a man to 
 do this," he thought further, and set to work. 
 He did not feel the slightest desire for sleep; 
 indeed, it even seemed to him that he had never 
 performed so easy a task. He remembered how 
 they were to be set out, remembered also the 
 parsonage garden, and planted them accord- 
 ingly. Night passed away, but he was not 
 aware of it ; he scarcely paused to rest, and had 
 the whole bed spaded, the flowers set out, one 
 here and there planted over again to give a 
 better effect, and ever and anon he would steal 
 a glance up at the chamber window to see 
 whether any one was watching him. But 
 neither there nor elsewhere was any one to be 
 seen, nor did he hear so much as the barking 
 of a dog before the cock began to crow, awaken
 
 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 67 
 
 ing the forest birds, who then, one after another, 
 piped up their " good-morning " song. While 
 he Etood there patting down the earth around, 
 the bed, he thought of the tales Aslak had told 
 him, and how once he had believed that trolls 
 and nisses grew over at Solbakken. He looked 
 up at Synnove's window, and smiled, as he 
 wondered what she would think now in the 
 morning hour. It had become pretty light, the 
 birds were already making a terrible racket, 
 and so he leaped over the fence and hastened 
 home. No one should be able to say that it 
 was he who had been there and set out flowers 
 in iSynnove So.bakken's garden.
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Soon all kinds of things were said in the 
 parish ; but no one knew anything with cer- 
 tainty. Thorbjorn was not seen any more at 
 Solbakken after he and Synnove were confirmed, 
 and this was what people could least under- 
 stand. Ingrid often went over there ; Synnove 
 and she would then usually take a walk in the 
 wood. " Do not stay away too long ! " the mother 
 would call after them. " Oh, no," Synnove 
 would answer, and not come home before the 
 dusk of the evening. The two suitors presented 
 themselves anew. " She will have to attend to 
 the matter herself," said the mother; the father 
 thought the same. But when Synnove was 
 taken aside and questioned, they were rejected. 
 Then several others made their appearance, but 
 no one heard that they brought good luck home 
 with them from Solbakken. Once, when her 
 mother and she stood scouring some wooden 
 milk-pans, the mother asked whom it was she 
 was really thinking about. The question came 
 so suddenly upon her that she blushed. " Have
 
 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 69 
 
 yon given any one a promise ? " the mother 
 asked, and fixed her eyes on her. " No," an- 
 swered Synuove, promptly. There was noth- 
 ing further said upon the subject. 
 
 As she was the best match in the parish, 
 she was followed by eager eyes when she ap- 
 peared at church, the only place where she was 
 to be seen outside of her own home ; that is 
 to say, she was never found at any dance or 
 other merry-malcing, because her parents were 
 Haugians. Thorbjorn sat directly opposite her 
 at church, but they never talked together, so 
 far as people could observe. Nevertheless, each 
 and every one felt assured that there must be 
 something between them ; and as they did not 
 go about together in the same way as other 
 young lovers in the valley, there began to be a 
 great deal of talk. Thorbjorn did not seem to 
 be much liked. He probably felt this himself ; 
 for he was pretty rough in his conduct when 
 several were together, as, for example, at dances 
 and weddings ; and so it happened that now 
 and then he would rush into a fight. There 
 came a lull, however, after several had learned 
 how strong he was ; and so Thorbjorn early 
 formed the habit not to brook having any one 
 stand the least in his way. " You are now re- 
 Bponsible to yourself alone," said Saemund, his
 
 TO SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 father ; " but you will do well to remember that 
 perhaps I am stronger than you." 
 
 Autumn and winter passed away; spring 
 came, and still people knew nothing definite. 
 There were circulated so many rumors con- 
 cerning the refusals Synnove had given that 
 her company almost ceased to be sought. But 
 Ingrid was her constant companion. They two 
 were to go together to the saeter ^ this year, 
 the Solbakkeu family having purchased a share 
 in the Granlid saiter. Thorbjoru was heard 
 singing up in the mountains, for he was get 
 ting ready one thing and another for them. 
 
 One beautiful day, when it was already draw- 
 ing toward evening, and his work was done, he 
 sat down to think matters over. His thoughts 
 probably dwelt chiefly upon what was being 
 talked of in the parish. He laid himself on 
 his back in the red and brown heather, and 
 with hands under his head he fell to gazing up 
 at the sky, which moved so blue and glittering 
 above the dense tree-tops. The green leaves 
 and pine needles flowed out over it in a quiver- 
 ing stream, and the dark branches which cut 
 through this made strange, wild designs therein. 
 But the sky itself could only be seen when a 
 leaf was wafted aside; farther away, through 
 
 1 The moantain pasture.
 
 synnovp: solbakken. 71 
 
 the tree- lops, which did nut touch one another, 
 it burst forth like a broad river, in whimsical 
 oscillations, and flowed over. This attuned his 
 mood, and he began to think of what he saw. 
 
 The birch laughed again, with its thousand 
 eyes, up at the spruce ; the fir stood there with 
 silent contempt, its spikes bristling on every 
 side, for as the breeze gradually became more 
 caressing, more and more of the saplings quick- 
 ened, darted upward, and thrust their fresh foli- 
 age right under the nose of the fir. " Where 
 were you, I wonder, last winter? " inquired the 
 fir, waving to and fro, and perspiring rosin, in 
 an intolerable heat. " This is almost too bad ! 
 — so far to the north. Whew ! " 
 
 But then there was an old, gray, bald fir, that, 
 tov/ering above all the others, could still reach 
 down a many-fingered branch, almost perpen- 
 dicularly, and seize a courageous linden by its 
 topmost poll, and make it shiver clear down to 
 its knees. This fathom-thick fir had had its 
 branches lopped by man, higher and higher up, 
 until at last, weary and disgusted, it suddenly 
 shot so far upward that the slender spruce at 
 its side became frightened, and asked whether 
 it, too, remembered winter's storms. 
 
 " Do I remember them ? " said the fir, and 
 with the aid of the north wind boxed the
 
 72 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 spruce's ears so smartly that it was not far fiom 
 losing its balance, and that was bad enough. 
 The large-lirabed, dusky-hued fir had now 
 planted such a mighty foot in the ground that 
 its toes stuck out at least six yards off, and 
 were even thicker than the thickest part of the 
 willow, as the latter shyly whispered, one even- 
 ing, to the love-sick hop-vine that twined it- 
 self up over it. The bearded fir was conscious 
 of its power, and said to man, as far beyond his 
 reach it put forth branch after branch, " Strip 
 me if you can ! " 
 
 " No, they cannot strip you ! " said the eagle, 
 as he graciously alighted on the fir, folded his 
 wings with dignity, and brushed some miserable 
 sheep's blood off his feathers. " I really think 
 I shall ask the queen to settle here ; she has 
 some eggs she must lay," he added more softly, 
 and looked down at his bald legs ; for he was 
 ashamed because there came rushing over him 
 a quantity of tender memories of those earliest 
 spring days, during which one is apt to become 
 rather foolish with the first warmth of the sun. 
 Soon he raised his head again, and gazed from 
 beneath his feather-shaded brows up into the 
 dark mountain waste, in order to see whether 
 the queen, egg-laden and suffering, might not 
 be sailing about there. Off he then flew, and
 
 SYNNCiVE SOLBAKKEN. 73 
 
 the fir could soon see the pair far away tov^ard 
 the clear, blue ether, where they were sailing 
 as high as the loftiest mountain peak, and were 
 discussing their household concerns. It cannot 
 be denied that the fir was a trifle anxious ; for, 
 proud though it felt, it would be still prouder 
 to get a brace of young eagles to cradle. The 
 pair came down, and directly to it. They did 
 not speak to each other, but set right to work 
 to fetch twigs. The fir expanded, if possible, 
 more than ever; nor was there any one who 
 could hinder it from doing this. 
 
 But through the rest of the forest there was 
 a busy chatter, when it was seen what honor 
 had been bestowed on the great fir. Thus there 
 was a small, comely birch that stood mirroring 
 itself in a pond, and thought it had a right to 
 expect a little love from a gray wagtail that 
 was in the habit of tiiking a noonday nap on 
 its branches. It had buried the wagtail in fra- 
 grance clear up to its beak ; it had covered 
 its leaves with insects, so that they were easy 
 enough to catch ; nay, finally it had, in the heat, 
 built and bent together a well-sheltered little 
 house of twigs, thatched with fresh leaves, so 
 that the wagtail really was about to establish it- 
 self there for the summer. Now, however, the 
 eagle had taken up his abode in the great fir,
 
 74 synnOve solpakken. 
 
 and off it must go. Here, indeed, was sorrow 1 
 It trilled out a parting song, but very softly, 
 that the eagle might not notice it. 
 
 Some small sparrows, in the alder bush yon- 
 der, did not fare much better. They had kept 
 up such a clatter that a thrush, up in an ash 
 hard by, had never got to sleep at the right 
 time, had become furiously angry sometimes, 
 and had made a fuss. A solemn woodpecker 
 in the neighboring tree had laughed until it 
 had almost lost its footing. But then the eagle 
 was seen in the great fir ! and the thrush and 
 the little sparrows and the woodpecker, and 
 every creature that had wings, must be off in 
 a great hurry, over and under the branches. 
 The thrush had sworn, as he flew away, that 
 he would never again take a house where he 
 had sparrows for neighbors. 
 
 So the whole forest stood there, forsaken, and 
 musing amidst the cheerful sunshine. It was 
 to have all its joy in the great fir, but that was 
 a poor joy. The forest bowed down anxiously 
 every time the north wind stirred, the great fii 
 beat the air with its mighty branches, and the 
 eagle flew in a circle around it, calm and com- 
 posed, as though this were merely a creeping 
 puff of wind, that was bearing upward some 
 paltry perfumes from the forest. But the whole
 
 synnOve solbakken. 75 
 
 fir family was glad. Not one remembered that 
 it would get no nest to rock this year. 
 
 " Away ! " said the fir-trees ; " we are of the 
 same family." 
 
 " What are you lying tnere and thinking 
 about?" asked Ingrid, who smilingly advanced 
 from between some shrubs she was bending 
 aside. 
 
 Thorbjoru started up. 
 
 " Oh, so many things can play in one's 
 mind," said he, and gazed defiantly over the 
 trees. " Besides, there is so much talk in the 
 parish, in these days," he added, as he brushed 
 some dust from his clothes. 
 
 " Why do you always trouble yourself so 
 much about what people say ? " 
 
 " Oh, I do not know, exactly ; but — people 
 have never yet said anything that was not in 
 my mind, whether it was in ray actions or not." 
 
 " That is a naughty thing to say." 
 
 " So it is," said he. Presently he added, 
 " But it is true." 
 
 She sat down on the greensward ; he stood 
 with his eyes fixed on the ground. 
 
 " I can easily become what they want me 
 to be ; they had better let me be as I am." 
 
 " Then it really is your own fault, after all "
 
 76 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 " That may be, but the rest have a share 
 in it. I tell you, I want peace ! " he almost 
 shouted, and looked up at the eagle. 
 
 " Why, Thorbjorn ! " whispered Ingrid. 
 
 He turned toward her, and laughed. 
 
 " Hush ! hush ! " said he. " As I told you, 
 many things can play in one's mind. Have 
 you spoken with Synnove to-day ? " 
 
 " Yes. She has already gone to the saeter." 
 
 " To-day ? " 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 " With the Solbakken cattle ? " 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 "Tralala! 
 The sun does his tree afar behold, 
 
 Triumlire! 
 ' Art thou there, O thou, my own glittering gold? ' 
 Triurnlit, triumling! 
 Wakes the bird, with a spring. 
 'What is the matter?'" 
 
 " To-morrow we let loose our cattle," said 
 Ingrid. She wanted to turn his thoughts in 
 another direction. 
 
 " I am to go along and drive them ! " said 
 rhorbjorn. 
 
 " No, father wants to go himself." 
 
 " Ah, indeed ! " observed he, and was silent. 
 
 " He asked for you to-day," said she. 
 
 ' Did he ? " said Thorbjorn, and cutting off 
 a twig with his sheath knife, he began to strip 
 the bark from it.
 
 SYNN6VE SOLBAKKEN. 77 
 
 "• You should talk more with father than 
 you do," said she, gently. ^' He thinks a great 
 deal of you," she added. 
 
 " That may be so," replied he. 
 
 " He often talks of you when you are out." 
 
 "All the less frequently wlien I am in." 
 
 « That is your fault." 
 
 "Perhaps it is." 
 
 "You must not talk so, Thorbjorn; you knew 
 very well what there is between you." 
 
 " What is there ? " 
 
 "Shall J repeat it?" 
 
 " It may as well come out at once, Ingrid , 
 you know as much as I do." 
 
 "Yes, to be sure. You will go your own 
 way, and that you know he does not like." 
 
 " No ; he would rather keep me in leading- 
 sti-ings." 
 
 " Yes, especially when you are going to 
 fight." 
 
 " Are people to be allowed to do and say 
 whatever they choose ? " 
 
 " No ; but you can keep out of their way. 
 That is what father has done himself, and he 
 has become a respected man by so doing." 
 
 " Perhaps he has been less tormented than 
 I have been." 
 
 Ingrid was silent a little while; then she
 
 78 synn6ve solbakken. 
 
 continued, after glancing around her : " There 
 is no use in speaking of this again ; but still, 
 whenever you know that enemies are in wait- 
 ing, you ought to keep out of the way." 
 
 " No ; that is just where I want to be ! My 
 name is not Thorbjom Granliden for nothing." 
 
 He had stripped the bark from the twig ; 
 now he cut the latter in two. Ingrid fixed her 
 eyes on him, and asked, rather slowly, " Are 
 you going to Nordhoug on Sunday ? " 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 After having sat silent for a while, without 
 looking at him, she said again, " Do you know 
 that Knud Nordhoug has come home to his 
 sister's wedding ? " 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 Now she looked at him. "Thorbjorn! Thor- 
 bjorn ! " 
 
 " Shall he be allowed now any more than 
 before to interfere between me and others ? " 
 
 " He does not interfere, — not more than 
 others wish." 
 
 " Nobody knows what others may -wish." 
 
 *' Yes, you do know well enough." 
 
 " At all events, she never says anything her- 
 self." 
 
 "Oh, how you do talk!" said Ingrid, looking 
 displeased ; and then, getting up, she glanced 
 over her shoulder.
 
 synnOve solbakken. 79 
 
 He flung away his bits of twig, put his knife 
 into its sheath, and turned toward her. 
 
 " Listen I I sometimes get tired of this. 
 People ruin both my honor and hers with their 
 gossip, for nothing is done openly. And, on 
 the other hand, — I cannot so much as go 
 over to Solbakken, — because her parents do 
 not like me, she says. I am not allowed to 
 visit her as other lads go to see their girls, 
 because she is now one of the saints — to bo 
 sure ! " 
 
 " Thorbjorn ! " said Ingrid, becoming rather 
 
 uneasy. 
 
 But he continued : " Father will not put in 
 a word for me. ' If I deserve her I will get 
 her,' he says. Stuff, nonsense, on the one side, 
 and no compensation for it all on the other ! 
 Why, I do not as much as know whether she 
 really " — 
 
 Ingrid started forward, and placed her hand 
 over his mouth, looking behind her as she did 
 so. Just then the bushes were bent aside, and a 
 tall, slender person, blushing rosy red, stepped 
 forward : it was Synnove. 
 
 " Good-evening ! " said she. 
 
 Ingrid looked at Thorbjorn as though she 
 would say : " There, you can see for yourself ! " 
 Thorbjorn glanced at Ingrid as though he
 
 BO synn5ve solbakken. 
 
 wanted to say, " You should not have done 
 go." Neither looked at Synnove. 
 
 " I suppose I may be allowed to sit down a 
 while : I have walked so much to-day," and she 
 seated herself. 
 
 Thorbjorn turned his head as if to see 
 whether it was dry where she had sat down. 
 Ingrid had let her eyes wander over to Gran- 
 liden, and now she suddenly cried out, — 
 
 " Oh dear ! oh dear ! Fagerlin has got loose, 
 and is going across the new-plowed field. The 
 horrid beast! What, Kelleros, too? Well, 
 that is really too much ; it is time for us to be 
 off to the saeter ! " and she started down the 
 slope, without even saying farewell. Synnove 
 arose at once. 
 
 " Are you going ? " asked Thorbjorn 
 
 " Yes," said she ; but she stood still. 
 
 " You might as well wait a little," he ob- 
 served, without looking at her. 
 
 " Another time," replied she, gently. 
 
 " That may be a long time hence." 
 
 She raised her eyes. He was looking at her 
 loo, now ; but it was quite a while before either 
 spoke. 
 
 "Sit down again," said he, a little em 
 barrassed. 
 
 " No," she answered, and remained standing
 
 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 81 
 
 Me felt a sense of defiance rising within him ; 
 but just then she did something which he had 
 not expected • she advanced a step, bent her- 
 self forward to him, looked up into his eyes, 
 and said, with a smile, — 
 
 ' Are you angry with me ? " 
 
 And when he ventured to return her look 
 she began to cry. 
 
 ••' No!" replied he, his face flaming. He held 
 out his hand ; but as her eyes were full of 
 tears, she did not see it, and he drew it back. 
 Presently he said, " So you have heard it?" 
 
 "Yes," she answered, then looked up and 
 smiled. But there were now more tears in 
 her eyes than before. He knew not what he 
 should do and say ; therefore the words escaped 
 his lips, — 
 
 " I have no doubt behaved too badly." 
 
 This was spoken very gently. She looked 
 down and turned half away. " You should 
 not judge what you know nothing about." 
 
 This was said in a half-choked voice, and it 
 grieved him ; he felt like a helpless boy, and 
 80 he said, as he could not think of anything 
 else : " I beg your pardon." 
 
 But now she actually burst out crying. This 
 he could not bear, but went over to her, put 
 his arm about her waist, and, bending down 
 
 6
 
 82 SYNN{)VE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 over her, said, "Do you really care for me 
 then, Synnove ? " 
 
 " Yes," she sobbed. 
 
 " But you are not happy ? " 
 
 She did not answer. 
 
 " But you are not happy ? " repeated he. 
 
 She now wept more than ever, and tried to 
 draw herself away. 
 
 " Synnove ! " said he, and tightened his hold. 
 She, still weeping, nestled up to him. "Come, 
 we must talk a little together," continued he, 
 and he helped her to a seat in the heather ; he 
 himself sat down by her side. She dried her 
 eyes, and tried to smile ; but she could not. 
 He took one of her hands, and looked into her 
 face. " Dear, why cannot I come over to Sol- 
 bakken ? " 
 
 She was silent. 
 
 " Have you never urged this ? " 
 
 She was silent. 
 
 " Why have you not done so ? " he asked, 
 and now drew her hand nearer to him. 
 
 " I dare not," said she, quite softly. 
 
 His face grew dark ; he moved one foot a 
 little toward him, and, resting his elbow on his 
 knee, laid his head in his hand. 
 
