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Inger and Isak looked at each other. "Sellanraa?" said the Lensmand. He must have invented it out of his own head; maybe it was not a name at all. But he only nodded, and said again, "Sellanraa!" and drove off. Settled again, at a guess, anything would do. The name, the price, the boundaries....
Inger came back in a state of dull resignation; they had not found it necessary to keep her in confinement meantime. Two months passed; then one evening, when Isak came back from fishing, the Lensmand and his new assistant had been to Sellanraa. Inger was cheerful, and welcomed her husband kindly, praising his catch, though it was little he had brought home.
Fru Lensmand Heyerdahl had taken up the case. She went about to high and low, never sparing herself, demanded to be called as a witness, and made a speech in court.
Lensmand Heyerdahl promised Isak to do his best. "I hope to succeed in procuring you possession of the estate," he said. The big bull is to be sent away. It has grown to an enormous beast, and costs too much to feed; Isak is taking it down to the village, to bring up a suitable yearling in exchange. It was Inger's idea.
He must give up his great plans; he was no longer a young gentleman in an office, he would never be a Lensmand, not even live in a town at all. To his father and those at home he made it appear that he was proud at having secured Storborg at the very price he had fixed it would show them he knew what he was about. But that small triumph did not go very far.
No more was said about my coming back here and bringing the machine with me. But the Lensmand wrote me a very nice recommendation. He would gladly have kept me on longer, it said, but the work was interrupted by private affairs of my own elsewhere.... In the morning, when I was ready to start, a little girl stood in the courtyard waiting for me to come out. It was Olga.
Axel had been summoned for examination; 'twas a big affair the Lensmand had gone with him so big indeed that the Lensmand's lady, who had just had another child, had left the baby and was gone in to town with her husband. She had promised to put in a word to the jury herself.
"I'm afraid this journey will upset my stomach," said the Lensmand. He began at once to talk about Isak's deal in land. "I sent off the report at once, with a strong recommendation on my own account. Sellanraa's a nice name. As a matter of fact, they ought to let you have the place for nothing, wouldn't do to say so, of course.
"Nothing," said Isak. "The Lensmand paid for it before." "Heaven bless him, and did he?" said Fru Geissler, touched at the thought. She sent things up for Eleseus and Sivert in return cakes and picture-books and toys. When Isak came back and Inger saw the things, she turned away and cried. "What is it?" asked Isak. "Nothing," answered Inger.
But now he was humble again in his manner towards Geissler, his former chief, and no longer treated him as an equal, but used forms of respect. "If only Lensmand could help me a bit," said Brede. "Go back home and work your land properly," said Geissler, and helped him not a bit.
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