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Mildrid gave no answer. Her father calmed their rising excitement by saying in a gentle, friendly voice: "Why did you not speak to one of us, my child?" And her mother controlled herself, and said quietly: "You know how much we think of our children, we who have lived such a lonely life; and yes, we may say it, especially of you, Mildrid; for you have been so much to us."
Mildrid was now much with her grandparents, and they taught her parents to love her. When she was five years old her mother had another daughter, who was called Beret; and after this Mildrid lived almost altogether with the old people. The anxious parents began once more to feel as if there might yet be pleasure for them in life, and a change in the popular feeling towards them helped them.
And the mother hastened to add that it was really the case that they hardly knew anything about him, for they had so seldom asked about the Haugen people. She meant no harm at all by saying this, and not till the words had passed her lips, did she notice that she had expressed herself unfortunately, and she could see that both her husband and Mildrid felt the same.
Mildrid fell back on her seat, drew a long breath, and looked at him with relief in her eyes; her fear, her bad conscience all gone! She was right, yes; she was right let come now whatever it pleased God to send! No one had answered Hans's greeting, nor had he been asked to come forward. "I am Hans Haugen," he said quietly; lowered his gun and stood holding it.
There was a moment of breathless suspense, and then Mildrid whispered back: "Yes" and began to cry again. Beret drew down her arms once more; she wanted to see her face. "Why did you not tell me about it, Mildrid?" she asked, with the same fierce eagerness. "Beret, I didn't know it myself. I never saw him till yesterday.
He went on a little before he answered: "No, but when you come and live at Haugen, I'll have time then to get to know them." "They are so good!" added Mildrid. "So I have heard from every one." He said this decidedly, but coldly.
Why at this moment arouse all the ugly memories and thoughts that lay dormant in her mind? Was she envious of Mildrid; envious of her own daughter? No, that she knew she was not and she began to recover herself. What a grand thought it was that her daughter was perhaps going to atone for her fault! Could children do that?
The sisters slept in the same bed, and, as Mildrid did not come, Beret got up softly once or twice to look if her sister were still sitting out there, and if she were alone. Yes, she was there, and alone. Eleven o'clock, and then twelve, and then one, and still Mildrid sat and Beret waked.
After a silence came the whispered answer: "To Hans Haugen." No name or event connected with Haugen had been mentioned in that room for more than twenty years. In her parents' opinion nothing but evil had come to Tingvold from there. Mildrid again knew their thoughts: she sat motionless, awaiting her sentence.
Mildrid's eyes were red with crying, and her whole expression was one of suffering. But it changed to surprise when she saw Beret's face, which was scarlet with excitement. "Whatever is the matter with you?" she exclaimed. "Nothing!" answered Beret, standing staring fixedly at Mildrid, who at last looked away, and got up to go and attend to the cows.
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