However it might be, his mother came round, was drawn over to his point of view.  Oh, she was so little sure of herself yet; the world had not quite lost its hold on her.  Last winter she had gone so far as to read occasionally a certain excellent devotional work which she had brought from Trondhjem, from the Institute; but now, Eleseus might be a Lensmand one day!

“And why not?” said Eleseus.  “What’s Heyerdahl himself but a former clerk in the same department?”

Splendid prospects.  His mother herself advised him not to give up his career and throw himself away.  What was a man like that to do in the wilds?

But why should Eleseus then trouble to work hard and steadily as he was doing now on his father’s land?  Heaven knows, he had some reason, maybe.  Something of inborn pride in him still, perhaps; he would not be outdone by others; and besides, it would do him no harm to be in his father’s good books the day he went away.  To tell the truth, he had a number of little debts in town, and it would be a good thing to be able to settle them at once—­improve his credit a lot.  And it was not a question now of a mere hundred Kroner, but something worth considering.

Eleseus was far from stupid, but on the contrary, a sly fellow in his way.  He had seen his father come home, and knew well enough he was sitting there in the window at that moment, looking out.  No harm in putting his back into it then for a bit, working a little harder for the moment—­it would hurt no one, and might do himself good.

Eleseus was somehow changed; whatever it might be, something in him had been warped, and quietly spoiled; he was not bad, but something blemished.  Had he lacked a guiding hand those last few years?  What could his mother do to help him now?  Only stand by him and agree.  She could let herself be dazzled by her son’s bright prospects for the future, and stand between him and his father, to take his part—­she could do that.

But Isak grew impatient at last over her opposition; to his mind, the idea about Breidablik was by no means a bad one.  Only that very day, coming up, he had stopped the horse almost without thinking, to look out with a critical eye over the ill-tended land; ay, it could be made a fine place in proper hands.

“Why not worth while?” he asked Inger now.  “I’ve that much feeling for Eleseus, anyway, that I’d help him to it.”

“If you’ve any feeling for him, then say never a word of Breidablik again,” she answered.

“Ho!”

“Ay, for he’s greater thoughts in his head than the like of us.”

Isak, too, is hardly sure of himself here, and it weakens him; but he is by no means pleased at having shown his hand, and spoken straight out about his plan.  He is unwilling to give it up now.

“He shall do as I say,” declares Isak suddenly.  And he raises his voice threateningly, in case Inger by any chance should be hard of hearing.  “Ay, you may look; I’ll say no mere.  It’s midway up, with a schoolhouse by, and everything; what’s the greater thoughts he’s got beyond that, I’d like to know?  With a son like that I might starve to death—­is that any better, d’you think?  And can you tell me why my own flesh and blood should turn and go contrary to—­to my own flesh and blood?”