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Chapter XXXIII
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So here I am once more in the crush and noise of a city, with its newspapers and people. I have been away from all this for many months now, and find it not unpleasant. I spend a morning taking it all in; get hold of some other clothes, and set off to find Fr?ken1 Elisabeth at her address. She was staying with some relatives.

And now — should I be lucky enough to meet the other one? I am restless as a boy. My hands are vulgarly unused to gloves, and I pull them off; then going up the step I notice that my hands do not go at all well with the clothes I am wearing, and I put on my gloves again. Then I ring the bell.

“Fr?ken Elisabeth? Yes, would you wait a moment?”

Fr?ken Elisabeth comes out. “Goddag. You wished to speak to. . . . Oh, is it you?”

I had brought a parcel from her mother. V?rsaagod.

She tears open the parcel and looks inside. “Oh, fancy Mama thinking of that. The opera-glasses! We’ve been to the theatre already. . . . I didn’t recognize you at first.”

“Really! It’s not so very long since. . . . ”

“No, but. . . . Tell me, isn’t there any one else you’d like to inquire about? Haha!”

“Yes,” said I.

“Well, she’s not here. I’m only staying here with my relations. No, she’s at the Victoria.”

“Well, the parcel was for you,” said I, trying to master my disappointment.

“Wait a minute. I was just going out again; we can go together.”

Fr?ken Elisabeth puts on some over-things, calls out through a door to say she won’t be very long, and goes out with me. We take a cab and drive to a quiet café. Fr?ken Elisabeth says yes, she loves going to cafés. But there’s nothing very amusing about this one.

Would she rather go somewhere else?

“Yes. To the Grand.”

I hesitated; it might be hardly safe. I had been away for a long time now, and if we met any one I knew I might have to talk to them. But Fr?kenen insisted on Grand. She had had but a few days’ practice in the capital, and had already gained a deal of self-assurance. But I liked her so much before.

We drove off again to Grand. It was getting towards evening. Fr?kenen picks out a seat right in the brightest spot, beaming all over herself at the fun of it. I ordered some wine.

“What fine clothes you’re wearing now,” she says, with a laugh.

“I couldn’t very well come in here in a workman’s blouse.”

“No, of course not. But, honestly, that blouse . . . shall I tell you what I think?”

“Yes, do.”

“The blouse suited you better.”

There! Devil take these town clothes! I sat there with my head full of other things, and did not care for this sort of talk.

“Are you staying long in town?” I asked.

“As long as Lovise does. We’ve finished our shopping. No, I’m sorry; it’s all too short.” Then she turns gay once more, and asks laughingly: “Did you like being with us out in the country?”

“Yes. That was a pleasant time.”

“And will you come again soon? Haha!”

She seemed to be making fun of me. Trying, of course, to show she saw through me: that I hadn’t played — my part well enough as a country labourer. Child that she was! I could teach many a labourer his business, and had more than one trade at my finger-ends. Though in my true calling I manage to achieve just the next best of all I dream. . . .

“Shall I ask Papa to put up a notice on the post next spring, to say you’re willing to lay down water-pipes and so on?”

She closed her eyes and laughed — so heartily2 she laughed.

I am torn with excitement, and her merriment pains me, though it is all good-humoured enough. I glance round the place, trying to pull myself together; here and there an acquaintance nods to me, and I return it; it all seems so far away to me. I was sitting with a charming girl, and that made people notice us.

“You know these people, it seems?”

“Yes, one or two of them. Have you enjoyed yourself in town?”

“Oh yes, immensely. I’ve two boy cousins here, and then there were their friends as well.”

“Poor young Erik, out in the country,” said I jestingly.

“Oh, you with your young Erik. No, there’s one here in town; his name’s Bewer. But I’m not friends with him just now.”

“Oh, that won’t last long.”

“Do you think so? Really, though, I’m rather serious about it. I’ve an idea he might be coming in here this evening.”

“You must point him out to me if he does.”

“I thought, as we drove out here, that you and I could sit here together, you know, and make him jealous.”

“Right, then, we will.”

