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Chapter XXXII
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I am nearly at my goal.

Sunday evening I lay in a watchman’s hut not far from ?vreb?, so as to be on the place early Monday morning. By nine o’clock every one would be up, then surely I must be lucky enough to meet the one I sought.

I had grown dreadfully nervous, and kept imagining ugly things. I had written a nice letter to Falkenberg, using no sharp words, but the Captain might after all have been offended2 at my fixing the date like that; giving him so and so much time. . . . If only I had never written at all!

Coming up towards the house I stoop3 more and more, and make myself small, though indeed I had done no wrong. I turn off from the road up, and go round so as to reach the outbuildings first — and there I come upon Falkenberg. He is washing down the carriage. We gave each other greeting, and were the same good comrades4 as before.

Was he going out with the carriage?

No, just come back the night before. Been to the railway station.

Who had gone away, then?

Fruen.

Fruen?

Fruen, yes.

Pause.

Really? And where was Fruen gone to?

Gone to stay in town for a bit.

Pause.

“Stranger man’s been here writing in the papers about that machine of yours,” says Falkenberg.

“Is the Captain gone away too?”

“No, Captain’s at home. You should have seen his face when your letter came.”

I got Falkenberg to come up to the old loft5. I had still two bottles of wine in my sack6, and I took them out and we started on them together; eh, those bottles that I had carried backward and forward, mile after mile, and had to be so careful with, they served me well just now. Save for them Falkenberg would never have said so much.

“What was that about the Captain and my letter? Did he see it?”

“Well, it began like this,” said Falkenberg. “Fruen was in the kitchen when I came in with the post. ‘What letter’s that with all those stamps on?’ she says. I opened it, and said it was from you, to say you were coming on the 11th.”

“And what did she say?”

“She didn’t say any more. Yes, she asked once again, ‘Coming on the 11th, is he?’ And I said yes, he was.”

“And then, a couple of days after, you got orders to drive her to the station?”

“Why, yes, it must have been about a couple of days. Well, then, I thought, if Fruen knows about the letter, then Captain surely knows too. D’you know what he said when I brought it in?”

I made no answer to this, but thought and thought. There must be something behind all this. Was she running away from me? Madman! the Captain’s Lady at ?vreb? would not run away from one of her labourers. But the whole thing seemed so strange. I had hoped all along she would give me leave to speak with her, since I was forbidden to write.

Falkenberg went on, a little awkwardly7:

“Well, I showed the Captain your letter, though you didn’t say I was to. Was there any harm in that?”

“It doesn’t matter. What did he say?”

“‘Yes, look after the machine, do,’ he said, and made a face. ‘In case any one comes to steal it,’ he said.”

“Then the Captain’s angry with me now?”

“Nay, I shouldn’t think so. I’ve heard no more about it since that day.”

It mattered little after all about the Captain. When Falkenberg had taken a deal of wine, I asked him if he knew where Fruen was staying in town. No, but Emma might, perhaps. We get hold of Emma, treat her to wine, talk a lot of nonsense8, and work gradually round to the point; at last asking in a delicate9 way. No, Emma didn’t know the address. But Fruen had gone to buy things for Christmas, and she was going with Fr?ken1 Elisabeth from the vicarage, so they’d know the address there. What did I want it for, by the way?

Well, it was only about a filigree10 brooch I had got hold of, and wanted to ask if she’d care to buy it.

“Let’s look.”

Luckily I was able to show her the brooch; it was a beautiful piece of old work; I had bought it of one of the maids at Hers?t.

“Fruen wouldn’t have it,” said Emma. “I wouldn’t have it myself.”

“Not if you got me into the bargain, Emma, what?” And I forced myself to jest again.

Emma goes off. I try drawing out Falkenberg again. Falkenberg was sharp enough at times to understand people.

Did he still sing for Fruen?

Lord11, no; that was all over. Falkenberg wished he hadn’t taken service here at all; ’twas nothing but trouble and misery12 about the place.

Trouble and misery? Weren’t they friends, then, the Captain and his Lady?

Oh yes, they were friends. In the same old way. Last Saturday she had been crying all day.

“Funny thing it should be like that,” say I, “when they’re so upright13 and considerate towards each other.” And I watch to see what Falkenberg says to that.

“Eh, but they’re ever weary,” says Falkenberg in his Valdres dialect14. “And she’s losing her looks too. Only in the time you’ve been gone, she’s got all pale and thin.”

I sat up in the loft for a couple of hours, keeping an eye on the main building from my window, but the Captain did not appear. Why didn’t he go out? It was hopeless to wait any longer; I should have to go without making my excuses to the Captain. I could have found good grounds enough; I might have put the blame on to the first article in the paper, and said it had rather turned my head for the moment — and there was some truth in that. Well, all I had to do now was to tie up the machine in a bundle15, cover it up as far as possible with my sack, and start off on my wanderings again.

Emma stole some food for me before I went.

It was another long journey this time; first to the vicarage — though that was but a little out of the way — and then on to the railway station. A little snow was falling, which made it rather heavy walking; and what was more, I could not take it easy now, but must get on as fast as I could. The ladies were only staying in town for their Christmas shopping, and they had a good start already.

On the following afternoon I came to the vicarage. I had reckoned16 out it would be best to speak with Fruen.

“I’m on my way into town,” I told her. “And I’ve this machine thing with me; if I might leave the heaviest of the woodwork here meanwhile?”

“Are you going into town?” says Fruen. “But you’ll stay here till tomorrow, surely?”

“No, thanks all the same. I’ve got to be in town tomorrow.”

Fruen thinks for a bit and then says:

“Elisabeth’s in town. You might take a parcel in for her — something she’s forgotten.”

That gives me the address! I thought to myself.

“But I’ve got to get it ready first.”

