Part 35 (1/2)
”That's beautiful,” said La.s.se, rummaging in his purse for a five-ore.
”You must try to learn that; you've got an ear for that sort of thing.”
They pushed through the crowd right up to the musician, and began cautiously to sing too, while the girls all round were sniffing.
They wandered up and down among the trees, La.s.se rather fidgety.
There was a whole street of dancing-booths, tents with conjurers and panorama-men, and drinking-booths. The criers were perspiring, the refreshment sellers were walking up and down in front of their tents like greedy beasts of prey. Things had not got into full swing yet, for most of the people were still out and about seeing the sights, or amusing themselves in all seemliness, exerting themselves in trials of strength or slipping in and out of the conjurers' tents. There was not a man unaccompanied by a woman. Many a one came to a stand at the refreshment-tents, but the woman pulled him past; then he would yawn and allow himself to be dragged up into a roundabout or a magic-lantern tent where the most beautiful pictures were shown of the way that cancer and other horrible things made havoc in people's insides.
”These are just the things for the women,” said La.s.se, breathing forth a sigh at haphazard after Madam Olsen. On a horse on Madvig's roundabout sat Gustav with his arm round Bodil's waist. ”Hey, old man!” he cried, as they whizzed past, and flapped La.s.se on the ear with his cap, which had the white side out. They were as radiant as the day and the sun, those two.
Pelle wanted to have a turn on a roundabout. ”Then blest if I won't have something too, that'll make things go round!” said La.s.se, and went in and had a ”cuckoo”--coffee with brandy in it. ”There are some people,”
he said, when he came out again, ”that can go from one tavern to another without its making any difference in their purse. It would be nice to try--only for a year. Hus.h.!.+” Over by Max Alexander's ”Green House” stood Karna, quite alone and looking about her wistfully. La.s.se drew Pelle round in a wide circle.
”There's Madam Olsen with a strange man!” said Pelle suddenly.
La.s.se started. ”Where?” Yes, there she stood, and had a man with her!
And talking so busily! They went past her without stopping; she could choose for herself, then.
”Hi, can't you wait a little!” cried Madam Olsen, running after them so that her petticoats crackled round her. She was round and smiling as usual, and many layers of good home-woven material stood out about her; there was no scrimping anywhere.
They went on together, talking on indifferent matters and now and then exchanging glances about the boy who was in their way. They had to walk so sedately without venturing to touch one another. He did not like any nonsense.
It was black with people now up at the pavilion, and one could hardly move a step without meeting acquaintances. ”It's even worse than a swarm of bees,” said La.s.se. ”It's not worth trying to get in there.” At one place the movement was outward, and by following it they found themselves in a valley, where a man stood shouting and beating his fists upon a platform. It was a missionary meeting. The audience lay encamped in small groups, up the slopes, and a man in long black clothes went quietly from group to group, selling leaflets. His face was white, and he had a very long, thin red beard.
”Do you see that man?” whispered La.s.se, giving Pelle a nudge. ”Upon my word, if it isn't Long Ole--and with a glove on his injured hand. It was him that had to take the sin upon him for Per Olsen's false swearing!”
explained La.s.se, turning to Madam Olsen. ”He was standing at the machine at the time when Per Olsen ought to have paid the penalty with his three fingers, and so his went instead. He may be glad of the mistake after all, for they say he's risen to great things among the prayer-meeting folks. And his complexion's as fine as a young lady's--something different to what it was when he was carting manure at Stone Farm! It'll be fun to say good-day to him again.”
La.s.se was quite proud of having served together with this man, and stationed himself in front of the others, intending to make an impression upon his lady friend by saying a hearty: ”Good-day, Ole!”
Long Ole was at the next group, and now he came on to them and was going to hold out his tracts, when a glance at La.s.se made him drop both hand and eyes; and with a deep sigh he pa.s.sed on with bowed head to the next group.
”Did you see how he turned his eyes up?” said La.s.se derisively. ”When beggars come to court, they don't know how to behave! He'd got a watch in his pocket, too, and long clothes; and before he hadn't even a s.h.i.+rt to his body. And an unG.o.dly devil he was too! But the old gentleman looks after his own, as the saying is; I expect it's him that helped him on by changing places at the machine. The way they've cheated the Almighty's enough to make Him weep!”
Madam Olsen tried to hush La.s.se, but the ”cuckoo” rose within him together with his wrath, and he continued: ”So _he's_ above recognizing decent people who get what they have in an honorable way, and not by lying and humbug! They do say he makes love to all the farmers' wives wherever he goes; but there was a time when he had to put up with the Sow.”
People began to look at them, and Madam Olsen took La.s.se firmly by the arm and drew him away.
The sun was now low in the sky. Up on the open ground the crowds tramped round and round as if in a tread-mill. Now and then a drunken man reeled along, making a broad path for himself through the crush. The noise came seething up from the tents--barrel-organs each grinding out a different tune, criers, the bands of the various dancing-booths, and the measured tread of a schottische or polka. The women wandered up and down in cl.u.s.ters, casting long looks into the refreshment-tents where their men were sitting; and some of them stopped at the tent-door and made coaxing signs to some one inside.
Under the trees stood a drunken man, pawing at a tree-trunk, and beside him stood a girl, crying with her black damask ap.r.o.n to her eyes. Pelle watched them for a long time. The man's clothes were disordered, and he lurched against the girl with a foolish grin when she, in the midst of her tears, tried to put them straight. When Pelle turned away, La.s.se and Madam Olsen had disappeared in the crowd.
They must have gone on a little, and he went down to the very end of the street. Then he turned despondingly and went up, burrowing this way and that in the stream of people, with eyes everywhere. ”Haven't you seen Father La.s.se?” he asked pitifully, when he met any one he knew.
In the thickest of the crush, a tall man was moving along, holding forth blissfully at the top of his voice. He was a head taller than anybody else, and very broad; but he beamed with good-nature, and wanted to embrace everybody. People ran screaming out of his way, so that a broad path was left wherever he went. Pelle kept behind him, and thus succeeded in getting through the thickest crowds, where policemen and rangers were stationed with thick cudgels. Their eyes and ears were on the watch, but they did not interfere in anything. It was said that they had handcuffs in their pockets.
Pelle had reached the road in his despairing search. Cart after cart was carefully working its way out through the gloom under the trees, then rolling out into the dazzling evening light, and on to the high-road with much cracking of whips. They were the prayer-meeting people driving home.
He happened to think of the time, and asked a man what it was. Nine!
Pelle had to run so as not to be too late in getting to the cart. In the cart sat Karl Johan and Fair Maria eating. ”Get up and have something to eat!” they said, and as Pelle was ravenous, he forgot everything while he ate. But then Johan asked about La.s.se, and his torment returned.
Karl Johan was cross; not one had returned to the cart, although it was the time agreed upon. ”You'd better keep close to us now,” he said, as they went up, ”or you might get killed.”
Up at the edge of the wood they met Gustav running. ”Have none of you seen Bodil?” he asked, gasping. His clothes were torn and there was blood on the front of his s.h.i.+rt. He ran on groaning, and disappeared under the trees. It was quite dark there, but the open ground lay in a strange light that came from nowhere, but seemed to have been left behind by the day as it fled. Faces out there showed up, some in ghostly pallor, some black like holes in the light, until they suddenly burst forth, crimson with blood-red flame.