tain-kings, and wood-women,
and which drag down the heart so forcibly into unknown, wondrous
deeps--this dark song of Nature is heard in the understrings[15] of the
Halling's playful, but yet at the same time melancholy, tones. It deeply
seized upon Susanna's soul, and Harald also seemed to experience this
enchantment: Leaving the wilder movements of the dance, they moved
around ever quieter, arm-in-arm.

"Oh, so through life!" whispered Harald's lips, almost involuntarily, as
he looked deep into Susanna's beaming, tearful eyes; and, "Oh, so
through life!" was answered in Susanna's heart, but her lips remained
closed. At this moment she was seized by a violent trembling, which
obliged her to come from dancing, and to sit down, whilst the whole
world seemed going round with her. It was not until she had drunk a
glass of water, which Harald offered to her, that she was able to reply
to his heartfelt and anxious inquiries after her health. Susanna
attributed it to the violent dancing, but declared that she felt herself
again quite well. At that moment Susanna's eyes encountered those of
Alette. She sate at a little distance from them, and observed Harald and
Susanna with a grave, and as it seemed to Susanna, a displeased look.
Susanna felt stung at the heart; and when Alette came to her, and asked
rather coldly how she found herself, she answered also coldly and
shortly.

The sun was going down, and the evening began to be cool. The company
was therefore invited by Harald to a commodious hut, decorated with
foliage and flowers. At Harald's desire, a young girl played now upon
the "langleg,"[16] and sung thereto with a clear lively voice the
Hallingdal song, "Gjetter-livet" (Shepherd-life), which so naively
describes the days of a shepherd-girl in the solitary dales with the
flocks, which she pastures and tends during the summer, without care,
and joyous of mood, although almost separated from her kind;--_almost_,
for Havor, the goatherd, blows his horn on the rocks in the
neighbourhood, and ere long sits beside her on the crags--

The boy with his jew's-harp charms the kine,
And plays upon the flute so fine,
And I sing this song of mine.

So approaches the evening, and "all my darlings," with "song and love,"
are called by their names;--

Come Laikeros, Gullstjerna fine;
Come Dokkerose, darling mine;
Come Bjoelka, Qvittelin!

And cows and sheep come to the well-known voice, and assemble at the
Saeter-