A few days later, the commissioner had been out sailing alone to lay
down salmon trails secretly, and now after having delayed his dinner
hour as he went up from the harbor, he heard chatting and laughter from
the porch of the ladies cottage. Without intending to listen he went
thither, and when he reached the westerly gable wall, he saw through
the two windows in the large chamber, which were in the angle of the
cottage corner, that the two ladies were eating dinner on the porch and
had a male visitor at the table. He took a step forwards and caught
sight of Miss Mary, who with sparkling eyes raised a glass of wine
to pass it over the table to the guest, of whom he only saw a pair
of broad shoulders. Suddenly it came to him, that he had seen these
movements and expressions before in the girl's eyes, and he remembered
her first appearance on the islet, when she treated the boatman to a
glass of beer, and he had thought she coquetted with the churl! But now
he was astonished, that he had never seen this expression in her eyes,
when she looked at him. Could her glances only have reflected his? Or
did she always hide her inner-most thoughts from him, who should be her
victim?
He regarded her for a moment, and the longer he looked, the more
strange seemed the expression in the girl's face, so strange, that
he became frightened, as when one discovers a deceit in his nearest
related.
When one can see so much, when not seen, what then shall one not hear?
he thought and stopped behind the corner to listen.
The mother arose now and went into the kitchen, so that the young
couple were left alone.
At the same time they lowered their voices, and Miss Mary's glances
became humid, while she listened to the stranger's passionately spoken
words.
"Jealousy is the dirtiest of all vices, and in love there does not
exist any right of ownership...."
"Thanks for these words! A thousand thanks!" said Miss Mary, and raised
her glass, while her eyes were moist with some half-shed tears. "You
are a real man, although you are young, for you believe in woman."
"I believe in woman as the most magnificent the creation has brought
forth, the best and the truest," continued the young man with rising
transport.
"And I believe in her, because I believe in God!"
"You believe in God?" Miss Mary continued.
"It shows that you are also intelligent, for it is only stupidity that
denies the creator!"
The commissioner considered that he had heard enough, and to see at
the same time how great the power of dissimulation his chosen friend
for life could possess, he stepped forth suddenly, after he had gained
control of all his facial muscles and assumed a beaming expression, as
though he was charmed to see again his desired one.
The girl retained the expression of enchanted revelry in her face, and
with the same fire as the just expressed confession of faith in women
had produced she received her betrothed's embrace and returned it with
a kiss, more burning than ever before.
Thereafter she jokingly introduced Assistant Blom, who had arrived
early in the morning and had gained all hearts on the skerry, being a
fisherman unequaled before.
"And we were just talking about the herring off Bohus, when you came
and disturbed us!" the girl ended the presentation with.
The commissioner let the lie, and the dangerous word "disturbed"
and the challenge "all hearts" pass, while he reached his hand to a
giant youth of about twenty and some years, who had less ability to
dissimulate, and with a guilty look grasped the outstretched hand, and
stuttered a few incomprehensible words.
At the same time the mother came out, greeted her future son-in-law and
began to arrange the table.
A conversation was soon started, and Miss Mary, very likely in the
feeling of having a support, began to joke at her betrothed's toilet.
"That veil there, is precious you know," joked she; "you should also
have a parasol when you are sitting at the helm."
"That will come, that will come," answered the commissioner, hiding the
disagreeable impression which this exposure before a subordinate and a
stranger had made on him.
The assistant, who already felt himself above the considerate foreman,
but still could not help feeling uncomfortable at the cruel treatment
he received, was seized with a tactless compassion, and drumming with
his long fingers on the veil, which the commissioner wore on his hat,
he said:
"Yes, but this here is very practical!" And hastily falling again into
the flirting manner he had begun at the first moment, he added: "And if
Miss Mary were just as careful of her beautiful complexion...."
"As you about your beautiful hands--" slipped from the girl, while she
touched the hand that rested on the table and which was rolling balls
from bread; and she seemed at once to be back in the humor, which her
betrothed could guess had prevailed the whole forenoon.
Feeling himself ridiculous like one who is eating alone in the presence
of those who are satisfied, he needed all his nerve power to disguise
the depression which the overheard conversation had produced. "They
already compliment each other's members in my presence," thought he
with loathing. But perceived at once, that he would be lost if he
showed a single sign of discontent over the improper behavior, which
discontent would immediately be stamped as that dirty vice, he had
lately heard spoken of.