 *' In this way, I shall probably never get ovei 
 there," said he, finally.
 
 synnOve sole ak ken. 83 
 
 Instead of replying, she began to pull up the 
 heather. 
 
 " Oh, yes, I have no doubt done many 
 things which were not as they should be. 
 But indeed, people might bear a little with me. 
 I am not wicked " — he hesitated a moment ; 
 " besides, I am still young, — only a little over 
 twenty years old, but" — he could not finish the 
 sentence at once. " But any one who is really 
 fond of me," he added, "■ ought to " — and 
 here he stopped outright. Then he heard, in 
 suppressed tones at his side, — 
 
 "You must not talk so; you do not know 
 how much one — I dare not even tell Ingrid 
 about it " — and again she burst into tears. 
 "I — suffer — so — much ! " 
 
 He threw his arms around her, and drew her 
 close to him. " Talk to your parents," whis- 
 pered he, "and all will come right, you will 
 see." 
 
 " It will be as you wish," she sobbed. 
 
 " As I wish ? " 
 
 Then Synnove turned, and put her arm 
 about his neck. " If you only cared for me as 
 much as I do for you," said she, very lovingly, 
 and with an attempt to smile. 
 
 " And do I not ? " asked he, softly and ten- 
 derly.
 
 S4 SYNN5VE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 " No, no ; you never take my advice. You 
 know what will bring us together, but you 
 never do it. Why do you not do it ? " And 
 as she now at length had begun to speak, her 
 words flowed freely, and she continued in the 
 same strain : " Ah me ! if you only knew how 
 I have longed for the day when I might see 
 you over at Solbakken. But there is always 
 something to hear which is not as it ought to 
 be, and your own parents are the people who 
 bring it over to us." 
 
 There was kindled, as it were, a light within 
 him ; and he now distinctly saw her moving 
 about at Solbakken, waiting for a little peace- 
 ful moment when she might quietly speak of 
 him to her parents ; but he never gave her 
 such a moment. 
 
 " You should have told me this before, 
 Synnove ! " 
 
 " And have I not done so ? " 
 
 " No, not as now." 
 
 She thought this over a little ; presently she 
 said, carefully laying small folds in her apron, 
 " Then I suppose it was because — I did not 
 quite dare." 
 
 But the idea of her being afraid of hint 
 touched him so deeply that, for the first time 
 in his life, he gave her a kiss.
 
 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 85 
 
 This SO astonished her that slie suddenly 
 stopped crying ; her eyes grew unsteady, as she 
 tried to smile, looked down, then up at him, 
 and now really smiled. They talked no more, 
 but they found each other's hand again ; neither 
 ventured upon the slightest pressure. Then she 
 drew gently back, began to wipe her eyes and 
 her face, and to smooth her hair, as it had be- 
 come somewhat disordered. He sat there think- 
 ing to himself, as he looked at her, " If she is 
 more shy than the other girls in the parish, 
 and wants to be treated in a different way, it 
 will not do to make any objections." 
 
 He accompanied her up to the sseter, which 
 lay not very far distant. He would have liked 
 to walk hand in hand with her, but there 
 had come something over him that made him 
 scarcely dare touch her, and feel that it was 
 strange that he was allowed to walk by her 
 side. 
 
 When they parted, he said, " It shall be 
 some time before you hear anything bad of me 
 again." 
 
 At home, he found his father engaged in 
 tanying grain from the store-house to the mill ; 
 for the people in tne parish round about had 
 their grinding done at the Granlid mill, when 
 the water in their own brooks had given out ;
 
 86 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 the Granlid mill-stream was never dry. There 
 were a great many bags to carry, some pretty 
 heavy, some exceedingly large. The women 
 stood near by, wringing the clothes they had 
 in the wash. Thorbjorn went over to his fa- 
 tlier, and laid hold of a bag. " Would you like 
 me to help you ? " 
 
 " Oh, I can do it very well alone," said Sse- 
 mund, as he briskly lifted a bag on his back 
 and moved away toward the mill. 
 
 " There are many of them," said Thorbjorn ; 
 and seizing two large ones, put his back up 
 against them, and drew them over his shoul- 
 ders, each with one hand, while he steadied 
 them on either side with his elbow. Midway, 
 he met Sfemund, who was returning for more ; 
 his father gave him a hasty glance, but said 
 nothing. As Thorbjorn, in his turn, went back 
 to the store-house, he met Saemund with two 
 still larger bags. This time Thorbjorn took 
 a small one, and went with it ; when Ssemund 
 met him he looked at him again, and longer 
 than the first time. So it happened that at 
 last they met at the store-house. 
 
 " There has come a message from Nordhoug," 
 said Saemund ; " they want to have you at the 
 wedding on Sunday." 
 
 Tngrid looked imploringly over at him from 
 her work ; his mother, too.
 
 SYNNOVK SOLBAKKKN. 87 
 
 " Ah, indeed," answered Thorbjorn, dryly, 
 but took this time the largest two bags he 
 could find. 
 
 " Are you going ? " asked Saeraund, in a 
 gloomy temper 
 
 " No."
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 The Granlid steter was beautifully situated, 
 commanding a fine view of the parish ; of Sol- 
 bakken, first and foremost, with its many-hued 
 groves about it, and then of the other gurds, 
 which lay forest-encircled, so that the green 
 patch with houses in its midst looked like a 
 peace-stead that had been discovered and 
 forcibly snatched from the wild woodlands. 
 There were fourteen gards that could be counted 
 from the Granlid saeter ; of the houses of the 
 Granlid gard the roofs alone could be seen, and 
 even these only from the extreme end of the 
 saeter lawn. Nevertheless, the girls often sat 
 watching the smoke which rose from the chim- 
 neys. 
 
 " Now, mother is cooking dinner," said In- 
 grid. " To-day they will have corned beef and 
 bacon." 
 
 "Listen! they are calling the men," said 
 Synnove. " I wonder where they are work- 
 ing to-day," and the eyes of both girls followed 
 the smoke that darted up in giddy haste through
 
 synnOvp: solrakken. 89 
 
 the clear, glad, sunny air, but soon slackened its 
 8])eeil, considered a while, then spread out in a 
 broad processional sweep, growing ever thinner 
 and thinner, until at last it became like a flut- 
 tering veil, and soon was scarcely visible. Many 
 thoughts would then arise in their minds, and 
 wander out over the parish. To-day the guests 
 were all assembled at Nordhoug. It was a 
 couple of days after the wedding, but as the 
 festivities were to last six days, there reached 
 them every now and then the report of a gun, 
 and the voices of those who could shout the 
 loudest. 
 
 " They are having a merry time there," re- 
 marked In grid. 
 
 " I do not envy them," said Synnove, and 
 took up her knitting. 
 
 " Still it would be interesting to be there," 
 said Ingrid, who was sitting on her heels, and 
 looking toward the gard, where the people were 
 walking to and fro among the houses, — some 
 going toward the store-house, where probably 
 tables of refreshments were spread, others in 
 pairs, separated from the rest, in confidential 
 conversation. 
 
 " I do not quite know what there is to de- 
 sire over there," said Synnove. 
 
 " I scarcely know myself," replied Ingrid,
 
 90 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKKN. 
 
 who sat as before. " I suppose it must be the 
 dancing," she added. 
 
 Synnove made no reply to this. 
 
 '' Have you never danced?" asked lugrid. 
 
 " No." 
 
 '' Do you think, then, that dancing is a sin ? *' 
 
 '"'■ I really do not know." 
 
 Ingrid said nothing more upon the subject 
 just then, for she remembered that the Hau- 
 gians strictly forbade dancing, and she did not 
 care to inquii-e further into the position Syn- 
 nove's parents took with her in this particular. 
 But whatever train of thought she might have 
 fallen into, she said, presently, "A better dancer 
 than Thorbjorn I have never seen." 
 
 Synnove paused a while before she said, 
 " Yes, he is said to dance well." 
 
 " You should see him dance ! " burst out In- 
 grid, turning toward her. 
 
 But Synnove answered abruptly, " No, I do 
 not wish to see that." Ingrid was a little sur- 
 prised at this. Synnove bent over her knit- 
 ting, and began to count the stitches. Sud- 
 denly she let her knitting fall in her lap, gazed 
 vacantly before her, and said, " So intensely 
 happy, though, as I am to-day, I have not been 
 for a long time." 
 
 " Why ? " inquired Ingrid.
 
 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 91 
 
 "'■ Oh — because he is not dancing at Nord- 
 
 houtr to-dc 
 
 o 
 
 ly- 
 
 Ingrid sat lost in her own thoughts. '' Well, 
 there are, no doubt, many girls who would like 
 to have him there," said she. 
 
 Synnove parted her lips as though she were 
 about to speak, but she did not utter a word, 
 knit off the last stitch of a needle, and began 
 jn another. 
 
 " Tl)orbjorn probably longs to be there him- 
 self ; I feel sure of that," said Ingrid; but did 
 not, until it was too late, consider what she had 
 said, and looked at Synnove, who sat there over 
 her knitting, blushing crimson. 
 
 Now Ingrid was able to take a hasty review 
 of the whole conversation ; she clasped her 
 hands, moved on her knees over the heather 
 until she brought herself in front of her, and 
 began to look Synnove squarely in the face ; 
 but Synnove went on knitting. 
 
 Then Ingrid laughed, and said, " Now, for 
 many a long day you have been hiding some- 
 thing from me, again." 
 
 " What do you say ? " asked Synnove, and 
 cast a questioning look at her. 
 
 "• You are not angry because Thorbjiirn 
 dances," said Ingrid, laughing as before. The 
 other did not answer. Ingrid's face was one
 
 92 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 broad smile, and now she put her arms about 
 Synnove's neck, and whispered in her ear, 
 " But you are angry because he dances with 
 others than you ! " 
 
 " How you do talk ! " said Synnove, tore 
 herself away, and arose. Ingrid got up also, 
 and followed her. 
 
 " It is a pity that you cannot dance, Syn- 
 nove," said she, and laughed, — " really a great 
 pity I Come, now, I might just as well teach 
 you at once ! " 
 
 She took Synnove by the waist. 
 
 " What are you going to do ? " inquired 
 Synnove. 
 
 " Teach you to dance, that you may not have 
 such sorrow in the world as to have him dance 
 with others than you ! " 
 
 Now Synnove too had to laugh, or at least 
 make a show of laughing. 
 
 " Some one might see us," said she. 
 
 " Bless you for that answer, stupid as it was," 
 replied Ingrid, and began forthwith to sing 
 " tra-la-la," and move Synnove round in stej: 
 to it. 
 
 " No, no ! It is not possible ! " 
 
 " You have not been so happy for many a 
 day, you said a while ago. Now, come I " 
 
 '' If it only were possible ! "
 
 synnOve solbakken. 93 
 
 " Just try, and you will see that it is possi- 
 ble ! " 
 
 " You are so giddy, Ingrid ! " 
 
 " That is just what the cat said to the spar- 
 row, wheu the sparrow would not stand still 
 and let the cat catch him. Come, now I " 
 
 *' Indeed, I actually feel inclined to, myself 
 but" — 
 
 " Now I am Thorbjoru, and you are his 
 young wife, who will not have him dance with 
 any one but yourself." 
 
 "But" — 
 
 Ingrid sang again " tra-la-la." 
 
 " But " — Synnove still insisted ; yet she was 
 ah'eady dancing! It was a spring-dance, and 
 Ingrid went on in advance with great strides 
 and manly swing of the arras ; Synnove fol- 
 lowed with short steps and downcast eyes, --- 
 and Ingrid sang : — 
 
 " The fox once lay 'neath the birch-tree's root, 
 By the heather ; 
 The hare came hopping there, on tripping foot, 
 O'er the heather. 
 ' Well, this, indeed, is a sunny day. 
 And glitt'ring beams all around here play, 
 O'er the heather. 
 
 "The fox then laughed in his quiet laif, 
 By the heather ; 
 In wanton mood came frolicking tlie har«, 
 O'er the heather.
 
 94 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 ' I feel 80 glad over even-thing, 
 Ueigho ! — but you make a daring epring, 
 O'er the heather.' 
 
 " The fox lay quietly waiting there, 
 By the heather ; 
 And tumbling right toward him came the hare, 
 
 O'er the heather. 
 ' Good gracious ! why, is that you, my dear ? 
 Pray, how can j'ou dare come dancing here 
 O'er the heather?'" i 
 
 "There ! was it not possible?" asked Ingrid 
 as they paused, out of breath. 
 
 Synnove laughed, and declared she would 
 like better to waltz. " Why, there is nothing 
 in the way of that," observed Ingrid, and they 
 prepared for it at once by Ingrid showing her 
 how she should place her feet; "for waltzing is 
 difficult," said she. 
 
 " Oh, it is easy enough, if we can only keep 
 time," said Synnove ; and so Ingrid suggested 
 that they should try. 
 
 So they did, Ingrid singing and Synnove 
 joining in, at first only huinuung, then aloud. 
 But suddenly Ingrid paused, let go of her, 
 and clasped her hands in sheer astonishment. 
 " Why, you can waltz ! " she broke out. 
 
 " Hush I Do not let us talk about it any 
 more," said Synnove, and again took hold oi 
 Ingrid to continue. 
 
 1 Auber Forestier's translation.
 
 synnOye solbakken. 95 
 
 " But where did you learn " - 
 
 " Tra-la-la, tra-la-la ! " and Synnove swung 
 Ingrid round. 
 
 Then Ingrid danced to her heart's content, 
 while singing, — 
 
 " See, sunbeams dance on old Haukelid high ; 
 Dance, my sweetheart, for shades of evening draw nighl 
 The stream now leaps tow'rd the glitt'riug wave ; 
 Leap, too, rollicking youth, leap on to thy grave! 
 See, birch-trees bend to the wind's giddy play ; 
 Bend, thou confident maid ! What now did give way ? 
 See"i — 
 
 What curious songs you are singing ! " said 
 Synnove, and stopped dancing. 
 
 " I do not know what I am singing ; I have 
 heard Thorbjorn sing them." 
 
 " They are Slave Bent's songs," said Syn- 
 nove. " I know them." 
 
 "Are they?" asked Ingrid, and felt a little 
 uneasy. She sat with her eyes fixed on the 
 offound, and said nothing. All at once her 
 attention was drawn to some one down on the 
 road below. " Say, there is some one driving 
 down from Granliden, and taking the parish 
 road!" 
 
 Synnove looked that way, too. " Is it he ? ' 
 asked she. 
 
 "Yes, it is Thorbjorn ; he is going to town.' 
 
 1 Anber Forestier's translation.
 
 96 synnOve solbakken. 
 
 It was Thorbjorn, and he was driving to 
 town. It was a long distance off. He had a 
 heavy load, and therefore drove leisurely along 
 the dusty road. This was so situated that it 
 could be seen from the sseter, and when he 
 heard the shouting from above he knew who 
 was there stood up on his load and shouted 
 back again, so that it resounded through the 
 mountains. Then the loor was played down to 
 him ; he sat and listened, and when it stopped 
 he stood up again and shouted. This continued 
 as he drove on, and it put him in high spirits. 
 He looked at Solbakken, and thought it had 
 never had so much sun as now. But while he 
 sat there looking at it, he entirely forgot his 
 driving, so that the horse went its own way. 
 Suddenly he was startled by its making a great 
 spring to one side, so that one thill cracked, and 
 off went the horse in a wild trot across the 
 Nordhoug fields ; for it was over them the road 
 lay. He stood up in the cart and drew in the 
 reins. There arose a struggle between him and 
 the horse ; it was about dashing over a precipice, 
 and he held it back. He got it so far that it 
 reared, and then he sprang down, and before the 
 horse could start on again he had caught hold of 
 a tree ; now tl^e horse was forced to stand still. 
 The load was overturned, one thill broken, and
 
 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 97 
 
 the horse stood and shivered. Thorbjorn went 
 forward to the animal, took it by the bridle, 
 and spoke gently to it ; he at once turned it, 
 to make sure of avoiding the precipice if it 
 should start off again. Stand still it could not, 
 so terrified was it, and he was compelled to fol- 
 low it, running along, farther and farther on, 
 straight up to the road again. He thus passed 
 directly by his own things, which lay over- 
 turned ; the pails and tubs broken, and their 
 contents partly destroyed. Hith(»rto he had 
 thought only of the danger ; now he began to 
 consider the consequences, and waxed wroth. It 
 was plain to him that there would be no trip to 
 town that day, and the more he reflected upon 
 it the more vexed he became. Reaching the 
 road, the horse gave another jump, then tried 
 with one bound to tear itself loose ; and now 
 Thorbjorn's anger broke out. While he lu-ld 
 the bridle with his left hand, with the great 
 riding- whip in his right, he gave the horse 
 lash after lash, lash after lash, on its flanks, 
 until it was so maddened that it struck out at 
 his breast with its fore-feet. But he held it 
 off from him, and beat it now harder than be- 
 fore, with all his might, and using the butt end 
 of his whip. 
 
 " I will teach you, you obstinate scamp 1 " 
 7
 
 98 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 and he struck. The horse neighed and whin- 
 nied ; he struck. " Ha ! you shall make the 
 acquaintance of a fist that is strong ! " and he 
 struck. The horse snorted until the foam 
 rolled down over his hand ; but he struck. 
 " This shall be the first and last time, you crip- 
 ple ! There ! Once more ! So ! Ho, you 
 worthless nag, you shall learn how a man can 
 punish ! " and he struck. 
 
 Meanwhile, they had turned ; the horse had 
 ceased to offer any resistance, quivered and 
 quaked under every blow, and crouched, neigh- 
 ing, whenever it saw the whip approaching. 
 Then Thorbjorn became rather ashamed; he 
 paused. At the same time he espied a man, 
 who sat on the edge of a ditch b}'^ the road- 
 side, leaning on his elbow, and laughing at 
 him. He knew not how it happened ; it grew 
 dark before his eyes, and, holding the horse by 
 one hand, he started toward the man with up- 
 lifted whip. " I will give you something to 
 laugh at ! " he shouted. The blow fell, but 
 it half missed its mark, for with a shriek the 
 man rolled down into the ditch. There he re- 
 mained standing on all fours, but he raised his 
 head, squinted at Thorbjorn, puckered up his 
 mouth as for laughter ; yet the sound of laugh- 
 ter was not heard. Thorbjorn was startled, for
 
 SYNNOVE SOLHAKKEN. 99 
 
 this faco he had seen before. Yes, it was 
 Aslak. 
 
 Thorbjorn did not know why, but there ran 
 a cold shiver down his back. " I suppose it 
 was you who frightened the horse both times," 
 oaid he. 
 
 " Why, I was only lying there asleep," an- 
 swered Aslak, and drew himself up a little ; 
 " and you woke me when you got so frantic 
 over your horse." 
 
 " It was vou who made the horse frantic. 
 All animals are afraid of you," and he patted 
 the horse, from whom the sweat was pouring 
 in streams. 
 
 " I should think he would be more afraid ol' 
 you now than of me. I have never acted so to 
 any horse," said Aslak, who was now bolt-up- 
 right on his knees in the ditch. 
 
