The days were getting warmer now; the catches of herring had to be left in the nets for fear of spoiling, and could only be turned out in the cool of the night, or when it rained. And there was no fishing now to speak of anyway, being already too late in the season; one or two of the stranger boats had left. And there was field-work to be done, and need of all hands at home.
The nights too were brilliant and full of sun. It was weather for dreams; for little fluttering quests of the heart. Young folk walked the roads by night, singing and waving branches of willow. And fromevery rocky islet came the calling of birds—of loon and gull and eider-duck. And the seal thrust up its dripping head from the water, looked round, and dived again down to its own world below. Ove Rolandsen too felt the spell; now and again he could be heard singing or strumming in his room of nights, and that was more than need be looked for from a man who was no longer a youth. And, indeed, it was not for any meaningless delight he twanged and trolled his songs, but rather by way of diversion, by way of relief from his weighty thoughts. Rolandsen is thinking deeply these days; he is in a quandary, and must find a way out. Jomfru van Loos, of course, had turned up again; she was not given to extravagant wastefulness in matters of love, and she held now by their betrothal as before. On the other hand, Ove Rolandsen, as he had said, was not God; he could not keep that heart of his within bounds in spring. It was hard on a man to have a betrothed who would not understand when matters were clearly broken off between them.
Rolandsen had been down to visit the parish clerk again, and there was Olga sitting outside the door. But there was a deal of money about just now, with herring at sixOrtthe barrel, and Olga seemed inclined to put on airs. Or what else could it be? Was he, Rolandsen, the sort of man a girl could afford to pass by? She merely glanced up at him, and went on with her knitting as before.
Said Rolandsen, “There! You looked up. Your eyes are like arrows; they wound a man.”
“I don’t understand you,” said Olga.
“Oh! And do you suppose I understand myself? Not in the least. I’ve lost my senses. Here I am now, for instance, paving the way for you to plague me through the night that’s to come.”
“Then why don’t you go away?” said Olga.
“I was listening to a voice last night—a voice within me. All unspeakable things it said. In a word, I resolved to take a great decision, if you think you can advise me to do it.”
“How can I? I’ve nothing to do with it.”
“Ho!” said Rolandsen. “You’re full of bitter words to-day. Sitting there lashing out all the time. Talking of something else, you’ll have that hair of yours falling off before long. There’s too much of it.”
Olga was silent.
“Do you know Børre the organ-blower? There’s a girl of his I could have if I cared.”
Olga burst out laughing at that, and stared at him.
“For Heaven’s sake don’t sit there smiling like that. It only makes me wilder than ever in love.”
“Oh, you’re quite mad,” says Olga softly, flushing red.
“Sometimes I think to myself: perhaps she laughs up at me that way just to make me lose my senses all the more. That’s how they kill ducks and geese, you know, jab them a little in the head with a knife, and then they swell, and it makes them all the finer.”
Olga answered offendedly, “I don’t do anything of the sort; you need not thinkso.” And she rose, and made as if to go indoors.
“If you go now,” said Rolandsen, “I shall only come in after you, and ask your father if he’s read the books.”
“Father’s not at home.”
“Well, I didn’t come to see him, anyway. But you, Olga, you’re bitter and unapproachable this day. There’s no wringing a drop of kindness out of you. You never heed me, you pass me by.”
Olga laughed again.
“But there’s that girl of Børre’s,” said Rolandsen. “Her name’s Pernille. I’ve heard them call her so myself. And her father blows the organ at church.”
“Must you have a sweetheart dangling at every finger?” asked Olga seriously.
“Marie van Loos is my betrothed,” he answered. “But it’s all over between us now. Ask her yourself. I expect she’ll be going away soon.”
“Yes, mother, I’m coming,” called Olga in through the window.
“Your mother wasn’t calling you at all; she only looked at you.”
“Yes, but I know what she meant.”
“Oh, very well then! I’ll go. But look you, Olga, you know what I mean too, only you don’t answer me the same way, and say, Yes, I’m coming.”
She opened the door. Rolandsen felt he had abased himself; she would not think of him now as the lordly man he was. He must raise himself once more in her esteem. It would never do to show himself so utterly defeated. So he began talking of death, and was highly humorous about it; now he would have to die, and he didn’t care much if he did. But he had his own ideas about the funeral. He would make a bell himself to ring his knell, and the clapper should be fashioned from the thighbone of an ox, because he had been such a fool in life. And the funeral oration was to be the shortest ever known; the priest to set his foot upon the grave and simply say, “I hereby declare you mortified, null, and void!”
