ClarawasprovingamuchbetterhostthanOlaf，who，oncethesupperwasover，seemedtofeelnointerestinanythingbutthelanterns。Hehadbroughtalocomotiveheadlightfromtowntolighttherevels，andhekeptskulkingaboutasifhefearedthemerelightfromitmightsethisnewbarnonfire。
Hiswife，onthecontrary，wascordialtoeveryone，wasanimatedandevengay。Thedeepsalmoncolourinhercheeksburnedvividly，andhereyeswerefulloflife。ShegavethepianoovertothefatSwedishheiress，pulledherfatherawayfromthecornerwherehesatgossipingwithhiscronies，andmadehimdanceaBohemiandancewithher。InhisyouthJoehadbeenafamousdancer，andhisdaughtergothimsolimberedupthateveryonesataroundandapplaudedthem。Theoldladieswereparticularlydelighted，andmadethemgothroughthedanceagain。Fromtheircornerwheretheywatchedandcommented，theoldwomenkepttimewiththeirfeetandhands，andwheneverthefiddlesstruckupanewairoldMrs。Svendsen’swhitecapwouldbegintobob。
ClarawaswaltzingwithlittleEricwhenNilscameuptothem，brushedhisbrotheraside，andswungheroutamongthedancers。
“Rememberhowweusedtowaltzonrollersattheoldskatingrinkintown？Isupposepeopledon’tdothatanymore。Weusedtokeepitupforhours。Youknow，weneverdidmoonaroundasotherboysandgirlsdid。Itwasdeadseriouswithusfromthebeginning。
Whenweweremostinlovewitheachother，weusedtofight。Youwerealwayspinchingpeople；yourfingerswerelikelittlenippers。
Aregularsnappingturtle，youwere。Lord，howyou’dlikeStockholm！Sitoutinthestreetsinfrontofcafesandtalkallnightinsummer。justlikeareception——officersandladiesandfunnyEnglishpeople。Jolliestpeopleintheworld，theSwedes，onceyougetthemgoing。Alwaysdrinkingthings——champagneandstoutmixed，half-and-half，serveitoutofbigpitchers，andserveplenty。Slowpulse，youknow；theycanstandalot。Oncetheylightup，they’reglowworms，Icantellyou。“
“Allthesame，youdon’treallylikegaypeople。“
don’t？“
“No；Icouldtellthatwhenyouwerelookingattheoldwomentherethisafternoon。They’rethekindyoureallyadmire，afterall；womenlikeyourmother。Andthat’sthekindyou’llmarry。“
“Isit，MissWisdom？You’llseewhoI’llmarry，andshewon’thaveadomesticvirtuetoblessherselfwith。She’llbeasnappingturtle，andshe’llbeamatchforme。Allthesame，they’reafinebunchofolddamesoverthere。Youadmirethemyourself“No，Idon’t；Idetestthem。“
“Youwon’t，whenyoulookbackonthemfromStockholmorBudapest。Freedomsettlesallthat。Oh，butyou’retherealBohemianGirl，ClaraVavrika！“Nilslaugheddownathersullenfrownandbeganmockinglytosing:
“Oh，howcouldapoorgypsymaidenlikemeExpecttheproudbrideofabarontobe？“
Claraclutchedhisshoulder。“Hush，Nils；everyoneislookingatyou。“
“Idon’tcare。Theycan’tgossip。It’sallinthefamily，astheEricsonssaywhentheydivideuplittleHilda’spatrimonyamongstthem。Besides，we’llgivethemsomethingtotalkaboutwhenwehitthetrail。Lord，itwillbeagodsendtothem！Theyhaven’thadanythingsointerestingtochatteraboutsincethegrasshopperyear。It’llgivethemanewleaseoflife。AndOlafwon’tlosetheBohemianvote，either。They’llhavethelaughonhimsothatthey’llvotetwoapiece。They’llsendhimtoCongress。
They’llneverforgethisbarnparty，orus。They’llalwaysrememberusaswe’redancingtogethernow。We’remakingalegend。
Where’smywaltz，boys？“hecalledastheywhirledpastthefiddlers。
Themusiciansgrinned，lookedateachother，hesitated，andbegananewair；andNilssangwiththem，asthecouplesfellfromaquickwaltztoalong，slowglide:
“WhenotherlipsandotherheartsTheirtaleofloveshalltell，InlanguagewhoseexcessimpartsThepowertheyfeelsowell。“
Theoldwomenapplaudedvigorously。“Whatagayoneheis，thatNils！“AndoldMrs。Svendsen’scaplurcheddreamilyfromsidetosidetotheflowingmeasureofthedance。
Ofdaysthathaveasha-a-p-pybeen，Andyou’llrememberme。“
Themoonlightfloodedthatgreat，silentland。Thereapedfieldslayyellowinit。Thestrawstacksandpoplarwindbreaksthrewsharpblackshadows。Theroadswerewhiteriversofdust。
