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"He is to have it if you resist God," Halvor declared. "I'm obliged to you for telling me what a good stroke of business it would be for me to adopt your faith." "You know well enough it wasn't meant in that way," said Karin reprovingly. "I understand quite well what you mean," returned Ingmar. "I'm to lose Gertrude and the sawmill and the old home unless I go over to the Hellgumists."
Karin winced a little, but was careful not to look over at her brother. "The Lord will find a way out for him," she murmured. "The Lord will surely find away out." To all appearances the living-room was not much changed by reason of the auction, for in there the seats and cupboards and bedsteads were stationary.
When she had closed the prayer with a fervent "Amen!" which seemed to be the sealing of her petitions to the One strong to save, she turned to Karin and said, "I will go down and send a person to watch her, and then you must go with me to our home; for I have heard that you were left at the inn. You cannot be there now." She felt that it would be best for Karin to be for a time alone.
Presently Halvor got up, and the others started, as if suddenly awakened from a sound sleep. "I must get back to the shop," said Halvor. "What's your hurry?" asked Mother Stina. "I hope Halvor isn't going on my account," said Karin meekly. As soon as Halvor was gone the tension was broken, and the schoolmaster knew at once what to say.
"Yes, old and feeble," was the reply. Karin waited a moment, and then began to speak of the journey. "Yes; it will be this evening," he said, and his face wore a most peculiar expression, as if some struggle was going on within him. At last he began: "I have had time to see more of Elsa than usual, and when she was with young companions.
In the morning, when people were astir in the house, the doctor was called in. He was at a loss to understand what had come over Karin. She did not appear to be ill, nor was she paralyzed. He was of the opinion that her trouble had been brought on by fright. "You'll soon be all right again," he assured her. Karin listened to the doctor, but said nothing.
After the old lady had gone, Karin broke into tears. "Perhaps it isn't right for us to go," she sighed. But she was pleased that the Dean's widow had said that Ingmarsson was a good name that it had always been a good name. It was the first and only time Karin had been known to waver, or to express any doubt as to the advisability of the great undertaking.
The pastor is now trying to persuade Karin and Halvor to let it go to the innkeeper rather than to the Company." "But what about Berger Sven Persson?" "It seems that he has not made any bid to-day." The pastor was still talking. He was evidently pleading with some one. They could not hear what he said, but they knew that no decision had been reached or the pastor would not have gone on talking.
On the morning of the day when Possessionaten Bilberg and his daughter were expected, the curate's wife went with Karin to the inn. The parting between them was full of grateful expression on the one side, and of tender interest and kind advice on the other. They were never to meet again on earth, but they had a common Father in heaven above, in whose presence they trusted one day to be united.
Whereupon everybody rushed out, curious to see who it was that had spoken those words, and Karin was left sitting there in her helplessness. Presently members of her own household came back, and told her that the person who had cried out like that was a tall, dark stranger. He and a pretty, fair-haired woman had been seen coming down the road, in a cart, during the service.
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