"The assistant has indeed an unusually beautiful hand bespeaking
intelligence," said he, as with the mien of a connoisseur he examined
the object of his betrothed's admiration.
But she, who did not wish for this agreement with her views, switched
aside and searched for a new lash for his supposed stupidity.
"One cannot speak of intelligent hands," she broke out with a laugh,
which sounded somewhat tipsy.
"Therefore I use the more correct expression of bespeaking
intelligence...."
"Oh, you philosopher!" scornfully laughed the girl. "You dream, so that
you do not see that we have eaten up all the radishes from you."
"I am glad that the traveler has a relish, and I see with pleasure
that you have forestalled me in caring for his well being," said the
commissioner, unconstrainedly. "Permit me to give you a welcome,
Assistant Blom, and wish you much pleasure from your sojourn here in
the solitude. And now I leave you in Miss Mary's care, she can give
you all the preliminary explanations about fishing affairs; meantime I
go up and rest myself. Farewell, my dove," he turned to the girl; "now
take care of the young man and lead him in the right path. Good night,
mama," he addressed to the widow of the exchequer officer and kissed
her hand.
His sortie had come entirely unexpected, while its adequate motive
and rounded form, leaving no trace of ill feeling, had saved him from
protests and at the same time gave him the last word and a superiority
which was grudged him.
* * * * *
Upon reaching his chamber, he had only time to be astonished that "the
fear of loss" could bring him such incredible ability to dissimulate,
suppress disagreeable perceptions, to harden himself, before he was
lying on the sofa with a blanket over his head and sleeping without
dreams. When he awoke after a couple of hours, he arose with a resolve,
which he felt that he would hold fast to for life, to free himself from
this woman.
But just as she through habit had eaten her way into his soul, so she
could only be gnawed out the same way again, and the vacant place that
he would leave in her, must first be filled by another. By him, whose
soul had seemed to set her on fire at the first encounter.
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.
It was the preacher, who with many excuses stepped in and with some
abashment tried to grind out what he had to say.
"Has not the commissioner," began he, "noticed anything like that the
people out here have less conscience."
"That I observed at once," answered the commissioner. "What is it that
has happened now?"
"Yer, see the laborer on the chapel say, they, have lost boards, so
that there isn't enough to finish it."
"This does not surprise me, but what have I to do with that?"
"Yer, see, the commissioner was for it and procured what was necessary!"
"That was then! Now I have regretted it, since I have seen that your
preaching has taken the people from their work and indirectly made them
thieves."
"One cannot directly say...."
"No, therefore I said indirectly! But if you want money, go to
somebody else. Tell me one thing; who is the new assistant here?"
"Yer, he has been a sea cadet, they say, you know, and now he would
learn fishing as his father is rich, they say, you know."
The commissioner had placed himself at the window, when the
conversation commenced, and witnessed now how Miss Mary and the
assistant were playing lawn tennis. He had even seen how her gown
had lifted in the front every time she leaned backwards to serve the
other's ball. Now he saw how the assistant jokingly bent down when the
skirt drew up, just as though by gesture and mien to indicate that he
saw something.
"Listen now," he said, "I have long thought that it would be of great
service for the people's best economy, if there was a provision store,
so that the people need not row to the city for their purchases,
and it might even be possible, that the merchant could advance them
provisions, and sell their fish. What does Mr. Olsson say about it?"
The preacher stroked his long chin whiskers, while his face expressed a
mass of shifting desires and changes of mind.
The commissioner now saw through the window, how the assistant had
climbed the pole of the lookout and swung horizontally out by his arms,
while Miss Mary clapped her hands below him.
"Yes, say, Mr. Olsson, if one could get a provision store here, it
would only do good."
"But see, the commonwealth will hardly permit it, unless one could get
a storekeeper that could be relied on, I mean a person who...."
"We will take a religious man and let a share in the benefit go to the
chapel fund; thus we get both the commonwealth and the home mission on
our side."
The face of the preacher now cleared up.
"Yes, in such a way it may work!"
"Yes, think of the subject and try to get a suitable person, who will
not fleece the people nor wrong the church. Think of it awhile. Now to
another subject: I think I have observed that morality stands somewhat
low here on the skerry. Has Mr. Olsson seen or suspected, that matters
are not as they ought to be down at Vestman's?"
"Hm! Yes, they say, of course, that there is something, but that one
does not know! And I do not believe that one need to mix in it!"
