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He finally ended with these words: "I know perfectly well that if the corporation is fully determined to buy the Ingmar Farm, it can go on bidding against the farmers until they are forced to give up; but if Karin and Halvor want to prevent this old place from becoming a ruined corporation property, they will have to settle on a price, so that the farmers may know what to be guided by."
Karin and Halvor came forward to greet her, looking even more gloomy and low spirited than the other Hellgumists. "It's plain they know now that the end is near," she thought. Eva Gunnersdotter, being the oldest person present, was placed at the head of the long table. In front of her lay an opened letter, with American stamps on the envelope.
The boys who were steering their rafts against each other in the comparatively placid basin were too absorbed in their mimic battle to heed what was going on below. Halvor and Viggo were fighting desperately with their boat-hooks, the one attacking and the other defending himself with great dexterity.
Ingmar obediently rose, took out the watch and rubbed it in the sleeve of his coat, to shine it up a bit. Then he went over to Halvor. "Father asked me to give you this with his compliments," he said, holding out the watch. All this while Halvor had sat there, silent and glum. And when the boy went over to him, he put his hand up to his eyes, as if he did not want to look at him.
'No, I shall not go, said Halvor; 'even if he had six more I would not. 'He will swallow you up alive, said the Princess. But she spoke to no purpose, for Halvor would not go; he was not afraid of the Troll, but he wanted some meat and drink, for he was hungry after his journey. So she gave him as much as he would have, and then she once more tried to make him go away.
So, when she got up there, she told them all how her Halvor had come home again, and now they should only just see how grand he was, for, said she, 'he looks like nothing but a king's son'. 'All very fine', said the lassies, and tossed up their heads. 'We'll be bound he's just the same beggarly ragged boy he always was.
Halvor and Karin exchanged glances; both were afraid of committing themselves. "You know, Ingmar, that there is no one in the world who is more dear to us than you," said Halvor. "Yes, yes; but what about the sawmill?" Ingmar insisted. "The principal thing is to get all your timber sawed." At Halvor's evasive reply, Ingmar drew his own conclusions. "Maybe Hellgum wants to run the sawmill, too?"
Ingmar stood a long time holding out the watch; finally, he glanced appealingly at Mother Stina. "Blessed are the peacemakers," she said. Then Storm put in a word. "I don't thick you could ask for a better amend, Halvor," he said. "I've always maintained that if Ingmar Ingmarsson had lived he would have given you full justice long before this."
In a short time the old woman had to go to the fireplace to stir the fire, and when the blaze lit up Halvor, as it used to do when he was at home raking up the ashes, she knew him again. 'Good Heavens! is that you, Halvor? said she, and such great gladness fell on the old parents that there were no bounds to it.
"I'm sure that Karin and Halvor care enough about this old farm to want to sell to some person who would keep up the property, even if they have to take a couple of thousand kroner less," he said. Then he proceeded to tell for Karin's special benefit of various farms that had gone to waste after falling into the hands of corporations. Once or twice Karin glanced up at the pastor.
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