Part 31 (2/2)
There were to be no speeches until dessert, and now the fateful moment was near.
Malvina was in a corner with Lt. Heidt, the latter so tender and smiling that old Mrs. Berg nudged the parson's wife and whispered, ”Look, I'm sure he's proposing now!” The lady addressed, however, was somewhat deaf, and looked up with an inquiring ”Eh?” Mrs. Berg did not venture to repeat the observation out loud, and subst.i.tuted a remark about ”the jelly delicious, don't you think?”
Malvina turned pale and red alternately with emotion; there was no getting out of the corner, for Heidt barred the way. Now and again she cast a despairing glance at the Cupid, as if asking aid; but no, the figure only stared back with a silly smile--ridiculous creature!
Abrahamsen, in the pa.s.sage adjoining, was watching the pair with ill-repressed impatience. The sight of the young lieutenant bending close and whispering confidentially to Malvina made him tingle, and he clenched his fists. Abrahamsen was an ill man to jest with, and, as Soren was wont to say, he had a pair of fists as heavy as the flippers of a full-grown seal.
Coolest of all the conspirators was Old Nick, who walked about, smiling and content, enjoying his own observation of the entire menagerie, as he called it. Towards Cilia he was deference itself, and won her heart completely by addressing her as ”Mrs. Braathen.”
At last Soren tapped his gla.s.s; all eyes were at once turned towards him. He started off simply and easily; he had just one thing to say and that was, he thanked them all for their presence there this evening, and was very glad to see them under his humble roof. Your health! Cilia was quite proud of her husband for once, and not a little surprised; it was not a bit like Soren. Where on earth had he picked it up? She herself had previously asked Lt. Heidt, as a friend of the family, to say a few words of welcome, but Soren had managed it excellently already. Well, so much the better; it would show Lt.
Heidt that even he was not indispensable.
Old Nick then rose, and proposed ”our host and hostess” in a speech so fluent and cordial that even the parson's wife, who had scarcely heard a word of it, declared it was ”perfectly charming.”
All drank with Cilia, who curtsyed and nodded and smiled, and nodded again, until her head almost fell off; never in her dreams had she imagined such an exalted moment.
The regulation speeches were now over, and nothing more was expected beyond a few words from the parson, when, to Cilia's astonishment and the surprise of the guests, Soren again stepped forward and raised his gla.s.s.
Cilia's first thought was that her husband had taken a drop too much, but his calm, easy manner disposed of that idea in a moment. She wondered what on earth was going to happen, and for the first time in her life the foundations of her despotic power seemed shaken.
There was a tense silence among the guests; what could he have to say? Old Nick stood beside him, chatting easily with Malvina as if nothing were amiss. Thor Smith was out in the pa.s.sage with Abrahamsen. Justice Heidt, who had been waiting all the evening for the ”declaration,” drew a little nearer, in the belief that it was coming.
Soren drank off his own gla.s.s of sherry, and having reinforced it with Old Nick's and the parson's, which stood nearest on the table, he gave vent to a long sigh, or grunt, and commenced as follows:
”Ladies and Gentlemen: as mentioned, there's a thing we call a union, which means, well--a sort of union, you know” (loud applause from some of the younger men, who thought Soren was referring to the Union of Norway and Sweden), ”and you can't have any sort of union without--h'm--respect and--h'm--affection on both sides.” (Here the speaker directed a lowering glance at Lt. Heidt, who was moving towards the table.)
”There was a whole lot more I was supposed to say about this, but I've forgotten the rest. And, anyhow, it's a bit of a large order to expect an old skipper like me to rattle out all that stuff about garlands of roses and bonds of something--or--other.” Old Nick gave a despairing glance at Thor Smith, who shook his head sadly. ”Well, anyhow, it's as well to take the bull by the horns, so here you are.
Abrahamsen, you've had charge of the old _Birkebeineren_ two voyages this year, and I hereby make no bones about giving you my girl Malvina, to sail her without deviation or any delay, as the apple of my heart, across the ocean of life, with all due care and seamans.h.i.+p, as set forth in the bills of lading. And seeing as that same ocean's given to foul weather and suchlike perils, dangers and accidents of the sea or other waters, you'll need to keep a sharp look-out and navigate according. And, well, the Lord be with you. Amen.”
Cilia, who was nervous and unsettled enough beforehand, now lost her head completely, and as the guests crowded round to offer their congratulations, she sank into a chair holding a handkerchief to her eyes. And when Malvina came up to embrace her, she broke down completely.
Lt. Heidt turned sharply about in military fas.h.i.+on, and strode magnificently out into the hall. On the way he encountered Old Nick, who was rude enough to smile at him, and say, ”Rather neat that, don't you think?”
Justice Heidt retired quietly, inwardly congratulating himself with the thought that it was just as well he had escaped closer connection with so plebeian a family!
When the guests had left, Soren sat down beside his wife and took her hand, endeavouring to comfort her as well as he could. Cilia still wept, however; as if all the tears she might have shed in her life, but never had, were bursting forth at once. So copious indeed was the flow, that Soren privately reckoned out it would have sufficed to water half the carrot patch at least.
It was with strange thoughts that Cilia retired to rest. She was beginning to realise that she had been dethroned; her power within-doors and abroad was gone for ever; she had made a fool of herself with a vengeance. It was a bitter thing to feel. She went over in her mind the events of the summer: Soren's journey to Sandefjord, her own expedition to Christiania with Lt. Heidt, the party, and the new furniture--how could she ever have been so foolish, so insane!
Towards morning she grew calmer; she had decided what to do, and was herself again.
She rose before the others were stirring, and lit a big fire in the kitchen. Her sharp features showed firm and decided as she stood before the stove, stiffly upright, one hand fiercely clenching a crumpled roll of something white. This she presently threw into the flames with a deep sigh--but a sigh of relief, as if in casting off a burden. It was her dainty indoor cap, with the auriculas, that was sacrificed; the thing hissed and spluttered, vanis.h.i.+ng at last in sooty fragments up the chimney.
When Soren and Malvina came down, they found her on all fours in the parlour, hard at work packing up carpets and curtains, knick-knacks and chandeliers. They stood watching her for a while, but Cilia sharply ordered them to help--and willingly they did! Not a word was exchanged between the three; they simply went on packing and packing, closing up the cases and packing more, till they were ready to be carried out into the yard.
In the course of the morning Abrahamsen turned up, and lent a hand with the packing-cases. It was almost as if it were a question of getting some evil influence out of the house as quickly as possible.
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