Part 29 (2/2)

In the meantime it had grown late.

”You'd better stay here for the night,” said Madam Olsen.

La.s.se stood wavering. There was the boy sleeping alone, and he had to be at the farm by four o'clock; but it was cold outside, and here it was so warm and comfortable in every way.

”Yes, perhaps I'd better,” he said, laying down his hat and coat again.

When at about four he crept into the cow-stable from the back, the lantern was still burning in the herdsman's room. La.s.se thought he was discovered, and began to tremble; it was a criminal and unjustifiable action to be away from the herd a whole night. But it was only Pelle, who lay huddled up upon the chest asleep, with his clothes on. His face was black and swollen with crying.

All that day there was something reserved, almost hostile, about Pelle's behavior, and La.s.se suffered under it. There was nothing for it; he must speak out.

”It's all settled now, Pelle,” he said at last. ”We're going to have a house and home, and a nice-looking mother into the bargain. It's Madam Olsen. Are you satisfied now?”

Pelle had nothing against it. ”Then may I come with you next time?” he asked, still a little sullen.

”Yes, next time you shall go with me. I think it'll be on Sunday. We'll ask leave to go out early, and pay her a visit.” La.s.se said this with a peculiar flourish; he had become more erect.

Pelle went with him on Sunday; they were free from the middle of the afternoon. But after that it would not have done to ask for leave very soon again. Pelle saw his future mother nearly every day, but it was more difficult for La.s.se. When the longing to see his sweetheart came over him too strongly, he fussed over Pelle until the boy fell asleep, and then changed his clothes and stole out.

After a wakeful night such as one of these, he was not up to his work, and went about stumbling over his own feet; but his eyes shone with a youthful light, as if he had concluded a secret treaty with life's most powerful forces.

XVI

Erik was standing on the front steps, with stooping shoulders and face half turned toward the wall. He stationed himself there every morning at about four, and waited for the bailiff to come down. It was now six, and had just begun to grow light.

La.s.se and Pelle had finished cleaning out the cow-stable and distributing the first feed, and they were hungry. They were standing at the door of the stable, waiting for the breakfast-bell to ring; and at the doors of the horse-stables, the men were doing the same. At a quarter-past the hour they went toward the bas.e.m.e.nt, with Karl Johan at their head, and La.s.se and Pelle also turned out and hurried to the servants' room, with every sign of a good appet.i.te.

”Now, Erik, we're going down to breakfast!” shouted Karl Johan as they pa.s.sed, and Erik came out of his corner by the steps, and shuffled along after them. There was nothing the matter with his digestive powers at any rate.

They ate their herring in silence; the food stopped their mouths completely. When they had finished, the head man knocked on the table with the handle of his knife, and Karna came in with two dishes of porridge and a pile of bread-and-dripping.

”Where's Bodil to-day?” asked Gustav.

”How should I know? Her bed was standing untouched this morning,”

answered Karna, with an exulting look.

”It's a lie!” cried Gustav, bringing down his spoon with a bang upon the table.

”You can go into her room and see for yourself; you know the way!” said Karna tartly.

”And what's become of the pupil to-day, as he hasn't rung?” said Karl Johan. ”Have any of you girls seen him?”

”No, I expect he's overslept himself,” cried Bengta from the wash-house.

”And so he may! _I_ don't want to run up and shake life into him every morning!”

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