"
"Ay, it's all very well for him," said Eleseus, anxious to show off
a little. "He can afford it. It's another matter with poor folk like
ourselves."
"How d'you mean?"
"Oh, haven't you heard? There's been some Swedish millionaires came
down the other day and bought a mine of him, a copper mine."
"Why, you don't say? And he'll have got a heap of money for it, then?"
"Enormous. Well, I don't want to boast, but it was at any rate ever
so many thousands. What was I going to say? Build? You've a deal of
timber lying about here yourself. When are you going to start?"
Barbro put in her word here: "Never!"
Now that was pure exaggeration and impertinence. Axel had got his
stones the autumn before, and carted them home that winter; now,
between seasons, he had got the foundation walls done, and cellar and
all else--all that remained was to build the timbered part above. He
was hoping to get part of it roofed in this autumn, and had thought
of asking Sivert to lend him a hand for a few days--what did Eleseus
think of that?
Eleseus thought like as not.
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