Growth of the Soil

e days

rhanging rocks, in the stable, under the flooring of the house itself; the shed at the side is emptied of everything to make room for more hay. Inger herself works early and late, a faithful helper and support. Isak takes advantage

, but something always comes of evil. Isak took the matter sensibly from the first. He made no great words about it, but asked his wife si

said

dn't have

she

how you ever could bri

e same as mysel

d'you

mou

hat for some time.

of their minds. But it hung over them, and over the place, none the less. They could not hope that Oline would keep the secret; it was too much to expect. And even if Oline said nothing, others would speak; dumb witnesse

fate-poor Inger. He learned of the coming of the Lapp with the hare, and acquitted her. It led to a great love between them, a wild love; they drew closer to each other in their peril. Inger was full of a desperate sweetness towards him, and the great heavy fellow, lumbering carrier of burdens, felt a greed and an

up in her an unchristian hate of all Lapps, and she spoke plainly enough to any that passed. Some one might have

e? Wha

d perhaps what Os-And

N

s it-he came up here with a

a dreadful thing!

appened, just get alon

e of food, a

odd bit of leather anywhere

you a bit of stick i

id there was no one to be seen about the place. The four of them stood there a while talking in their own tongue, then the man went up to see. He went inside, and stayed. Then his wife went up, and the children after;

llside, and seeing Lapps, strange Lapps into the bargain, asks them straight out what th

." says

says Inger again,

re just listening to that clock of yours," say

t of bread to spa

u come from?

r beyond. We've bee

are you goi

s the

gain: a bit of stuff for a cap, a tuft of wool, a stump of cheese-anything. Inger has no

r place up here, and the cattle-a hos

"You haven't a pair of old sho

. The man called after her-she pretended not to hear, and walked on unheedi

ocently enough; some one had told him, perhaps. Or he might have meant it ill.

ad tried the new potatoes, and found them large and floury. The blow that was to fall-why did it not come? It was late in August already, soon it would be September; were they to be spared through the winter? They lived in a constant watchfulne

g. The grave in the wood was opened, and its contents removed, the body being sent for examinat

e, "it's as bad as well can be with us now. I'

said

id you

ade no

d find it in y

elf to look at. And so I took

k his hea

ead," went on Inger

Well, well, 'tis too late to b

obbed Inger, "there at

no more

nd only said, "It's a great pity such things should happen at all." Inger asked who had informed against her, but the Lensmand answered that it was no o

her unborn child the hare-lip. And wasn't it Oline who had sent the hare?-The Lensmand knew nothing ab

hare just before I wa

barn; the corn was reaped, dried in stacks, and carted in. Inger took up the carrots and turnips. All their crops were in now. And everything might have been well with them-they had all they needed. Isak had

alking of that

was fine plump grain. Early in the new year the roads were good, and Isak started carting down his loads of wood to the village; he had his regular customers now, and the summer-dried wood fetched a good p

ak. "The Lensmand

e sent things up for Eleseus and Sivert in return-cakes and picture-books and

it?" as

ly-she'd have been just a year

mfort's sake. "And after all, it may be we'll get off eas

"But how's that g

't kno

hat, according to the season; from the fields to the woods, and back to the fields again. He had worked on the place for six years now, and Inger five; all might have been well, if it were only a

as likely to be. Strictly speaking, it was imprisonment for life, Paragraph I. But ... After all, she had stood up in the court itself and simply confessed. The two witnesses from the village had looked pityingly at her, and the judge had put his questions kindly; but for all that, she was no match for the bright intellects of the law. Lawyers are great men to simple folk; they can quote paragraph this and section that; they have lea

self; you have a hare-lip, and

She could not tell them of all she had suf

eally, it should be imprisonment for life, but ... I can't say, perhaps we might get it commuted, second or third degree, fifteen to twelve years, or twelve to nine.

o keep her in confinement meantime. Two months passed; then one evening, when Isa

usband kindly, praising his catch, tho

o say-has any one b

? Why, who sh

otmarks outside.

o one but the Lensm

id they

that witho

come to

the sentence. The Lord is kind

eagerly. "Not

ly a fe

many

a lot, maybe. But I'm tha

this she could not or would not tell. She had grown thoughtful again, and talked of what was to come; how they would

r ever, now that she had upset everything for them? The working season passed, but Oline did not come-did she expect

ing whatever had occurred to make ill-feeling between them; she

he. And it turned out that she had brought her clothes and thin

d said: "Didn't you say something about seek

line is come, I can go off t

. "And take your money with you," s

you keep the

said

t was yet night, and got ready to start. Inger went out on the do

coming for me

n't kno

t yet, but anyhow.... If only you could get hold of

o to help them now? N

It might be, too, that she herself had sent for Oline. When Isak came

g. Isak's voice was louder than

said

day wa

e way on purpose-that was why she had persuaded him to take the money with h

tle, and sleeping with it on his breast among the hills. He had been looking forward to Inger's delight when she saw it; now, Eleseus and Sivert played with it, and it was a joy to them. And Isak, watching them, forgot his trouble for the moment. Moreover, Oline had a message from the Lensmand; the State had at last given its decision in the m

iness; heard only a word here and there of all the Lensmand said-a pity such things should happen ... hop

His wife had no intention of ever being a mother

a position to settle it definitely. The Department is graciously pleased to

" sai

knowing that my endeavours have not been altogether fruitless. T

tion," said Is

ou can have the transfer reg

"And how much i

ht alteration here-ten Daler per annum instead of

an manage to pa

s." Isak looked u

Even then, it's no price really for all tha

d got for his loads of wood, and for the cheeses Inger had

't get to hear about your wife," said the Lensm

ut Inger. "Is it true that sh

ow-that is, to set up clear boundaries between your land and the State's. A straight, direct line, following the marks I set up on the spot, and entered in

ed back to