And in any case, it would mean his having to pay
for the journey.
Nay, 'twas a mean and wicked trick of Barbro to make away with the bit
of a child and then run off herself. A summer and two winters now he
had been forced to make do with Oline, and no saying how much longer
it might be yet. And Barbro, the creature, did she care? He had had a
few words with her down in the village one day that winter, but never
a tear had trickled slowly from her eyes to freeze on her cheek.
"What you've done with rings I gave you?" asks he.
"Rings?"
"Ay, the rings."
"I haven't got them now."
"Ho, so you haven't got them now?"
"'Twas all over between us," said she. "And I couldn't wear them after
that. 'Tis not the way to go on wearing rings when it's all over
between you."
"Well, I'd just like to know what you've done with them, that's all."
"Wanted me to give them back, maybe," said she. "Well, I never thought
you'd have had me put you to that shame."
Axel thought for a moment, and said: "I could have made it up to you
other ways.
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