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A bush caught her dress; she turned to free it, and so she was standing when Oyvind saw her first. Her head was bare, her hair twisted up as girls usually wear it in every-day attire; she had on a thick plaid dress without sleeves, and nothing about the neck except a turned-down linen collar. She had just stolen away from work in the fields, and had not ventured on any change of dress.
"Good-day, Oyvind. How fine you look to-day!" He took him by the jacket collar as if he wished to speak to him. "Listen. I believe everything good of you. I have been talking with the priest; you will be allowed to keep your place; go up to number one and answer distinctly!"
I shall regulate everything from their stables to their water-pipes; I shall give lectures and work; I shall fairly besiege the old man with good deeds." "Those are brave words. What more, Oyvind?" "Why, the rest simply concerns us two. You must not go away." "Not if he orders it?" "And keep nothing secret that concerns us two." "Even if he torments me?"
When the tree was felled and the father had drawn it up to the pile, Oyvind said, "If you were a gardman you would not have to work so hard." "Oh! then there would doubtless be other things to distress us," and he grasped his axe with both hands. The mother came up with dinner for them; they sat down. The mother was in high spirits, she sat humming and beating time with her feet.
While Oyvind was helping Ole out of the conveyance, and servants and laborers were gaping at them, Marit came out in the passage to see what the dog kept barking at; but paused, as if suddenly bewitched, turned fiery red, and ran in. Old Ole, meanwhile, shouted so tremendously for her when he got into the house that she had to come forward again.
He was about to take hold of her head, but she turned it away and glided down off the stone. He kept his seat; she came back, and leaning her arms on his knee, stood talking with him, looking up into his face. "Listen, Oyvind; what if he is determined I shall leave home, how then?" "Then you must say No, right out." "Oh, dear! how would that be possible?"
But the school-master soon noticed that this was not the old Oyvind who read because it was his turn, and played because it was a necessity. He often talked with him, coaxed and admonished him; but he did not succeed in finding his way to the boy's heart so easily as in days of old.
"Now we have come so far with him," said he, beaming with satisfaction as he rose to go. When the mother returned from waiting on him, as usual, to the door-step, she called Oyvind into the bedroom. "Some one will be waiting for you at nine o'clock," whispered she. "Where?" "On the cliff." Oyvind glanced at the clock; it was nearly nine.
DEAR SCHOOL-MASTER, With this I ask if you will deliver the inclosed letter and not speak of it to any one. And if you will not, then you must burn it. You must send me a few words as soon as possible, giving me all particulars. Regarding myself, I have to say that I shall be through here in a year. Most respectfully, OYVIND PLADSEN.
A barren cliff, not a very high one, though, overhung the house where he was born; fir and birch looked down upon the roof, the bird-cherry strewed flowers over it. And on the roof was a little goat belonging to Oyvind; it was kept there that it might not wander away, and Oyvind bore leaves and grass up to it.
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