Part 23 (1/2)

But there he was in the doorway and the Princ.i.p.al with him.

”What is all this, Inger Johanne?” said the Princ.i.p.al. ”You are too big to be so wild now. You are not such a bad girl, but you are altogether too thoughtless and use no judgment.”

”Yes,” I said. I was so glad the Princ.i.p.al didn't scold any harder.

”Of course you will be marked for this in your report-book; and remember this,” the Princ.i.p.al shook his finger at me threateningly, ”it won't do for you to behave like this many times, Inger Johanne. You won't get off so easily again.” But as he went out of the door I saw that he smiled.

Yes, he did, really.

But Mother didn't smile when she saw the marks.

”Are you going to bring sorrow to your father and mother?” she said. And those beautiful brown eyes of hers looked sad and troubled.

Just think! It had never occurred to me that it would be a sorrow to Father and Mother for me to sing out loud in cla.s.s. Oh, I was awfully, awfully disgusted with myself. I hung around Mother all the afternoon.

First and foremost I must beg Mr. Gorrisen's pardon, Mother said. It seemed to me I could ask the whole world's pardon if only Mother's eyes wouldn't look so sorrowful. I wanted very much to go right down to Mr.

Gorrisen's lodgings; but Mother said she thought it was only right that I should beg his pardon at school, so that all the cla.s.s should hear. It was embarra.s.sing, frightfully embarra.s.sing, to ask Mr. Gorrisen's pardon--but I did it notwithstanding. I said, ”Please excuse me for singing out in cla.s.s.”

”H'm, h'm,” said Mr. Gorrisen. ”Well, go back now and take your seat.”

Since then I have sat like a lamp-post in his cla.s.ses--yes, I really have. Many a time I should have liked to have some fun--but then I would think of Mother's sorrowful eyes and so I have held myself in and kept from any more skylarking.

CHAPTER XVIII

WHEN THE CIRCUS CAME

I was going to school one day, but was pretty late in getting started.

The trouble was that our yellow hen, Valpurga, had been sick, and since, of course, I couldn't trust any one else to attend to her, I had made myself late.

When hens begin to mope, keeping still under a bush, drawing their heads way down into their feathers, and just rolling their eyes about, that's enough;--it is anything but pleasant when it is a hen you are fond of.

That's the way Valpurga was behaving. I gave her b.u.t.ter and pepper, for that is good for hens.

But it wasn't about Valpurga I wanted to tell. It was about the circus-riders being here.

The clock in the dining-room said five minutes of nine, and I hadn't eaten my breakfast, hadn't studied any of my German grammar lesson, and had to get to school besides. Things went with a rush, I can tell you; with a piece of bread and b.u.t.ter in one hand, the German grammar open in the other, I dashed down the hill.

”Prepositions which govern the dative: _aus_, _ausser_, _bei_, _binnen_--_aus_, _ausser_, _bei_,”--pshaw, the ragged old book! There went a leaf over the fence, down into Madam Land's yard. It was best to be careful in going after it, for Madam Land's windows looked out to this side, and she was furious when any one trod down her gra.s.s. I expected every moment to hear her knock sharply on the window-pane with her thimble. She didn't see me though, and I climbed back over the fence with the missing leaf.

--”_aus_, _ausser_----”

Round the corner swung Policeman Weiby with a stranger, a queer-looking man. The stranger was absolutely deep yellow in the face, with black-as-midnight hair, and black piercing eyes. On his head he wore a little green cap, very foreign-looking, and on his feet patent leather riding-boots that reached above his knees.

Weiby puffed, threw his chest out even more than usual and looked very much worried. It must be something really important, for day in and day out Weiby has seldom anything else to do than to poke his stick among the children who are playing hop-scotch in the street.

Though I was so terribly late, of course I had to stand still and look after Weiby and the strange man until they disappeared around the corner up by the office. Something interesting had come to town, that was plain. Either a panorama, or a man who swallowed swords, or one who had no arms and sewed with his toes. Hurrah, there was surely to be some entertainment!

I got to school eleven minutes late. A normal-school pupil, Mr.