Then we went down again, the priest talking as if to himself.

"Quite right; yes. It's an endless business fetching water in the winter.
And summer, too, for that matter. I must see what the women think about
it."

And he went indoors.

After ten minutes or so, I was sent for round to the front steps; the
whole family were there now.

"So you're the man who's going to give us water laid on to the house?"
said Fruen kindly.

I took off my cap and bowed in a heavy, stolid fashion, and the priest
answered for me: yes, this was the man.

Frokenen gave me one curious glance, and then started talking in an
undertone to her brother. Fruen went on with more questions--would it
really be a proper water-supply like they had in town, just turn on a tap
and there was the water all ready? And for upstairs as well? A couple of
hundred Kroner? "Really, I think you ought to say yes," she said to her
husband.

"You think so? Well, let's all go up to the top of the hill and look
through the thing and see."

We went up the hill, and I set the instrument for them and let them look.

"Wonderful!" said Fruen.