Part 13

He would not wear out his intelligence in an uneven fight with mosquitoes, whom he could not hit with a cane, because they were too small and too many, therefore there must now be an end forever to this fruitless searching after the non-existing. He would let all his power go out in labor, lay aside kin, family, home and sexual impulses and leave the multiplying to other "reproductive animals."

The feeling of being free placed his soul at rest, and it seemed to him as though a pall had lost its hold in his brain, which began to operate without concern. The thought that he did not need more to make his exterior agreeable, caused him to lay aside a certain kind of collar which annoyed him, but which his bethrothed had explained to be _chic._ He arranged his hair in a more comfortable manner and observed how it calmed his nerves, for he had been in constant strife about the coiffure his betrothed liked best. The tobacco pipe which he loved as an old acquaintance and which he had been obliged to lay aside, was taken out again, the dressing gown and moccasins, that he had not dared to use for a long time, again gave freedom from pressure, which reminded of a more airy medium In which he could breathe without difficulty, and think without restriction.

And now, freed from all these accommodation constraints, he observed what tyranny even in small details he had lived through. He could walk in his room without the fear of being embarrassed by a knock at the door, deliver himself up to his thoughts without feeling himself false.

He had not long enjoyed the newly gained liberty, when somebody rapped at the door. His body jarred as though some mooring still held him, and when he heard the mother's voice, the oppressing thought struck him like a club, that it was not ended, that it must begin over again.

His first intention was to let the door remain closed, but a sense of propriety, the fear of being regarded as a coward determined him to open it. And when he saw the old lady's cheerful, prudent eye, as she with a kind smile and a roguish shake of her head stepped in, it was to him as though the last half hour's scene had been only a dream after which he had awakened glad that it was past.

"Have we now squabbled again?" commenced the old lady, taking away the disagreeableness of the remark by the familiar _we_. "You must get married, children, before there is a rupture I Believe an old woman's word; and don't think that you test your hearts as engaged, for the longer you are engaged, the worse it will become!"

"But after that it is too late to break it," answered the commissioner. "And when one has already discovered such a difference in disposition and opinions, so...."

"What are these opinions? You cannot have different opinions, no, though the girl did have it lonesome when Axel was away, and therefore she run after the colporteur. And as far as disposition is concerned, it comes and goes, according to the condition of the nerves. And Axel, who is such a knowing man, ought to know how women are!"

He could have kissed her hand at the first enchantment of finding that woman, who knew her own sex, but then he remembered that he had heard this manner of speaking ill about other women each time a woman would gain him, and that it was more of flattery than an admission, for when it came to earnestness, the utterance was always taken back with interest. Therefore he limited himself to answering:

"Let time pass, little mother! Get married out here I cannot, but let us only return to the city in the fall ... supposing that Mary shows more sympathy in my work and less repugnance to my way of seeing the world and living."

"Axel is so dreadfully profound, and if a poor girl cannot always follow it, why it is nothing to be astonished at."

"Yes, but if she cannot follow me upwards, I cannot on the other hand follow her downwards; but the latter seems to be her precise will, so precise, that it appears to me to-day, as though there lay a hidden hate behind it."

"Hate? It is only love, my friend! Come down now and say something friendly, and she will be all right again."

"Never, after the words we exchanged to-day! For either these words mean something and then we are foes, or they mean nothing, and then one of the party is irresponsible."

"Yes, she is irresponsible, but Axel should well know that a woman is a child until she becomes a mother. Come now, my friend, and play with' the child, otherwise she will select other playthings, which may be more dangerous."

"Yes, but, dearest, I cannot play the whole day without being tired, and I do not believe either that Mary is pleased to be treated as a child."

"Yes, she is, only it don't look so! Ah, what a child Axel is in such affairs!"

Again a politeness, which from anyone but a mother-in-law would have been an insult! And when she now took his hand to lead him out, he felt all resistance cease. She had by leaving his argument unanswered led the conversation away from the question; she had blown at the skein instead of untangling it, caressed his doubts to rest and stroked away the disquiet and by her womanly atmosphere, her motherly manner got him to lay aside his will and personal liberty.

And after he had changed his coat, he followed obediently, almost with pleasure the incessantly chatting old lady down the staircase to continue the play and put on handcuffs.

Upon reaching the hall he met the preacher, who delivered a letter to him with the Academy of Agriculture's stamp.

The commissioner broke the seal on the spot, and put the letter in his pocket, as though glad he had got something, a substitute for conversation, a lightning rod; he burned to communicate the news to the mother who was waiting.

"We are going to have a visitor," said he.

"The officials have sent me a young man who wants to learn to fish."

"So, it is delightful that Axel is going to have some man for company," said the mother with true sincerity.

And the commissioner went with light steps down to his waiting betrothed, sure that with a novelty on hand he could immediately pass over the most disagreeable of explanations.

CHAPTER TENTH

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!"

CHAPTER ELEVENTH

It had rained for eight days after the first trial with the drifting nets, which had passed without other results than a little scene between the engaged pair. The commissioner, who very well knew that there were no fish to get, as he had purposely led the young folks astray, had gone down to the beach to receive the home-coming fishers and had then been called idiot by his betrothed, who was entirely worn out by being up all night. When the boatmen snickered at this secretly, the commissioner, who feared a storm, had come between with a joke. At the dinner table the sport at the new method of fishing had taken wider range, and the commissioner had played deep humiliation so that Mr. Blom had several times regarded it his duty to defend him in a manner extremely wounding.

The rainy days following this had kept the company in doors, whereby an extremely intimate intercourse had formed down in the ladies' cottage, where the assistant had introduced the habit of reading aloud from the Swedish poets. The commissioner had at the beginning listened to it, but finally left with the explanation that Swedish poesy was written for confirmation classes and ladies and that he would wait, until there came a poet, who would write for men. He had then by common vote been declared unpoetical, at which he was satisfied, as it relieved him from the duty of being present at the seances.

The rainy weather had caused even the work on the chapel to stop, and the laborers were sitting in the cottages and furnishing the gin to what coffee they could get.