Part 26 (1/2)
”How simply to the point her letter is, John!” exclaimed Mrs. Hardy.
”There are no phrases about their accommodation not being so good, or that their means are narrow; she simply says they will do their best, and that they would be glad to do it. It is not possible to doubt her.”
”It is like her manner,” said John. ”I can fancy I hear the words she writes.”
Towards the middle of May, Mrs. Hardy, her son, and two women-servants travelled overland to Jutland, from Flus.h.i.+ng.
Robert Garth met them at the railway station, and drove them to the parsonage.
Parson Lindal was at the door, and welcomed Mrs. Hardy with much old-fas.h.i.+oned politeness. ”Welcome, and glad to see you,” he said in English to her, while he warmly greeted Hardy in Danish.
Helga was standing by her father, regarding their visitor with great interest; she had shaken hands with John Hardy, and welcomed him back to Jutland. The Pastor introduced his daughter to Mrs. Hardy, who held out her hand to Helga, and drew her closer and kissed her, as if she had been her daughter.
”You are a beautiful edition of your brother Karl, Miss Lindal,” she said. ”He has become a great favourite of mine, and you will be glad to hear he is well spoken of in London.”
Robert Garth drove one of the servants to Rosendal, and had orders to fetch John Hardy in the evening, at the parsonage.
The Pastor had time for a word with Hardy, as his mother went to change her travelling dress.
”I am glad to see you, Hardy; but what a trick you played us about the tickets from Esbjerg! I did not like it at first, but when I thought of your friendly intentions, I forgave you; but I cannot thank you enough for your goodness to Karl, and your wisely placing him in lodgings with the chance of good influence. That is good of you, indeed.”
”Where is Axel?” asked Hardy.
”He is at Copenhagen, at a school for a time,” replied the Pastor. ”He will be home in the summer for a holiday.”
”What about Rosendal?” asked Hardy.
”It is much improved; in a month or six weeks it will be lovely,”
answered the Pastor. ”The plan was excellent that you adopted, and, as you have been written, it has been executed well.”
When Mrs. Hardy appeared, perfectly well dressed, as she always was, John could see that the Pastor observed her well-bred manner. ”Your parsonage, Herr Pastor,” she said, ”has a look of calm contentment and quiet that strikes me in coming from busy England.”
”That is near the reality, Mrs. Hardy,” replied he; ”but it is not the fact with all our Danish parsonages, men vary here as they do elsewhere.”
”That may be; but you have the greater opportunity for attaining the actuality of what is simple and true,” said Mrs. Hardy.
”Possibly we have,” replied Pastor Lindal; ”but I fear we are all liable to neglect opportunities which suggest only.”
John Hardy had been obliged to a.s.sist at this conversation as interpreter, when Kirstin announced dinner was served. Hardy rose and shook hands with Kirstin.
”It is an old servant, mother,” said Hardy; and Mrs. Hardy rose and shook hands with Kirstin, and then the Pastor took Mrs. Hardy in to dinner.
Mrs. Hardy's ladylike tact soon enabled her to get on with the Pastor--she used the simplest English words, and Hardy was able to talk to Helga.
”I have brought the side saddle,” he said.
”I have seen it at Rosendal; and your man Garth has been exercising the horses with a skirt daily, to make them more accustomed to a lady riding them,” said Helga.
”Well?” said Hardy, inquiringly.
”I shall be glad to learn to ride, Herr Hardy, if you will kindly teach me,” said Helga. ”Your man has told us that the horses and carriage were at our disposal until your mother came. We have not often used them, as my father said that if I wished to learn to ride, I had better wait until you came, as you understood horses, and that he was afraid some accident might occur.”