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。“