LEAVING PEEROUT CASTLE
The next time Lisbeth Longfrock came to Hoel Farm, she did not come
alone; and she came--to stay!
All that had happened between that first visit and her second coming
had been far, far different from anything Lisbeth had ever imagined. It
seemed as if there had been no time for her to think about the strange
events while they were taking place. She did not realize what their
result would be until after she had lived through them and gone out of
the gate of Peerout Castle when everything was over. So much had been
going on in those last sad, solemn days,--so much that was new to see
and to hear,--that although she had felt a lump in her throat the whole
time, she had not had a real cry until at the very end. But when she
had passed through the gate that last day, and had stopped and looked
back, the picture that she then saw had brought the whole clearly
before her, with all its sorrow. Something was gone that would never
come again. She would never again go to Peerout Castle except as a
stranger. She had no home--no home anywhere. And at that she had begun
to weep so bitterly that those who had been thinking how wisely and
quietly she was taking her trouble could but stand and look at her in
wonder.
* * * * *
The last two months of the winter had passed so quickly up at Peerout
Castle that Lisbeth really could not tell what had become of them; and
this was owing not a little to the fact that, besides all her other
work, she had so much to do in the cow house.
Crookhorn had become, as it were, Lisbeth's cow, and consequently had
to be taken care of by her. Bliros showed very plainly that she would
not like at all to have Randi's attentions bestowed upon a rascally
goat. That would make it seem as if the goat were fully as important a
person in the cow house as Bliros herself; whereas the whole cow house,
in reality, belonged to her, and that other creature was only allowed
there as a favor.
So Lisbeth took care of Crookhorn exactly as she saw her mother take
care of Bliros. In fact, before long she had more to do in the cow
house than her mother had; for she soon learned to milk Crookhorn,
while Bliros, her mother's cow, could not then be milked.
And Crookhorn gave so much milk! Three times a day Lisbeth had to milk
her. There was no longer any scarcity of cream for coffee or milk for
porridge. Indeed, there was even cream enough to make waffles with now
and then.
Springtime came. It always came early up at Peerout Castle. The slopes
of heather, directly facing the sun, were the first in the whole valley
to peep up out of the snow. As soon as the heathery spots began to show
themselves, Lisbeth was out on them, stepping here and there with a
cautious foot. It seemed so wonderful to step on bare earth again
instead of snow! Day by day she kept track of the different green
patches, watching them grow larger and larger, and seeing how the snow
glided slowly farther and farther downward,--exactly as her own frock
did when she loosened the band and let it slip down and lie in a ring
around her feet. When the snow had slipped as far down as the big stone
where she and Jacob used to have their cow house (using pine cones for
cows and sheep), the outermost buds on the trees would swell and be
ready to burst,--she knew that from the year before; and when the buds
had really opened (she kept close watch of them every day now), then,
_then_ would come the great day when Crookhorn could be let out.
Lisbeth's mother had said so.
That great day was what she was waiting for, not only because it would
be so pleasant for Crookhorn to be out, but because no food was equal
to the first buds of spring for making goats yield rich milk.
Lisbeth's mother had been far from well ever since the day that Lisbeth
went over to Hoel Farm for the first time. But Lisbeth thought that as
soon as Crookhorn had fresh buds to eat and gave richer milk, her
mother would of course get entirely well.
It is very possible that a little streak of snow was still lying by the
upper side of the big stone (in spite of Lisbeth's having scattered
sand there to make the snow melt faster) on the bright spring day when
Lisbeth went into the cow house, unfastened Crookhorn, and led her out
of the stall.
As for Crookhorn, she followed her little mistress very sedately until
they reached the cow-house door. There she stopped short, looking
around and blinking at the sun. Lisbeth pulled at the rope, trying to
drag her over to the part of the ridge where the birch tree with the
fullest leaf buds stood. But Crookhorn would not budge. She merely
stood stock-still as if nothing were being done to her; for she was so
strong that, however hard Lisbeth pulled, it did not even make her
stretch her neck. Lisbeth then went nearer, thinking that she could
pull better without such a length of rope between her and the goat; but
at that, quick as a wink, Crookhorn lowered her head and butted
Lisbeth, causing the little girl to fall back against the hillside with
a whack. Upon which, Crookhorn stalked in an indifferent manner across
the road.
Lisbeth picked herself up and started to go after her charge; but, if
you please, as soon as she came near enough and tried to seize
Crookhorn, away would that naughty goat dart, not galloping as a goat
usually does, but trotting like a cow or an elk. She trotted by the
house and turned off on the road leading to Svehaugen Farm. Lisbeth
pursued swiftly; but, run as she might, she could not gain upon
Crookhorn. At last, stumbling over a stone, the little girl fell at
full length, having barely time, while falling, to look up and catch a
glimpse of Crookhorn's back as the goat, trotting swiftly, disappeared
over the brow of a hill.
There was no other way out of it,--Lisbeth would have to run home and
get her mother to help her. This she did, and they both set out in full
chase. It was a long run, for they did not overtake Crookhorn until
they had reached the Svehaugen gate. There stood the goat gazing
unconcernedly through the palings. She evidently felt herself superior
to jumping over fences,--she who imagined herself to be a cow!
Randi had become much overheated from running, and at night, when she
went to bed, she said she felt cold and shivery. That seemed very
strange indeed to Lisbeth, for when she laid her face against her
mother's neck, it was as hot as a burning coal.
In the morning Lisbeth's mother woke her and told her to get up and go
over to Kari Svehaugen's and ask Kari to come to Peerout Castle. Randi
felt so poorly that there was no use in her even trying to get up. She
was not able.
