[Subsection]

Indoors, Mother was sitting with the baby. The baby was sucking so hard that the milk was running out of the corners of his mouth again. Mother was full of milk. Botolv was sitting on his stool. Mother smiled at the baby and told him he was a greedy little creature. Then she smiled at Botolv. Nobody smiled the way Mother did when she made up her mind to it.

Per came in to them.

"Help Anne bring the cows home, will you, Per? You ought to make yourself useful now, big as you are."

"Yes," he said.

Stay at Bufast to the end of his days. Make himself useful. He perched on the end of the stool beside Botolv. Botolv looked at him inquiringly. Botolv was going barefoot today. Per laid his left hand on Botolv's bare, grimy knee, not knowing why he did so or why it was so good, but it was good.

"Per! Did you hear me? You're not usually so unwilling to be with Anne."

Per ran off. Mother's voice had sounded a bit cold. Was it because he liked being with Auntie best? But Mother saw   [p. 37]   only Botolv and the baby; they needed help and not he. So she thought.

He ran in anger, and understood nothing.