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

Maintained That The Young Consul Would Gladly Have The Name Of Worse

Back In The Firm,  Perhaps As His Son-In-Law; Who Could Tell?

 

But Those Who Had An Opportunity Of Closer Observation Declared That

There Was No Truth In The Story. Rachel Herself Appeared To Dislike

Jacob Worse,  And Mrs. Garman Could Not Bear The Sight Of Him,  Since

Pastor Martens Had Assured Her That He Was A Freethinker.

 

The Consul Took In Mrs. Aalbom,  And George Delphin Was So Fortunate As

To Get Fanny Garman. Rachel,  To His Astonishment,  Turned To Her Uncle

And Said,  "I Beg Pardon,  But I Am Going To Ask You To-Day To Give Me Up

To Our New Acquaintance. Mr. Johnsen,  Will You Be So Kind?"

 

He Offered Her His Arm Stiffly,  But Not Awkwardly,  And They Followed The

Others Into The Dining-Room.

 

"What Can Be Up With Rachel?" Muttered Morten To Worse; "She Generally

Can'T Bear These Parsons Of Mother'S."

 

Jacob Worse Made No Reply,  But,  With A Polite Bow,  Gave His Arm To Miss

Cordsen.

 

For The _Habitues_ Of The House,  It Was Not Difficult To Foresee What

The _Menu_ Would Be. It Consisted Of Julienne Soup,  Ham,  And Pork

Cutlets With _Sauer Kraut_; Then Roast Lamb And Roast Veal,  Served With

Chervil And Beet-Root; And Lastly,  Meringues And Vanilla Cream.

 

At The Head Of The Table The Conversation Was Mostly Carried On Between

Mr. Aalbom And Delphin,  Both Of Whom Came From The Neighbourhood Of

Christiania,  And Aalbom Tried His Best To Induce The Other To Say

Something Disparaging Of The West Coast And Its Surroundings. This He

Did In The Hope That It Would Cause Annoyance To The Consul And His

Brother,  And Also That It Would Put The Speaker,  As A New Guest At

Sandsgaard,  In an Unfavourable Light. Delphin Was,  However,  Too Quick

For Him. Either He Noticed His Intention,  Or Else He Really Meant What

He Said. The Scenery,  He Declared,  Was Most Interesting,  And He Was

Particularly Pleased With The Acquaintances He Had Hitherto Made In The

Neighbourhood.

 

Richard Garman Had His Usual Place On The Left Of The Consul,  Who Sat At

The Head Of The Table,  And,  Leaning Over Beyond Rachel And Mr. Aalbom,

Who Sat Next To Him,  And Raising His Glass To The New School Inspector,

He Said--

 

"As You Are Of The Same Opinion As Mr. Delphin With Regard To Our

Scenery,  I Hope You Will Also Receive The Same Favourable Opinion Of Our

Society. May I Have The Honour Of Drinking Your Health?"

 

The Consul Regarded His Brother With Some Astonishment. It Was Seldom

That He Took Much Notice Of The Young People Who Came To The House,

Especially If They Belonged To The Church.

 

"Well,  You See," Whispered Uncle Richard,  "I Don'T Think This One'S So

Bad."

 

Fanny Also Noticed The Attention That Was Shown To The New Guest,  Who

Chapter 5 Pg 30

Sat Opposite To Her,  And,  Glancing At Him,  Thought He Might Prove Not

Interesting. True,  He Was Not So Refined As Delphin,  Nor So Good Looking

As Worse,  But Still Her Eyes Often Wandered In His Direction. Neither

Worse,  Who Sat On Her Right Hand,  Nor Delphin,  Who Was On Her Left,  Had

Much Attraction For Her. Worse,  Although Perfectly Polite,  Paid Her But

Little Attention; And That Delphin Was At Her Feet Was Only Natural--It

Was A Fate That,  Without Exception,  Had Befallen All Her Father'S

Secretaries Since Her Girlhood.

 

Mr. Johnsen Was Now Drawn Into The Conversation. Delphin Met Him At

First With An Air Of Superiority,  But After Receiving A Few Cutting

Answers,  He Was Glad To Draw In His Horns And Become More Affable.

Aalbom,  On The Contrary,  Did Not Change His Manner So Readily. He Was

Annoyed That Delphin Had Not Fallen Into The Trap He Had Laid For Him,

And Was Now Eager To Break A Lance With The New Guest. He Began His

Attack On The Inspector In a Half-Respectful,  Half-Jesting Tone,  And

With The Greater Gusto Because He Knew The Aversion Which The Two Mr.

Garmans Had To The Clergy Generally,  And Mrs. Carman Was Deep In

Conversation With Pastor Martens,  Who Was Sitting Beside Her At The

Other End Of The Table.

 

"I Dare Say You Expect A Rich Harvest Out Here,  Now That There Is So

Much Religious Excitement," Said Aalbom,  With A Grin To The Others.

 

"Harvest?" Asked Johnsen,  Shortly.

 

"Or Draught Of Fishes; I Don'T Know Under Which Simile You Prefer To

Regard Your Calling," Replied Aalbom.

 

"I Regard My Calling Very Much In The Same Light As You Do Yours. We Are

Both Here To Teach The Young,  And I Prefer To See My Duty Plain Before

My Eyes Without Any Simile," Answered Johnsen,  Quietly; But There Was

Something In His Voice Which Rather Disconcerted His Opponent.

 

Fanny And Delphin Could Not Restrain A Slight Laugh; And Mrs. Aalbom

Muttered,  "To Think Of Answering A Man In My Husband'S Position In That

Way!"

 

The Consul Now Endeavoured To Give A Peaceable Direction To The

Conversation,  By Consulting Johnsen On Several Matters Relating To The

National School. Mr. Garman Had Been For Some Years Chairman Of The

School Committee; For Sandsgaard Was Included Within The Limits Of The

Town,  Although It Was Situated At A Considerable Distance From It.

