"Ay, a great thing indeed," said Brede. "And when the engineer says he'll do a thing, he'll do it. I know him, and you can take my word for that."
"We've no Eleseus to spare on this farm as I know of," said Isak.
There was something like a painful silence after that. Isak was not an easy man to talk to.
"But when the boy himself wants to get on," said Inger at last, "and has it in him, too." Silence again.
Then said Brede with a laugh: "I wish he'd ask for one of mine, anyway. I've enough of them and to spare. But Barbro's the eldest, and she's a girl."
"And a good girl enough," said Inger, for politeness' sake.
"Ay, I'll not say no," said Brede. "Barbro's well enough, and clever at this and that—she's going to help at the Lensmand's now."
"Going to the Lensmand's?"
"Well, I had to let her go—his wife was so set on it, I couldn't say no."
It was well on towards morning now, and Brede rose to go.