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Updated: May 20, 2025
When I had boiled my meat and had some dinner, I was invited into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. And while I sat there, in came Frokenen, the young lady I had seen the day before; I stood up and bowed a greeting, and she nodded in return. She was charming, with her youth and her pretty hands. When I got up to go, I forgot myself and said: "Most kind of you, I'm sure, my dear young lady!"
But when I came up they decided that the wild hops were over, and there were no rowan berries left now, nor any richly coloured leaves. "There's nothing in the woods now," said Frokenen. And she spoke to me directly once again: "Well, there's no churchyard here for you to roam about in." "No." "You must miss it, I should think."
And then she went on to explain to Fruen that I was a curious person who wandered about in graveyards by night and held meetings with the dead. And it was there I invented my machines and things. By way of saying something, I asked about young Erik. He had been thrown by a runaway horse and badly hurt.... "He's better now," said Frokenen shortly. Are you ready to go on again, Lovise?"
But I was displeased with myself, for all that, and went out of the brewhouse directly after. Then I fell to thinking of Frokenen. "I'll make her answer when I give a greeting," I said to myself. "I'll let her see before very long that I'm not altogether a fool." There was that business of the well and the pipe-line, now; what if I were to work out a plan for the whole installation all complete!
"And you're going to carry it all that way?" asked the girl, amid much laughter. "As if there were never a store on the road." "Frokenen forgets that it's Sunday tomorrow, and the stores on the road will be shut," said I. The laugh died away, but I could see the company was no more kindly disposed towards me now for speaking straight out.
And all might have been well if it had not been for Frokenen, the daughter of the house. I grew fonder of her every day. Her name was Elischeba, Elisabeth. No remarkable beauty, perhaps; but she had red lips, and a blue, girlish glance that made her pretty to see. Elischeba, Elisabeth a child at the first dawn of life, with eyes looking out upon the world.
"Wasn't it here you went riding one night on borrowed horses?" said Frokenen laughingly. "Oh, we know all about it, never fear!" And both the ladies were highly amused. I answered on a sudden thought: "And yet your father would have me to take service with him or wasn't it so?" "Yes." "While I think of it, Froken, how did your father know I was working for Captain Falkenberg?
But I liked her so much before. We drove off again to Grand. It was getting towards evening. Frokenen picks out a seat right in the brightest spot, beaming all over herself at the fun of it. I ordered some wine. "What fine clothes you're wearing now," she says, with a laugh. "I couldn't very well come in here in a workman's blouse." "No, of course not.
"And is there anywhere else Frokenen could recommend...?" "Ask the people at Ovrebo; Falkenberg's the name." "What name?" "Falkenberg. Go straight on from here, and you'll come to a post on the right-hand side about a mile and a half along. Turn off there and that'll take you to it."
And that was enough; just that bit of a smile and saying I was right made me all glad and proud again within. Then Frokenen came up, and said a few words to Grindhusen; even jested with him, asking what that red cardinal was to be stuck up there for on the road. But to me she said nothing at all, and did not even look at me when I took off my hat.
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