She was troubled at once, but tried not to show
it, and brought out a chair. They had managed up to then at Maaneland.
Axel had carried water and wood and done the heaviest work, and Oline
doing the rest. And gradually she had come to reckon on staying the
rest of her life on the place. Now came Barbro and upset it all.
"If we'd only a grain of coffee in the house you should have it," said
she to Barbro. "Going farther up, maybe?"
"No," said Barbro.
"Ho! Not going farther?"
"No."
"Why, 'tis no business of mine, no," says Oline. "Going down again,
maybe?"
"No. Nor going down again. I'm staying here for now."
"Staying here, are you?"
"Ay, staying here, I doubt."
Oline waits for a moment, using her old head, full of policy. "Ay,
well," says she. "'Twill save me, then, no doubt. And glad I'll be for
the same."
"Oho," says Barbro in jest, "has Axel here been so hard on you this
while?"
"Hard on me? Axel! Oh, there's no call to turn an old body's words,
there's naught but living on and waiting for the blessed end.
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