 

Rachel Heard With Pleasure The Terse And Forcible Answers Which Her

Neighbour Gave To The Consul'S Questions. She Was Especially Pleased To

Hear The New Inspector Insist Upon Certain Changes Being Made In The

School,  And Upon An Increase Of Expenditure,  Which Her Father Thought

Unnecessary And Altogether Too Lavish.

 

It Was Not Often Rachel Had Met A Man Who Showed Such Power And Energy

As Their Young Guest,  And Each Time He Spoke As To The Necessity Of

Something Or Another Being Done For The School,  She Could Not Help

Looking Half Disdainfully At Delphin,  Who Was Now Quite Taken Up With

Teaching Fanny A Trick With A Piece Of Cork And Two Forks. But When Her

Eye Fell On Jacob Worse,  An Inquiring Expression Seemed To Come Over Her

Chapter 5 Pg 31

Face,  To Which,  However,  He Appeared To Pay Little Attention. He Was

Quite Occupied In Talking Half Jestingly With Old Miss Cordsen.

 

Ever Since Jacob Worse Had Begun To Be A Constant Guest At Sandsgaard,

Quite A Friendship Had Sprung Up Between Him And The Old Lady. She Was

Usually Cold And Reserved In Her Manner,  But He Had A Particular Knack

Of Getting Her Into Conversation,  So That He Became Quite A Favourite Of

Hers.

 

Aalbom Was So Annoyed That He Ate Nearly All The Beet-Root,  And Uncle

Richard Was Amusing Himself By Quietly Working Him Up. Gabriel,  Too,

Devoted All The Time That He Could Spare From His Dinner To Staring At

The Master; And Every Time The Latter Looked Over To That Part Of The

Table Where Gabriel Was Sitting,  By The Side Of Miss Corsden,  The Young

Scapegrace Took Up His Glass And Emptied It With A Careless,  Grown-Up

Air,  Which He Knew Would Irritate His Natural Enemy.

 

Morten,  Who Sat Between Mr. Johnsen And Pastor Martens,  Amused Himself

By Keeping Both Their Glasses Well Filled. He Paid Otherwise But Little

Attention To What Went On At The Table,  Especially As He Had Managed To

Get One Of The Bottles Of Burgundy Close By His Side.

 

It Was A Still,  Warm Day In Spring,  And At Dessert The Sun,  Which Shone

In Obliquely Through The Two Open Windows,  Just Reached As Far As The

Table. First It Was Reflected From Mrs. Garman'S Black Silk,  And Then

Shed A Faint Halo Around Pastor Martens'S Blond Head. The Rays Fell On

Those Of The Company Who Were Sitting With Their Backs To The Light,

And,  Casting Their Shadows Over The White Cloth,  Sparkled In The

Polished Decanters. Morten Held Up His Glass To The Light,  And Enjoyed

Its Brilliancy.

 

"See How Lovely Your Sister-In-Law Looks In The Sunlight!" Whispered

Delphin To Fanny.

 

"Oh! Do You Really Think So?" She Answered.

 

Shortly After She Told One Of The Maid-Servants,  Who Was Waiting,  To

Pull Down The Blind A Little,  As She Did Not Like The Glare In Her Eyes.

 

The Conversation Now Became Lively At The Upper End Of The Table. The

Subject On Which It Turned Was Education. Aalbom Held Forth On His

Hobby,  Which Was,  That It Was Quite Impossible For Young People To Get A

Proper Insight Into Learning Without The Use Of Corporal Punishment,  And

Maintained That There Would Be An End Of All Intellectual Cultivation If

A Limit Were Not Placed To Modern Humanitarianism,  Which He Preferred To

Call Indulgence. His Wife Took The Same Side From Conviction,  And

Richard Garman From Mischief,  While The Consul Was Impartial. He Set The

Greatest Store By The Good Old Times,  But Still He Could Not Help

Thinking That They Might Get On With A Little Less Of The Stick Than He

Had Experienced. Johnsen Was Very Strong On The Importance Of Religious

Instruction And Home Influence.

 

"As To Home Influence," Broke In Mrs. Aalbom,  "School And Home Ought To

Go Hand-In-Hand."

 

"Of Course They Ought," Rejoined Her Husband. "If A Boy Is Punished At

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School,  He Ought To Be Punished Also At Home."

 

"But Then,  Homes Are So Different," Said Johnsen. This Was The First

Time He Had Made A Remark That Rachel Found Rather Feeble.

 

"Well,  I Don'T Know," Cried Mrs. Aalbom,  Putting Her Head On One Side

And Looking Up To The Ceiling. "It Is Possible To Have Too Much Of

Natural Affection,  Mother'S Influence,  Home Feeling,  And That Sort Of

Thing."

 

"It Entirely Depends What Sort Of Home It Is,  Mrs. Aalbom," Broke In

Jacob Worse,  Suddenly.

 

Every Eye Was Turned Upon Him. He Had Drawn Himself Up,  And His Face Was

Red And His Eyes Gleaming.

 

There Came A Slight Pause In The Conversation,  Of Which The Consul

Availed Himself,  And,  Taking Up His Glass,  He Said,  With A Smile,  "Now

We Must Mind What We Are About. This Is Not The First Time I Have Seen

Jacob Worse Join In a Conversation Like This; And If We Do Not Want Him

To Make It Too Warm For Us,  We Had Better Change The Scene Of Action To

Another Room,  Where We Can Carry On The Conflict In The Shade. So If The

Ladies And Gentlemen Are Of The Same Opinion As Myself,  We Had Better

Retire."

 

The Company Broke Up. Uncle