He wrote; then read in a low tone, "Referred for acceptance, and
the meeting adjourned." Canute, rising and closing the "Records,"
blushed deeply, but resolved to have this vote defeated in the
parish meeting. In the yard he hitched his horse to the wagon, and
Lars came and seated himself by his side. On the way home they
spoke upon various subjects, but not upon this.

On the following day Canute's wife started for Lars' house, to
inquire of his wife if anything had happened between their
husbands; Canute had appeared so queerly when he returned home the
evening previous. A little beyond the house she met Lars' wife,
who came to make the same inquiry on account of a similar peculiar
behavior in her husband. Lars' wife was a quiet, timid thing,
easily frightened, not by hard words, but by silence; for Lars
never spoke to her unless she had done wrong, or he feared she
would do so. On the contrary, Canute Aakre's wife spoke much with
her husband, and particularly about the commissioners' meetings,
for lately they had taken his thoughts, work, and love from her
and the children. She was jealous of it as of a woman, she wept at
night about it, and quarrelled with her husband concerning it in
the day. But now she could say nothing; for once he had returned
home unhappy; she immediately became much more so than he, and for
the life of her she must know what was the matter. So as Lars'
wife could tell her nothing, she had to go for information out in
the parish, where she obtained it, and of course was instantly of
her husband's opinion, thinking Lars incomprehensible, not to say
bad. But when she let her husband perceive this, she felt that,
notwithstanding what had occurred, no friendship was broken
between them; on the contrary, that he liked Lars very much.