Part 13 (1/2)

”To give you my word on it that it shall be so long as we live, that is asking much, my boy,” said the grandfather smiling. ”If now you, both of you, should wish, all at once, to have things different--what then?”

”Oh, no, we are not so stupid,” said Erick, ”are we, Sally? Just you promise right away, Grandfather.”

The latter held out his hand to the mother and said: ”If it suits Mamma, then we both will promise, that it shall continue, as long as it pleases our children.”

The mother gave her hand on it, and now the two hands were pressed most heartily.

And the pastor said: ”So, so! Agreements are made between the colonel and the parson's wife behind my back, and I have nothing to do with it but say yes. Well, then, I will say at once a firm _yes_ and _Amen_.”

With these words he too shook his guest's hand firmly and there remained only to take leave from Ritz and Edi, both of whom he heartily invited to Denmark, wherein Erick strongly supported him, adding: ”And you know, Edi, when you are in Denmark, then you can go on s.h.i.+ps, and study there all about them. That will be a good thing for your calling.” For Erick had not forgotten that Edi intended to sail around the whole world, and that Ritz too wanted to be something on the sea.

The grandfather was already entering the travelling coach, when Erick was held back by 'Lizebeth; he had pressed into her hand a valuable paper, but she had put her ap.r.o.n to her eyes and had begun to sob aloud behind it, and now she was holding Erick and said: ”I think the Sir Grandfather, he means it well as far as he sees things; but that he takes the dear boy away from us,--to take one's little boy simply away--”

”I will come back again, 'Lizebeth, every year when the storks return.

Therefore, good-bye, 'Lizebeth, until I come again.”

Saying this, Erick quickly jumped into the carriage, and he wore the same velvet suit in which he had come. For a long, long time he saw the white handkerchiefs wave, and he waved his in answer, until the carriage, down below at the foot of the hill, turned around the corner and disappeared into the woods. But when the fleet horses, soon after, reached the first houses of the Middle Lot, there was another halt.

From the moment that Erick had disappeared, Churi had looked like a picture of horror. He had grown white and grayish looking, and at every sound that he heard, he trembled, for he thought: ”Now they are coming to fetch you, to put you into prison.” Churi had heard that someone who had thrown another boy into the water had been fetched by two gendarmes and had been put into prison, where he had been kept for twenty years in chains. Churi saw this picture always before him and for fear, he could no longer eat nor sleep; and he dared look at no one. And when the report came that Erick had turned up again, then his fear increased. For now, so he thought, it would surely come out that he had done the deed; and now he was sure that the police would come to get him. But when on Sunday, the story went round like lightning that Erick, in looking for berries, had fallen into the water, then it all at once was clear to Churi, that Erick had not told about him and that he again could go about quite free and without fear. A great, oppressive weight fell from Churi's heart, and he was so touched by Erick's kindness and generosity that he did not sleep from thinking what he could possibly do for Erick to show him his grat.i.tude.

It had really been so. Erick had thought that Churi had not meant to push him into the water, so he had felt sorry for him, if he should be punished for what he did not mean to do, and so Erick had only said that he had received a push when looking for berries, and had fallen into the water. And they had a.s.sumed that the boys had knocked each other about as usual, and Erick had been pushed accidentally.

Churi had thought out his reward, and had arranged the following program. All the scholars of Middle Lot had to place themselves in a long line along the street, and when now the carriage with Erick came driving along, they, the scholars, all together must shout, ”Hurrah for Erick.”