 " Do not use too strong language," said 
 Thorbjijrn, and shook his whip menacingly. 
 
 Aslak arose then, and scrambled up out of 
 the ditch. 
 
 " I, you say, — I use strong language ? No I " 
 '' Where were you going, that you were driving 
 8o fast?" said he, in a bland voice, as he ap- 
 proached Thorbjorn, but staggered from side 
 to side, for he wns <lrunk. 
 
 "I shall not have much chance of going be-
 
 100 STNNOYE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 jond here to-day," said Thorbjom, who waa 
 nnhitchinor his horse. 
 
 '• That is really provoking," said Aslak ; and 
 he drew still nearer, touching his hat as he did 
 80. " Lord bless me ! " said he. " Such a great 
 fine fellow you have grown to be, since last I 
 saw you I " 
 
 With both fists in his pockets, he stood, as 
 well as he could, contemplating Thorbj(5m, who 
 could not get his horse loose from the wreck 
 of the cart. Thorbjom needed help, but he 
 could not bring himself to ask it of this fellow ; 
 for Aslak looked uglv : his clothes were soiled 
 from the ditch, his hair hung in matted tangles 
 from under a glossy hat that was pretty old, 
 and the face, although partly the well-known 
 one of old, was now distorted into one contin- 
 ual broad grin, the eyes were still more closed 
 than ever, so that he had to throw his head a 
 little back and open his mouth a little, when 
 he looked at any one. His features had be- 
 come flabbv, his whole form ricnd ; for Aslak 
 drank. Thorbjom had seen him frequently be- 
 fore, which Aslak did not let on that he knew. 
 As a peddler, he had been in the habit of going 
 the rounds of the parish, and was fond of being 
 where there was anv merrv-making, as he had 
 many songs to sing, told a good story, and got
 
 synnOve solbakken. 101 
 
 his brandy in return. Thus he had now been 
 at the Nordhoug wedding, but had, as Thor- 
 bjorn afterwards learned, found it wise to absent 
 himself for a timv., as he had, according to an 
 old trick of his, stirred the people up to a fight, 
 and it threatened to break over his own head. 
 
 " You might just as well fasten him to the 
 cart as try to get him loose from it," said he. 
 " You will have to go up to Nordhoug, any way, 
 to get things put in order again." 
 
 Thorbjorii had, no doubt, thought the same, 
 but would have preferred not to think so. 
 " There is a great wedding up there," said he. 
 
 " So much greater the help," replied Aslak. 
 
 Thorbjorn stood somewhat irresolute ; but 
 without aid he could neither get forward nor 
 backward, and so it was best to go up to the 
 gard. He fastened his horse for the time, and 
 started. Aslak followed. Thorbjorn looked 
 back at him. 
 
 " So I go back to the wedding in good com- 
 pany," said Aslak, and laughed. Thorbjojrn 
 made no reply, but walked fast. Aslak came 
 on behind, singing, — 
 
 " Two peasants once fared to the wedding feast," etc., — 
 
 an old, well-known ballad. " I say, you are 
 walking fast," said he, presently. " You will 
 get there, any way," he added.
 
 102 synnOve solbakken. 
 
 Thorbjorn made no reply. 
 
 Sounds of dancing and music met them. 
 Faces were visible peering out at them through 
 the open windows in the great two-story build- 
 ing. Groups gathered together outside. He 
 saw that they ivere querying among themselves 
 as to who the new-comers could be ; presently, 
 that he was recognized, and that by degrees 
 they descried the horse down yonder, and the 
 pails and tubs which lay scattered over the 
 ground. The dancing ceased ; the whole crowd 
 swarmed out into the gard just as Thorbjorn 
 and Aslak came up. 
 
 " Here comes an unwilling wedding guest ! " 
 cried Aslak, as he finally approached the gi'oup, 
 behind Thorbjorn. 
 
 The people greeted Thorbjorn, and speedily 
 encircled him. 
 
 " God bless the gathering I Good ale on the 
 table, pretty women on the floor, and good fid- 
 dlers on the stool ! " cried Aslak, pushing him 
 self, as he spoke, right into their midst. 
 
 Some laughed, others looked grave ; one said, 
 "Aslak, the peddler, is always in good spirits." 
 
 Thorbjorn at once found acquaintances, whom 
 he liad to tell about his accident ; they would 
 not allow him to go himself after his horse 
 and things, but bade others go. The bride
 
 SYNNdVE SOLBAKKKN. 103 
 
 groom, a young man, and former school-mate, 
 asked him in to taste of the wedding brewing ; 
 and now they passed on into the house. Some 
 wanted to continue the dancing, especially the 
 women ; others wished to have a little time for 
 drinking, and to get Aslak to tell them stories, 
 since he had now returned to the gard again, in 
 spite of everything. 
 
 " But you will have to be a little more on 
 your guard than last time," one added. 
 
 Thorbjorn inquired where all the people 
 were. 
 
 " Oh," was the reply, " there was a little 
 disturbance here a while ago ; now some have 
 gone to rest, others are over yonder in the barn, 
 playing cards, and some are sitting where Knud 
 Nordhoug is." 
 
 He did not ask where Knud Nordhoug was. 
 
 The bridegroom's father, an old man, who 
 Bat smoking a clay pipe and drinking ale, now 
 said, " Come, out with a yarn, you Aslak ! It 
 will be entertaining for once." 
 
 " Are there others who ask me ? " inquired 
 Aslak, who had seated himself astride a stool, 
 it little distance from the table, around which 
 several others sat. 
 
 " Yes, to be sure," said the bridegroom, anff 
 gave him a dram ; "■ now I ask you."
 
 104 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 " Are there many who ask in this way ? " 
 said Aslak. 
 
 "It may be," said a young woman over on a 
 side bench, and offered him a stoup of wine. 
 It was the bride, a woman of about twenty 
 years of age, light complexioned, but very thin 
 and haggard, with large eyes, and rigid lines 
 about the mouth. " I like your stories very 
 well," she added. 
 
 The bridegroom looked at her, and his father 
 looked at him. 
 
 " Yes, Nordhoug folks have always liked my 
 yarns ! " said Aslak. " Honor be to them ! " 
 he exclaimed, and drained a glass which was 
 handed him by one of the groomsmen. 
 
 " Come, then, out with something ! " shouted 
 several. 
 
 " About Sigrid, the gypsy woman," cried one. 
 
 " No, that is awful ! " said others, especially 
 women. 
 
 " About the battle of Lier ! " begged Svend, 
 the drummer. 
 
 " No ; rather something amusing ! " then said 
 a very erect lad, who stood in his shirt sleeves, 
 leaning up against the wall, while his right 
 hand, which hung relaxed at his side, rather too 
 frequently found its way into the hair of some 
 young girls who sat near him. They scolded, 
 but they did not stir.
 
 synnOve solbakken. 105 
 
 " Yes, that is what I will tell, — yes, I will," 
 eaid Aslak. 
 
 " The deuce ! " muttered an elderly man, 
 who lay across the bed smoking. One leg hung 
 down ; with the other he kept kicking a fina 
 jacket, which hung over the bed-post. 
 
 " Let my jacket alone ! " called out the lad 
 who stood up against the wall. 
 
 " Let my daughters alone ! " rejoined he who 
 lay on the bed. 
 
 Now the girls moved away. 
 
 " Ho, I will tell what / please ! ' cried 
 Aslak. " For the brandy cup stirs the courage 
 up I " said he, clapping together the palms of 
 his hands. 
 
 " Tell us what we please," reiterated the man 
 on the bed ; " for the brandy is ours." 
 
 " What does that signif}'- ? " inquired Aslak, 
 with wide-opened eyes. 
 
 " Oh, the pig we fatten we kill, too," an- 
 swered the man, dangling his leg. 
 
 Aslak closed his eyes, but sat still, without 
 changing the position of his head ; then it fell 
 on his breast, and he was silent. Several spoke 
 to him, but he did not hear them. " The 
 brandy has got the better of him," said he who 
 lay on the bed. 
 
 Presently, Aslak looked up, once more asi
 
 106 synnOve solbakken. 
 
 Bumed his usual smile, und remarked, " Yes, 
 now you shall hear a jovial tale. Lord bless 
 me ! how jovial ! " said he, after a while, open- 
 ing wide his mouth as though he were laughing, 
 without any sound of laughter being heard. 
 
 " He is really in fine spirits to-day," said the 
 bridgroom's father. 
 
 " Yes, indeed, he is! " cried Aslak. " A glass 
 before starting, then ! " said he, and stretched 
 out his hand. 
 
 It was handed him. He drained it slowly, 
 held his head a little back with the last drop in 
 his mouth, then swallowed it, and, turning to 
 him on the bed, said, " There, now, I am your 
 pig ! " and laughed as before. He clasped his 
 hands about his knee, and thus raised his foot 
 up and down, while he himself rocked to and 
 fro, and then he began : — 
 
 " Well, once there was a girl who lived off 
 in a valley. What the valley was called does 
 not matter, nor what the girl's name was. But 
 the girl was pretty ; so thought the owner of the 
 gard at — hist ! — and it was at his place she 
 served. She received good wages, she did, and 
 she got more than she should have had, — she 
 got a child. Folks said that it was by him ; but 
 he did not say so, for he was married, nor did 
 she say so, for she was proud, the poor wretch.
 
 synnOve solbakken. 107 
 
 So there was, no doubt, a He told at the christ- 
 ening ; and the child she had brought into the 
 world was an outcast of a boy, so that it really 
 did not matter if he was christened in a lie. A 
 tenant house down below the gard was given 
 to her, which the wife at the gard did not like, 
 as might have been expected. Whenever the 
 girl came up there she spit after her, and when 
 the little lad of hers came to play with the 
 gard-boys she told them to drive the bastard 
 away ; he deserved nothing better, she said. 
 
 " The wife begged her husband, both by 
 night and by day, to turn the wretched girl on 
 the parish. The man resisted so long as there 
 was anything of a man left in him ; but at last 
 he fell to drinking, and then his wife got the 
 upper hand. After that the poor wretch had a 
 hard time of it ; every year it grew worse, and 
 got so at last that she was on the verge of starv- 
 ing to death, with her little boy, who would not 
 go away from his mother. 
 
 " So it continued, year after year, until eight 
 of them had passed by ; still the girl had not 
 left the place, although now she was forced to 
 go away. And so she went. But first the 
 entire gard was in a fine blaze, and the man 
 Durned to death, for he was drunk. The wife 
 saved herself and the children, and she said it
 
 108 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 was that raiserablo, girl down at the tenant 
 house who had kindled the fire. It might be 
 that this was so. And it might also be other- 
 wise. That was a singular boy of hers. For 
 eight years he had seen his mother roughing 
 it, and knew well where the fault lay, for she 
 had often told him when he asked why she was 
 always crying. She had done so the day be- 
 fore she was to leave, and that was why he had 
 gone off at night. But she was imprisoned for 
 life, because sh-e told the judge herself that it 
 was she who had made the fine blaze up at the 
 gard. The boy lived on the parish, and got 
 help from everybody, because he had such a 
 wicked mother. Then he left this parish, and 
 went far away to another, where he did not 
 receive much aid, for there he found no one 
 who knew what a wicked mother he had. I 
 do not think he told of it himself. The last I 
 heard of him he was drunk, and they say he 
 has given himself up to drink of late : whether 
 this be true or not shall remain unsaid ; but it 
 is true that I do not know what better he could 
 do. He is a bad, wicked fellow, that is certain ; 
 he does not love people, loves them still less 
 when they are good to one another, and least 
 of all when they are good to him. And he 
 wants others to be like himself, although ha
 
 synnOve solbakken. 109 
 
 says so only when he is drunk. And then he 
 cries, too, cries so that it hails, about nothing 
 in the world ; for what should he have to cry 
 about ? He has not stolen a shilling from any 
 one, nor done a single one of the wild things 
 many others do; so he really has nothing to cry 
 about. Nevertheless, he does cry, and cries so 
 that it hails. And if you should see him cry 
 never believe in it, for it is only when he is 
 di unk, and then he is not to be noticed." 
 
 Here Aslak fell back on the stool in a loud fit 
 of weeping, which was soon over, for he dropped 
 asleep. 
 
 " Now the swine is drunk," said the man on 
 the bed ; " that is the way he always lies blub- 
 bering in his sleep." 
 
 " That was horrid," said the women, and 
 arose to go away. 
 
 " I have never heard him tell anything dif- 
 ferent when he was allowed to choose for him- 
 self," now said an old man, over by the door, 
 getting up. " The Lord knows why folks will 
 listen to him," he added, looking at the bride.
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Some went out ; others tried to get the fid- 
 dler to come in again, that the dancing might 
 begin ; but the fiddler was asleep in a corner 
 of the passage, and a few begged for him that 
 he might be left in peace. " Since Lars, his 
 comrade," they said, " was hurt in the fight, 
 Ole had been obliged to hold out over twenty- 
 four hours." 
 
 The men had arrived at the gard with Thor- 
 bjorn's horse and things ; his horse was hitched 
 to another cart, since, in spite of all urging, he 
 would insist on going again. It was the bride- 
 groom, in especial, who tried to detain him. 
 ♦' There may, perhaps, not be as much happi- 
 ness for me here as it would seem," said he ; 
 and this suggested a thought to Thorbjorn ; 
 but he nevertheless resolved to leave before 
 evening came. When they saw that he was 
 firm, they scattered over the grounds ; there 
 were many people present, but there was an 
 oppressive stillness, and, indeed, little appear- 
 ance of a wedding. Thorbjorn needed a new
 
 synnOve solbakken. Ill 
 
 harness-pin, and went off to find one ; at the 
 gard there was no suitable material, and so he 
 went a little outside, and came to a wood-shed, 
 which he entered slowly and quietly, for the 
 words of the bridegroom haunted him. He 
 found what he wanted, but furthermore, with- 
 out being conscious of what he was doing, he 
 seated himself against the one wall, with a 
 knife and the pin in his hand. Then he heard 
 a groaning near by ; it was on the other side 
 of the thin wall, in the carriage-house, and 
 Thorbjorn listened. 
 
 *' Is that — really — you?" he heard, uttered 
 with a long interval between the words, and by 
 a man who spoke with difficulty. Then he 
 heard some one weeping, but that was not a 
 man. 
 
 " Oh, why did you come here ? " was asked ; 
 and it must have been by the one who was 
 weeping, for the voice choked with tears. 
 
 " Hm ! At whose wedding should I play, if 
 it was not at yours ? " said the first. 
 
 " It must be Lars, the fiddler, who lies there," 
 thought Thorbjorn. Lars was a strong, hand- 
 some fellow, whose old mother was tenant of a 
 houseman's place, belonging to the gard. But 
 the other must be the bride. 
 
 " Why have you never spoken ? " said she, in
 
 112 SYNNdVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 a smothered voice, but slowly, as though deeply 
 moved. 
 
 " I did not think it was necessary, between 
 us two," was his short answer. 
 
 There was silence for a while ; then she be- 
 gan again : " You knew, though, that he came 
 to see me." 
 
 " I thought you were stronger." 
 
 He heard nothing now but weeping ; finally, 
 she burst out once more, " Why did you not 
 speak ? " 
 
 " It would have been of little use for old 
 Birthe's son to speak to the daughter of Nord- 
 houg," was answered, after a pause, during 
 which he drew his breath heavily, and often 
 groaned. A reply was waited for. 
 
 " We have had our eyes on each other for 
 many a year," came at last. 
 
 " You were so proud, I did not exactly dare 
 speak to you. Yet there was nothing in the 
 world I desired more. I expected every day 
 — when we met — I thought the next time 
 I would offer myself. Then I thought you 
 slighted me." 
 
 All was still again. Thorbjorn heard no 
 reply, no weeping ; nor did he even hear the 
 Kick man's breathing. 
 
 Thorbjorn thought of the bridegroom, whom
 
 synnOvk solbakkkn. 113 
 
 he believed to be a worthy man, and he felt 
 troubled for him. Then she, too, said, "I am 
 afraid he will have little happiness in me, — 
 he, who " — 
 
 " He is a good man," said the sick one, and 
 began to break down again, for his chest, no 
 doubt, pained him. 
 
 It seemed as though this gave her pain, too, 
 for she said, "It is pretty hard for you now 
 — but — we would most likely never have 
 chanced to talk together, had not this thing 
 happened. When you struck Knud, I under- 
 stood you for the first time." 
 
 " I could bear it no longer," said he ; and 
 then, presently, " Knud is base." 
 
 <' He is not good," said Knud's sister. 
 
 They were silent for a while ; then he said, 
 ' I wonder if I shall ever get over this. Ah, 
 well, though, it is all one now." 
 
 " If you have a hard time, it is worse for 
 me," and hereupon followed convulsive weep- 
 ing. 
 
 " Are you going ? " asked he. 
 
 " Yes," was the reply ; and then, " Ah, woe, 
 woe is me ! What a life this will be I " 
 
 " Do not cry so ! ' said he. '-'■■ The Lord will 
 soon put an end to it for me, and then you 
 Bhall see that it will be better for you, too." 
 8
 
 114 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 " Alas, alas, if you bad only spoken ! " she 
 cried, in a suppressed voice, and as though she 
 were wringing her hands. 
 
 Thorbjorn thought she must either have gone 
 away at the same time, or at least be unable tc 
 talk longer ; for he heard nothing for a while, 
 and went away. 
 
 Of the first person he met in the gard Thor- 
 bjorn asked, " What has happened between 
 Lars, the fiddler, and Knud Nordhoug ? " 
 
 "Ha! Between them? Well," said Per, 
 the houseman, wrinkling his face as though he 
 wanted to hide something in the folds, " you 
 may well ask, for it was little enough : Knud 
 only inquired of Lars whether his fiddle gave 
 out good tones at this wedding." 
 
 Just then the bride went past them. She had 
 her face averted, but when she heard Lars men- 
 tioned she turned it, and showed them a pair of 
 large red eyes, which were unsteady in theit 
 gaze ; otherwise her countenance was very cold, 
 so cold that Thorbjorn did not recognize her 
 words again in it. He began then to under- 
 stand more. 
 
 Farther on in the gard the horse stood wait- 
 ing. Thorbjorn fastened in his pin, and looked 
 around for the bridegroom, in order to take hia 
 leave. He did not feel like searching for him
 
 synnOve solbakken. Hi} 
 
 Boon saw that he was not coining, and took his 
 Beat upon the cart. ThtMi there was heard the 
 sound of noisy talking and shouting on the left 
 side of the gard, over in the direction of the 
 barn. There was a great crowd pouring out of 
 the barn ; a large man, who walked on in ad- 
 vance, was crying, " Where is he ? Is he hid- 
 ing ? Where is he ? " 
 
 " There, there ! " said some. 
 
 " Do not let him come here," said others ; 
 "only mischief will arise from it." 
 
 " Is that Knud ? " inquired Thorbjorn of a 
 little boy who stood at the side of his cart. 
 
