After breakfast, which I share with the two of them, getting quantities of coffee with it, Olga gets herself up in her new skirt and her knitted kerchief and the jacket. Eh, that wonderful jacket; lasting1 at the edge all round, and two rows of buttons of the same, and the neck and sleeves trimmed with braid. But little Olga could not fill it out. Nothing near it! The child is all odd corners and angles, like a young calf2.
“Couldn’t we just take it in a bit at the sides?” I ask. “There’s plenty of time.”
But mother and daughter exchange glances, plainly saying, ’tis Sunday, and no using needle or knife that day. I understand them well enough, for I would have thought exactly the same myself in my childhood. So I try to find a way out by a little free-thinking: ’tis another matter when it’s a machine that does the work; no more than when an innocent cart comes rumbling3 down the road, as it may any Sunday.
But no; this is beyond them. And anyhow, the jacket must give her room to grow; in a couple of years it would fit her nicely.
I thought about for something I could slip into Olga’s hand as she went; but I’ve nothing, so I gave her a silver Krone. And straightway she gives her hand in thanks, and shows the coin to her mother, and whispers she will give it to her sister at church. Her eyes are simply glowing with joy at the thought. And her mother, hardly less moved herself, answers yes, perhaps she ought. . . .
Olga goes off to church in her long jacket; goes shambling down the hill with her feet turning in and out any odd way. A sweet and heartening thing to see. . . .
Hers?t now; was that a big place?
Yes, a fine big place.
I sit for a while blinking sleepy eyes and making excursions in etymology4. Hers?t might mean Herres?te.5 Or possibly some herse6 might have held sway there. And the herse’s daughter was the proudest maiden5 for far around, and the Jarl himself comes to ask her hand. And the year after she bears him a son, who becomes king. . . .
5 Manor6.
6 Local chieftain in ancient times.
In a word, I would go to Hers?t. Seeing it was all the same where I went, I would go there. Possibly I might get work at the Lensmand’s, or there was always the chance of something turning up; at any rate, I should see new people. And having thus decided7 upon Hers?t, I felt I had a purpose before me.
The good woman gives me leave to lie down on her bed, for I am drowsy8 and stupid for lack of sleep. A fine blue spider clambers slowly up the wall, and I lie watching it till I fall asleep.
After a couple of hours I wake suddenly, feeling rested and fresh. The woman was cooking the dinner. I pack up my sack, pay her for my stay, and end up by saying I’d like to make an exchange; my sewing-machine for Olga’s picture there.
The woman incredulous as ever.
Never mind, say I; if she was content, why, so was I. The picture was of value; I knew what I was doing.
I took down the picture from the wall, blew the dust from it, and rolled it up carefully; the wall showed lighter9 in a square patch where it had been. Then I took my leave.
The woman followed me out: wouldn’t I wait now, till Olga came back, so she could thank me? Oh, now if I only would!
I couldn’t. Hadn’t time. Tell her from me, if there was anything she couldn’t make out, to look in the directions. . . .
The woman stood looking after me as I went. I swaggered down the road, whistling with satisfaction at what I had done. Only the sack to carry now; I was rested, the sun was shining, and the road had dried up a little. I fell to singing with satisfaction at what I had done.
Neurasthenia. . . .
I reached Hers?t the following day. At first I felt like passing by, it looked so big and fine a place; but after I had talked a bit with one of the farm-hands, I decided to try the Lensmand after all. I had worked for rich people before — let me see, there was Captain Falkenberg of ?vreb?. . . .
The Lensmand was a little, broad-shouldered man, with a long white beard and dark eyebrows10. He talked gruffly, but had kindly11 eyes; afterwards, I found he was a merry soul, who could laugh and jest heartily12 enough at times. Now and again, too, he would show a touch of pride in his position, and his wealth, and like to have it recognized.
“No, I’ve no work for you. Where do you come from?”
I named some places I had lately passed.
“No money, I suppose, and go about begging?”
No, I did not beg; I had money enough.
“Well, you’ll have to go on farther. I’ve nothing for you to do here; the ploughing’s done. Can you cut staves for a fence?
“Yes.”
“H’m. Well, I don’t use wooden fences any more. I’ve put up wire. Do bricklayer’s work?”
“Yes.”
“That’s a pity. I’ve had bricklayers at work here for weeks; you might have got a job. But it’s all done now.”
He stood poking13 his stick in the ground.
“What made you come to me?”
“Every one said go to the Lensmand if I wanted work.”
“Oh, did they? Well, I’ve always got a crowd here working at something or other — those bricklayers, now. Can you put up a fence that’s proof against fowls14? — For that’s more than any soul on earth ever could, haha! —
“Worked for Captain Falkenberg, you said, at ?vreb??”
“Yes.”
“What were you doing there?”
“Felling timber.”
“I don’t know him — he lives a long way off. But I’ve heard of him. Any papers from him?”
I showed him what the Captain had written.
“Come along with me,” said the Lensmand abruptly15. He led me round the house and into the kitchen.
“Give this man a thorough good meal — he’s come a long way, and. . . . ”
I sat down in the big, well-lighted kitchen to the best meal I had had for a long time. I had just finished when the Lensmand came out again.
“Look here, you. . . . ” he began.
I got up at once and stood straight as an arrow — a piece of politeness which I fancy was not lost on him.
“No, no, finish your meal, go on. Finished? Sure? Well, I’ve been thinking. . . . Come along with me.”
He took me out to the woodshed.
“You might do a bit of work getting in firewood; what do you say to that? I’ve two men on the place, but one of them I shall want for summoners’ work, so you’ll have to go woodcutting with the other. You can see there’s plenty of wood here as it is, but it’ll take no harm lying here, can’t have too much of that sort of thing. You said you had money; let me see.”
I showed him the notes I had.
“Good. I’m an official, you see, and have to know my folk. Though I don’t suppose you’ve anything on your conscience, seeing you come to the Lensmand, haha! Well, as I said, you can give yourself a rest today, and start cutting wood tomorrow.”
I set to work getting ready for the next day, looked to my clothes, filed the saw, and ground my ax. I had no gloves, but it was hardly weather for gloves as yet, and there was nothing else I was short of.
The Lensmand came out to me several times, and talked in a casual way; it amused him, perhaps, to talk to a strange wanderer. “Here, Margrethe!” he called to his wife, as she went across the courtyard; “here’s the new man; I’m going to send him out cutting wood.”
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1
lasting
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| adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持 | |
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2
calf
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| n.小牛，犊，幼仔，小牛皮 | |
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3
rumbling
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| n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词 | |
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4
etymology
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| n.语源；字源学 | |
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5
maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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6
manor
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| n.庄园，领地 | |
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7
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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8
drowsy
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| adj.昏昏欲睡的，令人发困的 | |
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9
lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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10
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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11
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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12
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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13
poking
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| n. 刺，戳，袋 vt. 拨开，刺，戳 vi. 戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢 | |
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14
fowls
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| 鸟( fowl的名词复数 )； 禽肉； 既不是这； 非驴非马 | |
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15
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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