After ten minutes or so, I was sent for round to the front steps; the whole family were there now.
“So you're the man who's going to give us water laid on to the house?” said Fruen kindly.
I took off my cap and bowed in a heavy, stolid fashion, and the priest answered for me: yes, this was the man.
Frøkenen gave me one curious glance, and then started talking in an undertone to her brother. Fruen went on with more questions—would it really be a proper water-supply like they had in town, just turn on a tap and there was the water all ready? And for upstairs as well? A couple of hundred Kroner? “Really, I think you ought to say yes,” she said to her husband.
“You think so? Well, let's all go up to the top of the hill and look through the thing and see.”
We went up the hill, and I set the instrument for them and let them look.
“Wonderful!” said Fruen.
But Frøkenen said never a word.
The priest asked:
“But are you sure there's water here?”