 " Yes ; he is drunk, and when he is he always 
 wants to fight." 
 
 Thorbjorn was already seated on his load, and 
 now he whipped up his horse. 
 
 " No, stop, comrade ! " he heard behind him. 
 He reined in his horse, but as it started off in 
 Bpite of this, he let it go. " Ho ! Are you 
 afraid, Thorbjorn Granliden ? " was shouted 
 nearer him. Now he reined in still more j&rml}', 
 but did not look back. 
 
 " Get down now, and come into good com- 
 pany ! " some one cried. 
 
 Thorbjorn turned his head. " Th^nk you, I 
 must go home," said he. 
 
 Now they consulted together a little, and im-
 
 116 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 mediately the whole crowd flocked to the cart. 
 Knud went forward to the horse ; he first 
 patted it, then took it by the head to look at 
 it. Knud was very tall ; had light but straight 
 hair, and a snub nose ; the mouth was large 
 and heavy ; his eyes were light blue, but bold. 
 He bore little resemblance to his sister; yet 
 there was something about the mouth which 
 was similar, and he had the same kind of square 
 forehead, but smaller, although all her fine 
 features were coarse with him. 
 
 " What will you take for your nag ? " asked 
 Knud. 
 
 " I do not want to sell it," said Thorbjorn. 
 
 " You think, perhaps, I cannot pay for it," 
 said Knud. 
 
 " I do not know whether you can or not." 
 
 " So ? You doubt it ? You had better take 
 care," said Knud. 
 
 The lad who had stood against the wall in 
 the house fingering the hair of those girls now 
 said to a neighbor, " Knud really does not dare 
 this time." 
 
 This Knud heard. "I dare not? Who says 
 eo? I dare not?" he shrieked. 
 
 More and more came flocking up. " Make 
 way I See the horse ! " shouted Thorbjorn, and 
 tracked his whip ; he wanted to start.
 
 SYNNOVrJ SOLBAKKEN. 117 
 
 "Are you saying * make way' to me?" asked 
 Knud. 
 
 " I spoke to the horse ; I must go on," said 
 Thorbjciru, but did not tnru aside himself, 
 either. 
 
 '• What I will you drive right over me ? ' 
 asked Knud. 
 
 "Then move away!" and the horse had to 
 throw back his head, else it would have sent it 
 right against Knud's breast. Then Knud took 
 the horse by the bridle, and the animal that 
 remembered being held so on the road, began 
 to tremble. This, however, touched Thorbjorn, 
 who repented what he had done to the horse ; 
 now he vented his feelings on Knud ; for he 
 started up with the wliip in his hand, and gave 
 Knnd a blow on the head. 
 
 "' Do you strike ? " shrieked Knud, and came 
 nearer. Thorbjorn sprang from the load. 
 
 " You are a villain 1 " said he, pale as death, 
 and threw the reins to the lad from the house, 
 as he had come forward and offered his serv- 
 ices. 
 
 But the old man who had risen from his 
 seat over by the door, when Aslak was through 
 with his stor}', now approached Thorbjorn, and 
 pulled him by the arm. " Sa?mund Granliden 
 IS too good a man to have his son fight witl' 
 «uch a bully," said he.
 
 118 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 This quieted Thorbjorn down, but Knud 
 shouted, "la bully ? That he is as well as I, 
 and my father is just as good as his ! Come 
 on ! It is absurd that the parish folks do not 
 know which of us two is the champion," he 
 added, and pulled off his neck-tie. 
 
 " We will test that soon enough," said Thor- 
 bjorn. 
 
 Then the man who had been lying on the 
 bed before said, " They are like two cats ; they 
 have to growl courage into each other, both of 
 them." 
 
 Thorbjorn heard this, but made no reply. 
 One and another of the crowd laughed ; others 
 said it was abominable to have all these fights 
 at this wedding, and to pick a quarrel with a 
 stranger, who wanted to go away peaceably. 
 Thorbjorn looked around for his horse ; it was 
 his intention to drive off. But the lad who 
 had taken charge of it had turned it round, and 
 led it away quite a distance ; the lad himself 
 8tood just behind them. 
 
 " What are you looking for ? " asked Knud. 
 " Synnove is a long way off now." 
 
 " What is she to you ? " 
 
 " Nothing. Such hypocritical women -folks 
 are nothing to me," said Knud. " But perhaps 
 it is she who has stolen your courage away."
 
 SYNNOVK SOLBAKKEN. 119 
 
 This was too much for Thorbjorn ; they no- 
 ticed that he ghmced around, to make sure of 
 the lay of the ground. Now some of the older 
 people interfered, and remarked that Knud had 
 done mischief enough for this wedding. 
 
 " He shall do me none ! " said Thorbjorn 
 and when they heard this they were silent. 
 
 Others said, " Let them wrestle, and then 
 they will be good friends ; these two have long 
 enough been throwing spiteful glances at each 
 other." 
 
 " Yes," said one, " they both want to be first 
 in the parish ; let us see how it is." 
 
 " Have you people seen anything of a certain 
 Thorbjorn Granliden about here ? " remarked 
 Knud. " I thought he was at the gard, just 
 now." 
 
 " Yes, here he is," said Thorbjorn, and at the 
 same time he gave Knud a blow on the right 
 ear that sent him reeling against some men 
 who stood there. Now all was still. Knud got 
 up again, and darted forward, without saying a 
 word. Thorbjorn was ready for him. There 
 now followed a long hand-to-hand fight, each 
 trying to get at the other ; but both were well 
 accustomed to hold off an opponent. Thor- 
 bjorn's blows fell rather oftener, and some said 
 were somewhat more severe.
 
 120 SYNNOVE SOLliAKKEN. 
 
 " There, Knud has found his man," said he 
 who had takun the horse. Make way ! " 
 
 The women fled ; only one stood high up on 
 a step, in order to see better ; it was the bride. 
 Thorbjorn caught a glimpse of her, and hesi- 
 tated a little ; then he saw a knife in Knud's 
 hand, remembered her saying that Knud was 
 not good, and with a well-aimed blow he hit 
 Knud's arm on the wrist, making the knife 
 drop, and paralyzing the arm. 
 
 " Oh, how you hit ! " said Knud. 
 
 " Do you think so? " said the other, and now 
 rushed at him. 
 
 Knud was at a disadvantage, having the use 
 of only one arm , he was lifted up and borne on, 
 but he made resistance before he was pros- 
 trated. He was several times thrown to the 
 ground, with such force that any one else 
 would have yielded, but his was a good back. 
 Thorbjorn moved on with Knud ; the people 
 gave way, but Thorbjorn kept coming on with 
 him ; and thus it continued around the entire 
 gard, until they came to the steps, where Thor- 
 bjorn tossed Knud once more into the air, and 
 flung him down with such violence that his 
 knees gave way, and Knud fell across the stone 
 slab, so that it sang within him. He lay there 
 without stirring, gave vent to a deep groan
 
 SYXNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 121 
 
 and closed liis eyes ; Thorbjiiru striiigliteued 
 himself, and looked up ; his eyes fell directly 
 on the bride, who stood motionless, and looked 
 • '11. "Take something and lay it under his 
 head,"' said she, turned, and went in. 
 
 Two old women went by ; one of them said 
 to the other, " Good God ! there lies some one 
 again ! Who is it now ? " 
 
 A man answered, " It is Knud Nordhoug." 
 
 Then the older woman said, " Well, perhaps 
 there will be less of fighting after this. They 
 might have some other use to put their strength 
 to." 
 
 " That was a true word you said, Randi," 
 said the first. " The Lord help them on so 
 far that they can look beyond one another, and 
 up to something betterJ" 
 
 This had a curious effect on Thorbjorn's 
 mind ; he had not uttered a word, but still 
 stood motionless, watching those who were 
 busied with Ivnud. Several spoke to him, but 
 he made no reply. He turned away from 
 them, and fell into a reverie ; Synnove was up- 
 permost in it, and he became much ashamed. 
 He wondered what explanation he should give 
 her, and he thought that it was, after all, not 
 BO easy for hira to stop fighting as he had be- 
 aeved. Just then, he heard some one behind
 
 122 SYNNOVE SOLBAlvKEN. 
 
 him say, " Beware, Thorbjoru ! " but befoiT ne 
 could turn, he was seized by the shoulders from 
 behind, was bent down, and felt nothing but a 
 burning pain, the locality of which he did not 
 precisely know. He heard voices about him ; 
 was conscious that some one was driving ; even 
 thought, at times, that he was driving himself, 
 but was not sure of it. 
 
 This lasted a very long time. It grew cold, 
 soon warm again, and then he felt so light, so 
 light, that he seemed to be floating. And now 
 he understood it : he was borne on the tree- 
 tops, from one to the other, and thus went up 
 the slope ; higher up, as far as the sseter ; still 
 higher up, as far as the highest mountain. 
 There Synnove bowed over him, and wept, and 
 said that he should have spoken. She wept 
 sorely, and said that he must have seen, him- 
 self, how Knud Nordhoug got in his way, con- 
 tinually in his way, and so she was obliged to 
 take Knud. And then she stroked him gently 
 down one side, so that it grew warm there, and 
 she wept until his clothes became wet in the 
 place where her tears fell. But Aslak sat on 
 his heels upon a great peaked stone, and set 
 fire to the tree-tops round about him, so that 
 they crackled and burned, and the twigs drifted 
 about him ; then he laughed, with wide gaping
 
 SYNNdVE SOLBAKKEN. 12;i 
 
 mouth, and said, " It is not I, it is my mother, 
 who is doing this ! " And Saimund, his father, 
 stood a little to one side, and tossed up bags of 
 grain so higli that the clouds drew them up to 
 themselves, and spread out the grain like a 
 mist; and it seemed strange to him that the 
 grain could float out over the whole sky. When 
 he looked over at Saemund himself, the latter 
 had grown so small, so very small, that at last 
 he scarcely reached above the ground ; but still 
 he went on tossing the bags up higher and 
 higher, and said, "Do that like me, if you 
 can ! " Far away, in the clouds, was the church, 
 and the fair woman from Solbakken stood up 
 in the steeple, waving an orange-colored hand- 
 kerchief in one hand and a hymn-book in the 
 other, and said, " Hither you shall not come, 
 until you have laid aside fighting and swear- 
 ing." And when he came to look there, it was 
 not the church, but Solbakken, and the sun 
 shone so brightly on all the hundred window- 
 panes that it hurt his eyes, and he had to close 
 them tight. 
 
 " Take care, take care, Saemund ! " he heard 
 and was awakened as though from slumber bj 
 being carried onward • and when he looked 
 About him he had come into the family-room 
 ttt Grauliden. A great fire was burning on
 
 124 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 the hearth ; his mother stood beside him and 
 wept; bis father just then put his hands under 
 him ; he wanted to carry him into a side room. 
 Then his father laid him gently down again. 
 " There is still life in liim I " said he, with a 
 quivering voice, and turned to the mother. 
 
 She burst out, " The Lord help me ! he is 
 looking up ! Thorbjoru, Thorbjorn ! My 
 blessed boy, what have they done to you ? " 
 and she bent over him and stroked his cheek, 
 while her warm tears fell on his face. 
 
 Ssemund wiped his eyes with one arm, then 
 drew the mother tenderly aside. " I might just 
 as well take him at once," said he ; and he took 
 firm hold under the shoulders with one hand, 
 and a little farther down the back with the 
 other. " You hold his head, mother, if he has 
 not strength to carry it himself." She walked 
 on before and supported his head ; Ssemund 
 tried to keep step with her, and soon Thor- 
 bjorn lay on the bed in the other room. After 
 they had covered him and placed him just right, 
 Sfemund asked whether the boy had started. 
 
 " There he is ! " said the mother, and pointed 
 toward the window. 
 
 Ssemund opened the window, and called out^ 
 '' If you are there in an hour you shall have 
 your year's wages doubled ! It does not mat- 
 ter if you break the horse's wind."
 
 SYNNOVK SOLBAKKEN. 125 
 
 He went over to the bed again. Thorhjorn 
 fixed on him his Uirge clear eyes ; the father 
 was forced to return the gaze, and then his own 
 grew moist. " I knew it would end so," said 
 he softly, turned and went out. 
 
 The mother sat on a stool at the foot of the 
 bed and wept, but she did not speak. Thor- 
 bjorn wanted to talk, but he felt that it was 
 difficult, and therefore he was silent. But he 
 stared incessantly at his mother, and she had 
 never seen such lustre in his eyes, nor had they 
 t-ver been so beautiful, which seemed to her a 
 bad omen. " May the Lord help you ! " she 
 burst out, at last. " I know that Stemund will 
 break down completely the day you leave us." 
 Tiiorbjorn looked at her with immovable eyes 
 and face. That look went right through her, 
 and she began to say the Lord's Prayer for 
 him ; for she thought his time might be short. 
 While she sat there it ran through her mind 
 how dear he, beyond the others, had been to 
 them all ; and now none of his brothers and 
 sisters were at home. She sent word up to the 
 sa?ter for Ingrid and a younger brother ; then 
 came back and seated herself as before. He 
 still looked at her, and that look was to her a 
 psalm, which gently guided her thoughts to bet- 
 ter things ; and old Ingebjorg grew very devout,
 
 126 synnOve solbakkex. 
 
 brought forth the Bible, and said, '' Now I will 
 read aloud to you, and it will do you good." 
 And as she had no spectacles at hand she opened 
 at a place that she had nearly known by heart 
 since she was a girl, and this was in the Gospel 
 of John. She was not sure that he heard her ; 
 for he lay motionless as before, merely staring 
 at her ; but still she read on, if not for him, at 
 least for herself. 
 
 Ingrid soon came home to relieve her in the 
 watch ; but then Thorbjorn was asleep. Ingrid 
 wept without ceasing ; she had commenced cry- 
 ing before she left the saster, for she thought of 
 Synnove, to whom nothing had been told. Now 
 the doctor came and examined him. He had 
 been stabbed with a knife in the side, had been 
 beaten besides ; but the doctor said nothing, and 
 there was no one who questioned him. Sob- 
 mund went with him into the sick-room, stood 
 there watching uninterruptedly the doctor's face, 
 went out when he went, helped him up in his 
 cariole, and touched his cap when the doctor 
 said he would come again the following day. 
 Then S^emund turned to his wife, who had ac- 
 companied him : " When that man does not 
 3peak, it is alarming." His mouth quivered; 
 he turned on his heel, and went away across 
 the field.
 
 synnOve solbakkkn. 127 
 
 Nc one knew wbat became of hira ; for he 
 did not come home that evening, nor in the 
 night either, but appeared first the next morn- 
 ing; and then he seemed so gloomy that no 
 one dared ask him anything. He said him- 
 self, "Well?" 
 
 "He has slept," said Ingrid, "but he is so 
 weak that he cannot raise a hand." 
 
 The father wanted to go in and look at him, 
 but he turned when he came to the door. 
 
 The doctor was there, and he came the next 
 day, and several days in succession. Thorbjorn 
 could speak, but was not allowed to stir. In- 
 grid sat most of the time with him ; also his 
 mother and younger brother ; but he did not 
 ask them about anything, nor they him. The 
 father was never in there. This they saw the 
 patient noticed ; every time the door opened he 
 grew attentive, and they thought it must be be- 
 cause he was expecting his father. At last In- 
 grid asked if he would not like to see others of 
 ihe family. " Oh, they most likely do not want 
 to see me," replied he. This was told to See- 
 mund, who made no immediate reply ; but that 
 day he was away when the doctor came. When 
 the doctor had proceeded a piece along the road, 
 he saw Sa^raund, who sat by the wayside wait- 
 ing for him. After having greeted him, Sa>- 
 mund inquired about his son.
 
 128 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 " He has been roughly handled," was the 
 short reply. 
 
 '' Will be get over it ? " asked Ssemund, and 
 fell to adjusting the horse's saddle-girth. 
 
 " Thank you, that is all right," said the doc- 
 tor. 
 
 " It was not tight enough," replied Saemund. 
 
 There was a brief silence, in which the doc- 
 tor looked at him ; but Ssemund was zealously 
 tightening the girth, and did not look up. 
 
 " You asked whether he would get over it ; 
 yes, I think he will," said the doctor, slowly. 
 
 Ssemund glanced up, hastily. " Is there hope 
 of life?" asked he. 
 
 " There has been for several days," replied 
 the doctor. 
 
 Then a few tears trickled down from Sae- 
 mund's eyes ; he strove to brush them away, 
 but they came again. "It is really a shame 
 that I am so fond of the lad," he gasped ; " but 
 you see, doctor, a finer fellow there has never 
 been in the parish ! " 
 
 The doctor was touched. " Why have you 
 not wished to know anything before ? " he 
 asked. 
 
 " I have not had the courage to hear it," re- 
 plied Ssemund, and had another struggle with 
 his tears, which he could not force back
 
 synnOve sole ak ken. 129 
 
 " And then there \v»n-e the women-folks," he 
 continued ; " they were constantly on the k)ok- 
 out to see whether I would ask, and then I 
 could not." The doctor gave him time to com 
 pose himself, and then Ssemund looked jfixedly 
 at him. " Will he get his health back again ? " 
 asked he, suddenly. 
 
 " In a certain way, although we cannot yet 
 be sure of it." 
 
 Then Ssemund grew calm and thoughtful. 
 " In a certain way," he muttered. He stood 
 looking down, and the doctor would not disturb 
 him, because there was something about the 
 man which forbade it. Suddenly Saemund 
 raised his head. " Thank you for the informa- 
 tion," said he, held out his hand, and started 
 for home. 
 
 Meanwhile, Ingrid was sitting with the pa- 
 tient. "If you feel able to listen, I will tell 
 you something about father," said she. 
 
 "Tell me," rephed Thorbjoru. 
 
 " Well, then, the first evening the doctor had 
 been here father disappeared, and no one knew 
 where he was. Now it seems that he had gone 
 over to the wedding-party, and all the people 
 there felt ill at ease when he came in. They 
 Bay that he sat down among them and drank 
 with them, and the bridegroom tells that he 
 »
 
 130 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 thinks he grew half tipsy. Then first he began 
 to question about the fight, and got the full 
 particulars as to how it had happened. Knud 
 came in ; father wanted to have him tell all 
 about it, and made him go with him out to the 
 spot where you two wrestled. All the people 
 went with them. Knud then told how vou had 
 treated him after you had lamed his hand ; but 
 when Knud did not want to say anything more, 
 father di-ew himself up, and asked if this was 
 the way it went on afterward, — and at the 
 same time he seized Knud about the chest, 
 raised him, and laid him down ou the stone, 
 which still had your blood on it. He held him 
 down with his left hand, and drew out his knife 
 with the right. Knud changed color, and all 
 the guests were silent. There were people 
 there who saw father shed tears, but he did 
 nothing to Knud. Knud himself did not stir. 
 Father then lifted Knud up, but laid him down 
 again after a while. ' It is hard to let you go,' 
 he said, and stood staring at him, while he still 
 held him. 
 
