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Eleseus was clever enough in his way only to see him write on a paper, or do sums with a bit of chalk! "Ay, with a head like yours," said folk, admiring him. And that was true enough; but he was spending overmuch.
They stuck to Eleseus both of them, and one day the three drove down to Storborg to see the wonder with their own eyes. But once there was a prospect of selling, Aronsen became a different man; he wasn't pressed to get rid of it, not at all. If he did go away, the place could stand as it was; 'twas a first-rate holding, a "cash down" place, there'd be no difficulty in selling it any time.
Eleseus arranged the funeral, and managed things very well; got hold of a fuchsia or so from the cottages round, and borrowed a flag to hoist at half-mast, and bought some black stuff from the store for lowered blinds. Isak and Inger were sent for, and came to the burial.
Even Eleseus was not reduced to misery because the stream of gold was flowing elsewhere; the worst of it was that in his first exaltation he had bought great stocks of goods that were now unsaleable. Well, they could stay there for the time being; it looked well, at any rate, to have plenty of wares in a store. No, a man of the wilds did not lose his head.
"What have you done with Axel?" asks Sivert. "Oh, he's about the place somewhere," she answers, pulling herself up. "And so we'll not be seeing you this way any more, I doubt?" she asks Eleseus. "It's hardly probable," says he. "Ay, 'tis no place for one as is used to the town. I only wish I could go along with you." "You don't mean that, I know." "Don't mean it?
And he and Sivert and Leopoldine, and Jensine the servant-maid, they were all busy now in the fields with the first lot of hay that year. Eleseus did not spare himself either, but raked away till his hands were blistered and had to be wrapped in rags. He had lost his appetite for a week or so, but worked none the worse for it now.
Here at Sellanraa there was nothing of that sort; Jensine, the servant-maid, was a mere nothing, a worker and no more, rather suited to Sivert. "I've a fancy to see how that girl Barbro from Breidablik turned out now she's grown up," said Eleseus one day. "Well, go down to Axel Ström's place and see," said Sivert. Eleseus went down one Sunday.
In the autumn, when animals were to be killed, the lads were greatly curious, and fearful, and heavy at heart for the ones that were to die. There was Isak holding with one hand, and the other ready to strike; Oline stirred the blood. The old goat was led out, bearded and wise; the boys stood peeping round the corner. "Filthy cold wind this time," said Eleseus, and turned away to wipe his eyes.
You can't refuse him, Eleseus; off with you at once this minute and see your uncle while there's life in him. I'm going that way too, we'll go together." Oline did not leave Sellanraa without taking Inger aside for more whisperings of Barbro. "Not a word I've said but I could see the signs of it! And now I suppose she'll be wife and all on the farm there.
The whole place rang with the noise as he hammered in his eight-inch nails. Inger came out now and again and said it was trying for the little ones. "Ay, the little ones go in and talk to them then, sing a bit. Eleseus, he can have a bucket lid to hammer on himself. And it's only while I'm doing these big nails just here, at the cross-beams, that's got to bear the whole.
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