Mother, he's gone, the sailor, oh! "Ah! has he so!" Mother, he's gone, the merchant, oh! "Ah! has he so?" Mother, the pastor's son's going they say! "Then haul away!"-- Ah! ding dong, The nose grows long, Great fishes may bite, but what is the gain, If into the basket, they ne'er can be ta'en! They called especially for Gunlaug, they would have been mightily pleased to have heard her matchless fury rage. Gunlaug was sitting within, and heard every word; but she kept silence; one must be able to bear something for the sake of one's child. CHAPTER VI. THE SOUND OF THE CLOCK. Petra had been in her room, when the shouting, whistling, and hallooing had begun the first evening. She sprang up as if the house had been on fire, or as if everything were coming down upon her. She ran about in her room as if whipped with burning rods; it burnt through her soul; her thoughts ran impetuously after an outlet;--but down to the mother she dare not go, and they were standing in front of the only window! A stone came flying through, and fell upon her bed; she gave a cry and ran into a corner behind a curtain, and hid herself among her old clothes. There she sat crouched up together, burning with shame, trembling with fear, visions of unknown horrors passed before her, the air was full of faces, gaping, mocking faces, they came quite near, it rained fire round about them;--oh, not fire, but eyes; it rained eyes, large, glowing and small, sparkling; eyes that stood still, eyes that ran up and down,--Jesus, Jesus, save me! Oh, what a relief, when the last cry died away in the night, and it was quite dark, and quite still. She ventured out, threw herself on the bed, and buried her face in the pillow, but she could not turn away from her thoughts; the mother would come powerfully and threateningly forward, as thunder clouds gather over the mountains, for what would the mother not suffer for her sake! No slumber came to her eyelids, nor peace to her soul, and the day came, but no alleviation.