 " Two old women went past, and one of them 
 said, ' Think of your children, Saemund Gran- 
 liden ! ' They say that father at once let go of 
 Knud, and that pretty soon after he was gone 
 from the gard ; but Knud left the wedding
 
 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 131 
 
 made his way ou from house to house, and was 
 Been there no more."' 
 
 Scarcely was Ingrid through with her narra- 
 tion when the door opened; some one looked 
 in, and it was the father. She went out at 
 once, and Stemund came in. What father and 
 Bon then talked about no one ever knew ; the 
 mother, who stood up against the door that sho 
 might listen, thought once that she heard them 
 speaking about whether Thorbjorn could re- 
 cover his health or not. But she was not sure 
 of it, nor did she like to go in as long as Sae- 
 mund was there. 
 
 When Saemund came out he was ver}'^ gentle, 
 and rather red about the eyes. " He will be 
 spared to us," he said to Ingebjorg, as he passed 
 by ; " but the Lord only knows whether he will 
 get his health back again." Ingebjorg began 
 to cry, and went out with her husband ; on the 
 store-house steps they sat down, side by side, 
 and many things were talked over between the 
 two. 
 
 But when Ingrid came softly in again to 
 Thorbjorn, he lay there with a little note in one 
 hand, and said calmly and slowly, " This you 
 uiay give to Synnove the next time you see 
 
 uer." 
 
 When Ingrid had read what was in it slie
 
 132 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 turned away and wept; for the note ran 
 thus : — 
 
 " To the highly esteemed maiden, Synnove, Guttonn^s 
 daughter, Solhakken : — 
 
 " When you have read these Imes, all must 
 be over between us two. For I am not the one 
 you ought to have. The Lord be with us both. 
 
 " ThORBJORN, SiEMUND'S SON, GrANLIDEN."
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Synnovb had learned of the disaster the day 
 after Thorbjorn had been at the wedding. Hia 
 younger brother had been sent up to the sseter 
 with word about it ; but Ingrid had detained 
 him out in the passage, just as he was starting, 
 and had charged him with what he was to say. 
 Synnove, therefore, only knew that Thorbjorn 
 had overturned his load, and that he therefore 
 had been obliged to go up to Nordhoug for 
 help ; that Knud and he had met, and that 
 Thorbjorn had been somewhat hurt. He was in 
 bed, but it was nothing dangerous. This was 
 news calculated to make Synnove more vexed 
 than alarmed. And the more she thought 
 about it, the more disheartened she became. 
 Whatever he might promise, he was sure to act 
 so that her parents would have some fault to 
 find with him. But they two ought not to be 
 separated now, any way, thought Synnove. 
 
 There were not many messages sent up to 
 the seeter, and so time dragged before Synnove 
 got further news. The uncertainty weighed
 
 134 SYKNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 heavily upon her mind, and as lugrid did not 
 come back again, there must be something 
 amiss. She was not able to sing the cattle 
 home in the evening, as she had been in the 
 habit of doing, and she did not sleep well at 
 night, for she missed Ingrid. The effect of 
 this was that she felt weary by day, and this 
 did not make her heart any lighter. She went 
 about her daily duties, scoured the wooden 
 pans and bowls, made the cheese, and prepared 
 the curds, but took little satisfaction in it ; and 
 both Thorbjorn's younger brother and the lad 
 who tended the herds with him felt sure now 
 that there must be something between her and 
 Thorbjorn, which fmuiished them -with a theme 
 for many conversations up in the pasture. 
 
 The afternoon of the eighth day after Ingrid 
 had been summoned home she felt more op- 
 pressed than ever. So long a time had now 
 passed away, and still no tidings. She left her 
 work to sit down and gaze over the parish, for 
 this seemed to her a sort of company, and she 
 did not want to be alone now. As she sat 
 there, she grew very tired, laid her head down 
 jn her arm, and directly fell asleep; but the 
 sun scorched, and it was a restless sleep. She 
 was over at Solbakken, up in the loft, where 
 her things were, and Avhere she used to sleep
 
 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 136 
 
 from the flowers in the garden there was wafte'l 
 up a most delicious fragrance, although no 
 that which she was accustomed to, but some- 
 thing different, almost like that of heather, 
 " What can this come from ? " she thought, and 
 bowed her head down out of the open window. 
 Yes, truly, there stood Thorbjorn, down in the 
 garden, planting heather. " Why, my dear, 
 what are you doing ? " asked she. " Ob, the 
 flowers will not grow," replied he, and went on 
 working iij the garden. This made her sorry 
 for the flowers, and she finally begged him to 
 bring them up to her. " Yes, I will, if you 
 wish," said he, and then he gathered them up, 
 and came toward the house with them. But 
 she did not seem to be in the loft any more, for 
 he could come right in to where she was. At 
 that moment her mother appeared. " Good gra- 
 cious ! Is that horrid Graulid boy coming in 
 here to you ? " cried the mother, as she sprang 
 forward, and stationed herself directly in his 
 way. But he insisted upon coming in, not- 
 withstanding this; and now a struggle arose 
 between the two. " Mother, mother ! he is 
 only bringing my flowers back to me ! " said 
 Synnove, beseechingly, and wept, " Oh, that 
 makes no difference," said the mother, and con- 
 tinued to struggle. And Synnove was fright-
 
 136 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKKN. 
 
 ened, terribly frightened, for she knew not 
 which of them she wanted to win ; but neither 
 of them must lose. " Be careful of my flow- 
 ers I " cried she. But they struggled now 
 harder than ever, and the pretty flowers were 
 strewn around everywhere ; the mother trod 
 upon them, and so did Thorbjorn. Synnove 
 wept. But when Thorbjorn had dropped the 
 flowers, he looked so ugly, so very ugly ; his 
 hair grew, his face, too ; his eyes had a wicked 
 look, and he stuck long claws into her mother. 
 " Take care, mother ! Do you not see that it is 
 some one else, — take care ! " she shrieked, and 
 made a move to go over and help her mother, 
 but she could not stir from the spot. Then 
 some one called her, and called a second time. 
 Immediately Thorbjorn disappeared, the mother 
 also. Then some one cried again. 
 
 " Yes ! " said Synnove, and awakened. 
 
 " Synnove ! " the voice called. 
 
 " Yes ! " answered she, and looked up. 
 
 " Where are you ? " was asked. 
 
 " It is mother who is calling," thought Syn- 
 nove, as she rose, and went back toward the 
 Bseter lawn, where the mother stood, with a 
 lunch box in one hand, and shading her eyes 
 with the other, looking toward her. 
 
 '' You were actually lying there asleep on 
 the bare ground ! " said the mother.
 
 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 137 
 
 " I grew so sleepy," replied Synnove, " that 
 I just lay down for a little wLile, and before I 
 knew it I was asleep." 
 
 " You must be careful not to let such things 
 happen, my child. Here is something for you 
 in this box ; I baked yesterday, as father is 
 going on a long journey." 
 
 But Synnove felt clearly that her mother 
 had not come for this, and she thought that 
 she had not been dreamino: of her for nothing:. 
 Karen (that was the mother's name) was, as has 
 been said before, small of stature and slender, 
 had fair hair, and blue eyes that were constantly 
 in motion. She smiled a little when she spoke, 
 but it was only when she talked with strangers. 
 Her face had grown rather sharp. She was 
 quick in her movements, and was always bus3\ 
 Synnove thanked her for her gift, took off the 
 lid, and looked to see what was in the box. 
 
 " There, there you can do that another time," 
 said the mother. " I noticed that vour bowls 
 had not been washed yet; you must see to 
 l/hat, my child, before you take your rest." 
 
 " Yes ; but that has only happened to-day." 
 
 " Come, then, I must help you, since I am 
 here," said the mother, and rolled up her skirts. 
 " You must accustom yourself to order, whether 
 you are under my eyes or not."
 
 138 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 She moved on to the dairy, and Synnove 
 followed slowly. They took every article out 
 and washed it. The mother then inspected all 
 the work, and found that it was not bad ; gave 
 much advice and helped to clean up ; and thus 
 an hour or two passed. While they were work- 
 ing she told what was going on at home, and 
 how busy she was now and would be until she 
 got father off. Then she asked if Synnove re- 
 membered to read the word of God before she 
 went to bed at night. " For you must not for- 
 get that," she observed, " or else the work will 
 fare badly the next day." 
 
 As soon as they were through, they went 
 out on the lawn, and sat down there to wait 
 for the cows. And when they were well seated 
 the mother inquired after Ingrid, and asked if 
 she was not soon coming up to the dairy again. 
 Synnove knew no more about this than her 
 mother. " Aye, to think that folks should act 
 BO ! " said the mother ; and Synnove clearly 
 understood that it was not Ingrid she meant. 
 She would have liked to cliange the subject, but 
 had not the courage to do so. " They who 
 never have our Lord in their hearts are found 
 out by Him sometimes when they are least ex- 
 pecting it," continued the mother. Synnove 
 5poke not a word. " Well, this I have alway
 
 SYNNOVK SOLBAKKEN. 139 
 
 said : the boy will never amount to anything. 
 13 tit to act so — it is a shame ! " They were 
 sitting side side by there, and gazing out over 
 the landscape beyond ; but they did not look at 
 each other. " Have you heard how he is get- 
 ting on ? " asked the mother, and now glanced 
 hastily at her. 
 
 " No," answered Synnove. 
 
 " They say he is in a bad way," said the 
 mother. 
 
 Synnove's heart grew faint. "Is it, then, 
 serious ? " asked she. 
 
 " Oh, he was stabbed with a knife in the 
 side ; and then he had some pretty severe blows, 
 besides." 
 
 Synnove felt that she was blushing crimson ; 
 at once she turned a little more away, so that 
 her mother could not see her. " Well, it is 
 not a very serious matter, I presume ? " said 
 she, as calmly as she could. 
 
 But her motlier had observed that her breast 
 heaved violently, and so she answered, " Oh, 
 no. I cannot say that, either." 
 
 Now Synnove began to suspect that some- 
 thing dreadful had happened. " Is he in bed ? " 
 she asked. 
 
 " Why, bless me 1 of course he is in bed I It 
 is a pity for his parents, such worthy people as
 
 140 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 they are. He has been well brought up, too, 
 BO that the Lord has nothing to blame them 
 for." Synnove was now so anxious that she 
 knew not what she should do. Presently her 
 mother continued, " Now it proves to be well 
 that no one is bound to him. The Lord has 
 done everything here also for the best." Syn- 
 nove grew very dizzy, and it seemed as though 
 she would glide down the side of the mountain. 
 " Well, I always said to father, God have 
 mercy on us ! said L We have only this one 
 daughter, and we must take care of her. Now 
 he is rather inclined to be too yielding, excel- 
 lent man as he otherwise is; therefore it is 
 a good thing that he takes counsel where he 
 finds it, and that is in the word of God." 
 
 But at the mere thought of her father, and 
 how gentle he always was, Synnove had still 
 more difficulty in forcing down the tears, and 
 this time no resistance was of any avail ; she 
 began to weep. 
 
 "Are you crying?" asked her mother, and 
 looked at her, without being able to see her 
 ^ace. 
 
 " Yes ; I was thinking of father, and then ' 
 — and she burst out crying, in good earnest. 
 
 " But, my dear child, what is the matter ? " 
 
 " Oh, I do not really know I It came ovei
 
 synnOve solbakken. 141 
 
 me — perhaps some harm will come to him on 
 this journey," sobbed Synnove. 
 
 " How you do talk ! " said the mother. "All 
 should not go well with him ? Going to town 
 on a smooth country road ? " 
 
 " Yes, but remember — what happened — to 
 the other," faltered Synnove. 
 
 " To him? Yes ! But your father does not 
 go dashing ahead like a fool-hardy simpleton, 
 I should think. He will come home again un- 
 harmed, — provided the Lord will watch over 
 and guide him." 
 
 The mother began to get an idea from the 
 weeping, which now it seemed impossible to 
 stop. Presently, without moving from her 
 place, she said, "There are many things in 
 the world which are hard to bear, but we must 
 take consolation in knowing that they might 
 be far worse." 
 
 " Aye, but that is poor consolation," said 
 Synnove, and wept sorely. 
 
 The mother did not really have the heart 
 to answer what she thought ; she merely said, 
 " The Lord himself ordains many things for 
 us in a plainly visible way • He has doubtless 
 done so in this case also." And then she arose, 
 for the cows were beginning to come lowing 
 up the ridge, the bells tinkled, the herd-boys
 
 142 SYNN5VE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 shouted, and they came down slowly, for the 
 cows were well filled and quiet. She stood 
 and looked on ; then bade Synnove come with 
 her and see to the cows. Synnove now arose, 
 too, and followed her, but they went slowly. 
 
 Karen Solbakken busied herself with wel- 
 coming the cattle. The cows came up one by 
 one, and they knew her and lowed ; she patted 
 them, talked to them, and felt happy when she 
 saw how they had all improved. 
 
 " Ah, yes," said she, " the Lord is near to 
 those who keep themselves near to Him." 
 
 She now helped Synnove to put them in ; 
 for Synnove made slow progress to-day. The 
 mother did not comment on this. She helped 
 her also to milk, although by so doing she re- 
 mained up there longer than she had intended. 
 When they had finished straining the milk, the 
 mother began to prepare to go home, and Syn- 
 nove wanted to go with her part of the way. 
 
 " Oh, no," said her mother, " you are doubt- 
 'ess tired, and would like to be left in peace." 
 And she took the empty box, held out her 
 hand, and said, looking fixedly at her, " I will 
 come up again soon to see how things are go- 
 ing with you. Cling to us, and do not think 
 of others." 
 
 Scarcely was the mother out of sight before
 
 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 143 
 
 she began to consider how she could most 
 quickly get a message down to Granlid. She 
 called Thorbjorn's brother. She wanted to send 
 him down, but when he came she found that 
 it would be embarrassing to confide in him, and 
 BO she said, " It was nothing." She then 
 thought about gf'ing herself. Certainty she 
 must have, and it was a pity Ingrid had sent 
 her no word. The night was quite light, and 
 the gard was not so far off but that she could 
 easily walk that distance, when such a matter 
 as this drew her down there. While she sat 
 thinking of this, she summed up in her thoughts 
 all that her mother had said, and began to 
 weep afresh. But this time she was not slow; 
 she threw a kerchief about her, and took a 
 roundabout way, so that she might escape the 
 notice of the boys. 
 
 The farther she advanced, the more she has- 
 tened, and at last she sprang down the foot- 
 path, so that the small stones were loosened, 
 rolled down, and frightened her. Although 
 she knew it was only the stones rolling, she 
 thought there must be some one near by, and 
 she was compelled to stand still and listen. It 
 was nothing, and she hurried on faster than be- 
 fore. Then it chanced that she came down with 
 A bound on a large stone, whose one end pro-
 
 144 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 traded into the road, but which now gave way, 
 dashed on and past her. It made a terrible 
 racket, the bushes crackled, and she was afraid, 
 but grew still more so when she really fancied 
 that there was some one who rose and moved 
 farther on down the road. First she thought 
 that it might be a wild beast. She paused, 
 and held her breath ; down below on the road, 
 what she had seen also paused. 
 
 " Hoy ! " cried a voice. It was her mother. 
 
 The first thing Synnove did was to hasten 
 away and hide. She kept stiU a good while, in 
 order to find out whether her mother had rec- 
 ognized her, and was coming back ; but she 
 went on. Then she waited still longer, in 
 order that her mother might get well out of 
 the way. When she started on again, she 
 walked slowly, and was soon approaching the 
 houses. 
 
 When she saw these, she began to grow op- 
 pressed again, and she grew more faint the 
 nearer she came to Thorbjorn's home. All 
 was still there. The implements of labor 
 stood leaning up against the wall ; the wood 
 was chopped and piled up, and the axe stuck 
 fast in the block. She walked past these, 
 and on to the door ; there she paused, looked 
 around, and listened ; but nothing stirred. As
 
 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 145 
 
 she stood there, uncertain whether she should 
 go up-stairs to Ingrid or not, it came into her 
 mind that it must have been on such a night, 
 some years ago, that Thorbjorn had been over 
 and planted her flowers. Swiftly she pulled 
 off her shoes, and stole up the stairs. 
 
 Ingrid was much frightened when she woke 
 up, and saw that it was Synnove who had 
 awakened her. " How is he getting on ? " 
 whispered Synnove. Now Ingrid recalled every- 
 thing, and she wanted to begin to dress, in or- 
 der to avoid answering Synnove immediately. 
 But Synnove seated herself on the edge of the 
 bed, begged her to lie still, and repeated her 
 question. 
 
 " He is better now," said Ingrid, in a whis- 
 per. '' I am soon coming up to the sseter." 
 
 " Dear Ingrid, hide nothing from me ; you 
 can tell me nothing so bad that I have not fan- 
 cied something worse." 
 
 Ingrid still tried to spare her, but Synnove's 
 alarm increased, and there was no opportu- 
 nity for evasive answers. In a whisper were 
 dropped the questions, in a whisper the an- 
 swers ; the deep silence round about heightened 
 the seriousness of both questions and answers, 
 80 that it grew to be one of those solemn mo- 
 ments in which people dare to look the worst 
 
 10
 
 146 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 truth directly iii the face. But this much they 
 both seemed to decide upon, that Thorbjom's 
 fault was small this time, and that nothing 
 bad on his side intruded itself between him 
 and their sympathy for him. They both wept 
 freely, but quietly, and Synnove wept the most ; 
 she sat quite crushed on the edge of the bed, 
 Ingrid tried to cheer her by reminding her of 
 how much happiness they three had had to- 
 gether ; but, as is so often the case, every little 
 remembrance from those days over which sun- 
 shine played, now in their sorrow melted into 
 tears. 
 
 " Has he asked after me ? " whispered Syn- 
 nove. 
 
 " He has scarcely spoken at all." Ingrid 
 now thought of the note, and it began to weigh 
 upon her. 
 
 " Is he, then, not able to talk ? " 
 
 " I do not know how it is with him ; he 
 probably thinks the more." 
 
 " Does he read ? " 
 
 " Mother lias read to him ; now she has to 
 do so every day." 
 
 " What does he say then ? " 
 
 " Oh, he says almost nothing, as I told you 
 He only lies there and looks." 
 
 " It is in the painted chamber lie lies ? " 
 
 " Yes."
 
 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 147 
 
 " And turns bis bead toward tbe window ? " 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 They both were silent for a moment ; then 
 Ingrid said, " The little St. John's toy you 
 once gave him hangs iu the window, and keeps 
 turning round." 
 
 " Yes, it is the same," said Synnove, sud- 
 denly and firmly. " Never in the world shall 
 any one get me to give him up, whichever way 
 it may turn ! " 
 
 Ingrid felt greatly distressed. " The doctor 
 does not know whether he will recover his 
 health," she whispered. 
 
