're not at home," said
the father quietly.

Ditte knew this. He was cutting his teeth just now, and needed
nursing, his cheeks were red with fever, and his mouth hot and
swollen. He would hang on to his mother's skirt, only to be brushed
impatiently aside, and would fall and hurt himself. Who then was
there to take him on their knee and comfort him? It was like an
accusation to Ditte's big heart; she was sorry she had deserted him,
and longed to have him in her arms again. It hurt her back to carry
him--yes, and the schoolmaster scolded her for stooping. "It's your
own fault," the mother would say; "stop dragging that big child
about! He can walk if he likes, he can." But when he was in pain and
cried, Ditte knew all too well from her own experience the child's
need of being held against a beating heart. She still had that
longing herself, though a mother's care had never been offered her.

Soerine was cross when Lars Peter returned with Ditte, and ignored
her for several days. But at last curiosity got the upper hand.
"How's the old woman--is she worse?" asked she.

Ditte, who thought her mother asked out of sympathy, gave full
details of the miserable condition that Granny was in. "She's always
in bed, and only gets food when any one takes it to her."

"Then she can't last much longer," thought the mother.

At this Ditte began to cry. Then her mother scolded her:

"Stupid girl, there's nothing to cry for. Old folks can't live on
forever, being a burden to others. And when Granny dies we'll get a
new dwelling-house."

"No, 'cause Granny says, what comes from the house is to be divided
equally. And the rest----" Ditte broke off suddenly.

"What rest?" Soerine bent forward with distended nostrils.

But Ditte closed her lips firmly. Granny had strictly forbidden her
to mention the subject--and here she had almost let it out.

"Stupid girl! don't you suppose I know you're thinking of the two
hundred crowns that was paid for you? What's to be done with it?"

Ditte looked with suspicion at her mother. "I'm to have it," she
whispered.

"Then the old woman should let us keep it for you, instead of
hanging on to it herself," said Soerine.

Ditte was terrified. That was exactly what Granny was afraid of,
that Soerine should get hold of it. "Granny has hidden it safely,"
said she.

"Oh, has she, and where?--in the eiderdown of course!"

"No!" Ditte assured her, shaking her head vehemently. But any one
could se