Ay, things are looking well, looking grand with Axel now.

Chapter XI

And time goes on; winter is passed; spring comes again.

Isak has to go down to the village one day—­and why not?  What for?  “Nay, I don’t know,” says he.  But he gets the cart cleaned up all fine, puts in the seat, and drives off, and a deal of victuals and such put in, too—­and why not?  ’Twas for Eleseus at Storborg.  Never a horse went out from Sellanraa but there was something taken down to Eleseus.

When Isak came driving down over the moors, ’twas no little event, for he came but rarely, Sivert going most ways in his stead.  At the two farms nearest down, folk stand at the door of the huts and tell one another:  “’Tis Isak himself; and what’ll he be going down after today?” And, coming down as far as to Maaneland, there’s Barbro at the glass window with a child in her arms, and sees him, and says:  “’Tis Isak himself!”

He comes to Storborg and pulls up. “Ptro!  Is Eleseus at home?”

Eleseus comes out.  Ay, he’s at home; not gone yet, but just going—­off on his spring tour of the towns down south.

“Here’s some things your mother sent down,” says his father.  “Don’t know what it is, but nothing much, I doubt.”

Eleseus takes the things, and thanks him, and asks: 

“There wasn’t a letter, I suppose, or anything that sort?”

“Ay,” says his father, feeling in pockets, “there was.  ’Tis from little Rebecca I think they said.”

Eleseus takes the letter, ’tis that he has been waiting for.  Feels it all nice and thick, and says to his father: 

“Well, ’twas lucky you came in time—­though ’tis two days before I’m off yet.  If you’d like to stay a bit, you might take my trunk down.”

Isak gets down and ties up his horse, and goes for a stroll over the ground.  Little Andresen is no bad worker on the land in Eleseus’ service; true, he has had Sivert from Sellanraa with horses, but he has done a deal of work on his own account, draining bogs, and hiring a man himself to set the ditches with stone.  No need of buying fodder at Storborg that year, and next, like as not, Eleseus would be keeping a horse of his own.  Thanks to Andresen and the way he worked on the land.

After a bit of a while, Eleseus calls down that he’s ready with his trunk.  Ready to go himself, too, by the look of it; in a fine blue suit, white collar, galoshes, and a walking-stick.  True, he will have two days to wait for the boat, but no matter; he may just as well stay down in the village; ’tis all the same if he’s here or there.

And father and son drive off.  Andresen watches them from the door of the shop and wishes a pleasant journey.

Isak is all thought for his boy, and would give him the seat to himself; but Eleseus will have none of that, and ’sits up by his side.  They come to Breidablik, and suddenly Eleseus has forgotten something. “Ptro!—­What is it?” asks his father.