 Now Synnove stopped crying, raised her 
 head, looked at her without saying a word, 
 then let it fall again, and sat still, lost in 
 thought ; the last tears trickled slowly down 
 her cheeks, but no new ones followed them. 
 She clasped her bauds, but otherwise did not 
 stir ; it was as though she sat there forming a 
 great resolve. She then suddenly arose, with 
 a smile, stooped down over Ingrid, and gave 
 her a warm, long kiss. " If he becomes an 
 invalid, then I will take care of liun. Now 
 I will speak with my parents." This touched 
 Ingrid deeply ; but before she could find words 
 she felt her hand grasped. " Farewell, Ingrid ! 
 Now I will go up alone." And she turned 
 away, hastily.
 
 148 synnOve solbakken. 
 
 "'There was that note," whispered Ingrid 
 after her. 
 
 " That note ? " questioned Syunove. 
 
 Ingrid was already up, had found it, and went 
 over to her with it ; but as with her left hand 
 she thrust it into Synnove's bosom, she put her 
 right about her neck and kissed her, while Syn- 
 nove felt her great, warm tears fall on her face. 
 Then Ingrid softly pushed her out of the door, 
 and closed it ; for she had not the courage to 
 see any more. 
 
 Synnove went slowly down the stairs, in her 
 stocking feet ; but when her thoughts became 
 too much for her, she inadvertently made a 
 noise, grew alarmed, hurried out of the pass- 
 age, seized her shoes, and, with them in her 
 hand, hastened away past the houses, across 
 the fields, and over to the gate. Here she 
 paused, put them on, began to go up the path, 
 and made haste, for her blood coursed rapidly 
 through her veins. She walked on, singing 
 softly to herself, and hurried more and more, 
 90 that at last she grew weary, and had to sit 
 down. Then she remembered the note. 
 
 When the shepherd dogs began to make a 
 noise the next morning, the herd-boys had 
 awakened, and the cows were to be milked and 
 Bet free, Synnove had not yet returned.
 
 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKKN. 149 
 
 As the boys stood wondering where she could 
 be, and discovered that she had not been in bed 
 the whole night, Syiinove appeared. She was 
 very pale and quiet. Without a word, she be- 
 gan getting breakfast for the herd-boys, put up 
 their lunches, and afterwards helped to milk. 
 
 The fog still hung heavily over the low 
 ridges ; the heather glittered with dew all over 
 the sorrel-tinted heights. It was rather chilly, 
 and when the dog barked he was answered on 
 every side. The cattle were set free ; lowing 
 they greeted the fresh morning air, and the 
 cows, one by one, started off over the foot-path ; 
 but there in front of them sat the dog, ready to 
 receive them and hinder them from passing un- 
 til every one had been let loose, whereupon he 
 also let them go. The bells vibrated along the 
 ridge; the dog barked, making the welkin ring; 
 the herd-boys tried which of them could shout 
 the loudest. From all this noise Sjmnove moved 
 away down to that part of the seeter where In- 
 grid and she were in the habit of sitting. She 
 iid not weep, sat there quietly with her eyes 
 lixed before her, and gave heed now and then 
 to the tumultuous noise which was gradually be- 
 coming more distant, and which blended the 
 better the farther away it got. Meanwhile, 
 she began to hum softly to herself, then to
 
 150 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 Bing louder, and at last with a clear, high 
 voice, the following song. She had adapted it 
 from another one she had known from the 
 time she was a child : — 
 
 "Now thanks for all since we two were small, 
 lu groves we played, at each merry-making; 
 I thought our sports would float onward all 
 'Till Time's gray twilight was breaking. 
 
 "I thought our sports from the birch would rise, 
 
 Leaf-crowned and glad, and would upward wander 
 To where bright Solbakken meets the eyes, 
 The old red church seeking yonder. 
 
 " Of evenings oft I did sit and wait, 
 
 The spruce-grown forest there watching ever ; 
 The mountains darkened, the hour grew late. 
 But thou, ah thou, earnest never ! 
 
 " I sat and waited, and oft I thought: 
 
 When day declines he will venture over; 
 But fading light flick'ring flashes brought. 
 The days they came and passed over. 
 
 "The weary eye is accustomed now 
 
 To seek one way, 't would be slow at changing; 
 It bums and aches here beneath the brow, 
 Yet still one way it is ranging. 
 
 " At Fagerlid, in the church, they say, 
 I '11 comfort find, as is surely fitting; 
 But ask me not to go there, I pray, 
 For he, by my side, there is sitting. 
 
 "And yet so well who it was, I know. 
 
 Who placed our homes there bo near togetnor. 
 Ajid cut a way for the eye to go 
 Through woods, o'er flowerv heatker.
 
 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKRN. 151 
 
 ' And vet so well who it was, I know, 
 
 Who placed the seats at the Lord's own table, 
 And caused that people in pairs to go 
 Toward the chancel are able." ^ 
 
 1 Auber Forestier's translatioa
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Some time after this, Guttorm Solbakken 
 and Karen sat together over in the great, light 
 sitting-room at Solbakken, and read aloud to 
 each other from some new books they had pro- 
 cured from the neighboring town. They had 
 been at church in the forenoon, for it was Sun- 
 day; then they had taken a little walk to- 
 gether through the grounds to examine the 
 condition of the fields, and to consider which 
 land should be allowed to lie fallow and which 
 should be plowed up for the next year. The;y 
 had sauntered from one pasture and field to an- 
 other, and it seemed to them that the gard had 
 improved greatly in their time. " God knows 
 how it will prosper when we are gone ! " Karen 
 had remarked. Then it was that Guttorm had 
 begged her to come in with him that they 
 might read in the new books ; " for one does 
 best to avoid such thoughts." 
 
 But now the books had been examined, and 
 Karen was of opinion that the old ones were 
 l^etter. "People only write over again what 
 is in the old books," said she.
 
 SYNNdVE SOLBAKKEN. 153 
 
 " There may be something in that. Sosmnnd 
 said to me to-day in church that children were 
 only their parents over again." 
 
 " Yes, you and Sa^mund evidently talked of 
 many things to-day." 
 
 " Saemund is a sensible man." 
 
 " But he seeks his Lord and Saviour too lit- 
 tle, I am afraid." 
 
 To this Guttorm made no reply. 
 
 " What became of Synnove ? " asked the 
 mother. 
 
 " She is up-stairs," answered Guttorm. 
 
 " You were sitting there with her yourself, 
 a while ago ; what frame of mind was she in ?" 
 
 " Oh " — 
 
 " You should not have allowed her to stay 
 there alone." 
 
 " Some one came in." 
 
 The wife was silent for a while. " Pray, 
 who was it ? " 
 
 " lugrid Granliden." 
 
 " I thought she was still at the saeter." 
 
 " She was at home to-day in order that her 
 mother might be able to go to church." 
 
 " Yes, to be sure, we saw her there for once." 
 
 " She has a great deal to do." 
 
 ^ Others have the same ; nevertheless, one 
 generallv manages to go where one longs to 
 her
 
 154 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 Guttorm made no reply to this. 
 
 After a while Karen said, " All the Granlid 
 family were there to-day except Ingrid." 
 
 " Yes, it was probably to accompany Thor- 
 bjorn the first time." 
 
 " He looked poorly." 
 
 " No better could be expected. I only won- 
 der he appeared so well." 
 
 *' Yes, he has had to suffer for his folly." 
 
 Guttorm looked down a little, as he replied, 
 " He is only in his youth yet." 
 
 " There is no good foundation there ; one 
 can never feel sure of him." 
 
 Guttorm, who sat with his elbows on the ta- 
 ble, twirling a book round with one hand, now 
 opened it, and just as though he were reading 
 softly dropped the sentence, " He is said to be 
 E[uite sure of fully regaining his health." 
 
 The mother now took up a book also. " That 
 is, indeed, a good thing for such a fine-looking 
 lad," said she. " May the Lord teach him to 
 use it better ! " 
 
 They both read ; but presently Guttorm said, 
 as he turned over a leaf, " He did not look 
 toward her once during the whole day." 
 
 "Yes, and I noticed, too, that he kept his seat 
 m the pew until she had gone out." 
 
 After a while, Guttorm asked, " You think 
 lie will forget her ? "
 
 SYNNOVE SOl.BAKKEN. 155 
 
 " That would at all events be best." 
 
 Guttorm read on ; the wife turned over the 
 leaves. " I do not care much to have Ingrid 
 stay here," said she. 
 
 " Synnove has scarcely any one else to talk 
 with." 
 
 " She has us." 
 
 Now the father glanced over at her. " We 
 mast not be too strict." 
 
 The wife was silent. Soon she said, " Nor 
 have I ever forbidden her to visit with Ingrid." 
 
 The father closed his book, arose, and looked 
 out of the window. " There goes Ingrid," said 
 he. 
 
 Scarcely had the mother heard this than she 
 hastily left the room. The father remained 
 for some time at the window ; then turned and 
 walked up and down. The wife came in again, 
 and he paused. 
 
 "Yes, it was as I thought," said she. " Syn- 
 nove is sitting up there crying, but rummages 
 about in her trunk when I come in." And then 
 she added, sluiking her head, " No, it is not 
 well to have Ingiid coming here ; " and she be- 
 took herself to preparing the evening meal, 
 passing often in and out. 
 
 Once while she was out Synnove came in, 
 rather flushed from weeping and quiet ; she
 
 156 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 walked close by her father, into whose face she 
 looked up as she passed, and over to the table, 
 where she sat down and took a book. Presently, 
 Bhe closed this, and asked her mother if she 
 should help her. 
 
 " Yes, do so ! " said the latter. " Work is 
 good for all things.'' 
 
 It became her task to set the table ; it stood 
 over by the window. The father, who thus far 
 had been walking to and fro, went over there 
 now and looked out. "I believe that barley 
 field the rain beat down is straightening up 
 again," said he. Synnove took her stand by his 
 side, and looked out, too. He turned ; his wife 
 was in, and so he merely stroked the back of 
 Synnove's head with one hand, after which he 
 began pacmg the floor again. 
 
 They ate their suppei-, but very quietly. The 
 mother said grace that day both before and after 
 the meal, and when they had arisen she iesired 
 them to read and sing, which they did, too. 
 " The word of God gives peace ; it is after all 
 the greatest blessing in a house." With this 
 the mother looked over at Synnove, who had 
 cast down her eyes. " Now I am going to tell 
 you a story," said the mother ; " it is true, 
 every word, and not bad for those who will re- 
 flect upon it."
 
 synnOve solbakken. 157 
 
 And then she began as follows : " There was, 
 in ray younger days, a young girl at Houg, who 
 was the granddaughter of a learned old lens- 
 mand. He early took her under his own care, 
 that he might have py in her in his old days, 
 and of course taught her the word of God and 
 good behavior. She was quick at learning and 
 delighted in knowledge, so that in the course 
 of time she was far in advance, while we stood 
 behind ; she wrote and ciphered, Icnew all her 
 school-books and twenty-five chapters in the Bi- 
 ble, when she was fifteen years old. I remem- 
 ber it as though it were yesterday. She cared 
 more for reading than for dancing, so that she 
 rarely was to be found at the merry-makings, 
 but oftener in her grandfather's loft-chamber, 
 where he kept his many books. It so hap- 
 pened that whenever we did meet her she 
 always seemed to be somewhere else, and we 
 said to one another, ' Were we only as wise as 
 Karen Hougen ! ' She was to inherit the old 
 man's property, and many a good fellow offered 
 himself to share it with her ; but they all got 
 refusals. About this time the priest's son came 
 home from the priest-school. Things had not 
 gone well with him, because he had more taste 
 for carousing and mischief than for proper 
 tilings : now he drank. ' Beware of him ! ' said
 
 158 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 the old leiismand. ' I have been much with peo- 
 ple of the upper classes, and it is my experience 
 that they are less worthy of our confidence than 
 peasants.' Karen constantly heeded his voice 
 beyond that of others. And when, by and by, 
 she began to come into contact with the priest's 
 son she avoided him, for he sought her. Soon 
 she could go nowhere without meeting him. 
 ' Awaj ! ' cried she ; ' it will do you no good.' 
 But he persisted, and thus it happened that at 
 last she was forced to pause and listen. He 
 was handsome enough, but when he told her 
 that he could not live without her he frightened 
 her. He was always hanging about the house, 
 but she did not come out ; he stood outside of 
 her window at night, but she did not appear ; 
 he said he would put an end to himself, but 
 Karen knew what she knew. And then he 
 would take to drinkinc: again. ' Beware of him ! 
 These are all the devil's snares,' said the old 
 lensmand. One day the fellow appeared in her 
 room; no one knew how he had come there. 
 Now I am going to kill you,' said he. ' Yes, 
 io so if you dare,' said she. But then he shed 
 tears, and told her that it was in her power to 
 uake a respectable man of him. ' If you could 
 abstain from drinking even half a year,' said 
 she. And so he kept from drinking half a
 
 synnOve solbakken. 159 
 
 year. ' Do you trust me now? ' asked he. ' Not 
 until you have given up all kinds of gayety and 
 merry-making for half a year.' This he did. 
 ' Do you trust me now? ' asked he. ' Not until 
 you go away and finish your studies for the 
 priesthood.' He did this, too, and the next 
 year came back with his studies completed. 
 ' Do you trust me now ? ' asked he, and even 
 had on gown and collar. ' Now I should like 
 to hear you preach a few times,' said Karen. 
 And he preached strictly in accordance with 
 the word of God, as it behooves a priest to do ; 
 he spoke of his own weakness, and how easy it 
 was to conquer if one could only begin, and 
 how good the word of God was when once it 
 was found. After this he again sought Karen. 
 ' Yes, now I believe you live up to what you 
 have learned,' said Karen. ' And now I will 
 tell you that for three years I have been be- 
 trothed to my cousin, Anders Hougen ; you 
 shall publish the bans for us next Sunday.' " 
 
 Here the mother concluded. Synnove had 
 paid little attention in the beginning, but had 
 gradually roused up more nnd more, and at the 
 last hung upon every word. " Is there any 
 more?" inquired she, much alarmed. 
 
 " No," answered the mother. The father 
 .ooked at the mother, and then her gaze grew
 
 160 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 unsteady and avoided his ; and after a little re- 
 flection, during wliicli she drew her finger along 
 the table, she continned, " Perhaps there might 
 be something more ; but it does not matter." 
 
 *' Is there more ? " asked Synnove, turning 
 to her father, who seemed to know about it. 
 
 " Oh — yes ; but it is as mother says ; it does 
 not matter." 
 
 " What became of him ? " asked Synnove. 
 
 "Ay, that is just it," said the father, and 
 looked toward the mother. She had leaned 
 back against the wall, and was looking at the 
 two. 
 
 " Did he become unhappy? " asked Synniwe, 
 softly. 
 
 " We must end where the end ought to be," 
 gaid the mother, and arose. The father did 
 likewise. Svnnove slowlv arose after them.
 
 CHAPTER Vm. 
 
 Some weeks later, early in the morning, the 
 entire Solbakke household was preparing for 
 church-going. There was to be confirmation, 
 which took place a little earlier this year than 
 usual, and on an occasion of this kind the 
 house Avas always locked up, for all wanted to 
 go. They were not going to drive, as the 
 weather was clear, although rather cold and 
 blustering in the morning ; the day promised 
 to be fine. The road wound about the parish ; 
 and past Granliden, then took an abrupt turn 
 to the right, and fully two miles farther on lay 
 the church. The grain was in most places cut 
 and put on poles for drying. The cows had 
 nearly all been brought down from the mount- 
 ains, and were tethered. The fields were either 
 covered with their second growth of green, or 
 where the earth was poor were of a grayish- 
 white hue. Round about stood the many-col- 
 ored forests : the birch already drooping, the 
 aspen quite yellow, the rowan with dry, shriv- 
 eled leaves, but vnth berries. It had rained 
 11
 
 162 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 hard for several days ; the small brush that 
 lined the roadside, and stood sneezing in the 
 Band, was now washed clean and fresh. But 
 the mountain sides began to beetle more darkly 
 over the valley, now that the devastating au- 
 tumn had dismantled them and made them 
 look sober; whereas the mountain brooks, 
 which had only occasionally shown life during 
 the summer, rolled swollen and leaped down 
 with a great noise. The Granlid force fell 
 more heavily and with more gravity, especially 
 when it came to the rock}'^ waste of the Granlid 
 slope, where the mountain suddenly refuses to 
 accompany it any farther, and makes an ab- 
 rupt curve inward. It braced itself in the rock, 
 and then rushed onward, and shouted so that 
 the mountain trembled. The rock was well 
 washed for its treason, for the force sent a pro- 
 voking jet of spray right up into its face. 
 Some inquisitive alder bushes, which had ap- 
 proached the edge of the precipice, had nearly 
 reeled down in the flood ; they stood gasping 
 in the shower-bath, for the force was not spar- 
 ing to-day. 
 
 Thorbjorn, both his parents, his brother and 
 sister, and the rest of the household passed by 
 and beheld this. He was now weU again, and 
 had already taken vigorous hold of his father's
 
 synnOve solbakken. 163 
 
 work, as before. The two were continually to- 
 gether, and so they were to-day. 
 
 " I almost think those are the Solbakke peo- 
 ple we have right behind us," said the father. 
 
 Thorbjoru did not look back, but the mother 
 said, " Yes, so they are ; but I do not see — oh, 
 yes, far back there." 
 
 Either because the Granlid family went 
 faster after this, or because the Solbakke fam- 
 ily slackened their speed, the distance between 
 them became greater and greater ; at last they 
 could scarcely see one another. 
 
 It looked as if the church would be crowded ; 
 the long parish road was black with people, 
 walking, driving, and riding. The horses, now 
 in the autumn, were full of mettle and little 
 accustomed to being together ; the result of 
 which was that they went neighing along, and 
 were so luiruly that the trip was dangerous, al- 
 though quite lively. The nearer they drew to 
 the church, the greater noise the horses kept 
 up; for each one that arrived called out to 
 those who already stood tied there, and they 
 in turn tugged at their tethers, stamped on the 
 ground with their hind hoofs, and whinnied at 
 the new-comers. All the dogs of the parish, 
 who the whole week long had sat listening to 
 one another, scolding and teasing one another.
 
