Growth of the Soil by Knut Hamsun (chromebook ebook reader txt) 📕

hour later the sun goes down, and it grows colder. Inger gets down to walk. Together they tuck the rug closer about Leopoldine, and smile to see how soundly she can sleep. Man and wife talk together again on their way. A pleasure it is to hear Inger’s voice; none could speak clearer than Inger now.

“Wasn’t it four cows we had?” she asks.

“ ’Tis more than that,” says he proudly. “We’ve eight.”

“Eight cows!”

“That is to say, counting the bull.”

“Have you sold any butter?”

“Ay, and eggs.”

“What, have we chickens now?”

“Ay, of course we have. And a pig.”

Inger is so astonished at all this that she forgets herself altogether, and stops for a moment⁠—“Ptro!” And Isak is proud and keeps on, trying to overwhelm her completely.

“That Geissler,” he says, “you remember him? He came up a little while back.”

“Oh?”

“I’ve sold him a copper mine.”

“Ho! What’s that⁠—a copper mine?”

“Copper, yes. Up in the hills, all along the north side of the water.”

“You⁠—you don’t mean he paid you money for it?”

“Ay, that he did. Geissler he wouldn’t buy things and not pay for them.”

“What did you get, then?”

“H’m. Well, you might not believe it⁠—but it was two hundred Daler.”

“You got two hundred Daler!” shouts Inger, stopping again with a “Ptro!”

“I did⁠—yes. And I’ve paid for my land a long while back,” said Isak.

“Well⁠—you are a wonder, you are!”

Truly, it was a pleasure to see Inger all surprised, and make her a rich wife. Isak did not forget to add that he had no debts nor owings at the store or anywhere else. And he had not only Geissler’s two hundred untouched, but more than that⁠—a hundred and sixty Daler more. Ay, they might well be thankful to God!

They spoke of Geissler again; Inger was able to tell how he had helped to get her set free. It had not been an easy matter for him, after all, it seemed; he had been a long time getting the matter through, and had called on the Governor ever so many times. Geissler had also written to some of the State Councillors, or some other high authorities; but this he had done behind the Governor’s back, and when the Governor heard of it he was furious, which was not surprising. But Geissler was not to be frightened; he demanded a revision of the case, new trial, new examination, and everything. And after that the King had to sign.

Ex-Lensmand Geissler had always been a good friend to them both, and they had often wondered why; he got nothing out of it but their poor thanks⁠—it was more than they could understand. Inger had spoken with him in Trondhjem, and could not make him out. “He doesn’t seem to care a bit about any in the village but us,” she explained.

“Did he say so?”

“Yes. He’s furious with the village here. He’d show them, he said.”

“Ho!”

“And they’d find out one day, and be sorry they’d lost him, he said.”

They reached the fringe of the wood, and came in sight of their home. There were more buildings there than before, and all nicely painted. Inger hardly knew the place again, and stopped dead.

“You⁠—you don’t say that’s our place⁠—all that?” she exclaimed.

Little Leopoldine woke at last and sat up, thoroughly rested now; they lifted her out and let her walk.

“Are we there now?” she asked.

“Yes. Isn’t it a pretty place?”

There were small figures moving, over by the house; it was Eleseus and Sivert, keeping watch. Now they came running up. Inger was seized with a sudden cold⁠—a dreadful cold in the head, with sniffing and coughing⁠—even her eyes were all red and watering too. It always gives one a dreadful cold on board ship⁠—makes one’s eyes wet and all!

But when the boys came nearer they stopped running all of a sudden and stared. They had forgotten what their mother looked like, and little sister they had never seen. But father⁠—they didn’t know him at all till he came quite close. He had cut off his heavy beard.

XII

All is well now.

Isak sows his oats, harrows, and rolls it in. Little Leopoldine comes and wants to sit on the roller. Sit on a roller?⁠—nay, she’s all too little and unknowing for that yet. Her brothers know better. There’s no seat on father’s roller.

But father thinks it fine and a pleasure to see little Leopoldine coming up so trustingly to him already; he talks to her, and shows her how to walk nicely over the fields, and not get her shoes full of earth.

“And what’s that⁠—why, if you haven’t a blue frock on today⁠—come, let me see; ay, ’tis blue, so it is. And a belt round and all. Remember when you came on the big ship? And the engines⁠—did you see them? That’s right⁠—and now run home to the boys again, they’ll find you something to play with.”

Oline is gone, and Inger has taken up her old work once more, in house and yard. She overdoes it a little, maybe, in cleanliness and order, just by way of showing that she was going to have things differently now. And indeed it was wonderful to see what a change was made; even the glass windows in the old turf hut were cleaned, and the boxes swept out.

But it was only the first days, the first week; after that she began to be less eager about the work. There was really no need to take all that trouble about cowsheds and things; she could make better use of her time now. Inger had learned a deal among the town folk, and it would be a pity not to turn it to account. She took to her spinning-wheel and loom again⁠—true enough, she was even quicker and neater than before⁠—a trifle too quick⁠—hui!⁠—especially when Isak was looking on; he couldn’t make out how anyone could learn to use their fingers that way⁠—the fine long fingers she had to her big hands. But Inger had a way of dropping