"But, my son, your brother is only just dead, and it is your duty to forgive him whatever he did.'
"He died to me long ago, mother--before he went away from Iceland--and now that he is dead indeed, I thank God he can never come back again."
"Well, the Lord knows best what He is doing," said Anna, and then her tears came again, whereupon Magnus, seeing what he had done, walked over to her and kissed her. He had never done that in the whole course of his life before, so her tears flowed faster than ever. And then he went out of the house, muttering to himself:
"Ah, well! My God! My God!"
That night when the bell in the hall rang for prayers, and little Elin sat in her grandmother's lap and the farm-servants trooped in with the awesome looks of persons who knew what shadow hung over the little house among the lonely hills, Magnus, in his quality of family priest, took up the Bible and hymn-book at the place where Anna opened for him. The chapter was from second Samuel, and it ended with the verse:
"And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son."
The hymn was--
"Meek and low, meek and low,
I shall soon my Jesus know."
When the singing ended, the farm-servants went out one by one, each saying to Magnus:
"God give you a good night!"