She had had a letter from Wangen that day; he said that he was trying to obtain a pardon. But she was not equal to further faith; she could not believe in his innocence any more. If he had only confessed it at first, at any rate to her! But now! Her father had been right. Her father! The whole thing overwhelmed her like a terrible darkness.
Suddenly she started up and hurried on. She must manage to reach the children before dark, for she dared not be out alone when it was dark.
When the carriage drove down the avenue from Norby Farm, the two daughters sat opposite their parents, and Einar with the coachman on the box. Einar had come home quite unexpectedly. That evening when he rowed across to Buvik Sæter he had met with a great disappointment. The doctor’s daughter had left for the valley that afternoon.
From that time Einar found it unbearable up on the mountains. It was no help now, in his expeditions over the moors, to look over to Buvik Sæter. The disgrace he had fled from now met him both out of doors and indoors; and his eagerness to reach this young woman thereby became greater than ever. So he packed up his things and set off. He must catch her up; he must know for a certainty whether she cared for him or not.
At home he settled down in a wonderful way. The good conscience that every one there had was infectious; and he could not but feel glad that his parents should now be rewarded for all their troubles with this dinner. It was high time that he, too, gave up his ugly suspicion.
As he sat upon the box, he gazed at the carriages that were driving up to the flag-decorated town-hall. Would she be there this evening?
Marit Norby looked handsome as she sat leaning a little towards her husband, dressed in a silk dress and light straw bonnet. Knut, however, was by no means happy; for as he grew to feel himself more and more firmly in the right, he had become more indifferent to the respect of the district. Fancy if people were making this fuss because they were sorry for him! In that case he would like to tell them that they were mistaken. There was nothing the matter with him yet. Nevertheless as he saw carriage after carriage drive up to the town-hall a smile played about the corners of his mouth; for he was thinking of Mads Herlufsen. Would he come? Or was he sitting at home sulking? In that case Norby would like to see him.
As they drove into the yard of the town-hall, Einar saw the doctor’s gig driving away. There was room for only two in it, the doctor and his wife, so she was not there. He had been so anxious about this for days and nights past that the disappointment was very great, and for a moment he lost all desire to go in. Something awoke in him, that shook him and said: “What are you about, Einar?”
Between two flags on the steps stood the bailiff and Fru Thora of Lidarende to receive the guests of honour; and Einar slowly followed the others up the steps.