eren hesitating on the word, to gain time. "Well, He's
both His hands full, He has. And even so it seems to us others, that
at times He's taken more upon Himself than He can do--and that's
what He looks like!"

And so Ditte was satisfied.

To begin with Soeren talked most, and the child listened. But soon it
was she who led the conversation, and the old man who listened
entranced. Everything his girlie said was simply wonderful, and all
of it worth repetition, if only he could remember it. Soeren
remembered a good deal, but was annoyed with himself when some of it
escaped his memory.

"Never knew such a child," said he to Maren, when they came in from
their walk. "She's different from our girls somehow."

"Well, you see she's the child of a farmer's son," answered Maren,
who had never got over the greatest disappointment of her life, and
eagerly caught at anything that might soften it.

But Soeren laughed scornfully and said: "You're a fool, Maren, and
that's all about it."

CHAPTER VI

THE DEATH OF SOeREN MAN

One day Soeren came crawling on all fours over the doorstep. Once
inside, he stumbled to his feet and moved with great difficulty
towards the fireplace, where he clung with both hands to the
mantelpiece, swaying to and fro and groaning pitifully the while. He
collapsed just as Maren came in from the kitchen, she ran to him,
got off his clothes and put him to bed.

"Seems like I'm done for now," said Soeren, when he had rested a
little.

"What's wrong with you, Soeren?" asked Maren anxiously.

"'Tis naught but something's given inside," said Soeren sullenly.

He refused to say more, but Maren got out of him afterwards that it
had happened when drawing the tethering-peg out of the ground.
Usually it was loose enough. But today it was firm as a rock, as if
some one was holding it down in the earth. Soeren put the
tethering-rope round his neck and pulled with all his might, it did
give way; but at the same time something seemed to break inside him.
Everything went dark, and a big black hole appeared in the earth.

Maren gazed at him with terror. "Was 't square?" asked she.

Soeren thought it was square.

"And what of Girlie?" asked Maren suddenly.

She had disappeared when Soeren fainted.

Maren ran out on the hills with anxious eyes. She found Ditte
playing in the midst of a patch of wild pansies, fortunately Maren
could find no hole in the ground. But the old rotten rope had
parted.