Part 22 (2/2)

Knud Aakre had grown very red in the face (he blushed easily), and he s.h.i.+fted uneasily from side to side, as was his wont when he was impatient, but none the less did he exert himself to be circ.u.mspect and to speak in a low voice. There were savings-banks enough in the country, he thought, and quite near at hand, he might almost say _too_ near. But if, after all, it was deemed expedient to have one, there were surely other ways of reaching it than those leading over the gifts of the dead and the love of the living. His voice was a little unsteady when he said this, but quickly recovered as he proceeded to speak of the grain magazine in itself, and to show what its advantages were.

Lars answered him thoroughly on the last point, and then added,--

”However, one thing and another lead me to doubt whether this parish is managed for the sake of the living or the dead; furthermore, whether it is the love and hatred of a single family which controls matters here, or the good of the whole.”

Knud answered quickly,--

”I do not know whether he who has just spoken has been least benefited by this family,--both by the dead and by him who now lives.”

The first shot was aimed at the fact that Knud's powerful grandfather had saved the gard for Lars's paternal grandfather, when the latter, on his part, was absent on a little excursion to the penitentiary.

The straw which long had been in brisk motion, suddenly became still.

”It is not my way to keep talking everywhere about myself and my family,” said Lars, then turned again with calm superiority to the subject under discussion, briefly reviewing all the points with one definite object. Knud had to admit to himself that he had never viewed the matter from such a broad standpoint; involuntarily he raised his eyes and looked at Lars, who stood before him, tall, heavily built, with clearness on the vigorous brow and in the deep eyes. The lips were tightly compressed, the straw still played in the corner of his mouth; all the surrounding lines indicated vigor. He kept his hands behind him, and stood rigidly erect, while his voice was as deep and as hollow as if it proceeded from the depths of the earth. For the first time in his life Knud saw him as he was, and in his inmost soul he was afraid of him; for this man must always have been his superior. He had taken all Knud himself knew and could impart; he had rejected the tares and retained what had produced this strong, hidden growth.

He had been fostered and loved by Knud, but had now become a giant who hated Knud deeply, terribly. Knud could not explain to himself why, but as he looked at Lars he instinctively felt this to be so, and all else becoming swallowed up in this thought he started up, exclaiming,--

”But Lars! Lars! what in Heaven's name is the matter with you?” His agitation overcame him,--”you, whom I have--you who have”--

Powerless to utter another word, he sat down; but in his effort to gain the mastery over the emotion he deemed Lars unworthy of seeing, he brought his fist down with violence on the table, while his eyes flashed beneath his stiff, disorderly hair, which always hung over them. Lars acted as if he had not been interrupted, and turning toward the others he asked if this was to be the decisive blow; for if such were the case there was no need for further remarks.

This calmness was more than Knud could endure.

”What is it that has come among us?” cried he. ”We who have, until to-day, been actuated by love and zeal alone, are now stirred up against each other, as though goaded on by some evil spirit,” and he cast a fiery glance at Lars, who replied,--

”It must be you yourself who bring in this spirit, Knud; for I have kept strictly to the matter before us. But you never can see the advantage of anything you do not want yourself; now we shall learn what becomes of the love and the zeal when once this matter is decided as we wish.”

”Have I then illy served the interests of the parish?”

There was no reply. This grieved Knud, and he continued,--

”I really did persuade myself that I had accomplished various things--various things which have been of advantage to the parish; but perhaps I have deceived myself.”

He was again overcome by his feelings; for his was a fiery nature, ever variable in its moods, and the breach with Lars pained him so deeply that he could scarcely control himself. Lars answered,--

”Yes, I know you appropriate the credit for all that is done here, and if one should judge by the amount of speaking at these meetings, you certainly have accomplished the most.”

”Is that the way of it?” shouted Knud, looking sharply at Lars. ”It is you who deserve the entire honor?”

”Since we must finally talk about ourselves,” said Lars, ”I am free to admit that every question has been carefully considered by both of us before it was introduced here.”

Here little Knud Aakre regained his ready speech:--

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