But Olga was getting weary of all this, and had lost her shyness now. Moreover, she had a red ribbon at her throat, like any lady, and the pin was altogether hidden.
“I must make her look up to me properly,” thought Rolandsen. And he said, “Now I did think something would come of this. My former sweetheart, Marie van Loos, she’s broidered and worked me all over with initials till I’m a wonder to see; there’s Olga Rolandsen, or what’s all but the same, on every stitch of my things. And I took it as a sign from Heaven. But I must be going. My best respects....”
And Rolandsen waved his hat and walked off, ending on a lordly note. Surely, after that, it would be strange if she did not think and wonder over him a little now.
What was it that had happened? Even the parish clerk’s daughter had refused him. Well and good! But was there not much to indicate that it was all a sham? Why had she been sitting outside the door at all if it were not that she had seen him coming? And why had she decked herself out with red ribbons like a lady?
But, a few evenings later, Rolandsen’s conceit was shattered. From his window he saw Olga go down to Mack’s store. She stayed there till quite late, and when shewent home, Frederik Mack and his sister Elise walked up with her. And here, of course, the lordly Rolandsen should have kept calm, and merely hummed a little tune, or drummed with his fingers carelessly, and kept his thoughts on his work. Instead of which, he snatched up his hat and made off at once towards the woods. He hurried round in a wide curve, and came out on the road far ahead of the three. Then he stopped to get his breath, and walked down to meet them.
But the three took an unreasonable time; Rolandsen could neither hear nor see them. He whistled and trolled a bit of a song, as if they might sit somewhere in the woods and watch him. At last he saw them coming, walking slowly, dawdling unpardonably, seeing it was late at night, and they should have been hurrying towards their respective homes. Rolandsen, great man, walks towards them, with a long stalk of grass in his mouth and a sprig of willow in his buttonhole; the two men raised their hats as they came up, and the ladies nodded.
“You look warm,” said Frederik. “Where have you been?”
Rolandsen answered over his shoulder, “It’s spring-time; I’m walking in the spring.”
No nonsense this time, but clean firmness and confidence. Ho! but he had walked past them with an air—slowly, carelessly, all unperturbed; he had even found strength to measure Elise Mack with a downward glance. But no sooner had they passed out of sight than he slipped aside into the wood, no longer great at all, but abject. Olga was a creature of no importance now; and at the thought of it, he took the agate pin from his pocket, broke it up thoroughly, and threw it away. But now there was Elise, Mack’s daughter Elise, tall and brown, and showing her white teeth a little when she smiled. Elise it was whom God had led across his path. She had not said a word, and to-morrow, perhaps, she would be going away again. All hope gone.
Well and good....
But on coming back to the telegraph station, there was Jomfru van Loos waitingfor him. Once before he had reminded her that past was past, and what was done was over; she had much better go away and live somewhere else. And Jomfru van Loos had answered that he should not have to ask her twice—good-bye! But now here she was again, waiting for him.
“Here’s that tobacco pouch I promised you,” she said. “Here it is, if you’re not too proud.”
He did not take it, but answered, “A tobacco pouch? I never use that sort of thing.”
“Oh, is that so?” said she, and drew back her hand.
And he forced himself to soften her again. “It can’t be me you promised it. Think again; perhaps it was the priest. And he’s a married man.”
She did not understand that the slight jest had cost him some effort, and she could not refrain from answering in turn, “I saw the ladies up along the road; I suppose that’s where you’ve been, trailing after them?”
“And what’s that to do with you?”
“Ove!”
“Why don’t you go away somewhere else? You can see for yourself it’s no good going on like this.”
“It would be all right as ever, if only you weren’t such a jewel to go flaunting about with all the womenfolk.”
“Do you want to drive me out of my wits?” he cried. “Good-night!”
Jomfru van Loos called after him, “Ho, yes, you are a nice one, indeed! There’s this and that I’ve heard about you!”
Now was there any sense at all in being so desperately particular? And couldn’t a poor soul have a little genuine heartache to bear with into the bargain? The end of it was, that Rolandsen went into the office, straight to the instrument, called up the station at Rosengaard, and asked his colleague there to send him half a keg of cognac with the next consignment coming down. There was no sense in going on like this for ever.
Elise Mack stays some little while at the factory this time. She has left the big house at Rosengaard and come out here wholly and solely to make things a little comfortable for her father during his stay. She would hardly set her foot in the village at all if she could avoid it.
Elise Mack was growing more and more of a fine lady; she wore red and white and yellow gowns, and people were beginning to call herFrøken, though her father was neither priest nor doctor. A sun and a star she was above all others.
