A little while after she heard herself whispering:  “Oh, you ... you’re just the same—­the same as ever!”

* * * * *

And after that halt they drove on again, and Inger sat up, holding the reins.  “I’ve brought a paper of coffee too,” she said.  “But you can’t have any this evening, for it’s not roasted yet.”

“’Tis more than’s needed this evening and all,” said he.

An 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.