It was about eight o'clock when Beret came back, bringing food with her. Mildrid was still sleeping. Beret set down what she was carrying, looked at them both for a minute, and then went and sat down a little way from them. Nearly an hour passed, Beret getting up from time to time to keep herself from falling asleep. Soon after nine Mildrid awoke. She turned several times, at last opened her eyes, saw where she was lying, sat up, and noticed the others. She was still bewildered with sleep, so that she did not take in rightly where she was or what she saw, till Hans rose and came smiling towards her. Then she held out her hands to him. He sat down beside her: "You've had a sleep now, Mildrid?" "Yes, I've slept now." "And you're hungry?" "Yes, I'm hungry----" and Beret came forward with the food. She looked at it and then at them. "Have I slept long?" she asked. "Well, it's almost nine o'clock; look at the sun!" Not till now did she begin to remember everything. "Have you sat here long?" "No, not very long--but you must eat!" She began to do so. "You were on your way down to the valley?" asked Hans gently, with his head nearer hers. She blushed and whispered, "Yes." "To-morrow, when you've really had a good sleep and rest, we'll go down together." Her eyes looked into his, first in surprise, then as if she were thanking him, but she said nothing. After this she seemed to revive; she asked Beret where _she_ had been, and Beret told that she had gone to fetch Hans, and he told all the rest. Mildrid ate and listened, and yielded gradually once again to the old fascination. She laughed when Hans told her how the dog had found her, and had licked her face without wakening her. He was at this moment greedily watching every bite she took, and she began to share with him. As soon as she had finished, they went slowly towards the soeter--and Beret was soon in bed. The two sat on the bench outside the door. Small rain was beginning to fall, but the broad eaves kept them from feeling it. The mist closed round the soeter, and shut them in in a sort of magic circle. It was neither day nor night, but dark rather than light. Each softly spoken word brought more confidence into their talk. Now for the first time they were really speaking to each other. He asked her so humbly to forgive him for not having remembered that she must feel differently from him, and that she had parents who must be consulted. She confessed her fear, and then she told him that he was the first real, strong, self-reliant man she had ever known, and that this, and other things she had heard about him, had--she would not go on.