 164 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 now met here at church, and rushed into the 
 most desperate fights, in couples and in great 
 knots, all over the grounds. The people stood 
 quiet in rows along the church wall and along 
 the houses, spoke in whispers, and merely 
 'ooked i>.t one another out of the corners of 
 their eyes. The road leading past the wall was 
 not broad ; the houses on the opposite side 
 were close by ; and the women generally stood 
 along the church wall, the men directly oppo- 
 site, along the houses. Not until later did they 
 venture to cross over and mingle together ; and 
 even if acquaintances espied one another at a 
 distance they acted as though they did not 
 know one another until that time came. It 
 might then happen that when a fresh party 
 came up some of those already there stood so 
 directly in their way that a greeting could not 
 be avoided ; but it was given, in such cases, 
 with half-averted face and few words, where- 
 upon the new-comers were apt to withdraw 
 each to his side. When the Granlid family 
 approached, the prevailing stillness, if possi- 
 ble, increased. S^mund did not have many 
 to greet, and so he quickly passed down the 
 line ; the women, on their part, at once fast- 
 ened themselves against the wall, and remained 
 standing there among the foremost. The r&
 
 synnOve solbakken. 165 
 
 Bult of this was that when it was time to go 
 into church the men had to cross over again 
 after the women. Just as they were doing so, 
 three vehicles, one after the other, came driv- 
 ing up more rapidly than any of the preced- 
 ing ones, and did not slacken their speed as 
 they turned in among the people. Sasmund 
 and Thorbjorn, who came near being run over, 
 both looked up at once ; in the first vehicle sat 
 Knud Nordhoug and an old man, in the sec- 
 ond his sister and her husband, and in the third 
 his parents. Father and son looked at each 
 other ; not a feature of Saimund's face moved. 
 Thorbjorn was very pale. They both gazed 
 away and looked directly before them ; then 
 they saw the Solbakke family, who had just 
 paused directly opposite to greet Inge bj org and 
 Ingrid Granliden. The vehicles had come in 
 between ; conversation had grown stiff ; their 
 eyes still hung on those who had driven on, 
 and it was some time before they could with- 
 draw them. After one and the other had be- 
 gun to recover from the surprise, and let their 
 eyes wander around to seek something to di- 
 vert their attention, they fell on Ssemund and 
 Thorbjorn, who stood staring there in the road. 
 Guttorm Solbakken turned away, but his wife 
 at once sought Thorbjorn's eyes. Synuove,
 
 166 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 who had probably caught these, turned to In- 
 grid Granliden, and took her hand to greet her, 
 although she liad done so once before. But 
 they all at the same time became conscious that 
 their servants and acquaintances were every one 
 observing them, and SaBnmnd went right over 
 and, without looking at him, took Guttorm by 
 the hand. 
 
 " Thanks for last," ^ said he. 
 
 " Thanks to yourself for last." 
 
 To Guttorm's wife too he said, " Thanks for 
 last." 
 
 "Thanks to yourself for last;" but she did 
 not look up as she spoke. 
 
 Thorbjorn followed, and did as his father had 
 done. The latter had now come to Synnove, who 
 was the first person he looked at. She looked 
 up at him, too, and forgot to say, " Thanks for 
 last." Thorbjorn appeared just then; he said 
 nothing, she nothing. They took each other by 
 the hand, but lightly ; neither could raise an 
 eye, neither could stir a foot. 
 
 " It is surely going to be blessed weather, to- 
 day," remarked Karen Solbakken, and glanced 
 hastily from one to the other. 
 
 It was Saemund who answered : " Oh, yes ; 
 that wind is driving the clouds away." 
 
 1 A common greeting in Norway, equivalent to " Thanks for tht 
 Uflt time we were together."
 
 synnOve solbakken. 167 
 
 •' That is a good thing for the grain that is 
 standing out and needs dry weather," said In- 
 gebjorg Granliden, and began to brush the 
 back of Saemund's jacket, probably because she 
 thought it was dusty. 
 
 " The Lord has given us a good year ; but it 
 is rather uncertain whether we shall get every- 
 thing under cover," began Karen Solbakken, 
 and glanced over again at the two, who had 
 not stirred since the last time she looked. 
 
 " That depends upon how strong a force we 
 can muster," replied Ssemund, and turned in 
 such a way toward her that she could not very 
 well look where she wanted, " I have often 
 thought that a couple of gards might unite 
 their forces; we would surely do better in that 
 way." 
 
 " It might happen that they would want to 
 make use of the dry weather at the same time," 
 said Karen Solbakken, and took a step to one 
 side. 
 
 *' Yes, to be sure," answered Ingebjorg, and 
 stationed herself close beside her husband, so 
 that Karen could not look where she desired 
 now either. " But in some places the crop 
 ripens earlier than in others : Solbakken is 
 often a fortnight in advance of us." 
 
 " Yea, and so we could very well help each
 
 168 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 Other," observed Guttorm slowly, and drew a 
 step nearer. Karen gave bim a hasty glance 
 " However, there are many circumstances which 
 can come in the way," added he. 
 
 " That there are," said Karen, and moved a 
 step to one side, a step to the other, and still 
 anothe-', but glanced back again. 
 
 " Oh, yes, there is often a great deal in one's 
 way," said Saemund; and a smile seemed to 
 play about his lips. 
 
 " That is no doubt so," said Guttorm. 
 
 But his wife interposed, " Man's power does 
 not extend far ; that of God is the greatest, I 
 should think, and it depends upon Him." 
 
 " Do you think He is likely to have anything 
 especial against our helping one another with 
 the harvesting at Granliden and Solbakken ? " 
 
 " No," remarked Guttorm. •"• He cannot have 
 anything against that," and he looked gravely 
 at his wife. She turned the subject. 
 
 " There are a great many people at church 
 to-day," said she; "it does one good to see 
 them seek the house of God." 
 
 No one seemed to want to reply ; finally Gut 
 torm observed, " I really believe the fear of 
 God is increasing ; there is a larger attendance 
 at church now than there was in my young 
 lays."'
 
 synnOve solbakken. 169 
 
 " Oh, yes, — the people are increasing," re- 
 marked Sseraund. 
 
 " No doubt there are some among them, per- 
 haps the greater part, who merely come over 
 here from habit," said Karen Solbakken. 
 
 " Perhaps the younger ones," observed In- 
 gebjorg. 
 
 " The younger ones like to meet one another,' 
 said Ssemund. 
 
 " Have you heard that the priest is going to 
 apply for another parish? " asked Karen, thus 
 turning the conversation a second time. 
 
 " That would be too bad," said Ingebjorg. 
 " He has both baptized and confirmed all my 
 children." 
 
 " I suppose you would like him to marry 
 them also, first," said Ssemund, and chewed 
 away at a chip he had picked up. 
 
 "I wonder if it will not soon be church 
 time 1 " exclaimed Karen, and looked over at 
 the door. 
 
 " Yes, it is pretty warm out here to-day," 
 said Scemund, chewing away as before. 
 
 " Come now, Synnove, let us go in." 
 
 Synnove started, and turned, for she had 
 donbtless been talking with Thorbjorn. 
 
 '' Will you not wait until the bell rings ? " 
 asked Ingrid Granliden, and stole a glance at 
 Synnove.
 
 170 synnOve solbakken. 
 
 "Then we can all go in together," added 
 Ingebjorg. 
 
 Synnove knew not what she should answer. 
 
 Stfimund looked over his shoulder at her. 
 '' Wait, and it will ring soon for you," said he. 
 
 Synnove grew very red ; her mother looked 
 sharply up at him. But he smiled with his 
 eyes fixed on her. 
 
 " It will be now as the Lord wishes ; was not 
 that what you said a while ago?" said he, a; d 
 sauntered on in advance toward the church, the 
 others following. 
 
 At the church door there was a crowd, and 
 when they came to look it was not open. Just 
 as they drew nearer to inquire into the cause of 
 this, the door was opened, and the people poured 
 in ; but some of them stepped back, and this 
 separated those who were entering. Up against 
 the wall stood two people, in conversation, one 
 of them tall and heavily built, with light but 
 straight hair and snub nose ; and this was Knud 
 Nordhoug, who, when he saw the Granlid family 
 approach, stopped talking, looked rather em- 
 barrassed, but stood still, nevertheless. Ssemund 
 was obliged now to go right past him, and fixed 
 m him a pair of eyes, as he did so ; but Knud 
 did not lower his either, although their gaze 
 was not steady. Now came Synnove, and the
 
 synnOve solbakken. 171 
 
 moment she so unexpectedly caught sight of 
 Kuud she grew deathly pale. Then Knud cast 
 down his eyes, and straiglitened himself up 
 from the wall to go. He had taken only a few 
 steps when he saw four faces turned to his ; 
 these were Guttorm's, his wife's, Ingrid's, and 
 Thorbjorn's. As one bewildered, he went 
 straight toward them, so that without know- 
 ing what he was doing he soon stood face to 
 face with Thorbjorn himself ; the latter at once 
 made a movement to turn aside ; but several 
 people had come up, and this could not so eas- 
 ily be done. This occurred on the stone slab 
 lying outside of the Fagerlid church. Upon 
 the threshold of the vestibule Synnove had 
 paused, and Ssemund farther in ; as they stood 
 higher than the others, they could distinctly see 
 every one outside, and be seen by them. Syn- 
 nove had forgotten all else around her, and only 
 stared at Thorbjorn ; the same with Ssemund, 
 his wife, the Solbakke couple, and Ingrid. 
 Thorbjorn felt this, and stood as one nailed to 
 the spot ; but Knud thought he must do some- 
 thing here, and so he stretched out one hand 
 
 little way, but said nothing. Thorbjorn also 
 put his forward a little, but not so that the 
 -wo hands could touch. 
 
 "Thanks for" — began Knud, but remem-
 
 172 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 bered at once that this was not the proper 
 greeting here, and drew back a step. 
 
 Thorbjorn looked up, and his eye fell on 
 Synnove, who was as white as snow. With a 
 long stride forward and a vigorous grasp of 
 Knud's hand, he said, so that those nearest 
 could hear it, " Thanks for last, Knud ; we may 
 have gained much good from it, both of us." 
 
 Knud gave vent to a sound, almost like a sob, 
 and it seemed two or three times as though he 
 tried to speak, but the effort was in vain. Thor- 
 bjorn had nothing further to say, he waited, 
 did not look up, — only waited. There was ut- 
 tered, meanwhile, not a word ; and as Thorbjorn 
 now stood there twirling his hymn-book, it 
 chanced that he dropped it. At once Knud 
 stooped, picked it up, and handed it to him. 
 
 " Thank you! " said Thorbjorn, who had half 
 stooped himself. He raised his eyes, but as 
 Knud looked down again, Thorbjorn thought, 
 " It is best for me to go." And so he went. 
 
 The others went, too, and when Thorbjorn 
 had been seated for a while, and ventured to 
 look over at the women's pew, his gaze met 
 Ingebj org's face, beaming with a motherly smile 
 on him, and that of Karen Solbakken too, who 
 evidently had been waiting for him to look over 
 there; for the moment he did so she nodded
 
 synnOve solbakken. 173 
 
 at him three times, and when he hesitated she 
 nodded again three times, still more gently 
 than before. Sremund, his father, whispered in 
 his ear, " I thought so." They had heard the 
 opening prayer, sung a hymn, and the confirma- 
 tion candidates wei'e already taking their places 
 before he whispered to him the next time : 
 " But Knud does not know much about being 
 erood : let it ever be far from Granliden to 
 Nordhoug." 
 
 The confirmation began by the priest coming 
 forward and the children uniting in singing 
 Kingn's confirmation hymn. To hear them sing 
 all at once and without accompaniment, their 
 fresh young voices so full of trusting hope, is 
 calculated to touch people, and especially those 
 who are not too far advanced in life to remem- 
 ber their own day. When after this deep si- 
 lence ensues, and the priest, the same now as 
 more than twenty years ago, the same who has 
 taken such pains to find an occasional little 
 hour wherein he has talked for the improve- 
 ment of every single one of them, — when now 
 he clasps his hands over his breast and joins in 
 the hymn, there is indeed much emotion. But 
 the children begin to shed tears when the priest 
 talks of their parents, and wishes them to pray 
 to the Lord for their children. Thorbjorn, wlio
 
 174 SYNNdVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 but recently lay at the point of death, and still 
 more recently believed that he would be an in- 
 valid all his life, wept much, but especially 
 when the children took upon them their vow, 
 and all seemed so sure of being able to keep it. 
 He did not once look over at the women's pew, 
 but at the end of the service he went over to 
 Ingrid, his sister, and whispered something to 
 her, whereupon he hurriedly pressed forward 
 and went out ; and some were under the im- 
 pression that he had gone up over the slope and 
 through the woods, instead of by the road, but 
 they were not sure of this. Saemund searched 
 for him ; gave it up, though, when he saw that 
 Ingrid too was gone. He then looked round 
 for the Solbakke people; they were seeking 
 everywhere for Sjunove, whom no one had 
 seen. Then they started for home, each sepa- 
 rately, and without their children. 
 
 But already far on their way were both Syn- 
 nove and Ingrid. 
 
 " I am almost sorry that I came along," said 
 the former. 
 
 " It is no longer serious now that father 
 knows of it," said the latter. 
 
 " Yes, but he is not my father," replied Syn 
 uove. 
 
 " Who knows ? " replied Ingrid ; and then 
 they said nothing more upon that subject.
 
 synnOve solbakken. 175 
 
 " This must be where we were to wait," re- 
 marked Ingrid, as the road made an abrupt 
 curve, and they entered a dense wood. 
 
 " He has taken a long, roundabout way," 
 said Synnove. 
 
 " Ah'eady come ! " interposed Thorbjorn ; he 
 arose from behind a great stone. 
 
 He had ready in his mind all that he wanted 
 to say, and that was not a little. But to-day 
 things could not go wrong ; for his father knew 
 his wishes and approved thera, of which he felt 
 sure, after what had occurred at church. This 
 oportunity was what he had been longing for 
 the whole summer, and he surely would be 
 more able to speak now than he had ever been 
 before. " We had better take the road through 
 the woods," observed he ; "■ we will get on faster 
 that way." The girls said nothing, but went 
 with him. Thorbjorn thought about speaking 
 to Synnove, but first he wanted to wait until 
 they got up over the hill, afterward until they 
 were across the marsh ; yet when they were 
 well across, he decided that it was best not to 
 begin until they had come into the woods, far- 
 ther on. Ingrid, who probably thought they 
 were getting on pretty slowly, began to slacken 
 her pace, and fell more and more behind, until 
 ^he was scarcely visible. Synnove pretended
 
 176 synnOve solbakken. 
 
 she did not notice this, but began to pick here 
 and there a berry which thrust itself forwiiixl 
 on the roadside. 
 
 " It would be strange if I could not find words 
 for myself," thought Thorbjorn ; and so he re- 
 marked, " The weather proved to be fine to-day, 
 after all." 
 
 " So it did," answered Synnove. And then 
 they walked on a piece again. She picked ber- 
 ries, and he kept moving. 
 
 " It was kind of you to come with me," said 
 he ; but to this she made no answer. " It has 
 been a long summer," he continued , but to 
 this she made no answer, either. 
 
 "No, as long as we are walking," thought 
 Thorbjorn, " we will never get the conversa- 
 tion started. I think we had better wait a lit- 
 tle for Ingrid," said he. 
 
 " Yes, let us do so," answered Synnove, and 
 stood still. 
 
 There were no berries here to stoop for, — 
 this Thorbjorn had plainly seen ; but Synnove 
 had picked up a large straw, and now she stood 
 and threaded the berries on the straw. 
 
 " To-day I have been strongly reminded of 
 the time when we went together to confirma- 
 tion," said lie. 
 
 "I, too, thought of it," replied she.
 
 SYNNOVE SOLBAI^KEN. 177 
 
 "Many things have happened since that 
 time," said he ; and as she made no answer, he 
 continued : " but most of them have been dif- 
 ferent from what we expected." 
 
 Synnove was very industriously threading her 
 berries on the straw, and held her head bowed 
 down as she did so. He advanced a little in 
 order to look into her face ; but, as though she 
 observed this, she managed to make it ueces- 
 sai7 for her to turn again. Then he grew al- 
 most afraid that he should not be able to say 
 what he desired. 
 
 " Synnove, you must have something to say, 
 too." 
 
 She looked up and laughed. " What shall I 
 say ? " asked she. 
 
 He recovered all his courage, and wanted to 
 put his arm right around her waist ; but when 
 he came near her, he did not exactly dare to do 
 80. He therefore merely asked, very timidly, 
 " Ingrid has talked with you, I presume ? " 
 
 " Yes," replied she. 
 
 " Then 1 dare say you know something, too," 
 said he. She was silent. " Then I dare say 
 you know something, too," he repeated, and 
 drew nearer the second time. 
 
 " You know something, too, I suppose," an- 
 swered she. 
 
 IS
 
 178 SYNNdVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 He could not see her face. 
 
 "Yes," said he, and tried to take hold of 
 one of her hands ; but she was more industrious 
 now than ever. " It is so provoking," continued 
 he ; " you steal ray courage away." He could 
 not see whether she smiled to this, and there- 
 fore he did not know what he should add. " To 
 cut the matter short," said he, suddenly, speak- 
 ing in a loud tone, although tlie voice was not 
 quite steady, "what have you done with that 
 note ? " 
 
 She made no reply, but turned away. He 
 moved after her, laid one hand on her shoulder, 
 and bent over her. 
 
 " Answer me," he whispered. 
 
 " I have burnt it." 
 
 He quickly seized hold of her and turned 
 her toward him ; but then he saw that she was 
 about to cry, and so he did not dare to do 
 anything but let go his hold of her again. " It 
 is too bad that her tears come so easily," 
 thought he. 
 
 Just at that moment she said, " Why did 
 you write the note ? " 
 
 " That Ingrid has told you." 
 
 " Yes, of course ; but — it was hard in you.' 
 
 " Father wished that " — 
 
 *' Nevertheless " —
 
 stnnOve solbakken. 179 
 
 " He believed that I would be a broken- 
 down invalid all my life ; hereafter I shall take 
 care of you," said he. 
 
 Tngrid appeared at the foot of the hill, and 
 they started at once to go on. 
 
 " It seemed as though I cared most for you 
 when I no longer thought I should be able to 
 get you," he continued. 
 
 "One knows one's self best when one is 
 alone," said she. 
 
 " Yes ; then we find out who has the great- 
 est power over us," said Thorbjorn, in a clear 
 voice, and walked gravely by her side. 
 
 She picked no more berries. 
 
 " Will you have these ? " asked she, handing 
 him the straw. 
 
 " Thank you ! " said he, and held fast to the 
 hand that reached him the berries. " So then 
 it is best that things go on in the old way," 
 said he, in rather a faint voice. 
 
 " Yes," she whispered, scarcely audibly, and 
 turned away. 
 
 Then they went onward, and so long as she 
 was silent he did not either dare touch her or 
 speak ; but he felt no weight at all in his body, 
 and therefore came pretty near tumbling over. 
 There was a burning in his eyes, and when, 
 just then, they reached an elevation from which
 
 180 synnOve solbakken. 
 
 Solbakken was plainly visible it seemed to him 
 as though he had lived there all his life, and 
 longed to get home. 
 
 " I might just as well go over with her at 
 once," thought he ; and, drinking in courage 
 from the view, he grew stronger in his resolve 
 with every step. " Father will help me," 
 thought he. " I cannot bear this any longer ; 
 I must go over there, — I must ! " He walked 
 faster and faster, looking straight before him ; 
 there seemed to be a glow over parish and gard. 
 " Yes, to-day ; not an hour longer will I wait ; " 
 and he felt so strong that he knew not which 
 way he should turn. 
 
 " You are leaving me behind," he heard from 
 a sweet voice just back of him. 
 
