"You must go there and say you want to be Gudmund's, no matter what he may have done, and that you will wait faithfully for him while he is in prison." "Why should I say this?" "So all will be well between you." "But that is impossible. I don't want to marry any one who has been in prison!" Helga staggered back, as though she had bumped against a wall, but she quickly regained her courage. She could understand that one who was rich and powerful, like Hildur, must think thus. "I should not come and ask you to go to Närlunda did I not know that Gudmund was innocent," said she. Now it was Hildur who came a step or two towards Helga. "Do you know this for certain, or is it only something which you imagine?" "It will be better for us to get into the cart immediately; then I can talk on the way." "No, you must first explain what you mean; I must know what I'm doing." Helga was in such a fever of excitement that she could hardly stand still; nevertheless she had to make up her mind to tell Hildur how she happened to know that Gudmund was not the murderer. "Didn't you tell Gudmund of this at once?" "No, I'm telling it now to Hildur. No one else knows of it." "And why do you come to me with this?" "That all may be well between you two. He will soon learn that he has done no wrong; but I want you to go to him as if of your own accord, and make it up." "Sha'n't I say that I know he is innocent?" "You must come entirely of your own accord and must never let him know I have spoken to you; otherwise he will never forgive you for what you said to him this morning." Hildur listened quietly. There was something in this which she had never met with in her life before, and she was striving to make it clear to herself. "Do you know that it was I who wanted you to leave Närlunda?" "I know, of course, that it was not the folk at Närlunda who wished me away." "I can't comprehend that you should come to me to-day with the desire to help me." "Only come along now, Hildur, so all will be well!" Hildur stared at Helga, trying all the while to reason it out. "Perhaps Gudmund loves you?" she blurted out. And now Helga's patience was exhausted. "What could I be to him?" she said sharply. "You know, Hildur, that I am only a poor croft girl, and that's not the worst about me!" The two young women stole unobserved from the homestead and were soon seated in the cart. Helga held the reins, and she did not spare the horse, but drove at full speed. Both girls were silent. Hildur sat gazing at Helga. She marvelled at her and was thinking more of her than of anything else. As they were nearing the Erlandsson farm, Helga gave the reins to Hildur. "Now you must go alone to the house and talk with Gudmund. I'll follow a little later and tell that about the knife. But you mustn't say a word to Gudmund about my having brought you here."