And when, to-day, he made the little turn up to the place of auction, the reason was far less the "autumn cow," than his lively curiosity for the new things that might have happened during his long absence.
Therefore it was not at all unwelcome to him when the widow came out and invited him into the "other room," where he must at least have a drop of ale before he left the farm.
He was curious to get her on the confessional as to the possibility of a new marriage, and also had the satisfaction, after a half hour's confidential chat, of having won from her confidence the whole of the real and true condition of her thoughts about herself and the farm.
No one cheated him any longer about that affair,--the widow of Bergset was to retain undivided possession of the estate of the deceased and--not marry. But she was anxious not to let it come out; she wanted to be courted, of course--as a good match in the district, naturally.
The captain understood it very well: it was sly.
Something must also be said about something else at last, and so Randi, in the spirit of what had been said, added: "And the sheriff, who is going to marry again."
"They say he is a constant visitor at the house of Scharfenberg, the solicitor. Very likely it is the youngest daughter, eh?"
He went quickly, so that his spurs rattled, and his sabre flapped under his coat, down to his horse without looking to the right or left or speaking to any one. He pressed his shako more firmly down on his forehead before he got into the cariole.
"Thanks, Halvor. Give me the reins. There you--"
He gave young Svarten, who began with some capers, a taste of the whip, and off he went with tight reins at full trot, so that the fence-posts flew like drumsticks past his eyes.
In the quiet, hazy autumn day the cattle here and there were out on the highway.
A pig provoked him by obstinately running before the cariole.
"There, take care to get your stumps out of the way!"
"See there! there is a beast of a cow lying in the middle of the road," he broke out, with his lips firmly pressed together.
"Well, if you won't get up, then you are welcome to stay! If you please--I am stupid also--I'll drive on."
His bitterness took full possession of him, and he would have firmly allowed the wheel to go over the animal's back if the latter had not risen up quickly at the last moment, so near that the captain's cariole was half raised up, while it grazed and was within an ace of being upset.