“Hasn’tCousinClarafixedthingslovely？“littleHildawhispered，whenNilswentuptoherstallandaskedforlemonade。
　　Nilsleanedagainstthebooth，talkingtotheexcitedlittlegirlandwatchingthepeople。Thebarnfacedthewest，andthesun，pouringinatthebigdoors，filledthewholeinteriorwithagoldenlight，throughwhichfilteredfineparticlesofdustfromthehaymow，wherethechildrenwereromping。TherewasagreatchatteringfromthestallwhereJohannaVavrikaexhibitedtotheadmiringwomenherplattersheapedwithfriedchicken，herroastsofbeef，boiledtongues，andbakedhamswithclovesstuckinthecrispbrownfatandgarnishedwithtansyandparsley。Theolderwomen，havingassuredthemselvesthatthereweretwentykindsofcake，notcountingcookies，andthreedozenfatpies，repairedtothecornerbehindthepileofwatermelons，putontheirwhiteaprons，andfelltotheirknittingandfancywork。Theywereafinecompanyofoldwomen，andaDutchpainterwouldhavelovedtofindthemtheretogether，wherethesunmadebrightpatchesonthefloorandsentlong，quiveringshaftsofgoldthroughtheduskyshadeupamongtherafters。Therewerefat，rosyoldwomenwholookedhotintheirbestblackdresses；spare，alertoldwomenwithbrown，dark-veinedhands；andseveralofalmostheroicframe，notlessmassivethanoldMrs。Ericsonherself。Fewofthemworeglasses，andoldMrs。Svendsen，aDanishwoman，whowasquitebald，woretheonlycapamongthem。Mrs。Oleson，whohadtwelvebiggrandchildren，couldstillshowtwobraidsofyellowhairasthickasherownwrists。Amongallthesegrandmothersthereweremorebrownheadsthanwhite。Theyallhadapleased，prosperousair，asiftheyweremorethansatisfiedwiththemselvesandwithlife。
　　Nils，leaningagainstHilda’slemonadestand，watchedthemastheysatchatteringinfourlanguages，theirfingersneverlaggingbehindtheirtongues。
　　“Lookatthemoverthere，“hewhispered，detainingClaraasshepassedhim。“Aren’ttheytheOldGuard？I’vejustcountedthirtyhands。Iguessthey’vewrungmanyachicken’sneckandwarmedmanyaboy’sjacketforhimintheirtime。“
　　InrealityhefellintoamazementwhenhethoughtoftheHerculeanlaboursthosefifteenpairsofhandshadperformed:ofthecowstheyhadmilked，thebuttertheyhadmade，thegardenstheyhadplanted，thechildrenandgrandchildrentheyhadtended，thebroomstheyhadwornout，themountainsoffoodtheyhadcooked。Itmadehimdizzy。ClaraVavrikasmiledahard，enigmaticalsmileathimandwalkedrapidlyaway。Nils’eyesfollowedherwhitefigureasshewenttowardthehouse。Hewatchedherwalkingaloneinthesunlight，lookedatherslender，defiantshouldersandherlittlehard-setheadwithitscoilsofblue-blackhair。“No，“hereflected；“she’dneverbelikethem，notifshelivedhereahundredyears。She’donlygrowmorebitter。Youcan’ttameawildthing；youcanonlychainit。
　　Peoplearen’tallalike。Imustn’tlosemynerve。“HegaveHilda’spigtailapartingtweakandsetoutafterClara。“Whereto？“heasked，ashecameuponherinthekitchen。
　　“I’mgoingtothecellarforpreserves。“
　　“Letmegowithyou。Inevergetamomentalonewithyou。
　　Whydoyoukeepoutofmyway？“
　　Claralaughed。“Idon’tusuallygetinanybody’sway。“
　　Nilsfollowedherdownthestairsandtothefarcornerofthecellar，whereabasementwindowletinastreamoflight。
　　FromaswingingshelfClaraselectedseveralglassjars，eachlabeledinJohanna’scarefulhand。Nilstookupabrownflask。
　　“What’sthis？Itlooksgood。“
　　“Itis。It’ssomeFrenchbrandyfathergavemewhenIwasmarried。Wouldyoulikesome？Haveyouacorkscrew？I’llgetglasses。“
　　Whenshebroughtthem，Nilstookthemfromherandputthemdownonthewindow-sill。“ClaraVavrika，doyourememberhowcrazyIusedtobeaboutyou？“
　　Clarashruggedhershoulders。“Boysarealwayscrazyaboutsomebodyoranother。IdaresaysomesillyhasbeencrazyaboutEvelinaOleson。Yougotoveritinahurry。“
　　“BecauseIdidn’tcomeback，youmean？Ihadtogeton，youknow，anditwashardsleddingatfirst。ThenIheardyou’dmarriedOlaf。“
　　“Andthenyoustayedawayfromabrokenheart，“Claralaughed。
　　“AndthenIbegantothinkaboutyoumorethanIhadsinceI
　　firstwentaway。IbegantowonderifyouwerereallyasyouhadseemedtomewhenIwasaboy。IthoughtI’dliketosee。I’vehadlotsofgirls，butnooneeverpulledmethesameway。ThemoreIthoughtaboutyou，themoreIrememberedhowitusedtobe——
　　likehearingawildtuneyoucan’tresist，callingyououtatnight。Ithadbeenalongwhilesinceanythinghadpulledmeoutofmyboots，andIwonderedwhetheranythingevercouldagain。“
　　Nilsthrusthishandsintohiscoatpocketsandsquaredhisshoulders，ashismothersometimessquaredhers，asOlaf，inaclumsiermanner，squaredhis。“SoIthoughtI’dcomebackandsee。
