“To go up hill, yes; but down again?”

“Why did you come up, then?”

“That I might run down again.”

“Why did you not run down before this?”

“Because I had to rest.”

“And talk with me about love?”

“It was an easy matter to give you the pleasure of listening.”

“While the birds sang.”

“And the others were sleeping.”

“And the bells rang.”

“In the shady grove.”

Here they both saw Marit’s grandfather come sauntering out into the yard, and go to the bell-rope to ring the farm people up.  The people came slowly forth from the barns, sheds, and houses, moved sleepily toward their horses and rakes, scattered themselves over the meadow, and presently all was life and work again.  Only the grandfather went in and out of the houses, and finally up on the highest barn-bridge and looked out.  There came running up to him a little boy, whom he must have called.  The boy, sure enough, started off in the direction of Pladsen.  The grandfather, meanwhile, moved about the gard, often looking upward and having a suspicion, at least, that the black spot on the “giant rock” was Marit and Oyvind.  Now for the second time Marit’s great dog was the cause of trouble.  He saw a strange horse drive in to the Heidegards, and believing himself to be only doing his duty, began to bark with all his might.  They hushed the dog, but he had grown angry and would not be quiet; the grandfather stood below staring up.  But matters grew still worse, for all the herd-boys’ dogs heard with surprise the strange voice and came running up.  When they saw that it was a large, wolf-like giant, all the stiff-haired Lapp-dogs gathered about him.  Marit became so terrified that she ran away without saying farewell.  Oyvind rushed into the midst of the fray, kicked and fought; but the dogs merely changed the field of battle, and then flew at one another again, with hideous howls and kicks; Oyvind after them again, and so it kept on until they had rolled over to the edge of the brook, when he once more came running up.  The result of this was that they all tumbled together into the water, just at a place where it was quite deep, and there they parted, shame-faced.  Thus ended this forest battle.  Oyvind walked through the forest until he reached the parish road; but Marit met her grandfather up by the fence.  This was the dog’s fault.

“Where do you come from?”

“From the wood.”

“What were you doing there?”

“Plucking berries.”

“That is not true.”

“No; neither is it.”

“What were you doing, then?”

“I was talking with some one.”

“Was it with the Pladsen boy?”

“Yes.”

“Hear me now, Marit; to-morrow you leave home.”

“No.”

“Listen to me, Marit; I have but one single thing to say, only one:  you shall go.”