She came to the station with some telegrams to be sent; Rolandsen receivedher. He said nothing beyond the few words needed, and did not make the mistake of nodding as to an acquaintance and asking how she was. Not a single mistake did he make.
“It says ‘ostrich feathers’ twice in this. I don’t know if it’s meant to be that way.”
“Twice?” said she. “Let me look. Oh no, of course not; you’re quite right. Lend me a pen, would you mind?”
She took off her glove, and went on speaking as she wrote. “And that’s to a merchant in town; he’d have laughed at me ever so. There, it’s all right now, isn’t it?”
“Quite right now.”
“And so you’re still here?” she said, keeping her seat. “Year after year and I find you here.”
Rolandsen had his reasons, no doubt, for staying on at this little station instead of applying for a better post. There must be something that held him to the place, year after year.
“Must be somewhere,” he answered.
“You might come to Rosengaard. That’s better than here, surely?”
The faintest little blush spread over her cheeks as she spoke; perhaps she would rather have left that unsaid.
“They wouldn’t give me a big station like that.”
“Well, now, I suppose you are rather too young.”
“It is kind of you, anyhow, to think it’s because of that.”
“If you came over to us, now, there’s more society. The Doctor’s next door, and the cashier, and all the assistants from the store. And there are always some queer people coming in—sea-captains, you know, and that sort.”
“Captain Henriksen of the coasting steamer,” thought Rolandsen to himself.
But what was the meaning of all this graciousness coming so suddenly? Was Rolandsen another man to-day than yesterday? He knew well enough that he was utterly and entirely hopeless in this foolish love of his; there was no more to be said. She gave him her hand as she rose to go,and that without first putting on her glove. There was a rustle of silk as she swept down the steps.
Rolandsen drew up to the table, a threadbare, stooping figure, and sent off the wires. His breast was a whirl of strange feelings. All things considered, he was not so desperately off after all; the invention might bring in a heavy sum if only he could first get hold of three hundredDaler. He was a bankrupt millionaire. But surely he must be able to find some way....
ThePræstefruencame in, with a telegram to her people. Rolandsen had gathered courage from the previous visit. He no longer felt himself as an insignificant next-to-nothing, but the equal of other great men; he talked to Fruen a little, just a word or so in the ordinary way. And Fruen, on her part, stayed somewhat longer than was strictly necessary, and asked him to look in at the Vicarage any time.
That evening he met her again, Fruen herself, on the road just below the station. And she did not hurry away, but stayed talking a little while. It could hardlybe displeasing to her, since she stayed so.
“You play the guitar, I think,” she said.
“Yes. If you like to wait a little, I’ll show you how well I can play.”
And he went inside to fetch his guitar.
Fruen waited. It could not be altogether displeasing to her, since she waited so.
And Rolandsen sang for her, of his true love and his heart’s delight; and the songs were nothing wonderful, but his voice was fine and full. Rolandsen had a purpose of his own in thus keeping her there in the middle of the road; there was every chance that someone might come walking by about that time. Such things had happened before. And if Fruen had been pressed for time, it would have been awkward for her now; they fell to talking again, and stayed talking some time. This Rolandsen spoke in a way of his own, altogether different from her husband’s manner, as if it were from some other part of the world. And when he rolled out his most magnificent phrases, her eyes rounded wide as those of a listening child.
“Well, God be with you”[4]she said at last, turning to go.
“So He is, I’m sure,” answered Rolandsen.
She started. “Are you sure of that? How?”
“Well, He’s every reason to be. He’s Lord of all creation, I know, but I shouldn’t think there’s anything much in being just a God of beasts and mountains. After all, it’s us human beings that make Him what He is. So why shouldn’t He be with us?”
And, having delivered himself of this striking speech, Rolandsen looked extremely pleased with himself. Fruen wondered at him greatly as she walked away. Ho-ho! ’Twas not for nothing that the knob of a head he bore on his shoulders had devised a great invention.
But now the cognac had come. Rolandsen had carried the keg up from the wharf himself; he went no back-ways round with his burden, but carried it openly under hispowerful arm in broad daylight. So unafraid was he at heart. And then came a time when Rolandsen found comfort for all distress. And there were nights when he turned out and made himself regent and master of all roads and ways; he cleared them bare, and made them impassable for stranger men from the boats, coming ashore on their lawful errands, in search of petticoats.