“Yes, but. . . . No, you’d have to be a bit younger. I mean. . . . ”

I forced myself to laugh. Oh, we would manage all right. Don’t despise us old ones, us ancient ones, we can be quite surprisingly useful at times. “Only you’d better let me sit on the sofa beside you there, so he can’t see I’m bald at the back.”

Eh, but it is hard to take that perilous3 transition to old age in any quiet and beautiful way. There comes a forcedness, a play of jerky effort and grimaces4, the fight against those younger than ourselves, and envy.

“Fr?ken. . . . ” I ask this of her now with all my heart. “Fr?ken, couldn’t you ring up Fru Falkenberg and get her to come round here now?”

She thinks for a moment.

“Yes, we will,” she says generously.

We go out to the telephone, ring up the Victoria: Fruen is there.

“Is that you, Lovise? You’d never guess who I’m with now? Won’t you come along? Oh, good! We’re at the Grand. No, I can’t tell you now. Yes, of course it’s a man — only he’s a gentleman now — I won’t say who it is. Are you coming? Why, you said just now you would! Some people? Oh, well, do as you like, of course, but I do think. . . . Yes, he’s standing5 here. You are in a hurry. . . . ”

Fr?ken Elisabeth rang off, and said shortly:

“She had to go and see some friends.”

We went back to our seat, and had some more wine; I tried to be cheerful, and suggested champagne6. Yes, thanks. And then, as we’re sitting there, Fr?kenen says suddenly:

“Oh, there’s Bewer! I’m so glad we’re drinking champagne.”

But I have only one idea in my mind, and being now called upon to show what I can do, and charm this young lady to the ultimate advantage of some one else, I find myself saying one thing and thinking another. Which, of course, leads to disaster. I cannot get that telephone conversation out of my head; she must have had an idea — have realized that it was I who was waiting for her here. But what on earth had I done? Why had I been dismissed so suddenly from ?vreb?, and Falkenberg taken on in my place. Quite possibly the Captain and his wife were not always the best of friends, but the Captain had scented7 danger in my being there, and wished to save his wife at least from such an ignominious8 fall. And now, here she was, feeling ashamed that I had worked on her place, that she had used me to drive her carriage, and twice shared food with me by the way. And she was ashamed, too, of my being no longer young. . . .

“This will never do,” says Fr?ken Elisabeth.

So I pull myself together again, and start saying all manner of foolish things, to make her laugh. I drink a good deal and that helps; at last, she really seems to fancy I am making myself agreeable to her on her own account. She looks at me curiously9.

“No, really, though, do you think I’m nice?”

“Oh, please — don’t you understand? — I was speaking of Fru Falkenberg.”

“Sh!” says Fr?ken Elisabeth. “Of course it is Fru Falkenberg; I know that perfectly10 well, but you need not say so. . . . I really think we’re beginning to make an impression on him over there. Let’s go on like we are doing, and look interested.”

So she hadn’t imagined I was trying on my own account, after all. I was too old for that sort of thing, anyway. Devil take it, yes, of course.

“But you can’t get Fru Falkenberg,” she says, beginning again. “It’s simply hopeless.”

“No, I can’t get her. Nor you either.”

“Are you speaking to Fru Falkenberg now again?”

“No, it was to you this time.”

Pause.

“Do you know I was in love with you? Yes, when I was at home.”

“This is getting quite amusing,” said I, shifting up on the sofa. “Oh, we’ll manage Bewer, never fear.”

“Yes, only fancy, I used to go up to the churchyard to meet you in the evenings. But you, foolish person, you didn’t see it a bit.”

“Now you’re talking to Bewer, of course,” said I.

“No, it’s perfectly true. And I came over one day when you were working in the potato fields. It wasn’t your young Erik I came to see, not a bit.”

“Only think, that it should have been me,” I say, putting on a melancholy11 air.

“Yes, of course you think it was strange. But really, you know, people who live in the country must have some one to be fond of too.”

“Does Fru Falkenberg say the same?”

“Fru Falkenberg? No, she says she doesn’t want to be fond of anybody, only play her piano and that sort of thing. But I was speaking of myself. Do you know what I did once? No, really, I can’t tell you that. Do you want to know?

“Yes, tell me.”

