lost and gone! And coffee, did she say!"




Chapter X


Next day was fated to bring a great event. There came a visitor to the
farm--Geissler came. It was not yet summer on the moors, but Geissler
paid no heed to the state of the ground; he came on foot, in rich high
boots with broad, shiny tops; yellow gloves, too, he wore, and was
elegant to see; a man from the village carried his things.

He had come, as a matter of fact, to buy a piece of Isak's land, up in
the hills--a copper mine. And what about the price? Also, by the way,
he had a message from Inger--good girl, every one liked her; he had
been in Trondhjem, and seen her. "Isak, you've put in some work here."

"Ay, I dare say And you've seen Inger?"

"What's that you've got over there? Built a mill of your own, have
you? grind your own corn? Excellent. And you've turned up a good bit
of ground since I was here last."

"Is she well?"

"Eh? Oh, your wife!--yes, she's well and fit. Let's go in the next
room. I'll tell you all about it."