One Sunday a boat’s crew appeared at church, all reasonably drunk. After the service they sauntered up and down the road, instead of going on board; they had a supply ofBrændevinwith them, and drank themselves ever more boisterous, to the annoyance of those passing by. The priest himself had come up to reprove them, but without effect; later, theLensmandhimself came up, and he wore a gold-laced cap. Some of them went on board after that, but three of them—Big Ulrik was one—refused to budge. They had come ashore, they said, and were going to let folk know it; as for the girls, they were their girls for now. Ulrik was with them, and Ulrik was a manwell known from Lofoten to Finmarken. Come on then!
A number of people from the village had gathered about, farther off along the road, or in among the trees, as their courage permitted. They glanced with some concern at Big Ulrik swaggering about.
“I must ask you men to go on board again,” said theLensmand. “If you don’t, I’ll have to talk to you after another fashion.”
“Go along home, you and your cap,” said Ulrik.
TheLensmandwas thinking already of getting help, and tying up the madman out of harm’s way.
“And you’d better be careful how you defy me when I’m in uniform,” says theLensmand.
Ulrik and his fellows laughed at this till they had to hold their ribs. A fisher-lad ventured boldly past; one of them struck him aSkalle,[5]and drew blood. “Now for the next,” cried Ulrik.
“A rope,” cried theLensmand, at sight of the blood. “Bring a rope, some of you, and help me take him.”
“How many are there of you?” asked Ulrik the invincible. And the three doughty ones laughed and gasped again.
But now came Big Rolandsen up along the road, walking with a soft, gliding step, and his eyes staring stiffly. He was on his usual round. He greeted theLensmand, and stopped.
“Here’s Rolandsen,” cried Ulrik. “Ho, boys, look at him!”
“He’s dangerous,” said theLensmand. “He’s drawn blood from one already. We shall have to rope him.”
“Rope him?”
TheLensmandnodded. “Yes. I won’t stand any more of this.”
“Nonsense,” said Rolandsen. “What do you want with a rope? You leave me to tackle him.”
Ulrik stepped closer, made pretence to lift his hand in greeting, and gave Rolandsen a slight blow. He felt, no doubt, that he had struck something firm and solid, for hedrew back, but kept on shouting defiantly, “Goddag, Telegraph-Rolandsen! And there’s your name and titles for all to hear.”
After that, it seemed as if nothing would happen. Rolandsen was not inclined to let slip the chance of a fight, and it annoyed him that he was so miserably slow to anger, and had not returned the first blow. He had to begin now by answering the other’s taunts, in order to keep matters going. They fooled about a little, talking drunken-fashion, and each boasting of what he would do to the other. When one invited the other to come on, and he would give him a dose of olive oil enough to last him, etcetera, the other answered, right, he would come on sure enough as soon as anyone else did, and provide sufficient laying on of hands by return. And the crowd around them found these interchanges creditable to both sides. But theLensmand, watching, could see how wrath was growing and flourishing up in Rolandsen’s mind; Rolandsen was smiling all the time as he talked.
Then Ulrik flicked him under the nose,and at that Rolandsen was in the proper mood at once; he shot out one swift hand and gripped the other’s coat. But the stuff gave way, and there was nothing very grand in ripping up a duffle jacket. Rolandsen made a spring forward, showing his teeth in a satisfied grimace. And then things began to happen.
Ulrik tried aSkalle, and Rolandsen was thenceforward aware of his opponent’s speciality. But Rolandsen was past-master in another effective method—the long, swinging, flat-handed cut delivered edgeways at the jawbone; the blow should fall just on the side of the chin. A blow of this sort shakes up a man most adequately; his head whirls, and down he comes with a crash. It breaks no bones, and draws no blood save for a tiny trickle from the nose and mouth. The stricken one is in no hurry to move.
Suddenly Big Ulrik has it, and down he comes, staggering and falling beyond the edge of the road. His legs tangled crosswise under him and collapsed as if dead; faintness overpowered him. And Rolandsenwas well enough up in the slang of the brawl. “Now for the next,” he said at once. He seemed thoroughly pleased with himself, and never heeded that his shirt was torn open at the throat.
But the next one was two, being Ulrik’s fellow-rascals both; quiet and wondering they were now, and no longer holding their ribs in an ache of laughter.
“You! You’re children,” cried Rolandsen to the pair. “But if you want to be crumpled up....”
TheLensmandintervened, and talked the two disturbers to their senses; they had better pick up their comrade and help him on board then and there. “I’m in your debt,” he said to Rolandsen.
But Rolandsen, watching the three desperadoes as they moved off down the road, was far from satisfied yet. He shouted after them as long as they could hear, “Come again to-morrow! Smash a window down at the station and I’ll know. Huh! Children!”