 It was Synnove, who had scarcely been able 
 to follow him, and now had to give up. He 
 felt ashamed, turned, and walked back with 
 outstretched arms, thinking, " I wLU lift her 
 right over my head ; " but when he came near, 
 he did not do so at all. 
 
 " I walk so fast," said he. 
 
 " You do," replied she. 
 
 They were near the parish road ; Ingrid, who 
 for some time had been out of sight, came up 
 right behind them. 
 
 " Now you two shall not walk together any 
 'onger," said she.
 
 synnOve SOLBAKKEN. 181 
 
 Thorbjorn was startled at this ; it came too 
 Boon for him. Synnove became also a little em- 
 barrassed. 
 
 " I have so much I ought to say to you," 
 whispered Thorbjorn. She could not avoid 
 smiling. " Oh, well," said he, "another time " 
 — and he took her hand. 
 
 She looked up with a clear, full gaze ; he 
 grew warm under it, and promptly it ran 
 through his mind, " I will go with her at once ! " 
 Then she discreetly withdrew her hand, turned 
 calmly to Ingrid, bade her farewell, and went 
 slowly down toward the road. He was left 
 standing behind. 
 
 The brother and sister went home through 
 the woods. 
 
 " Did you now have a talk together ? " in- 
 quired Ingrid. 
 
 " No, the road was too short," said he, walk- 
 ing fast, as though he did not want to hear 
 more. 
 
 " Well ? " asked Ssemund, looking up from 
 his dinner, as the two entered the room. Thor- 
 bjorn made no reply, but went over to the 
 bench opposite, probably to take off his things; 
 Ingrid followed, laughing slyly. Saemund be- 
 gan to eat again ; now and then he looked over 
 
 w
 
 182 synnOve solbakken. 
 
 at Thorbjora, who seemed very busy, smiled, 
 and ate on. " Come and eat," said he ; " the 
 dinner will be cold." 
 
 " Thank you, I do not want anything," said 
 Thorbjorn^ and sat down. 
 
 "So?" and Saemund went on eating. Pres- 
 ently he said, " You were in a great hurry to 
 get away from church to-day." 
 
 " There were some people we had to talk 
 with," said Thorbjorn. 
 
 " Well, did you get to talk with them ? " 
 
 " I scarcely know," said Thorbjorn. 
 
 " The deuce you do not ! " cried Ssemund, and 
 went on eating. Shortly after he finished, and 
 arose ; he walked over to the window, stood 
 a while looking out, then turned, and said, 
 " See here, let us go out and look at the 
 crops." Thorbjorn arose. " No, you might 
 as well put your coat on." Thorbjorn, who was 
 in his shirt-sleeves, laid hold of an old jacket 
 that hung above him. " You pee, I have put 
 on a new one," said Saemund. Thorbjorn did 
 the same, and they went out ; Saemund leading 
 che way, Thorbjorn following. 
 
 They went down toward the road. " Shall 
 we not go over to the barley ? " asked Thor 
 bjorn. 
 
 '* No, we will go yonder to the wheat," re*
 
 synnOve solbakken. 183 
 
 plied Saemund. Just as they reached the road. 
 a cart came slowly driving along. " That is 
 one of the Nordhoug carts," said Saemund. 
 
 " Yes, those are the young people from Nord- 
 houg," added Thorbjorn. By the young people 
 he meant the newly-married couple. 
 
 The cart halted as it came near the Granlid 
 men. " She is really a proud woman, that Ma- 
 rit Nordhoug," whispered Saemund, and could 
 not take his eyes from her. She sat leaning 
 back in the cart, with one kerchief loosely tied 
 about her head, and another drawn around her. 
 She was looking fixedly out at the two ; there 
 was not the slightest emotion in her clear-cut, 
 strong features. Her husband was very pale 
 and thin, had a still more gentle look than for- 
 merly, much as one who has a sorrow he can- 
 not speak of. 
 
 " Are you men out looking at the grain ? " 
 asked he. 
 
 " It seems so," replied Sasmund. 
 
 " It is doing well this year." 
 
 " Oh, yes, it might have done worse." 
 
 " You are late," said Thorbjorn. 
 
 " There were a great many acquaintances to 
 take leave of," said the man. 
 
 *' Why — are you going on a journey ? '' 
 aaked Saemund.
 
 184 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN 
 
 " I expect to, yes." 
 
 " Are you going far? " 
 
 « Oh, yes." 
 
 *' How far, for example ? " 
 
 " To America." 
 
 " To America ! " exclaimed both men in a 
 breath. " A new-married man I " added Sse- 
 mund. 
 
 The man smiled, and said, " 'I think I will 
 stay here for the sake of my foot,' said the fox, 
 when he had been caught in the trap." 
 
 Marit looked at him, and then at the others, 
 and a slight flush overspread her face ; other- 
 wise it was unchanged. 
 
 " I suppose your wife will go with you ? " 
 said Ssemund. 
 
 *' No, she will not, either.' 
 
 " They say it is easy to gain position in 
 America," said Thorbjorn ; he felt that the 
 conversation should not be allowed to come to 
 a stand-still. 
 
 '' Oh — yes," said the man. 
 
 " But Nordhoug is a good gard," remarked 
 Ssemund. 
 
 " There are too many people on it," re- 
 plied the man. His wife looked at him 
 again. " One stands in the way of the other,' 
 he added.
 
 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 185 
 
 "Well, good luck on your journey," said 
 Sffiniund, and took his hand. '' Tlie Lord grant 
 you what you wish to find I " 
 
 Thorbjorn looked his old school-mate ear- 
 nestly in the eye. " I will talk with you by 
 and by," said he. 
 
 " It is good to have some one to talk with," 
 said the man, and scraped the bottom of the 
 cart with his whip. 
 
 " Do come over to our house," said Marit ; 
 and Thorbjorn, as well as Ssemund, looked up 
 in surprise ; they had really forgotten that she 
 had so pleasant a voice. 
 
 They drove on ; the cart moved slowly 
 away ; a little cloud of dust encircled them, — 
 the evening sun fell directly on it ; against 
 his wadmal clothes her silken kerchief glist- 
 ened. They came to a hill, and disappeared. 
 
 The father and son walked on for a long 
 time before they said anything. 
 
 " I have a foreboding that it will be long be- 
 fore he returns," observed Thorbjorn, finally. 
 
 "That is best, I suppose," remarked Sse- 
 mund, " when one has not secured happiness 
 at home ; " and once more they walked silently 
 Dn. 
 
 " You are going past the wheat field," said 
 Thorbjorn.
 
 186 synnOve solbakken. 
 
 "We can look at that on our way back," 
 and they went farther on. Thorbjorn did not 
 altogether like to ask where they were going; 
 for they had now passed the Granlid grounds.
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 GlJTTORM and Karen Solbakken had already 
 finished their dinner when Synnove, flushed and 
 oufc of breath, entered. 
 
 " Why, my dear child, where have you 
 he<ia ' " asked her mother. 
 
 ''I stayed behind with Ingrid," answered 
 Syataove, and remained standing, while she 
 took o£E a couple of kerchiefs. Her father was 
 searching in the cupboard for a book. 
 
 "What could you two have to talk about 
 that ?iook such a long time ? " 
 
 " Oh, not anything." 
 
 " Then it would have been better if you had 
 kept with the church people, my child." Ka- 
 ren gt!>t up and placed Synnove's dinner before 
 her. When Synnove had taken her seat at the 
 table, and her mother had sat down directly 
 opposite, the latter said, " I suppose there were 
 others you were talking with." 
 
 " Yes, there were many," replied Synnove. 
 
 " The child may surely be allowed to talk 
 with folks," said Guttorm.
 
 188 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 " To be sure she may," said the mother, 
 rather more gently ; " but still she ought to 
 come home with her parents." 
 
 To this no reply was made. 
 
 " It was a blessed church day," remarked the 
 mother. " It does me good to see the young 
 folks come forward in church." 
 
 " It makes one think of one's own children," 
 said Guttorm. 
 
 " You are right there," said the mother, and 
 sighed. " No one can tell how things will go 
 with them." 
 
 Guttorm sat silent for a long time. "We 
 have much to thank God for," said he at last ; 
 " He has allowed us to keep one of ours." 
 
 The mother sat drawing her finger along the 
 table, and did not look up. " She is our great- 
 est joy," said she, softly ; " and she has done 
 well," she added, still more softly. There fol- 
 lowed a long silence. 
 
 " Yes, she has given us much happiness," said 
 Guttorm ; and later, in a soft voice, " The 
 Lord make her happy ! " 
 
 The mother was still drawing her finger along 
 the table ; there fell now a tear upon it, which 
 Bhe kept wiping away. 
 
 " Why are you not eating ? " said the father 
 looking up, a little while later.
 
 synnOve solbakken. 189 
 
 "Thank you, I have done," replied Synnove. 
 
 "But you have not eaten anything," now 
 spoke up the mother, too; "and you have had 
 a long walk." 
 
 " I am not able to," said Synnove, and bus- 
 ied herself with an end of her kerchief. 
 
 " Eat, my child," said the father. 
 
 "I cannot," said Synnove, and burst into 
 tears. 
 
 "But, dear, why are you crying ? " 
 
 " I do not know," and she sobbed. 
 
 "She does cry so easily," said the mother. 
 
 The father got up and walked to the win- 
 dow. " There are two men coming up this 
 way," said he. 
 
 "Why — is that so, at this time of day?" 
 inquired the mother, and she too went to the 
 window. They looked for a long time down 
 the hill. 
 
 "Dear, who can it be?" said Karen, at last, 
 but not quite as though she were seeking in- 
 formation. 
 
 " I do not know," replied Guttorm, and they 
 stood and watched. 
 
 " Really, I cannot understand it," said she. 
 
 "Nor I either," said he. 
 
 The men came nearer. 
 
 "It must be they, nevertheless," said she, 
 finally.
 
 190 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKEN. 
 
 " Yes, I suppose so," said Guttorm. 
 
 The men came nearer and nearer. The elder 
 of the two paused and looked back ; the younger 
 one did the same ; then they continued onward. 
 
 " Can you imagine what they want? " asked 
 Karen, in about the same way as the first time. 
 
 " No, I cannot," replied Guttorm. 
 
 The mother turned, went over to the table, 
 removed the dishes, and cleared up a little. 
 "You had better put on your kerchief, my 
 child," said she to Synnove ; " for here come 
 Bome strangers." 
 
 Scarcely had she said this before Saemund 
 opened the door and came in, Thorbjorn di- 
 rectly behind him. " Bless the company ! " 
 said Scemund, paused a little at the door, then 
 went quietly to greet those within ; Thorbjorn 
 followed. They came last to Synnove, who 
 still stood in a corner, with her kerchief in her 
 hand, and did not know whether she should 
 put it on or not ; indeed, perhaps scarcely 
 knew that she held it in her hands. 
 
 " Pray, be seated," urged the mistress of the 
 house. 
 
 " Thank you ; it is not far over here," said 
 Saemund, but sat down nevertheless. Thor- 
 bjorn took a seat by his side. 
 
 " We lost sight of you altogether at the 
 church to-day," said Karen.
 
 synnOve solbakken. 191 
 
 " Yes ; I was looking for yon," said Steinund. 
 
 " There were many people there," said Gut- 
 torm. 
 
 " A great many," repeated Sa3mimd ; "and 
 it was a fine church day, too." 
 
 " Yes, we were just talking about it," said 
 Karen. 
 
 " A confirmation is a very touching sight to 
 any one who has children himself," added Gut- 
 torm ; his wife moved a little on the bench. 
 
 " That it is," said Ssemund ; " it sets one to 
 thinking seriously about them ; and that is 
 why I wandered over here this evening," he 
 added, looking about him with an air of se- 
 curity, and he changed his quid of tobacco, lay- 
 ing the old one cautiously aside in his brass to- 
 bacco-box, Guttorm, Karen, and Thorbjorn, let 
 their eyes wander in different directions. 
 
 " I thought I would accompany Thorbjorn 
 over here," began Ssemund slowly ; " it would 
 take him a long time to get here alone, I fancy, 
 — and he would make poor work of it, besides, 
 I am afraid." He cast a sly look at Synnove, 
 who was conscious of it. " Now, it is just this 
 way : he has set his heart on Synnove from the 
 time he was oid enough to understand anything 
 about such matters ; and it is not very sure but 
 she also has set her heart on him. And so I
 
 192 synnOve solbakken. 
 
 think it is best for them to come together. 1 
 was little in favor of this in the days when 
 T saw he was scarcely able to manage himself. 
 to say nothing of other things, but now I think 
 I can vouch for him ; and if I cannot she can, 
 for her power is now the greatest, I suppose. 
 What do you two think of our making a match 
 for them ? There is no need of any haste, but I 
 do not know, either, why we should wait. You, 
 Guttorm, are pretty well off; I, to be sure, 
 rather less so, and have more to divide among ; 
 but I fancy that will be all right. You will 
 have to say now what you think of this, — I 
 will ask her afterwards ; for I am pretty sure I 
 know what she wishes." 
 
 Thus spoke Ssemund. Guttorm sat in a stoop- 
 ing position ; kept alternately placing his hands 
 one above the other ; made several signs to raise 
 his head, each time drawing his breath more 
 heavily, but did not succeed until the fourth or 
 fifth time ; then at last he straightened his back, 
 stroked his knees up and down, looked over at 
 his wife, so that the glance now and then took 
 in Synnove. The latter did not stir ; no one 
 could see her face. Karen sat drawing her fin- 
 ger on the table. 
 
 " The fact is — it is a fine offer," said she. 
 
 " Yes, and it seems to me we might as well
 
 SYNNOVE SOLBAKKE-N. 193 
 
 accept it with tlianks," said Guttorm, in a loud 
 voice, as though he were considerably relieved, 
 and looked from her to Ssemund, who had folded 
 his arms and leaned up against the wall. 
 
 "We have only this one daughter," added 
 Karen; "we have to consider a little." 
 
 "There is reason in that," said Ssemund; 
 " but I cannot see what objection there can be 
 to giving an answer at once, as the bear said, — 
 he had been asking the peasant whether he 
 could have his cow." 
 
 " We might as well answer at once," re- 
 marked Guttorm, and glanced at his wife. 
 
 " What I thought was that perhaps Thor- 
 bjorn might be a little wild," said she, but did 
 not look up. 
 
 " That, I think, has righted itself," suggested 
 Guttorm ; " you know yourself what you said 
 to-day." 
 
 The husband and wife exchanged looks ; this 
 lasted probably a whole minute. "If we could 
 only be sure of him," said she. 
 
 " Well," said Syemund, joining in the con- 
 versation again, " so far as that matter goes, I 
 can only say what I have said before ; it is all 
 right with the load when she holds the reins. 
 It is astonishing what power she has over him ; 
 I had proof of that when he lay ill at home, 
 
 13
 
 194 synnOve solbakken. 
 
 and did not know how things were going with 
 him, — whether he would get well or not." 
 
 " You should not be so hard to please," said 
 Guttorm. "You know what she wants herself, 
 and you know it is for her we live ! " 
 
 Then Synnove looked up for the first time, 
 and turned a pair of large thankful eyes on her 
 father. 
 
 "Oh, yes," sighed Karen, after a moment's 
 silence ; and now she drew her finger along the 
 table a little more vigorously than before. " If 
 I have held out against it the longest, it was 
 because I meant well by it, I suppose. Per- 
 haps I was not so hard as my words." She 
 looked up and smiled ; but the tears would 
 come. 
 
 At this Guttorm arose, " Then, in God's 
 name, that has come to pass that I have most 
 wanted of all things in the world," said he, and 
 crossed the floor to Synnove. 
 
 " I have never doubted that," said Saemund, 
 also rising. " Those who are meant to come to- 
 gether come together." He crossed the floor. 
 
 " Well, what have you to say to this, my 
 child? " said the mother, she too going over to 
 Synnove. 
 
 She still kept her seat ; the rest stood about 
 her, all except Thorbjorn, who sat where he 
 had first taken his place.
 
 stnnOve solbakken. 195 
 
 " You must get up, my child," whispered the 
 mother to her; whereupon she arose, smiled, 
 turned away, and wept. " The Lord be with 
 you now and always I " said the mother, thre\> 
 her arms around her, and wept too. The two 
 men walked across the floor, each in his own 
 direction. " You will have to go over to him," 
 said the mother, still weeping, as she let go of 
 her, and stole a loving glance at her. 
 
 Synnove took a step forward ; then stood 
 still, because she could not get any farther 
 Thorbjorn sprang up and went toward her, 
 seized her hand, held it, knew not what more 
 to do, and stood there holding it until she 
 gently withdrew it. Then they stood silent 
 by each other's side. 
 
 The door opened noiselessly ; a head was 
 thrust into the room. "Is Synnove there?" 
 was asked, in a cautious voice ; it was Ingrid 
 Granliden. 
 
 " Yes, she is here ; come in ! " cried the father. 
 Ingrid seemed to hesitate a little. " Come now ; 
 all is well here," he added. They all looked at 
 her. 
 
 She appeared rather embarrassed. " There 
 may be somebody else outside," said she. 
 
 " Who is it?" inquired Guttorm. 
 
 '• It is mother," replied she, softly.
 
 196 synnOve solbakken. 
 
 " Let her come in ! " said four voices at once. 
 
 And the Solbakken wife went to the door, 
 while the others exchanged pleased glances. 
 
 " You may as well come in, mother," they 
 heard Ingrid say. And so Ingebjorg Granli- 
 den, in her glittering head gear, entered. 
 
 " I knew what was going on,'" said she, " al- 
 though Ssemund never can tell anything. And 
 so Ingrid and I could not help coming over 
 here." 
 
 " Yes, it is just as you want it to be here,'* 
 said Ssemund, and moved so that she might ap- 
 proach. 
 
 " God bless you for drawing him over to 
 you ! " said she to Synnove, putting her arm 
 about her neck, and patting her. " You have 
 been very faithful, my child ; it has ended after 
 all as you desired," and she stroked her cheek 
 and hair. Her tears ran down over her face ; she 
 paid no heed to these, but carefully wiped away 
 Synnove's. " Yes, it is a fine boy you are get- 
 ting," added she, " and now I feel perfectly 
 safe about him," and she embraced her once 
 more. 
 
 " I tell you, mother has found out more in 
 her kitchen about this matter," said Saemund, 
 " than we others who have been right in the 
 midst of it."
 
 syi^nOve solbakken. 197 
 
 The weeping and emotion were calming down 
 a little. The housewife began to bethink her 
 of the evening meal, and spoke to little Ingrid 
 about helping her, " for Synnove is not fit for 
 it this evening." And so Ingrid and she set 
 to work to cook the cream-porridge. The men 
 got to talking about that year's harvesting, 
 and what its results might be. Thorbjorn had 
 taken his seat by the window, and Synnove 
 glided over to him and laid her hand on his 
 shoulder. 
 
 " What are you looking at ? " she whispered 
 He turned his head, gave her a long, tender 
 look, then directed his gaze out of the window 
 again. " 1 am looking over at Granlideu," said 
 he; "it seems so strange to look at it from 
 here."
 
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