“Then Fr?ken Elisabeth might be gone again before I got there?”

“Oh no, she’s with Fru Falkenberg, and they’re staying in town for the week.”

This was grand news, joyous17 news. Now I had both the address and the time.

Fruen stands watching me sideways, and says:

“Well, then, you’ll stay the night, won’t you? You see, it’s something I’ve got to get ready first. . . . ”

I was given a room in the main building, because it was too cold to sleep in the barn18. And when all the household had gone to rest that night, and everything was quiet, came Fruen to my room with the parcel, and said:

“Excuse my coming so late. But I thought you might be going early to-morrow morning before I was up.”

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 ken k3WxV     
n.视野,知识领域
参考例句:
  • Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
  • Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.
2 offended 47b592019953ccd84a897f2d4ec27edf     
v.触怒( offend的过去式和过去分词 );得罪;冒犯;使反感令人不适
参考例句:
  • They'll be offended if you don't go to their wedding. 你若不参加他们的婚礼,他们会生气的。
  • She was offended by the vulgarity of their jokes. 他们那些粗俗的笑话使她大为不快。
3 stoop WGizD     
n.佝偻,屈服;v.弯下,弯下上身,屈服
参考例句:
  • It pains me to stoop down.痛得我蹲下来。
  • He has to stoop to get through the tunnel.他得弯下腰走过地道。
4 comrades 28d2de921bcc0478da3789e7d35f9a24     
n.亲密的伙伴( comrade的名词复数 );战友;朋友;同志
参考例句:
  • They were old army comrades. 他们是部队的老战友。
  • In conclusion she wished her comrades every success in their work. 最后她祝同志们工作顺利。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 loft VkhyQ     
n.阁楼,顶楼
参考例句:
  • We could see up into the loft from bottom of the stairs.我们能从楼梯脚边望到阁楼的内部。
  • By converting the loft,they were able to have two extra bedrooms.把阁楼改造一下,他们就可以多出两间卧室。
6 sack mCbz7     
n.袋子,劫掠;vt.解雇,劫掠,把...装入袋子
参考例句:
  • They made him pay for his offence by giving him the sack.他们解雇了他,从而使他因自己的过错而受到了惩罚。
  • If you're late again tomorrow,you'll get the sack!如果你明天再迟到,那就卷铺盖走吧!
7 awkwardly Iyozdj     
adv.笨拙地;困难地;难看地;尴尬地
参考例句:
  • I had been lying awkwardly and my leg had gone numb. 我一直以一种不舒服的姿势躺着,腿已经麻木了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He stood awkwardly in the doorway, not sure what to say. 他尴尬地站在门口,不知道该说什么。 来自《简明英汉词典》
8 nonsense 2vEyn     
n.胡说,废话
参考例句:
  • Go along with you! What you say is all nonsense!去你的!你说的全是废话!
  • "Don't talk nonsense",she said sharply.“别胡扯”,她严厉地说。
9 delicate Hx1xS     
adj.巧妙的,敏感的;易损的,娇嫩的
参考例句:
  • Be careful with those wine cups — they are very delicate.当心那些酒杯—它们很容易碎。
  • The delicate handicraft works will not bear rough handling.精致的手工艺品经不起粗鲁的摆弄。
10 filigree 47SyK     
n.金银丝做的工艺品;v.用金银细丝饰品装饰;用华而不实的饰品装饰;adj.金银细丝工艺的
参考例句:
  • The frost made beautiful filigree on the window pane.寒霜在玻璃窗上形成了美丽的花纹。
  • The art filigree tapestry is elegant and magnificent.嵌金银丝艺术挂毯,绚丽雅典。
11 lord t0NxW     
n.上帝,主;主人,长官;君主,贵族
参考例句:
  • I know the Lord will look after him.我知道上帝会眷顾他的。
  • How good of the Lord not to level it beyond repair!上帝多么仁慈啊,竟没有让这所房子损毁得不可收拾!
12 misery G10yi     
n.痛苦,苦恼,苦难;悲惨的境遇,贫苦
参考例句:
  • Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
  • He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。
13 upright 0jcwK     
adj.直立的;正直的;adv.挺直着,竖立着
参考例句:
  • He stood himself upright.他笔直地站着。
  • An upright man is respectable.正直的人是值得尊敬的。
14 dialect emNyf     
n.方言,土语,地方话
参考例句:
  • He wrote a play in a local dialect.他用当地方言写了一个剧本。
  • They began to speak rapidly in dialect.他们开始叽里呱啦地说起地方话来。
15 bundle bsmz6     
n.捆,包,束;一堆,一批;v.把…扎成一捆
参考例句:
  • My uncle sent me a large bundle on my birthday.我生日时叔父给我寄来一个大包裹。
  • Dad found a bundle of spelling mistakes in my composition.爸爸在我作文里找出一大堆拼写错误。
16 reckoned bc7010f3cd135334d773a843dd349984     
计算( reckon的过去式和过去分词 ); 猜想; 考虑; 思忖
参考例句:
  • Her poetry is reckoned among the best-known this century. 她的诗被认为是本世纪最著名的诗篇之一。
  • He reckoned he should make a better fist at farming than educating. 他认为自己搞农业会比教育更成功。
17 joyous d3sxB     
adj.充满快乐的;令人高兴的
参考例句:
  • The lively dance heightened the joyous atmosphere of the scene.轻快的舞蹈给这场戏渲染了欢乐气氛。
  • They conveyed the joyous news to us soon.他们把这一佳音很快地传递给我们。
18 barn 6dayp     
n.谷仓,饲料仓,牲口棚
参考例句:
  • That big building is a barn for keeping the grain.那幢大房子是存放粮食的谷仓。
  • The cows were driven into the barn.牛被赶进了牲口棚。


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