As usual he did not know when to stop, but went on with his boastful talk. But thecrowd was moving away. Suddenly a lady comes up, looks at him with glistening eyes, and offers her hand.Præstefruenand no other. She too has seen the fight.
“Oh, it was splendid!” she says. “I’m sure he won’t forget it in a hurry.”
She noticed that his shirt was open. The sun had browned a ring about his neck, but he was naked and white below.
He pulls his shirt together and bows. It was by no means unwelcome to be accosted thus by the chaplain’s lady in sight of all; the victor of that battle feels himself elated, he can afford to speak kindly for a moment to this slip of a child that she is. Poor lady, her shoes were none too impressive, and it was but little homage or deference any paid to her there!
“’Tis misusing such eyes to trouble them looking at me,” said he.
Whereat she blushed.
He asked her again, “Don’t you miss things, living away from town?”
“Oh no,” she answered. “It’s nice living here too. But look here, wouldn’tyou care to walk up and spend the day with us now?”
Rolandsen thanked her, and was sorry he could not. Sunday or Monday, it was all one to the telegraph station. “But I thank you all the same,” he said. “There’s one thing I envy the priest, and that is you.”
“What do you...?”
“Politely, but firmly, I envy him his wife.”
There—he had done it now. Surely it would be hard to find the like of Ove Rolandsen for shedding little joys abroad.
“What ridiculous things you do say,” said Fruen, when she had recovered herself a little.
But Rolandsen, walking back homeward, reflected that, taking it all round, he had had a nice day. In his intoxication and triumph he dwelt on the fact that this young wife, the priest’s wife, was so inclined to stop and talk with him at times. He formed his own ideas about it, and grew cunning, ay, he began already to plot and plan. Why should not Fruen herself get rid of Jomfruvan Loos for him, and file through his fetters? He could not ask it of her directly, no—but there were other ways. Who could say? Perhaps she would do him that service, since they were such good friends.
The priest and his lady are awakened in the night; wakened by song. No such thing had ever happened to them before, but here it was; somebody singing outside the house down below. The sun looks out over the world; the gulls are awake; it is three in the morning.
“Surely there’s someone singing,” says the priest to his wife in the adjoining room.
“Yes, it’s here, outside my window,” says she.
Fruen listened. She knew the voice—wild Rolandsen’s voice it was, and his guitar. Oh, but it was too bad of him really, to comesinging of his “true love” right underneath her window. She felt hot all over.
Her husband came in to look. “It’s that man Rolandsen,” he said, and frowned. “He’s had a keg of brandy sent just lately. Disgraceful!”
But Fruen was not inclined to frown upon this little diversion; he was quite a nice young fellow really, this Rolandsen, who could fight like any rough, and sing like a youth inspired. He brought a touch of mild excitement into the quiet, everyday life of the place.
“It’s meant to be a serenade, I suppose,” she said, with a laugh.
“He’s no business to be serenading you,” said her husband. “I don’t know what you think of it yourself?”
Oh, but of course he must be nasty about it! “There’s no harm in it, surely,” said his wife. “It’s only his fun.” But at the same time she resolved never again to make beautiful eyes at Rolandsen and lead him on to escapades of this sort.
“He’s beginning again, as sure as I’m here,” cried the priest. And he steppedforward to the window then and there, and rapped on the pane.
Rolandsen looked up. It was the priest himself standing there in the flesh. The song died away. Rolandsen collapsed, stood a moment hesitating, and walked away.
“Ah!” said the priest. “I soon got rid of him.” He was by no means displeased to have accomplished so much by merely showing himself. “And he shall have a letter from me to-morrow,” he went on. “I’ve had my eye on him for some time past, for his scandalous goings-on.”
“Don’t you think if I spoke to him myself,” said his wife, “and told him not to come up here singing songs in the middle of the night?”
But the priest went on without heeding. “Write him a letter, yes.... And then I’ll go and talk to him after.” As if his going and talking to Rolandsen after meant something very serious indeed.
He went back to his own room, and lay thinking it all over. No, he would endure it no longer; the fellow’s conceit, and hisextravagant ways, were becoming a nuisance to the place. The priest was no respecter of persons; he wrote his epistles to one as to another, and made himself feared. If the congregation stumbled in their darkness, it was his business to bring light. He had not forgotten that business with Levion’s sister. She had not mended her ways, and the priest had been unable to retain her brother as lay-helper. Ill-fortune had come upon Levion; his wife had died. But the priest lost no time; he spoke to Levion at the funeral. It was an abominable business. Levion, simple soul, setting out to bury his helpmeet, recollected that he had promised to bring up a newly slaughtered calf to Frederik Mack at the factory. It was all on the way, and with the hot weather it would not do to leave the meat over-long. What more natural than that he should take the carcase with him? The priest learned the story from Enok, the humble person with the permanent earache. And he sent for Levion at once.
