Part 30 (1/2)
Heidt's friends, too, proved most entertaining company, especially the one who, it appeared, was a poet; he had a store of anecdotes to make one split one's sides with laughing, and Heidt himself was in high spirits. He drank with her, and said, ”Your health, mother-in-law,” and the others joined in with congratulations. Cilia could not help laughing, though she was inclined to consider it rather too much of a joke. Still, it was all done in such a jovial, irresistible fas.h.i.+on that she let it pa.s.s.
After the coffee, the whole party set out to make purchases. First, gla.s.sware. Heidt thought it was a good idea to begin with gla.s.ses after dinner; one was more in the mood for it, he declared. An elegant service of cut-gla.s.s, with the monogram ”S. & C. B.” was ordered. Cilia hesitated a little at the delicate, slender-stemmed wine-gla.s.ses, which she declared would ”go to smithereens” in a ”twinkling” at the first was.h.i.+ng-up, but was a.s.sured that this was the essence of good taste in such matters, and finally gave in.
Then came the furniture for the ”salon” as Heidt called it. But when Cilia found herself tentatively seated on a sofa with a hard, straight back reaching half-way up the wall, she could not help thinking that the old one at home was really more comfortable; a thing like this seemed made to sit upright in, and as for lying down----! The others, however, declared it elegant and ”stylish,”
with which she felt she must agree, and the sofa was accordingly noted. Various so-called ”easy-chairs,” which to Cilia's mind were far from easy, were then added. A round settee with a pillar rising from the centre was to crown the whole. Cilia had never seen such an arrangement before, and was rather inclined to leave it out. But the dealer explained, ”You place the article in the centre of the apartment, under a chandelier. A palm is set on the central pillar--and there you are!”
”Wouldn't a nice geranium do instead?” asked Cilia confidentially.
”Well--ah--oh, certainly, yes,” said the man, and Cilia agreed.
”Then there are works of art,” said Heidt. ”No truly cultured home can be without them.” And he invited Cilia to contemplate a life-size terra-cotta Cupid. It was terribly expensive, and she did not really approve of ”stark-naked boys” as a decorative motif, but Heidt and his friends agreed that it was a ”triumph of plastic beauty,” and a work of art such as no one in Strandvik had ever seen, far less possessed. And Cilia took the Cupid with the rest.
”Now we're all complete,” said Heidt, ”and I'll answer for it, a more recherche little interior than s.h.i.+powner Braathen's it will be hard to find.” And Cilia saw in her mind's eye Lawyer Nickelsen and the Magistrate himself abashed and humbled before all this magnificence.
As for Prois and Holm Berg--poor things, they had never dreamt of anything like it.
When they got home, Cilia could not help feeling that it had been rather a costly outing--but what matter? The vessels were earning good money.
There was a letter from Soren, giving his impressions of Sandefjord.
”MRS. CILIA BRAATHEN, MY DEAR WIFE,--I write this to let you know I have now had fourteen sulphur baths, kinder being thumped and hammered every morning from nine to ten, then breakfast, and about time too, seeing I have to drink five gla.s.ses of sulphur water and one of salts on an empty stomach.
”In accordance with your instructions, I have duly informed the doctor here that I am in need of insomnia, which he a.s.sures me will improve with continued treatment.
”There are any amount of people here on the same business, Danes and Swedes too, and all seem to be enjoying it like anything, which is more than I can understand. There's a band plays here all day, but the days seem to go very slowly all the same. Take care of yourself till I come back.--Ever your loving
”S. BRAATHEN.”
Malvina, too, had a letter from her father:
”MY DEAR DAUGHTER,--Your letter was a great comfort to me in this place, which the same I would liken unto Sodom and Gomorrah, not only for the sulphur and brimstone but other things beside.
”It was no surprise to me when you say you are in love with Abrahamsen, seeing I was watching you holding hands with him that day in the summer-house.
”I give you my blessing and welcome, which please find herewith.
He's not much of an expert, as you might say, in navigation, looking all ways round for the sun, but with G.o.d's help I dare say you'll be able to manage him. And as for your mother, you'll just have to square it with her the best you can, which is more than I ever could myself.
”I am getting on famously here all round, all except the insomnia, which I haven't been able to manage up to now. I still get my night's rest and my afternoon nap, for all their nasty waters inside and out. But don't tell your mother I said so, but let her think I'm getting on that way.
”Don't forget to write and let me know how she is and all that's doing.--Yours respectfully,
”S. BRAATHEN.
”P.S.--What you say about Lieutenant Heidt has written you a love-letter, don't worry about that, but sufficient unto the day and so on. You can tell him you could never love anybody that hadn't got his mate's certificate, which I'm pretty sure he hasn't nor ever likely to be.”
Cilia had a desperately busy time unpacking all the things from Christiania, but, thanks to Lt. Heidt, who was always at hand ready to help, the work was soon got over.
The house was changed beyond all recognition. _Now_ let the Prois's and Lawyer Nickelsen come, and see what they'd say! Lt. Heidt came round every day now, and was so attentive to Malvina that Cilia felt all but sure of him already for a son-in-law, and reproved her daughter severely for being so ”stand-offish” with him. But Malvina, remembering who was primarily responsible for the deposition of her plaster angel, and the subst.i.tution of a stark-naked boy, found it impossible to regard the culprit with anything but marked disfavour.
Never was Cupid looked upon so sourly by the fairer s.e.x. Cilia, it is true, had gradually brought herself to look him straight in the face when she entered the room, instead of turning aside, but Malvina still flushed and averted her eyes. The angel at least was decent; no one need be ashamed of that!