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And Isak gloomier than ever now, for all he'd been none too bright before. But then Sivert flashes out a bit of news: "There's more folk coming to live now." "How d'you say?" "Two new holdings. They've bought up close by us." Isak stands still with his crowbar in hand; this was news, and good news, the best that could be. "That makes ten of us here," says he.
But down in the village things were different. The school was full of ski; even the children at Breidablik, it seemed, had each a pair. And the end of it was that Isak had to make a new pair for Eleseus, Sivert keeping the old pair for his own. Isak did more; he had the boys well clad, and gave them everlasting boots. But when that was done, Isak went to the storekeeper and asked for a ring.
And when Sivert says so much, his father knows the lad has read his thought. And as if in fear of having spoken out too clearly, he falls to talking of their road-mending; a good thing they had got it done at last. For a couple of days after that, Sivert and his mother were putting their heads together and holding councils and whispering ay, they even wrote a letter.
The women talk of Uncle Sivert, and Isak and his doings somehow drop out of sight; no one asks any more about his building now, so at last he says: "Well, if you want to know, 'tis a bit of a barn with a threshing-floor I'm trying to get set up." "Just as I thought," says Oline. "Folk with real sound sense in their heads, they do that way. Fore-thought and back-thought and all as it should be.
Oh, but little Rebecca was a good one to have on a journey like that; she took Jensine's part and patted her and made her smile again. And when little Rebecca looked threateningly at her brother and said she was going to jump down and find a big stick to beat him, Sivert had to smile too. "But what did you mean, now, I'd like to know?" says Jensine.
"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?
It had been her great sorrow of late that boy Eleseus was away in town in the evil-minded town; she had written to him about God, and likewise explained to him how his father here was beginning to sink under the work, and the place getting bigger all the time; little Sivert couldn't manage it all by himself, and besides, he was to have money after his uncle one day all this she had written, and sent him the money for his journey once for all.
Then he took up the matter again. "Aren't you sorry you gave me all that yesterday?" he said. "Woodenhead! Of course not," said Sivert. That was what he said, but well, five thousand Daler was five thousand Daler, and no little sum; if his brother were anything but a lousy Indian savage, he ought to give back half.
Oh, she could go to the devil, what did Eleseus care; her face was visibly dirty, and her condition plain enough now even to his innocent eyes. "Can't you play a bit on the guitar?" he asked. "No," answered Barbro shortly. "What I was going to say: Sivert, couldn't you come and help Axel a bit with the new house a day or so? If you could begin tomorrow, say, when you come back from the village?"
But it was so, and no otherwise. Inger hinted that it would doubtless be the last time; for was not Eleseus going to get on and rise in the world by himself? "H'm," said Isak. There was an atmosphere of solemnity, of stillness in the home; they had each had a boiled egg at the last meal, and Sivert stood outside all ready to go down with his brother and carry his things.
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