“I cannot retain you as lay-helper,” hesaid. “Your sister is living a sinful life within your gates; your house is a house of ill-fame; you lie there fast asleep at night and let men come in.”
“Ay, more’s the pity,” says Levion. “I’ll not deny it’s been that way more than once.”
“And there’s another thing. You follow your wife to the grave, and drag a dead calf along after her. Now I ask you, is that right or decent?”
But Levion, fisherman-peasant, found such niceties beyond him; he stared uncomprehendingly at the priest. His wife had always been a thrifty soul; she would have been the first to remind him herself to take the calf along if she could have spoken. “Seeing it’s up that way,” she would have said.
“If as Pastor’s going to be so niggling particular,” said Levion, “you’ll never get a decent helper anywhere.”
“That’s my business,” said the priest. “Anyhow, you are dismissed.”
Levion looked down at his sou’wester. It was a blow to him and a disgrace; his neighbours would rejoice at his fall.
But the priest had not finished yet. “For Heaven’s sake,” he said, “can’t you get that sister of yours married to the man?”
“Do you think I haven’t tried?” said Levion. “But the worst of it is, she’s not quite sure which one it is.”
The priest looked at him open-mouthed. “Not quitewhatdid you say?” And then at last, realising what it meant, he clasped his hands. “Well, well!... I must find another helper, that is all.”
“Who’ll it be?”
“That’s no concern of yours. As a matter of fact, I am taking Enok.”
Levion stood thoughtful for quite a while. He knew this Enok, and had an old account to settle with him. “Enok, is it?” he said, and went out.
Enok was certainly a good man for the post. He was one of your deep-thinking sort, and did not carry his head in the air, but bowed on his breast; an earnest man. It was whispered that he was no good man to share with in a boat; there was some story of his having been caught, many years back, pulling up other folk’s lines. But this,no doubt, was pure envy and malice. There was nothing lordly or baronial about him in the way of looks; that everlasting kerchief round his ears did not improve him. Moreover, he had a way of blowing through his nostrils; on meeting anyone, he would lay a finger first on one side and blow, then on the other side, and blow again. But the Lord took no account of outward things, and Enok, His humble servant, had doubtless no other thought with this beyond smartening himself up a little on meeting with his fellows. When he came up he would say, “Freden!” and when he went away, “Bliv i Freden.”[6]Sound and thoughtful, an earnest man. Even histollekniv, the big knife at his belt, he seemed to wear with thankfulness, as who should say, “Alas, there’s many that haven’t so much as a knife to cut with in the world.” Only last Offering, Enok had created a sensation by the amount of his gift; he had laid a note on the altar. Had he been doing so well oflate in ready cash? Doubtless some higher power must have added its mite to his savings. He owed nothing in Mack’s books at the store; his fish-loft was untouched, his family were decently clad. And Enok ruled his house with strictness and propriety. He had a son, a very model of quiet and decorous behaviour. The lad had been out with the fishing fleet from Lofoten, and earned the right to come home with a blue anchor on his hand, but this he did not. His father had instructed him early in humility and the fear of God. It was a blessed thing, in Enok’s mind, to walk humbly and meekly....
The priest lay thinking over these things, and the morning wore on. That miserable Rolandsen had spoiled his night’s rest; he got up at six, which was all too early. But then it appeared that his wife had already dressed and gone out without a sound.
During the forenoon Fruen walked in to Rolandsen and said, “You must not come up like that and sing songs outside at night.”
“I know; it was wrong of me,” he said.“I thought Jomfru van Loos would be there, but she had moved.”
“Oh!... So it was for her you sang?”
“Yes. A poor little bit of a song to greet the day.”
“That was my room,” said she.
“It used to be Jomfruen’s room in the old priest’s time.”
Fruen said no more; her eyes had turned dull and stupid.
“Well, thanks,” she said, as she went. “It was very nice, I’m sure, but don’t do it again.”
“I won’t, I promise.... If I’d known ... of course, I wouldn’t have dared....” Rolandsen looked utterly crushed.
When Fruen came home she said, “Really I’m so sleepy to-day.”
“No wonder,” said her husband. “You got no sleep last night, with that fellow shouting down there.”
“I think Jomfru van Loos had better go,” said she.