Theskywasadeep，crystallineblue，andthestarswerefewandfaint。Everythingseemedtohavesuccumbed，tohavesunktosleep，underthegreat，golden，tender，midsummermoon。Thesplendourofitseemedtotranscendhumanlifeandhumanfate。Thesensesweretoofeebletotakeitin，andeverytimeonelookedupattheskyonefeltunequaltoit，asifoneweresittingdeafunderthewavesofagreatriverofmelody。Neartheroad，NilsEricsonwaslyingagainstastrawstackinOlaf’swheatfield。Hisownlifeseemedstrangeandunfamiliartohim，asifitweresomethinghehadreadabout，ordreamed，andforgotten。Helayverystill，watchingthewhiteroadthatraninfrontofhim，lostitselfamongthefields，andthen，atadistance，reappearedoveralittlehill。Atlast，againstthiswhitebandhesawsomethingmovingrapidly，andhegotupandwalkedtotheedgeofthefield。“Sheispassingtherowofpoplarsnow，“hethought。Heheardthepaddedbeatofhoofsalongthedustyroad，andasshecameintosighthesteppedoutandwavedhisarms。Then，forfearoffrighteningthehorse，hedrewbackandwaited。Clarahadseenhim，andshecameupatawalk。Nilstookthehorsebythebitandstrokedhisneck。
“Whatareyoudoingoutsolate，ClaraVavrika？Iwenttothehouse，butJohannatoldmeyouhadgonetoyourfather’s。“
“Whocanstayinthehouseonanightlikethis？Aren’tyououtyourself？“
“Ah，butthat’sanothermatter。“
Nilsturnedthehorseintothefield。
“Whatareyoudoing？WhereareyoutakingNorman？“
“Notfar，butIwanttotalktoyoutonight；Ihavesomethingtosaytoyou。Ican’ttalktoyouatthehouse，withOlafsittingthereontheporch，weighingathousandtons。“
Claralaughed。“Hewon’tbesittingtherenow。He’sinbedbythistime，andasleep——weighingathousandtons。“
Nilsploddedonacrossthestubble。“Areyoureallygoingtospendtherestofyourlifelikethis，nightafternight，summeraftersummer？Haven’tyouanythingbettertodoonanightlikethisthantowearyourselfandNormanouttearingacrossthecountrytoyourfather’sandback？Besides，yourfatherwon’tliveforever，youknow。Hislittleplacewillbeshutuporsold，andthenyou’llhavenobodybuttheEricsons。You’llhavetofastendownthehatchesforthewinterthen。“
Claramovedherheadrestlessly。“Don’ttalkaboutthat。I
trynevertothinkofit。IfIlostFatherI’dloseeverything，evenmyholdovertheEricsons。“
“Bah！You’dloseagooddealmorethanthat。You’dloseyourrace，everythingthatmakesyouyourself。You’velostagooddealofitnow。“
“Ofwhat？“
“Ofyourloveoflife，yourcapacityfordelight。“
Claraputherhandsuptoherface。“Ihaven’t，NilsEricson，Ihaven’t！Sayanythingtomebutthat。Iwon’thaveit！“shedeclaredvehemently。
Nilsledthehorseuptoastrawstack，andturnedtoClara，lookingatherintently，ashehadlookedatherthatSundayafternoonatVavrika’s。“Butwhydoyoufightforthatso？Whatgoodisthepowertoenjoy，ifyouneverenjoy？Yourhandsarecoldagain；whatareyouafraidofallthetime？Ah，you’reafraidoflosingit；that’swhat’sthematterwithyou！Andyouwill，ClaraVavrika，youwill！WhenIusedtoknowyou——listen；
you’vecaughtawildbirdinyourhand，haven’tyou，andfeltitsheartbeatsohardthatyouwereafraiditwouldshatteritslittlebodytopieces？Well，youusedtobejustlikethat，aslender，eagerthingwithawilddelightinsideyou。ThatishowIrememberedyou。AndIcomebackandfindyou——abitterwoman。Thisisaperfectferretfighthere；youlivebybitingandbeingbitten。Can’tyourememberwhatlifeusedtobe？Can’tyourememberthatolddelight？I’veneverforgottenit，orknownitslike，onlandorsea。“
Hedrewthehorseundertheshadowofthestrawstack。
Clarafelthimtakeherfootoutofthestirrup，andsheslidsoftlydownintohisarms。Hekissedherslowly。Hewasadeliberateman，buthisnervesweresteelwhenhewantedanything。Somethingflashedoutfromhimlikeaknifeoutofasheath。Clarafelteverythingslippingawayfromher；shewasfloodedbythesummernight。Hethrusthishandintohispocket，andthenhelditoutatarm’slength。“Look，“hesaid。Theshadowofthestrawstackfellsharpacrosshiswrist，andinthepalmofhishandshesawasilverdollarshining。“That’smypile，“hemuttered；“willyougowithme？“
Claranodded，anddroppedherforeheadonhisshoulder。
Nilstookadeepbreath。“Willyougowithmetonight？“
“Where？“shewhisperedsoftly。
“Totown，tocatchthemidnightflyer。“
Claraliftedherheadandpulledherselftogether。“Areyoucrazy，Nils？Wecouldn’tgoawaylikethat。“
