It seemed almost as though he himself had
lost consciousness. As to the other events, he accepted the
account of them which had been given in the evidence against him.
His sister waited at the parsonage until he came from the
examination, worn out and with eyes red with weeping. Once more
they went aside and whispered. I remember nothing more of her than
that she held her head down and wept a great deal.
It was in the winter that he was to be executed. The announcement
was made at such short notice that every one in the house had to
bestir himself--father was to deliver an exhortation at the place
of execution, and the Dean, whose parishioner the condemned man
was, together with the bailiff, had arranged to come to us the day
before.
Peer and his warders and a friend, his instructor during the time
of his imprisonment, schoolmaster Jakobsen, were to sleep down in
the schoolhouse, which was part of the farm property belonging to
the old parsonage. Meals were to be carried from our house to the
prisoner and Jakobsen.
I remember that they came in the morning in two boat-loads from
Molde: the Dean, the bailiff, the military escort, and the
condemned man.
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