“Jomfru van Loos?”
“He’s engaged to her, you know. And we shall have no peace at night.”
“I’ll send him a letter to-day!”
“Wouldn’t it be simpler just to send her away?”
The priest thought to himself that this was by no means the simplest way, seeing it would mean further expense for a new housekeeper. Moreover, Jomfru van Loos was very useful; without her, there would be no sort of order anywhere. He remembered how things had been managed at first, when his wife looked after the house herself—he was not likely to forget it.
“Whom will you get in her place?” he asked.
“I would rather do her work myself,” she answered.
At that he laughed bitterly, and said, “A nice mess you will make of it.”
But his wife was hurt and offended at this. “I can’t see,” she said, “but that I must look after the house in any case. So the work a housekeeper did would not make much difference.”
The priest was silent. It was no use discussing it further, no earthly use—no. “We can’t send her away,” he said. Butthere was his wife with her shoes all sorely cracked and worn, pitiful to see. And he said as he went out, “We must manage to get you a new pair of shoes, and that soon.”
“Oh, it’s summer now,” she answered.
The last of the fishing-boats are ready to sail; the season is over. But the sea was still rich; herring were sighted along the coast, and prices fell. Trader Mack had bought up what fish he could get, and none had heard of any stoppage in his payments; only the last boat he had asked to wait while he telegraphed south for money. But at that folk had begun whispering at once. Mack was in difficulties.... Aha!
But Trader Mack was as all-powerful as ever. In the thick of all his other business he had promised the Vicarage people a bakery. Good! The bakery was getting on,the workmen had arrived, and the foundation was already laid. Fruen found it a real pleasure to go and watch her bakery growing up. But now the building-work was to commence, and this was a matter for other workmen; they had been telegraphed for too, said Mack.
Meantime, however, the baker at theLensmandsgaardhad pulled himself together. What a letter from the priest had failed to accomplish, was effected by Mack with his foundation. “If it’s bread they want, why, they shall have it,” said the baker. But everyone understood that the poor man was only writhing helplessly; he would be crushed now, crushed by Mack.
Rolandsen sits in his room drawing up a curious announcement, with his signature. He reads it over again and again, and approves it. Then he puts it in his pocket, takes his hat, and goes out. He took the road down to Mack’s office at the factory.
Rolandsen had been expecting Jomfru van Loos to go away, but she had not gone; her mistress had not dismissed her at all. Rolandsen had been out in his reckoningwhen he hoped that Fruen would do him favours. He came to his reasonable senses again, and thought to himself, Let’s keep to earth now; we haven’t made such an impression after all, it seems.
On the other hand, he had received a letter of serious and chastening content from the priest himself. Rolandsen did not attempt to hide the fact that this thing had happened to him; he told the matter to all, to high and low. It was no more than he deserved, he said, and it had done him good; no priest had ever troubled about him before since his confirmation. Rolandsen would even venture to say that the priest ought to send many such letters out among his flock, to the better comfort and guidance of all.
But no one could see from Rolandsen’s manner that he had been any way rejoiced or comforted of late; on the contrary, he appeared more thoughtful than ever, and seemed to be occupied with some particular thought. Shall I, or shall I not? he might be heard to murmur. And now, this morning, when his former betrothed, Jomfruvan Loos, had lain in wait for him and plagued the life out of him again with that ridiculous business of the serenade, he had left her with the significant words, “I’ll do it!”
Rolandsen walks into Mack’s office and gives greeting. He is perfectly sober. The Macks, father and son, are standing, each at one side of the desk, writing. Old Mack offers him a chair, but Rolandsen does not sit. He says:
“I only came in to say it was me that broke in and took the money.”
Father and son stare at him.
“I’ve come to give myself up,” says Rolandsen. “It would not be right to hide it any longer; ’tis bad enough as it is.”
“Leave us alone a minute,” says Old Mack.
Frederik walks out.
Says Mack, “Are you in your right senses to-day?”
“I did it, I tell you,” shouts Rolandsen. And Rolandsen’s voice was a voice for song and strong words.
Then there was a pause. Mack blinkedhis eyes, and looked thoughtful. “You did it, you say?”
“Yes.”
Mack thought again. That good brain of his had solved many a problem in its day; he was well used to settling a matter quickly.
“And will you hold by your words to-morrow as well?”
“Yes. From henceforth I will not conceal it. I have had a letter from the priest, and it’s that has changed me.”
Was Mack beginning to believe him? Or was it merely as a matter of form that he went on?
“When did you do it?” he asked.
Rolandsen mentioned the night.
“And how did you go about it?”
