"Well, it might almost have been that," said he, speaking in a very
quiet voice; "Kvas and I were on the track of a bear; but now we have
lost it; and if I have a 'Vardöger,'[1] it is certainly a bear."

He smiled. She looked at him. Who can he be? Tall, broad-shouldered,
wiry; his eyes restless, so that she could not see them rightly;
besides, she was standing quite close to him, just where he had
suddenly appeared before her with his dog and his gun.

She felt the inclination to say, "Go away!" but instead she drew back
a few steps, and asked: "Who are you?" She was really frightened.

"Hans Haugen," answered the man rather absently; for he was paying
attention to the dog, which seemed to have found the track of the bear
again. He was just going to add, "Good-bye!" but when he looked at her
she was blushing; cheeks, neck, and bosom crimson.

"What's the matter?" said he, astonished.

She did not know what to do or where to go, whether to run away or to
sit down.

"Who are you?" asked Hans in his turn.

Once again she turned crimson, for to tell him her name was to tell
him everything.

"Who are you?" he repeated, as if it were the most natural question in
the world, and deserved an answer.