“That’s a trifle,” said Geissler easily.  “You’ve thousands, like as not, on your part of the hills.”

“Ho!” said Isak.

“But you’d better get those title-deeds entered in the register as soon as ever you can.”

“Ay.”

“Then the State can’t come any nonsense about it after, you understand.”

Isak understood. “’Tis worst about Inger,” he said.

“Ay,” said Geissler, and remained thoughtful longer than was usual with him.  “Might get the case brought up again.  Set out the whole thing properly; very likely get the sentence reduced a bit.  Or we could put in an application for a pardon, and that would probably come to the same thing in the end.”

“Why, if as that could be done....”

“But it wouldn’t do to try for a pardon at once.  Have to wait a bit.  What was I going to say ... you’ve been taking things down to my wife—­meat and cheese and things—­what?”

“Why, as to that, Lensmand paid for all that before.”

“Did I, though?”

“And helped us kindly in many a way.”

“Not a bit of it,” said Geissler shortly.  “Here—­take this.”  And he took out some Daler notes.

Geissler was not the man to take things for nothing, that was plain.  And he seemed to have plenty of money about him, from the way his pocket bulged.  Heaven only knew if he really had money or not.

“But she writes all’s well and getting on,” said Isak, coming back to his one thought.

“What?—­Oh, your wife!”

“Ay.  And since the girl was born—­she’s had a girl child, born while she was there.  A fine little one.”

“Excellent!”

“Ay, and now they’re all as kind as can be, and help her every way, she says.”

“Look here,” said Geissler, “I’m going to send these bits of stone in to some mining experts, and find out what’s in them.  If there’s a decent percentage of copper, you’ll be a rich man.”

“H’m,” said Isak.  “And how long do you think before we could apply for a pardon?”

“Well, not so very long, perhaps, I’ll write the thing for you.  I’ll be back here again soon.  What was it you said—­your wife has had a child since she left here?”

“Yes.”

“Then they took her away while she was expecting it.  That’s a thing they’ve no right to do.”

“Ho!”

“Anyhow, it’s one more reason for letting her out earlier.”

“Ay, if that could be ...” said Isak gratefully.

Isak knew nothing of the many lengthy writings backward and forward between the different authorities concerning the woman who was expecting a child.  The local authorities had let her go free while the matter was pending, for two reasons:  in the first place, they had no lock-up in the village where they could keep her, and, in the second place, they wished to be as lenient as possible.  The consequence was something they could not have foreseen.  Later, when they had sent to fetch her away, no one had inquired about her condition, and she herself had said nothing of it.  Possibly she had concealed the matter on purpose, in order to have a child with her during the years of imprisonment; if she behaved well, she would no doubt be allowed to see it now and again.  Or perhaps she had been merely indifferent, and had gone off carelessly, despite her state....