Rolandsen described it all in detail.
“There were some papers in the chest with the money—did you notice them?”
“Yes. There were some papers.”
“One of them is missing; what have you done with it?”
“I haven’t got it. A paper? No.”
“My life insurance policy, it was.”
“An insurance policy! Yes, now I remember. I must confess I burnt it.”
“Did you? Then you ought not to have done so. It’s cost me a lot of trouble to get another.”
Said Rolandsen, “I was all in a flurry, and didn’t think. I beg you to forgive me.”
“There was another chest with several thousandDalerin it; why didn’t you take that?”
“I didn’t find that one.”
Mack had finished his calculations. Whether Rolandsen had committed the burglary or not, he would in any case make the finest culprit Mack could have wished. He would certainly make no secret of the affair, but rather declare it to every soul he met; the last boat’s crew would carry the news with them home, and so it would come to the ears of the traders along the coast. Mack felt he was saved.
“I have never heard of your going about and ... your having this weakness before,” he said.
Whereto Rolandsen answered, No, not among the fishermen, no. When he wantedto steal, he didn’t go bird-nesting in that petty fashion; he went to the bank itself.
That was one for Mack! He only answered now with a reproachful air, “But that you could steal fromme....”
Rolandsen said, “I worked myself up to it, to be bold enough. I was drunk at the time, I am sorry to say.”
After this it seemed no longer impossible that the confession was true. Rolandsen was known to be a wild fellow who led an extravagant life and had no great income to draw upon. That keg of brandy from Rosengaard must have cost him something.
“And I’ve more to confess, I’m sorry to say,” went on Rolandsen. “I haven’t the money now, to pay it back.”
Mack looked highly indifferent. “That doesn’t matter in the least,” he said. “The thing that troubles me is all the stupid gossip it’s led to. All those unpleasant insinuations against me and my family.”
“I’ve thought of that. And I was going to do something....”
“What do you mean?”
“Take down your placard from theVicarage gate and put up one of my own in its place.”
This was Rolandsen all over. “No,” said Mack. “I won’t ask you to do that. It will be hard enough for you as it is, my good man. But you might write a declaration here.” And Mack nodded towards Frederik’s seat.
Rolandsen set to work. Mack was thinking deeply the while. Here was all this serious business turning out for the best. It would cost him something, but the money would be well spent; his renown would now be spread far and wide.
Mack read over the declaration, and said, “Yes, that’s good enough. I don’t intend to make use of it, of course....”
“That’s as you please,” said Rolandsen.
“And I do not propose to say anything about our interview to-day. It can remain between ourselves.”
“Then I shall have to tell people myself,” said Rolandsen. “The priest’s letter said particularly that we should confess.”
Mack opened his fire-proof safe and took out a bundle of notes. Here was his chanceto show what sort of man he was. And who could know that a master seiner from a stranger boat was down in the bay waiting for those very notes before he could sail?
Mack counted out four hundredDaler, and said, “I don’t mean to insult you, but it’s my way to keep to my word. I have promised a reward of four hundredDaler, which is now due to you.”
Rolandsen walked towards the door. “I deserve your contempt,” said he.
“Contempt!” said Mack. “Let me tell you....”
“Your generosity cuts me to the heart. Instead of putting me in prison, you reward me....”
But it was a mere trifle for Mack to lose a couple of hundredDalerover a burglary. It was only when he rewarded the thief himself with twice that amount that the thing became really magnificent. He said, “Look here, Rolandsen, you will find yourself in difficulties now; you will lose your place to begin with. The money will be no inconvenience to me, but it may be of real importance to you just now. I beg you to think over what I say.”
“I couldn’t do it,” said Rolandsen.
Mack took the notes and thrust them into Rolandsen’s pocket.
“Let it be a loan, then,” said Rolandsen humbly.
And this chivalrous merchant-prince agreed, and answered, “Very well, then, as a loan.” But he knew in his heart that he would never see the money again.
Rolandsen stood there looking as if weighed down by the heaviest burden in life. It was a pitiful sight.
“And now make haste and right yourself again,” said Mack encouragingly. “You’ve made a bad slip, but it’s never too late, you know.”
Rolandsen thanked him with the greatest humility, and went out.
“I am a thief,” he said to the factory girls as he went out, making a beginning with them without delay. And he gave them his full confession.
Then he went up to the Vicarage gate, and tore down Mack’s notice, setting up hisown instead. There it was in black and white, setting forth that he, Rolandsen, and no other, was the culprit. And to-morrow would be Sunday; many church-goers would pass by the spot.