"Goddag" answered Isak and Inger. "Here's the like of visitors to see this way!"
Geissler nodded.
"And thanks for all you did that time—in Trondhjem," said Inger all by herself.
And Isak nodded at that, and said: "Ay, 'tis two of us owe you thanks for that."
But Geissler—it was not his way to be all feelings and sentiments; he said: "Yes, I'm just going across to Sweden."
For all their trouble of mind over the drought, Sellanraa's folk were glad to see Geissler again; they gave him the best they had, and were heartily glad to do what they could for him after all he had done.
Geissler himself had no troubles that could be seen; he grew talkative at once, looked out over the fields and nodded. He carried himself upright as ever, and looked as if he had several hundreds of Daler in his pockets. It livened them up and brightened everything to have him there; not that he made any boisterous fun, but a lively talker, that he was.
"Fine place, Sellanraa, splendid place," he said. "And now there's others coming up one after another, since you've started, Isak. I counted five myself. Are there any more?"
"Seven in all. There's two that can't be seen from the road."
"Seven holdings; say fifty souls. Why, it'll be a densely populated neighbourhood before long. And you've a school already, so I hear?"