Quite a number of the clique were ensconced at Sara's, drinking and
gossiping. Tidemand was there, happy and contented with everything. He had
been all smiles since his success with that enormous enterprise in rye.
The grain had begun to arrive and was being stored in his warehouses,
thousands upon thousands of sacks. They grew into mountains; there was no
room for anything else; even Ole Henriksen had been obliged to let him
have space for storing. Tidemand walked around and viewed this wealth with
pride; even he had accomplished something above the ordinary. Never for an
instant did he regret that he had given such unlimited orders.
Journalist Gregersen offered Ole one finger and said: "You have something
on your conscience, Ole?"
"Oh, nothing sensational, exactly," said Ole. "I had a letter from Ojen;
he sends me his latest poem. Do you want to hear it?"
"Does he send you his--Has he sent you a manuscript?" exclaimed Milde in
astonishment. "I have never heard anything like it!"
"Now, no personalities!" warned the Journalist.
"Yes, but excuse me--why in the world did he send it to _you_, Ole?"
asks Milde again and does not give in.
Irgens glanced at Aagot. She did not appear to be listening, but was
talking eagerly with Mrs. Hanka. Irgens turned to Milde and told him
curtly that there were certain impertinences which even friends were not
supposed to submit to--was that clear enough?
Milde burst out laughing. He had never heard anything funnier. Did they
get offended? He had not meant anything of a harmful nature, nothing
offensive, mentally or physically! The idea simply had tickled his sense
of humour. But if it wasn't funny, all right....
Ole took out his manuscript.
"It is something out of the ordinary," he said. "Ojen calls it
'Memories.'"
"Let me read it," said Norem quickly. "I am, at any rate, supposed to know
a little about reading."
Ole handed him the manuscript.
"Jehovah is very busy--" began Norem. "Ojen has expressly stated in a
marginal note that it is not to be Jahve; now you know it!"
Jehovah is very busy; Jehovah has much to attend to. He was with me
one night when I wandered in the forest; He descended to me while I
lay on my face in prayer.