Part 34 (2/2)

This was more than Isak could understand, and Geissler had to explain.

Isak could not work a mine, being a farmer and a clearer of forest land; Geissler himself couldn't run a mine either. Money, capital? Ho, as much as he wanted, never fear! But he hadn't the time, too many things to do, always running about the country, attending to his property in the south, his property in the north. And now Geissler was thinking of selling out to these Swedish gentlemen here; they were relatives of his wife, all of them, and rich men. ”Do you see what I mean?”

”I'll do it what way you please,” said Isak.

A strange thing--this complete confidence seemed to comfort Geissler wonderfully in his threadbareness. ”Well, I'm not sure it's the best thing you could do,” he said thoughtfully. Then suddenly he was certain, and went on: ”But if you'll give me a free hand to act on my discretion, I can do better for you at any rate than you could by yourself.”

”H'm,” began Isak. ”You've always been a good man to us all here....”

But Geissler frowned at that, and cut him short: ”All right, then.”

Next morning the gentlemen sat down to write. It was a serious business; there was first of all a contract for forty thousand _Kroner_ for the sale of the mine, then a doc.u.ment whereby Geissler made over the whole of the money to his wife and children. Isak and Sivert were called in to witness the signatures to these. When it was done, the gentlemen wanted to buy over Isak's percentage for a ridiculous sum--five hundred _Kroner_. Geissler put a stop to that, however. ”Jesting apart,” he said.

Isak himself understood but little of the whole affair; he had sold the place once, and got his money. But in any case, he did not care much about _Kroner_--it was not real money like _Daler_. Sivert, on the other hand, followed the business with more understanding.

There was something peculiar, he thought, about the tone of these negotiations; it looked very much like a family affair between the parties. One of the strangers would say: ”My dear Geissler, you ought not to have such red eyes, you know.” Whereto Geissler answered sharply, if evasively: ”No, I ought not, I know. But we don't all get what we ought to in this world!”

It looked very much as if Fru Geissler's brothers and kinsmen were trying to buy off her husband, secure themselves against his visits for the future, and get quit of a troublesome relation. As to the mine, it was worth something in itself, no doubt, no one denied it; but it lay far out of the way, and the buyers themselves said they were only taking it over in order to sell it again to some one better in a position to work it. There was nothing unreasonable in that. They declared too, quite frankly, that they had no idea what they would be able to get for it as it stood; if it were taken up and worked, then the forty thousand might turn out to be only a fraction of what it was worth; if it were allowed to lie there as it was, the money was simply thrown away. But in any case, they wanted to have a clear t.i.tle, without enc.u.mbrance, and therefore they offered Isak five hundred _Kroner_ for his share.

”I'm acting on his behalf,” said Geissler, ”and I'm not going to sell out his share for less than ten per cent. of the purchase-money.”

”Four thousand!” said the others.

”Four thousand,” said Geissler. ”The land was his, and his share comes to four thousand. It wasn't mine, and I get forty thousand. Kindly turn that over in your minds, if you please.”

”Yes, but--four thousand _Kroner_!”

Geissler rose from his place, and said: ”That, or no sale.”

They thought it over, whispered about it, went out into the yard, talking as long as they could. ”Get the horses ready,” they called to the servants. One of the gentlemen went in to Inger and paid royally for coffee, a few eggs, and their lodging. Geissler walked about with a careless air, but he was wide awake all the same.

”How did that irrigation work turn out last year?” he asked Sivert.

”It saved the whole crop.”

”You've cut away that mound there since I was here last, what?”

”Ay.”

”You must have another horse on the farm,” said Geissler. He noticed everything.

One of the strangers came up. ”Now then, let's get this matter settled and have done with it,” he said.

They all went into the new building again, and Isak's four thousand _Kroner_ were counted out. Geissler was given a paper, which he thrust into his pocket as if it were of no value at all. ”Keep that carefully,” they told him, ”and in a few days your wife shall have the bankbook sent.”

Geissler puckered his forehead and said shortly: ”Very good.”

But they were not finished with Geissler yet. Not that he opened his mouth to ask for anything; he simply stood there, and they saw how he stood there: maybe he had stipulated beforehand for a trifle on his own account. The leader gave him a bundle of notes, and Geissler simply nodded again, and said: ”Very good.”

”And now I think we ought to drink a gla.s.s with Geissler,” said the other.

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