Ovind sat a long time in the hot sun, close to the beck that flowed from the lake; he waited and waited, but still there was no one to be seen at Heidegaard, and he began to be a little anxious, when suddenly a great dog came panting out from a door, followed by a young girl in summer attire; she sprang over the fields up towards the mountain. Ovind felt a strong desire to halloo but dare not; he kept a look out to see if any one should accidentally come out from the farm and see her, but she escaped unobserved. At last she got near, picking her way by the side of the brook, and helping herself on by the small bushes, the dog a little before her, snuffing in the air. Ovind ran to meet her, the dog growled and was hushed down, and as soon as Marit saw him come, she seated herself on the Great Stone, looking fiery red, and quite overpowered by the heat. He sat down beside her. "I'm so glad you've come." "How fearfully hot! Have you been waiting long?" "No.--As they watch us so in the evenings, we must take the mid-day; but after this, I think we ought not to keep things so secret, and it is just about this I wanted to speak to you." "Not secret?" "I know very well that it suits you best to keep everything secret, but to shew courage suits you also. I have come to-day to talk a long time with you, and now you must hear." "Is it true that you mean to try to be District Agriculturist?" "Yes, and I hope to succeed too. I have a two-fold object in view,--first, to gain position; and secondly, to do something that your grandfather can both see and understand. It happens most fortunately that most of the farmers about Heidegaard are young people who wish to make improvements and require assistance; they have also means at command. So I shall begin there. I shall improve everything from the smallest things to the greatest. I shall give lectures, and also work; and so to say, lay siege to the old man by good deeds." "Well done, Ovind! What more?" "The next concerns ourselves,--you must not go away." "When he commands it?" "And keep nothing secret respecting us two." "When he tortures me?"