Not able to get up! That also seemed very strange to Lisbeth, for never
before had she seen her mother with cheeks so red and eyes so shining.
The child did not say anything, however, but got up, dressed herself
quickly and quietly, and ran off to Svehaugen.
After that there came several wonderful days at Peerout Castle. When
Lisbeth Longfrock thought about them afterward, they seemed like a
single long day in which a great many things had happened that she
could not separate from one another and set in order. In her
remembrance it was as if shadows had glided to and fro in an ugly
yellow light, while the sound of a heavy, painful breathing was
constantly heard, penetrating all other sounds.
She seemed dimly to see Kari Svehaugen gliding about and taking care of
things in the home and out in the cow house. She herself had climbed a
birch tree several times and picked leaf buds for the animals to eat.
One day Lars Svehaugen had flitted along the road in front of the
house, swiftly, as if he had not a moment to spare. Soon after this,
some one dressed in furs and with big boots on came driving to the
house, and all the neighbors flocked around him, listening to what he
said. And he brought such a curious smell with him! It filled the whole
house, so that, even after he had gone away, he seemed to be still
there.
She thought, too, that once she had seen Kjersti Hoel sitting on a
chair, taking many good things out of a big basket, and Jacob standing
by Kjersti's side with a great slice of raisin cake in his hand. And
Jacob had kept chewing and chewing on his raisin cake, as if it was
hard work to get it down. What she remembered chiefly, though, was
Jacob's eyes,--they looked so big and strange.
Then one morning she had awakened in a clear gray light, and from that
time she remembered everything very distinctly. She was lying in the
little trundle-bed that Jacob had slept in when he lived at home,--she
must, of course, have slept in it all these nights,--and Kari Svehaugen
was standing beside it, looking down upon her. The house was oh! so
still,--she did not hear the heavy, painful breathing any longer. The
only sound was a slight crackling in the fireplace, out of which a
stream of warmth issued.
Kari said very quietly: "Your mother is comfortable and happy now,
little Lisbeth; better off than she has ever been before. So you must
not cry."
And Lisbeth did not cry. She merely got up and went about the house
very, very quietly all that first day. Afterwards there were so many
preparations being made for some solemn festival that she did not seem
to get time to think about the great change that had taken place.
Lars Svehaugen came from the storekeeper's with ever so much fine
white, shining cloth,--she had never seen the like. Then a woman came
to help Kari cut out and sew, and they made pillows and a fine white
garment that mother was to have on when she lay upon the pillows. And
Lars Svehaugen began to make a new wooden bed for mother to lie in; and
Bliros had her calf, and the calf was slaughtered; and Lars Svehaugen
brought some small pine trees and nailed them at the gateposts and
outside the house door, one at each side, and he strewed pine branches
all the way from the door to the gate. And there came presents of
food--oh! so many good things--from Kjersti Hoel and others. Lisbeth
had never tasted such delicious food before.
Then came the day when mother was to be taken to the church and buried.
Many people came to the house that day,--among them Jacob in a bright
new suit of gray woolen homespun; and there was a feast for them all,
and everything was very still and solemn. Even the schoolmaster came;
and oh, how beautifully he sang when Lars Svehaugen and three other men
carried mother out through the door and set her couch upon a sledge.
Then they all went slowly away from the house, down the hill,--the
sledge first and the people walking slowly behind. But down at the
bottom of the hill, in the road, there stood two horses and wagons
waiting; and, just think! Lisbeth and Jacob were invited to sit up in
Kjersti Hoel's broad wagon and drive with her.
Then they came to the white church; and as they carried mother in
through the big gateway the church bells up in the tower rang, oh, so
beautifully!
After that Lisbeth did not see things quite so clearly, but they
lowered mother down into the earth in the churchyard and strewed
wreaths of green heather over her, and then the schoolmaster sang
again, and all the men took off their hats and held them a long time
before their faces.
After that the people went out of the churchyard, and Lisbeth and Jacob
climbed into Kjersti Hoel's broad wagon again and drove away,--only
this time they drove much faster. It looked as if the boards in the
fences ran after each other in an opposite direction from the one in
which she and Jacob were going. They both tried to count them, but
could not.
All the people came back with them to Peerout Castle,--Kjersti Hoel,
too. Kari Svehaugen, who had not gone to the church, had covered the
table with a white tablecloth, and set it with plates and good things
to eat. And all the people ate and talked,--but they did not talk very
loudly.
When the meal was over, Lisbeth got Jacob to go out into the cow house
to look at Crookhorn. Jacob conceded that the goat was an extremely
fine animal, but she was a vixen, he was sure,--he could tell that by
her eyelids.
Then they went over to the hill to look at the mill wheel that Jacob
used to have there; but it had fallen into complete decay because he
had been away from home so long. Such things need a boy's personal
attention.
After that they were called into the house again and everybody drank
coffee. When they had finished the coffee drinking, Kari began packing
into baskets the food that was left; and when that was done, Kjersti
Hoel said: "Well, now we have done everything that we can here. You may
bring Crookhorn with you, Lisbeth, and come to live with me. That was
the last thing I promised your mother."
Thus had it come about that Lisbeth Longfrock, holding Crookhorn by a
rope, stood outside the gate at Peerout Castle with Kjersti Hoel and
Bearhunter; and then it was that she looked behind her and began to
cry.
On one road she saw Kari Svehaugen with a big basket on her arm and
Bliros following her; and on the other she saw the back of Jacob, with
whom she had just shaken hands, saying, "May you fare well." He looked
singularly small and forlorn.
Last of all she saw Lars Svehaugen put a pine twig in the door latch as
a sign that Peerout Castle was now closed, locked, and forsaken.