He sat a while with the family, but was
rather silent than talkative, whereupon the others too became silent.
When he took his leave, both husband and wife followed him outside of
the door; it seemed as if both expected him to say something.
Meanwhile, they stood gazing up into the night.
"It has grown so unusually quiet here," finally said the mother, "since
the children have gone away with their sports."
"Nor have you a _child_ in the house any longer, either," said the
school-master.
The mother knew what he meant.
"Oyvind has not been happy of late," said she.
"Ah, no! he who is ambitious never is happy,"--and he gazed up with an
old man's calmness into God's peaceful heavens above.
CHAPTER VI.
Half a year later--in the autumn it was (the confirmation had been
postponed until then)--the candidates for confirmation of the main
parish sat in the parsonage servant's hall, waiting examination, among
them was Oyvind Pladsen and Marit Heidegards. Marit had just come down
from the priest, from whom she had received a handsome book and much
praise; she laughed and chatted with her girl friends on all sides and
glanced around among the boys. Marit was a full-grown girl, easy and
frank in her whole address, and the boys as well as the girls knew that
Jon Hatlen, the best match in the parish, was courting her,--well might
she be happy as she sat there.
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