　　Ofcoursethefamilyhavetriedtodome，andIratherthoughtI’dbringoutfather’swillandmakeafuss。Buttheycanhavetheiroldland；they’veputenoughsweatintoit。“Hetooktheflaskandfilledthetwoglassescarefullytothebrim。“I’vefoundoutwhatIwantfromtheEricsons。Drinkskoal，Clara。“Heliftedhisglass，andClaratookherswithdowncasteyes。“Lookatme，ClaraVavrika。Skoal！“
　　Sheraisedherburningeyesandansweredfiercely:“Skoal！“
　　Thebarnsupperbeganatsixo’clockandlastedfortwohilarioushours。YenseNelsonhadmadeawagerthathecouldeattwowholefriedchickens，andhedid。EliSwansonstowedawaytwowholecustardpies，andNickHermansonateachocolatelayercaketothelastcrumb。Therewasevenacookycontestamongthechildren，andonethin，slablikeBohemianboyconsumedsixteenandwontheprize，agingerbreadpigwhichJohannaVavrikahadcarefullydecoratedwithredcandiesandburntsugar。FritzSweiheart，theGermancarpenter，woninthepicklecontest，buthedisappearedsoonaftersupperandwasnotseenfortherestoftheevening。JoeVavrikasaidthatFritzcouldhavemanagedthepicklesallright，buthehadsampledthedemijohninhisbuggytoooftenbeforesittingdowntothetable。
　　Whilethesupperwasbeingclearedawaythetwofiddlersbegantotuneupforthedance。Clarawastoaccompanythemonherolduprightpiano，whichhadbeenbroughtdownfromherfather’s。BythistimeNilshadrenewedoldacquaintances。SincehisinterviewwithClarainthecellar，hehadbeenbusytellingalltheoldwomenhowyoungtheylooked，andalltheyoungoneshowprettytheywere，andassuringthementhattheyhadherethebestfarmlandintheworld。HehadmadehimselfsoagreeablethatoldMrs。
　　Ericson’sfriendsbegantocomeuptoherandtellhowluckyshewastogethersmartsonbackagain，andpleasetogethimtoplayhisflute。JoeVavrika，whocouldstillplayverywellwhenheforgotthathehadrheumatism，caughtupafiddlefromJohnnyOlesonandplayedacrazyBohemiandancetunethatsetthewheelsgoing。Whenhedroppedtheboweveryonewasreadytodance。
　　Olaf，inafrockcoatandasolemnmade-upnecktie，ledthegrandmarchwithhismother。Clarahadkeptwelloutofthat
　　bystickingtothepiano。Sheplayedthemarchwithapompoussolemnitywhichgreatlyamusedtheprodigalson，whowentoverandstoodbehindher。
　　“Oh，aren’tyourubbingitintothem，ClaraVavrika？Andaren’tyouluckytohavemehere，orallyourwitwouldbethrownaway。“
　　“I’musedtobeingwittyformyself。Itsavesmylife。“
　　Thefiddlesstruckupapolka，andNilsconvulsedJoeVavrikabyleadingoutEvelinaOleson，thehomelyschoolteacher。HisnextpartnerwasaveryfatSwedishgirl，who，althoughshewasanheiress，hadnotbeenaskedforthefirstdance，buthadstoodagainstthewallinhertight，high-heeledshoes，nervouslyfingeringalacehandkerchief。Shewassoonoutofbreath，soNilsledher，pleasedandpanting，toherseat，andwentovertothepiano，fromwhichClarahadbeenwatchinghisgallantry。“AskOlenaYenson，“shewhispered。“Shewaltzesbeautifully。“
　　Olena，too，wasratherinconvenientlyplump，handsomeinasmooth，heavyway，withafinecolourandgood-natured，sleepyeyes。Shewasredolentofvioletsachetpowder，andhadwarm，soft，whitehands，butshedanceddivinely，movingassmoothlyasthetidecomingin。“There，that’ssomethinglike，“Nilssaidashereleasedher。“You’llgivemethenextwaltz，won’tyou？NowImustgoanddancewithmylittlecousin。“
　　HildawasgreatlyexcitedwhenNilswentuptoherstallandheldouthisarm。Herlittleeyessparkled，butshedeclaredthatshecouldnotleaveherlemonade。OldMrs。Ericson，whohappenedalongatthismoment，saidshewouldattendtothat，andHildacameout，aspinkasherpinkdress。Thedancewasaschottische，andinamomentheryellowbraidswerefairlystandingonend。
　　“Bravo！“Nilscriedencouragingly。“Wheredidyoulearntodancesonicely？“
　　“MyCousinClarataughtme，“thelittlegirlpanted。
　　NilsfoundEricsittingwithagroupofboyswhoweretooawkwardortooshytodance，andtoldhimthathemustdancethenextwaltzwithHilda。
　　Theboyscreweduphisshoulders。“Aw，Nils，Ican’tdance。
　　Myfeetaretoobig；Ilooksilly。“
　　“Don’tbethinkingaboutyourself。Itdoesn’tmatterhowboyslook。“
　　Nilshadneverspokentohimsosharplybefore，andEricmadehastetoscrambleoutofhiscornerandbrushthestrawfromhiscoat。
　　Claranoddedapprovingly。“Goodforyou，Nils。I’vebeentryingtogetholdofhim。Theydanceverynicelytogether；I
　　sometimesplayforthem。“
　　“I’mobligedtoyouforteachinghim。There’snoreasonwhyheshouldgrowuptobealout。“
　　“He’llneverbethat。He’smorelikeyouthananyofthem。
　　Onlyhehasn’tyourcourage。“FromherslantingeyesClarashotforthoneofthosekeenglances，admiringandatthesametimechallenging，whichsheseldombestowedonanyone，andwhichseemedtosay，“Yes，Iadmireyou，butIamyourequal。“