"Do you say that! But I wonder, if one ought not to interfere in time,
before they betray themselves, for such things generally end ill out
here!"
The preacher did not seem at all willing to stir in the case; either he
did not find it worth talking about, or he would not offend the people.
Besides, his sickly looks seemed to absorb all his thoughts in his own
suffering, so that he with a thwart turn took up his real errand.
"Yes, and so I should like to ask if the commissioner had something
to give me, for I think I have got the fever and ague out here in the
dampness."
"Ague? Let me see!"
On the impulse of the moment and without forgetting for an instant,
that it was a foe who challenged, the commissioner examined the
patient's pulse, looked at his tongue and the whites of his eyes and
was ready with his prescription.
"Have you poor board at Oman's?"
"Yes, it is wretched," answered the preacher.
"You have malnutrition and shall have food from my table. Have you
sworn off all strong drinks?"
"Oh, yes; however, I take a glass of beer...."
"Yes, here you have a preparation of china to commence with, which you
are to take three times a day. When it is gone let me know."
Therewith he gave him a bottle of china bitters, after which he took
the preacher's hand and said:
"You shall not hate me, Mr. Olsson, for we have great common interests,
although we go different ways. If I can be of any service to you, I am
ready whenever you wish it."
Such a simple manner as a little plausible good will was enough to
pervert the sight of the simple man, so that he believed he had found
a friend. With sincere feeling he reached out his hand and stammered:
"You have done me ill once, but God has turned it to good, and now I
say thanks for everything and beg the commissioner not to forget about
the provision store and the commonwealth."
"I shall not forget that!" finished the commissioner and made a gesture
for him to go.
After having collected himself for a moment he went down on the hill to
search for the assistant, whom he found engaged in a fencing exercise
with Miss Mary, whose wrist and upper arm he took great pains to render
as flexible as necessary for a nice guard position.
The commissioner after having complimented them begged to apologize for
having troubled them, but he must speak with the assistant about his
lodging.
"There does not exist any vacant chamber on the whole skerry except the
attic room over the ladies' rooms," said he with a daring, as though he
had made every effort to find another.
"No, that won't do!" cried Miss Mary.
"Why not?" argued the commissioner. "What is the obstacle? There is
only that room; in case Mr. Blom should have mine, then I must live in
the same house as the ladies, and that would not do at all."
As there was no other choice, the matter was settled, and the
assistant's baggage was carried up.
"Now to duty!" continued the commissioner, after it had become calm
again. "The stromling have come, and in eight days the fishing will
commence. Therefore the assistant must at once, preferably to-night,
while this wind continues, go out and try the drifting nets, as he
already knows how."
"May I go too?" begged Miss Mary, imitating a child's squeaking voice.
"Certainly you may do that, my angel," answered the commissioner, "if
Mr. Blom has nothing against it. But you must excuse me that I leave
you alone now, for I must write reports the whole night. At one o'clock
you must be out. You can take the coffeepot with you."
"Oh, won't that be fun, such fun!" exulted the girl, who seemed to have
become ten years younger.
"And now I go to order a boat equipped and get the nets ready. Look out
and go to bed early to-night, so that you will not oversleep."
Therewith he went away, surprised over the incredulous surety, with
which he forced his own will, since he had left an impossible defense
and gone over to the offensive.
For the first time he entered the cottage of the hostile fisherman Oman.
He noticed at once that there was a coldness and repugnance, but he was
so precise in his questions and orders, that everything bent before
him. He threw in some kindly questions about the children; promised
that there would soon be better times on the skerry, and he would
undertake all the risk himself, threw in a word about the provision
store, and reminded the people to keep barrels and salt in readiness,
and if they had not the money to buy with, they could have it advanced.
He left as a friend to all and must promise at once to send down some
strong medicine to the father who had taken cold.
Thereafter he went down to the boat houses and selected nets with
strong floats and strings. Examined the best boat, and ordered out two
able boys.
When he had finished the preparatory work, the bell rang for supper in
the ladies' cottage.
At the supper table he spoke with the mother, while the young people,
as he now called them, were devouring each other with their eyes;
squabbling and pushing, as if their bodies were irresistibly attracted
towards each other.
"Should you leave the two alone like that?" whispered the mother to
him, when he had said good night to retire.
"Why not? If I show myself dissatisfied, then I become ridiculous, and
if I do not show dissatisfaction..."
"So you will be still more ridiculous!"
"Thus; in either case. It is immaterial consequently what stand I take!
Good night, mama!"