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Updated: May 28, 2025
After this happy time of young companionship came Mildrid's confirmation. Just before it there was a quiet pause, and after it came another. Mildrid, now about seventeen, spent the autumn almost alone with her parents. In spring, or rather summer, she was, like all the other girls after their confirmation, to go to the soeter in charge of cattle.
In spite of her anxiety about Mildrid, Beret's heart was light, and she stepped merrily on, her thoughts running all the time on this wonderful adventure. She could think of no one better or grander than Hans Haugen, and none but the very best was good enough for Mildrid.
"What is it, my child?" asked her mother anxiously. "I am betrothed," said Mildrid; hung her head again, and burst into tears. No more stunning blow could have fallen on the quiet circle. The parents sat looking at each other, pale and silent.
Both of them rose. Hans set away the gun with his cap on it, and went forward to the bench on which Mildrid was sitting, whereupon she at once got up, she did not know why. Her mother said she had things to see to in the kitchen, and went out.
Mildrid saw them either out of doors or in her grandmother's room. Tingvold had always been a forbidden, and consequently mysteriously attractive place to the young people. But even now, only those with a certain quietness and seriousness of disposition went there, for it could not be denied that there was something subdued about Mildrid, that did not attract every one.
Mildrid heard all this, but did not take it in, for she was thinking of something else, and to get time to think it out rightly, she asked Beret to go and prepare the dinner. And Beret walked slowly away, looking back several times. Mildrid wanted to be left alone a little to make up her mind whether she should go at once and tell her parents.
Her father was preparing to go too; but Mildrid did not wish to be alone with Hans as long as her parents withheld their consent, so she went towards the other door, and they presently saw her crossing the yard to her grandmother's house. As Endrid could not leave Hans alone, he turned and sat down again.
Mildrid did not answer. "We thought," added her father gently, "that we could be quite sure of you." Mildrid did not answer. "But how did it happen?" repeated her mother more impatiently; "you must know that!" "No, I don't know it I only know that I could not help it no, I couldn't!" She was sitting holding on to the bench with both hands. "God forgive and help you! Whatever came over you?"
Beret saw as soon as she came that something had happened. Mildrid asked such stupid questions and gave such absurd answers, and altogether behaved in such an extraordinary way, that she several times just stopped and stared at her.
They stood together at their children's graves; they passed Ole Haugen's without word or movement; the whole congregation showed them respect. But they continued to keep themselves very much to themselves, and a pious peace rested over their house. One day in her grandmother's house little Mildrid was heard singing the Bridal March.
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