confident, and that was a mistake; there was no need to be sharp with
her and make her wild; he need not have ordered her in so many words
to help him with the potatoes that spring--he might have planted
them by himself. There would be plenty of time for him to assert his
authority after they were married; until then he ought to have had
sense enough to give way.

But--it _was_ too bad, this business with Eleseus, this clerk, who
came swaggering about with his walking-stick and all his fine talk.
For a girl to carry on like that when she was promised to another
man--and in her condition! It was beyond understanding. Up to then,
Axel had had no rival to compete with--now, it was different.

"Here's a new paper for you," he said. "And here's a bit of a thing I
got you. Don't know if you'll care about it."

Barbro was cold. They were sitting there together, drinking scalding
hot coffee from the bowl, but for all that she answered icy cold:

"I suppose that's the gold ring you've been promising me this
twelvemonth and more."

This, however, was beyond the mark, for it _was_ the ring after all.
But a gold ring it was not, and that he had never promised her--'twas
an invention of her own; silver it was, with gilt hands clasped, real
silver, with the mark on and all. But ah, that unlucky voyage of hers
to Bergen! Barbro had seen real engagement rings--no use telling her!

"That ring! Huh! You can keep it yourself."