Page:Pontoppidan - Emanuel, or Children of the Soil (1896).djvu/233

 Anders Jörgen half rose, and his eyes brightened.

"Aye, perhaps your Reverence would like to see the beasts."

Emanuel said yes, and rising with alacrity, buttoned his coat. It almost looked as if he meant to leave them altogether.

But then Else became anxious. She went up to him and said, trying to smile in her old winning manner: "Well, now, we shall expect you to spend the day with us? you will put up with what we have to offer you. If we had known it sooner, we would have managed to have something better. And you must not be vexed if we were a little upset at hearing of this. We never could have expected Hansine to climb to the top of the tree and find a husband like you. But at bottom we're right glad, and thankful for what has happened, and you must not think otherwise. You'll stay with us to-day, now won't you?"

"Dear Else," said Emanuel, immediately softened, "I shall most certainly from to-day be glad to look upon this place as my home. I have long wished to do so—and, in a way, I have no longer any other."

"Well, then! you are most heartily welcome," said Else, all at once regaining her usual familiar tone and slapping his arm. "We've always liked you since the first time we saw you, sure and certain we have. But go out now with Anders and look about you a bit. There are no grand