And the days passed by. The town was quiet; everything was quiet.
Irgens was still capable of surprising people and attracting everybody's
attention. He had looked a little careworn and depressed for some time;
his debts bothered him; he earned no money and nobody gave him any. Fall
and winter were coming; it did not look any too bright for him. He had
even been obliged to make use of a couple of last year's suits.
Then all of a sudden he amazed everybody by appearing on the promenade,
rehabilitated from top to toe in an elegant fall suit, with tan gloves and
money in his pockets, distinguished and elegant as the old and only
Irgens. People looked at him admiringly. Devil of a chap--he was unique!
What kind of a diamond mine had he discovered? Oh, there was a head on
these shoulders, a superior talent! He had been obliged to move from his
former apartments on Thranes Road. Certainly; but what of it? He had taken
other apartments in the residential district--elegant apartments, fine
view, furniture upholstered in leather! He simply couldn't have stood it
much longer in the old lodgings; his best moods were constantly being
spoiled; he suffered. It was necessary to pay a little attention to one's
surroundings if one cared to produce good work. Miss Lynum had come to
town a week ago and was going to remain awhile; she made him feel like a
new man. How the whole town burst into bloom and colour when Aagot
returned!
It had all been decided: they were going to get married next spring and
pin their faith to next year's subsidy. It would seem that he must be
recognised sometime, especially now when he was going to found a family
and was publishing a new collection of poems. They couldn't starve him to
death entirely; hardly that! And Irgens had approached Attorney Grande,
who had approached the Minister personally in regard to next year's
subsidy. "You know my circumstances," he had said to Grande. "I am not
well off, but if you will speak to the Minister I shall be much obliged to
you. Personally, I will do nothing. I cannot stoop to that!" Grande was a
man whom Irgens otherwise honoured with his contempt. But it could not be
helped; this brainless Attorney began to have influence; he had been
appointed on a royal commission and had even been interviewed by the
_Gazette_.
When Tidemand told Ole that he had seen Aagot on the street it gave him a
fearful shock. But he recovered himself quickly and said with a smile:
"Well, how does that concern me? Let her be here as much as she likes; I
have no objections. I have other things to worry about." He forced himself
to renewed interest in the conversation, talked about Tidemand's new
orders for tar, and said repeatedly: "Be sure to have the cargo well
insured; it never hurts!" He was a little nervous but otherwise normal.
They drank a glass of wine as of old. A couple of hours went by while they
chatted cosily, and when Tidemand left Ole said, full of gratitude:
"I am awfully glad that you came to see me. I know you have enough to do
besides this--Listen," he continued; "let us go to the farewell
performance of the opera this evening; I want you to come!" And the
serious young man with the hollow eyes looked as if he were exceedingly
anxious to attend that performance. He even said he had looked forward to
it for several days.
Tidemand promised to come; Ole said that he would get the tickets.
No sooner had Tidemand left the office than Ole telephoned for the tickets
he wanted--three tickets together, 11, 12, and 13. He was going to take
No. 12 to Mrs. Hanka, to her room near the Fortress. She would surely want
to come, for nobody could be fonder of the opera than she used to be. He
rubbed his hands in satisfaction as he walked along--No. 12; she should
sit between them. He would keep No. 13 for himself; that was a proper
number for him, a most unlucky number.
He walked faster and faster and forgot his own misery. He was done and
through with it all; his sufferings lay behind; he had recovered fully.
Had he been so very much shaken because Aagot had come to town? Not at
all; it had not affected him in the least.
And Ole walked on. He knew Mrs. Hanka's address well; more than once had
he taken her home when she had called on him secretly, asking for news
about the children. And had he not found Tidemand outside her windows that
night he returned from England? How their thoughts were ever busy with
each other! With him it was different; he had forgotten his experience and
did not think of such things any more.
But when he inquired for Mrs. Hanka he was told that she had gone away for
a couple of days; she had gone to the country house. She would be back
to-morrow.
He listened and did not understand at once. The country house? Which
country house?
Of course, yes; Tidemand's country house. Ole glanced at his watch. No; it
was too late to try and get Mrs. Hanka back to-day. What reason could he
have given, anyway? He had wanted to surprise them both with his little
scheme, but now it had become impossible. Alas, how everything turned out
badly for him of late!
Ole turned back.
To the country house! How she haunted the old places! She had been unable
to resist; she had to see once more that house and these grounds, although
the leaves were almost gone and the garden was desolate. Oh! Aagot had
intended to spend the summer there if everything had turned out all right.
Well, that was another matter, something that did not concern him in the
least.
Ole was weary and disappointed. He decided to go to Tidemand at once and
tell him everything. He had meant it for the best.
"We shall have to go alone after all," he said. "I really have a ticket
for your wife, though."
Tidemand changed colour.
"You have?" he simply said.
"Yes, I had planned to have her sit between us; perhaps I ought to have
told you beforehand; but any way, she has gone away and won't be back till
to-morrow."
"Is that so?" said Tidemand as before.
"Listen, you mustn't be angry with me because of this! If you only knew--
Your wife has called on me quite frequently of late; she asks about you
and the children--"
"That is all right."
"What?"
"I say, that is all right. But why do you tell me this?"
Then Ole's anger blazed forth; he stuck his face close up to Tidemand's
and shouted furiously, in a shrill voice:
"I want to tell you something, damn you--you don't understand your own
welfare! You are a fool, you are killing her--that will be the end of it.
And you are doing your very best to go the same way yourself--don't you
think I see it? 'That is all right'--so it is all right for her to steal
down to me when darkness falls and ask about you and the children with the
tears dripping from her eyes? Do you for a moment imagine it is for
_your_ sake I have been inquiring about your health these last
months? Why should I ask if not for her? You personally can go to the
devil as far as I am concerned. You say nothing; you cannot understand
that she is wearing her heart away for you. I saw her outside your office
once at midnight, saying good night to you and to the children. She wept
and blew kisses to Johanna and Ida; she tiptoed up-stairs and caressed the
door-knob because your hand had held it a moment before. I have seen this
several times from the corner. I suppose you will say that 'that is all
right,' too; for your heart must be petrified--Well, perhaps I shouldn't
say that your heart is exactly petrified," added Ole repentantly when at
last he noticed Tidemand's terrible face. "But you need not expect any
apology from me, either. You are hardened; that's what you are! I tell
you, Hanka wants to come back!"
Pause.
"I wish to God she wanted to come back--I mean--Back, you say? But how?
Do you know what has happened? I do. I have wanted to go to Hanka and beg
her to come back--beg her on my knees, if necessary; but how would she
come back--how would she come back? She told me herself--Of course, it is
nothing much; you mustn't think it is anything bad, anything very bad;
don't think that of Hanka. But, anyway, I am not so sure that she wants to
come back. From where have you got that idea?"
"Well, perhaps I ought not to have tried to interfere," said Ole. "But
think of it anyway, Andreas; and pardon my violence; I take it all back. I
don't know how it is; I am getting to be so hot-tempered lately. But think
it over. And let us be ready in an hour or so."
"So she still asks for the children," said Tidemand. "Think of that!"