Part 16 (1/2)
”Listen, Oyvind; what if he is determined I shall leave home, how then?”
”Then you must say No, right out.”
”Oh, dear! how would that be possible?”
”He cannot carry you out to the carriage.”
”If he does not quite do that, he can force me in many other ways.”
”That I do not believe; you owe obedience, to be sure, as long as it is not a sin; but it is also your duty to let him fully understand how hard it is for you to be obedient this time. I am sure he will change his mind when he sees this; now he thinks, like most people, that it is only childish nonsense. Prove to him that it is something more.”
”He is not to be trifled with, I can a.s.sure you. He watches me like a tethered goat.”
”But you tug at the tether several times a day.”
”That is not true.”
”Yes, you do; every time you think of me in secret you tug at it.”
”Yes, in that way. But are you so very sure that I think often of you?”
”You would not be sitting here if you did not.”
”Why, dear me! did you not send word for me to come?”
”But you came because your thoughts drove you here.”
”Rather because the weather was so fine.”
”You said a while ago that it was too warm.”
”To go _up_ hill, yes; but _down_ again?”
”Why did you come up, then?”
”That I might run down again.”
”Why did you not run down before this?”
”Because I had to rest.”
”And talk with me about love?”
”It was an easy matter to give you the pleasure of listening.”
”While the birds sang.”
”And the others were sleeping.”
”And the bells rang.”