at her with pity, as if he wished to give her courage. Then she thought that the mighty warrior had once had his day, when he had overthrown hundreds of enemies there on the heath and waded through the streams of blood that had poured between the clumps. What had he thought of one dead man more or less? How much would the sight of children, whose fathers he had killed, have moved his heart of stone? Light as air would the burden of a child’s death have rested on his conscience. 

 And she heard his whisper, the same which the old stone-cold heathenism had whispered through all time. “Why repent? The gods rule us. The fates spin the threads of life. Why shall the children of earth mourn because they have done what the immortal gods have forced them to do?” 

 Then Jofrid took courage and said to herself: “How am I to blame because the child died? It is God alone who decides. Nothing takes place without his will.” And she thought that she could lay the ghost by putting all repentance from her. 

 But now the door opened and Tönne came out to her. “Jofrid,” he said, “it is in the house now. It came up and knocked on the edge of the bed and woke me. What shall we do, Jofrid?” 

 “The child is dead,” said Jofrid. “You know that it is lying deep under ground. All this is only dreams and imagination.” She spoke hardly and coldly, for she feared that Tönne would do something reckless, and thereby cause them misfortune. 

 “We must put an end to it,” said Tönne. 

 Jofrid laughed dismally. “What do you wish to do? God has sent this to us. Could He not have kept the child alive if He had chosen? He did not wish it, and now He persecutes us for its death. Tell me by what right He persecutes us?” 

 She got her words from the old stone warrior, who sat dark and high on his pile. It seemed as if he suggested to her everything she answered Tönne. 

 “We must acknowledge that we have neglected the child, and do penance,” said Tönne. 

 “Never will I suffer for what is not my fault,” said Jofrid. “Who wanted the child to die? Not I, not I. What kind of a penance will you do? You need all your strength for work.” 

 “I have already tried with scourging,” said Tönne. “It is of no avail.” 

 “You see,” she said, and laughed again. 

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