"Sigurd is a foundling," answered Thelma simply. "He was floating about in the Fjord in a basket, and my father saved him. He was quite a baby. He had this scar on his chest then. He has lived with us ever since."
Ulrika looked at her searchingly,--then bent her head,--whether in gratitude or despair it was difficult to say.
"Lovisa Elsland," she said monotonously, "I am going home. I cannot help you any longer! I am tired--ill." Here she suddenly broke down, and, throwing up her arms with a wild gesture, she cried, "O God, God! O God!" and burst into a stormy passion of sobs and tears.
Thelma, touched by her utter misery, would have offered consolation, but Lovisa repelled her with a fierce gesture.
"Go!" said the old woman harshly. "You have cast your spells upon her--I am witness of your work! And shall you escape just punishment? No; not while there is a God in heaven, and I, Lovisa Elsland, live to perform His bidding! Go,--white devil that you are!--go and carry misfortune upon misfortune to your fine gentleman-lover! Ah!" and she chuckled maliciously as the girl recoiled from her, her proud face growing suddenly paler, "have I touched you there? Lie in his breast, and it shall be as though a serpent stung him,--kiss his lips, and your touch shall be poison,--live in doubt, and die in misery! Go! and may all evil follow you!"
She raised her staff and waved it majestically, as though she drew a circle in the air,--Thelma smiled pityingly, but deigned no answer to her wild ravings.
"Come, Sigurd!" she said simply, "let us return home. It is growing late--father will wonder where we are."
"Yes, yes," agreed Sigurd, seizing the basket full of the pansies he had plucked. "The sunshine is slipping away, and we cannot live with shadows! These are not real women, mistress; they are dreams--black dreams,--I have often fought with dreams, and I know how to make them afraid! See how the one weeps because she knows me,--and the other is just going to fall into a grave. I can hear the clods thrown on her head--thump--thump! It does not take long to bury a dream! Come, mistress, let us follow the sunshine!"
And, taking the hand she extended towards him, he turned away, looking back once, however, to call out loudly-"Good-bye, bad dreams!"
As they disappeared behind the trees, Lovisa turned angrily to the still-sobbing Ulrika.