Garman And Worse A Norwegian Novel - Alexander Lange Kielland (best way to read ebooks txt) 📗

The Recollections Of Her

Youthful Love Passed Through Her Sobbing Heart.

 

"It Was Not My Fault--It Was Not My Fault!" She Repeated Plaintively,

Like A Child Who Has Had The Misfortune To Break Something.

 

He Lifted His Hard Heavy Hand,  And Laying It On Her Head,  Passed It

Gently Over Her Hair. Now He Understood It All,  But Not A Word Passed

His Lips.

 

"Lena,  Lena!" Cried The Pastor From The Door,  "You Must Come And See

What I Have Found. Here Are Twins. Lena,  Lena! Where Are You? Make

Haste! What A Good Wife! Just Think,  Twins The First Time!"

 

It Was Not Easy To Tell What Per'S Thoughts Were As He Stood Again Alone

Looking Over The Sea. Thus Had The Billows Rolled To And Fro In Storm

And Sunshine,  Whilst He Had Waited And Waited. And This Was What He Had

Waited For! He Drew A Long Breath,  And His Face Seemed To Grow Clearer

Again As He Slowly Nodded His Head Several Times Towards The Ocean.

 

Per'S Wife Made Many Apologies,  As Is But Right And Proper On Such

Occasions,  For The Repast,  Which,  However,  Consisted Of Coffee,  With

Cream And Sugar,  Bread And Butter And Cakes,  And Lastly A Dish Of Small

Lobsters. She Insisted That It Was A Shame To Offer Such Small Lobsters

To Her Guests. It Was A Pity They Had Not Some Larger Ones.

 

But Now It Was Just One Of The Pastor'S Favourite Theories,  And Which He

Always Defended With Much Energy And Conviction,  Namely,  That Small

Lobsters Are Really Better And More Delicate Than Large Ones. He Was,

Therefore,  In The Best Of Humours,  And Made Several Innocent Jokes With

The Friendly Peasant Woman.

 

Per Now Came In and Begged They Would Begin Their Meal,  As Everything

Was Ready. He Then Sat Down By The Side Of The Fireplace,  With His

Elbows Resting On His Knees.

 

The Sun Shone So Brightly Through The Small Window-Panes,  The Room Was

So Clean And Comfortable,  The Table-Cloth So White,  The Cream So Yellow,

And The Small Lobsters So Red And Appetizing,  That The Pastor Felt

Constrained To Improve The Occasion.

 

He Chose As His Text A Fact Which He Had Heard From The Woman,  Namely,

That Per Had Built The House Entirely Of The Wreckage Of A French Brig,

Which Had Been Stranded On The Coast A Little Way To The Northward. This

Was The Vessel To Which The Board Over The Window Had Belonged.

 

The Pastor Dwelt On The Uncertainty Of Human Affairs,  How Often We Are

Disappointed,  But How There Is A Leading Thread Which Seems To Run

Chapter 26 Pg 168

Through Our Existence.

 

"And Look," Said He,  "On That Proud Ship,  Fitted Out In The Sunny Land

Of France,  And Bearing A Name Which Points To Hope And Expectation; For

_L'Esperance_,  My Friends,  Signifies Hope,  Only To Be Lost On Our

Desolate Coast. So It Is With Us Mortals. How Many A Vain Hope Sails Out

With Flag And Banner,  Only To Be Miserably Wrecked In The Storms Of

Life! But Observe! That Which Has Been Dashed To Pieces By The Tempest,

Has Been Refashioned By Humble Hands Into A New Dwelling-Place. Thus

Does Life Spring From Death,  Comfort From Desolation,  And Happiness From

Shattered Hopes,  And Thus Our Whole Career May Be But A Patchwork Of

Mere Wreckage!"

 

It Was With The Last Remains Of Her Old Impetuosity That Madeleine

Repeated The Words,  "Thus Live We All!"

 

At This Moment Per Got Up And Went Out. His Wife Could Not Understand

Why His Behaviour Was So Unseemly.

 

Pastor Martens Saw It All; But Explanations,  If Any Were Necessary,

Might Follow Later On. It Was Not Worth While To Spoil The Delightful

Meal. He Handed His Wife The Cream,  As,  With A Friendly Smile,  He Placed

His Hand Upon Her Shoulder.

 

He Then Set To Work On His Small Lobsters,  Which He Found Excellent.

 

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Publication Date: 05-15-2014

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