"Yes," he answered, "that's what it will come to." But as Victoria was really moved he added: "But maybe I'll come back some time. I might come up to earth for a trip again." "Well, but don't bring her with you then," she begged. "Why should you bring her with you?" "No, I could come by myself, I dare say." "Will you promise me that?" "Oh yes, I can promise that. But what does it matter to you? I can't expect you to care." "You mustn't say that, do you hear?" answered Victoria. "I'm certain she isn't so fond of you as I am." A glow of rapture thrilled his young heart. He could have sunk into the earth from joy and bashfulness at her words. He dared not look at her, he looked away. Then he picked up a stick off the ground, scraped off its bark and hit himself on the hand with it. At last he began to whistle in his embarrassment. "Well, I shall have to be going home," he said. "Good-bye then," she answered and gave him her hand. II The Miller's son went away. He stayed away a long time, went to school and learned a great deal, grew up, big and strong, and got down on his upper lip. It was so far to town, the journey there and back cost so much, that the thrifty Miller kept his son in town summer and winter for many years. He studied all the time. But now he was grown into a man; he was eighteen or twenty. Then one afternoon in spring he landed from the steamer. The flag was flying at the Castle in honour of the son who had also come home for his holidays by the same boat; a carriage had been sent down to the pier to fetch him. Johannes bowed to the Master and Mistress of the Castle and Victoria. How big and tall Victoria had grown! She did not return his greeting. He took off his cap again and heard her ask her brother: "Look, Ditlef, who's that bowing?" Her brother answered: "That's Johannes. Johannes Miller." She darted her eyes at him again; but he was too bashful to bow any more. Then the carriage drove off. Johannes took himself home. Dear me, what a funny little place it was! He could hardly get into the door without stooping. His parents brought out wine for the occasion. His feelings gripped him, it was all so dear and so touching, his father and mother so good and so grey, they gave him their hands in turn and welcomed him home again. The very same evening he walked round and looked at everything, the mill, the quarry and the place where he used to fish, listened with a touch of sadness to the birds he knew which were already building their nests in the trees, and took a turn round by the big anthill in the woods. The ants were gone, the hill was deserted. He dug into it, there was not a sign of life. As he wandered about he noticed that a lot of trees had been cut down in the Castle woods. "Do you recognize the place again?" his father asked jokingly. "Have you found your old thrushes?" "I find some changes. There's been some felling."