"Yes," said Heggen, shaking his head a little. There seemed to be something he would not say.
"Yes," said Fru Heggen, too; "he's said from the very first that Wangen was guilty, and Heggen has a wonderful power of judgment in such cases."
"Well, then," said Fru Thora, "I hope you won't let old disagreements stand in the way this time. We ought really to begin to appreciate the worth of others than those we always agree with."
"Oh dear yes!" said Heggen eagerly. "But who did you think of asking to join?"
Fru Thora laid her pretty hand upon the table, as if to give more emphasis to her words.
"All who wish to. The authorities, peasants--all without difference. Wouldn't it be nice if government officers and country people for once joined hands and said: 'One of our best men has been persecuted, and his name sullied; here we are, and we will join hands and wash him clean again.' An example should really be set to show that Christianity and national feeling are not mere words, but that we actually help a brother when he is in need."
"Has Norby taken it to heart?" asked Heggen, with a look of sympathy.
"I don't know; he is so proud, that man. He certainly doesn't complain. But now, to-day, my brother in Bergen wrote to me and asked if it were really true that Norby had defrauded the widow for whom he's trustee! That's the way ill-natured remarks spread; and how much wouldn't a man lose by such things!"
"Oh yes," sighed Fru Heggen; "there's always some one ready to repeat an ill-natured thing."
"And there's one thing we must be all agreed about," continued Fru Thora, "and that is that a better head of a family and master than Norby is not to be found in the district. Where will you find any one so good to his old servants and men?"
The schoolmaster thought it over, and the warm appreciation of Norby's goodness to his farm-servants touched him and overcame his last scruples.
"Well, I'm quite willing to join," he said. "But who is to make the speech?" he thought to himself.
"Yes," said Fru Thora, taking another sip of wine. "But you aren't going to be let off so easily. You will have to make the speech. No one can do it so well."
"I?" said Heggen, his brow flushing; but he finally agreed. If a few words were to be said in honour of Fru Norby, perhaps Fru Thora of Lidarende might attempt them.