could.

"You do everything so thoroughly, Inger Johanne," said the doctor.

When I was in bed with my arm in splints and bandages, I began to cry
violently. Not so much because of my arm--though I cried a little about
that, too--but most that I should have thought I could run away from
Father and Mother, who were so good. I told Mother the whole thing.

"But now I'll never--never--never think of running away again, Mother."

* * * * *

The day the circus-riders left with the horses, I stood at the window
with my arm in a sling and watched them.

But only think! Karsten wouldn't give up, and I had to hand over my
red-and-blue pencil to him even though I didn't run away with the
circus-riders!

CHAPTER XIX

MOVING

Twice, that I can remember, Father had tried to get a position off in
the country, and each time I had been so sure we were going to move that
I had imagined exactly how everything would be in our new home. A big
old farmhouse, yes, for I like old, old houses; an immense garden, with
empress pears and every possible kind of berry; big red barns and
out-houses; big pastures all around; cows and calves, and horses to go
driving with wherever I wished. I should like best a red horse with a
white mane, a horse that looked wild; and a little light basket-phaeton.
And I would drive, and crack my whip--oh, how I would snap it! And there
would be a lot of hens that I would take care of myself, for I am
dreadfully interested in hens.

Once, I told all around town that we were to move to Telemarken. I
really believed it myself. Everybody in town heard of it and at last it
got into the paper, and, O dear! it wasn't true at all, and it was I who
had told it. That time Father was furious with me.

After that I never heard a word about Father's looking for a position; I
suppose they were afraid I should tell of it again. And so it was like
lightning from a clear sky and I was completely astounded when Mother
told me one morning at breakfast that Father had got a position in
Christiania, and that we were to move away.

"Well, may I tell about it now?" I asked. "Yes, now you may say all you
like," said Mother.

I couldn't get another mouthful down after hearing the news, but hurried
off to school. Not a soul had come when I got there, so I had to wait,
alone with my great news, for five long minutes. The first to come was
Antoinette Wium; she had hardly opened the door wh