Isak himself understood but little of the whole affair; he had sold the place once, and got his money.  But in any case, he did not care much about Kroner—­it was not real money like Daler.  Sivert, on the other hand, followed the business with more understanding.  There was something peculiar, he thought, about the tone of these negotiations; it looked very much like a family affair between the parties.  One of the strangers would say:  “My dear Geissler, you ought not to have such red eyes, you know.”  Whereto Geissler answered sharply, if evasively:  “No, I ought not, I know.  But we don’t all get what we ought to in this world!”

It looked very much as if Fru Geissler’s brothers and kinsmen were trying to buy off her husband, secure themselves against his visits for the future, and get quit of a troublesome relation.  As to the mine, it was worth something in itself, no doubt, no one denied it; but it lay far out of the way, and the buyers themselves said they were only taking it over in order to sell it again to some one better in a position to work it.  There was nothing unreasonable in that.  They declared too, quite frankly, that they had no idea what they would be able to get for it as it stood; if it were taken up and worked, then the forty thousand might turn out to be only a fraction of what it was worth; if it were allowed to lie there as it was, the money was simply thrown away.  But in any case, they wanted to have a clear title, without encumbrance, and therefore they offered Isak five hundred Kroner for his share.

“I’m acting on his behalf,” said Geissler, “and I’m not going to sell out his share for less than ten per cent. of the purchase-money.”

“Four thousand!” said the others.

“Four thousand,” said Geissler.  “The land was his, and his share comes to four thousand.  It wasn’t mine, and I get forty thousand.  Kindly turn that over in your minds, if you please.”

“Yes, but—­four thousand Kroner!”

Geissler rose from his place, and said:  “That, or no sale.”

They thought it over, whispered about it, went out into the yard, talking as long as they could.  “Get the horses ready,” they called to the servants.  One of the gentlemen went in to Inger and paid royally for coffee, a few eggs, and their lodging.  Geissler walked about with a careless air, but he was wide awake all the same.

“How did that irrigation work turn out last year?” he asked Sivert.

“It saved the whole crop.”

“You’ve cut away that mound there since I was here last, what?”

“Ay.”

“You must have another horse on the farm,” said Geissler.  He noticed everything.

One of the strangers came up.  “Now then, let’s get this matter settled and have done with it,” he said.

They all went into the new building again, and Isak’s four thousand Kroner were counted out.  Geissler was given a paper, which he thrust into his pocket as if it were of no value at all.  “Keep that carefully,” they told him, “and in a few days your wife shall have the bankbook sent.”