“Well, then . . . for, after all, I’m only a child compared to you, so it doesn’t matter. It was when you were sleeping in the barn; I went over there one day and laid your rugs together properly, and made a proper bed.”

“Was it you did that?” I burst out quite sincerely, forgetting to play my part.

“You ought to have seen me stealing in. Hahaha!”

But this young girl was — not artful enough, she changed colour at her little confession12, and laughed forcedly to cover her confusion.

I try to help her out, and say:

“You’re really good-hearted, you know. Fru Falkenberg would never have done a thing like that.”

“No; but then she’s older. Did you think we were the same age?”

“Does Fru Falkenberg say she doesn’t want to be fond of anybody?”

“Yes. Oh no . . . bother, I don’t know. Fru Falkenberg’s married, of course; she doesn’t say anything. Now talk to me again a little. . . . Yes, and do you remember the time we went up to the store to buy things, you know? And I kept walking slower and slower for you to catch up. . . . ”

“Yes . . . that was nice of you. And now I’ll do something for you in return.”

I rose from my seat, and walked across to where young Bewer sat, and asked if he would not care to join us at our table. I brought him along; Fr?ken Elisabeth flushed hotly as he came up. Then I talked those two young people well together, which done, I suddenly remembered I had some business to do, and must go off at once. “I’m ever so sorry to leave just now. Fr?ken Elisabeth, I’m afraid you’ve turned my head, bewitched me completely; but I realize it’s hopeless to think of it. It’s a marvel13 to me, by the way. . . . ”


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 heartily Ld3xp     
adv.衷心地,诚恳地,十分,很
参考例句:
  • He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿,就出去找他的马。
  • The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手,热情地和我握手。
3 perilous E3xz6     
adj.危险的,冒险的
参考例句:
  • The journey through the jungle was perilous.穿过丛林的旅行充满了危险。
  • We have been carried in safety through a perilous crisis.历经一连串危机,我们如今已安然无恙。
4 grimaces 40efde7bdc7747d57d6bf2f938e10b72     
n.(表蔑视、厌恶等)面部扭曲,鬼脸( grimace的名词复数 )v.扮鬼相,做鬼脸( grimace的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • Mr. Clark winked at the rude child making grimaces. 克拉克先生假装没有看见那个野孩子做鬼脸。 来自辞典例句
  • The most ridiculous grimaces were purposely or unconsciously indulged in. 故意或者无心地扮出最滑稽可笑的鬼脸。 来自辞典例句
5 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
6 champagne iwBzh3     
n.香槟酒;微黄色
参考例句:
  • There were two glasses of champagne on the tray.托盘里有两杯香槟酒。
  • They sat there swilling champagne.他们坐在那里大喝香槟酒。
7 scented a9a354f474773c4ff42b74dd1903063d     
adj.有香味的;洒香水的;有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词)
参考例句:
  • I let my lungs fill with the scented air. 我呼吸着芬芳的空气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The police dog scented about till he found the trail. 警犬嗅来嗅去,终于找到了踪迹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
8 ignominious qczza     
adj.可鄙的,不光彩的,耻辱的
参考例句:
  • The marriage was considered especially ignominious since she was of royal descent.由于她出身王族,这门婚事被认为是奇耻大辱。
  • Many thought that he was doomed to ignominious failure.许多人认为他注定会极不光彩地失败。
9 curiously 3v0zIc     
adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地
参考例句:
  • He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
  • He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。
10 perfectly 8Mzxb     
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
  • Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。
11 melancholy t7rz8     
n.忧郁,愁思;adj.令人感伤(沮丧)的,忧郁的
参考例句:
  • All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。
  • He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过,他感到很郁闷。
12 confession 8Ygye     
n.自白,供认,承认
参考例句:
  • Her confession was simply tantamount to a casual explanation.她的自白简直等于一篇即席说明。
  • The police used torture to extort a confession from him.警察对他用刑逼供。
13 marvel b2xyG     
vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异;n.令人惊异的事
参考例句:
  • The robot is a marvel of modern engineering.机器人是现代工程技术的奇迹。
  • The operation was a marvel of medical skill.这次手术是医术上的一个奇迹。


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