Splendid prospects. His mother herself advised him not to give up his
career and throw himself away. What was a man like that to do in the
wilds?

But why should Eleseus then trouble to work hard and steadily as he
was doing now on his father's land? Heaven knows, he had some reason,
maybe. Something of inborn pride in him still, perhaps; he would not
be outdone by others; and besides, it would do him no harm to be in
his father's good books the day he went away. To tell the truth, he
had a number of little debts in town, and it would be a good thing to
be able to settle them at once--improve his credit a lot. And it was
not a question now of a mere hundred _Kroner_, but something worth
considering.

Eleseus was far from stupid, but on the contrary, a sly fellow in his
way. He had seen his father come home, and knew well enough he was
sitting there in the window at that moment, looking out. No harm in
putting his back into it then for a bit, working a little harder for
the moment--it would hurt no one, and might do himself good.

Eleseus was somehow changed; whatever it might be, something in him
had been warped, and quietly spoiled; he was not bad, but something
blemished. Had he lacked a guiding hand those last few years? What
could his mother do to help him now? Only stand by him and agree. She
could let herself be dazzled by her son's bright prospects for the
future, and stand between him and his father, to take his part--she
could do that.

But Isak grew impatient at last over her opposition; to his mind, the
idea about Breidablik was by no means a bad one. Only that very day,