e mother had sent Erick to Lower Wood
to school and not to Upper Wood, where all good people from Middle Lot
came--Kaetheli, for example. Then Erick told her that his mother had
asked Marianne about the schools, and after Marianne had explained
everything to her, and that fewer children went to Lower Wood and mostly
children who were not so well-known, then his mother had at once decided
that he should go there. "For you see, Sally, we were obliged to be
alone and hide ourselves until I had become an honorable man."

"But why? I do not understand it at all," Sally said somewhat
impatiently. "And then afterwards when you had become an honorable man,
what did you want to do, if you did not know anyone?"

"I should very much like to tell it to you, Sally," Erick answered very
seriously, "but you would have to promise me that you would tell it to
no human being; never, not if it should take many, many years."

"Yes, yes, I will surely promise that," Sally said quickly, for she was
very anxious to hear the secret.

"No, Sally, you must consider it well," said Erick, and held his hands
behind his back, to let her have time, "then if you have decided that
you will tell no human being one single word, then you must promise it
to me with a firm handshake."

Sally had fully decided. "Just give me your hand, Erick," she urged.
"So, I promise you that I will tell to no one a single word of that
which you want to tell me."

Now Erick felt safe. "You see, Sally," he began, "in Denmark there is a
very large, beautiful estate, with a beautiful lawn before the house to
which one can go directly through large doors out of the halls, and in
the middle of the lawn are the beautiful flower-beds just filled with
roses; and on the other side of the house one goes across to the large,
old oaks, where the horses graze--for there are many beautiful horses.
And on the left side of the house one comes directly into the small
forest; there is a pond quite surrounded by dense trees, and a small
bench stands above and from there one descends three steps to the little
boat that has two oars, and my mother liked best to sit there and row
about the pond. For, you see, my mother lived there when she was a
child, and also later when she was grown up. And there below, where the
lawn stops, begin the large stables where the horses are when they are
not grazing; and my mother had her own little white horse. She rode
about on that with grandfather or wi