Presented A Most Extraordinary Spectacle, Especially The Precise
Christian Frederick, Coming Up Red And Beaming, In Their Shirtsleeves,
Covered With Dust, And Each Carrying His Bottle And His Light.
An Hour Later They Met At The Dinner-Table--Richard, Trim And Smart As
Usual, With His Conventional Diplomatic Smile; The Consul Precise,
Haughty, And Correct To The Very Tips Of His Fingers.
Chapter 5 Pg 27
Dinner Was Served In The Small Room On The North Side Of The House, And
The Company Assembled In The Two So-Called Sunday-Rooms, Which Looked
Over The Garden.
Mrs. Garman Always Dressed In black Silk, But To-Day She Was More
Shining And Ponderous Than Usual. She Had Been Looking Forward To A Nice
Quiet Little Dinner With Pastor Martens And The New School Inspector;
And Now Here Came A Whole Posse Of Worldly Minded People. Mrs. Garman
Was Thus Not In The Best Of Tempers, And Miss Cordsen Had To Display All
Her Tact. But Miss Cordsen Had Had Long Practice, For Mrs. Garman Had
Always Been Difficult To Manage, Especially Of Late Years Since
"Religion Had Come Into Fashion," As The Careless Uncle Richard
Declared.
Mrs Garman Did Not Really Manage Her Own House; Everything Went On
Without Change, According To The Immutable Rules Which Had Come Down
Chapter 5 Pg 28
"Oh No, Not Exactly That," Replied He, Quietly. "The Idea I Wished To
Convey Is That Nature Here Has Something--How Shall I Express
It?--Something Exacting About It, By Which One Seems, As It Were,
Impelled To Activity, To Perform Some Deed Which Will Make A Mark In The
World."
She Looked At Him With Astonishment; But Her Uncle Said
Good-Humouredly--
"For My Part, I Find Our Desolate And Weather-Beaten Coast Tends Rather
To Lead The Mind To Meditation And Thought Than To Excite It To
Activity."
"When I Come To Your Years," Answered Mr. Johnsen, "And Have Done
Something In The World, I Dare Say I Shall Look Upon Life As You Do."
"I Hope Not," Sighed Uncle Richard, Half Smilingly And Half Sadly. "As
To Having Done Anything, I--"
At That Moment The Door Opened And Young Mrs. Garman Entered The Room.
She Looked So Lovely That All Eyes Were Turned Upon Her. Her French Grey
Silk With Its Pink Trimmings Had A Cut Quite Foreign To Those Parts, And
It Was Difficult To Look At Her Or Her Toilette Without Feeling That
Both Were Out Of The Common In That Society.
But The First Glance Told That The Beautifully Fitting Dress, And The
Graceful And Bright-Eyed Woman Who Wore It, Were Well Suited To Each
Other; And As She Stepped Lightly Across The Room And Gave A Sprightly
Nod To Her Uncle, There Was A Natural Ease About Her Gait And Manner
Which Contrasted Favourably With The Self-Consciousness With Which Young
Ladies Exhibit Themselves And Their Smart Dresses When First Entering
Into Society.
"I Declare, She Has Got Another New One!" Muttered Mrs. Aalbom.
_"Mais, Mon Dieu, Comme Elle Est Belle!"_ Whispered Uncle Richard,
Enchanted.
After Fanny Followed The Short But Active-Looking Mr. Delphin, Secretary
To The Resident Magistrate, Then Jacob Worse, And Lastly Morten Garman.
Morten Was Tall And Stoutly Built. It Would Appear That He Had Inherited
Something Of His Mother'S "Cross," Which Did Not, However, Seem To
Oppress Him. He Had A Good-Looking Face, Which Was, However, Rather
Weak; And His Eyes Were Too Prominent And Slightly Bloodshot.
George Delphin Had Been About Six Months In The Town, As Secretary To
The Magistrate, And Since Fanny Garman Was The Magistrate'S Daughter,
Delphin Soon Got An _Entree_ Into The Garmans' House, And Was A Frequent
Guest At Sandsgaard. Morten Had Picked Him Up At His Father-In-Law'S
Office, When The Carriage Was Sent To The Town To Find The Young People;
They Had Met Jacob Worse Accidentally, And Fanny Had Called To Him When
They Were Already Seated In The Carriage.
Morten Had No Great Liking For Jacob Worse, Although They Had Been Much
Thrown Together In Their Boyhood. Consul Garman, On The Other Hand, Was
Particularly Well Disposed Towards Him, And There Were Some Who
Chapter 5 Pg 29
Maintained That The Young Consul Would Gladly Have The Name Of Worse
Back In The Firm, Perhaps As His Son-In-Law; Who Could Tell?
But Those Who Had An Opportunity Of Closer Observation Declared That
There Was No Truth In The Story. Rachel Herself Appeared To Dislike
Jacob Worse, And Mrs. Garman Could Not Bear The Sight Of Him, Since
Pastor Martens Had Assured Her That He Was A Freethinker.
The Consul Took In Mrs. Aalbom, And George Delphin Was So Fortunate As
To Get Fanny Garman. Rachel, To His Astonishment, Turned To Her Uncle
And Said, "I Beg Pardon, But I Am Going To Ask You To-Day To Give Me Up
To Our New Acquaintance. Mr. Johnsen, Will You Be So Kind?"
He Offered Her His Arm Stiffly, But Not Awkwardly, And They Followed The
Others Into The Dining-Room.
"What Can Be Up With Rachel?" Muttered Morten To Worse; "She Generally
Can'T Bear These Parsons Of Mother'S."
Jacob Worse Made No Reply, But, With A Polite Bow, Gave His Arm To Miss
Cordsen.
For The _Habitues_ Of The House, It Was Not Difficult To Foresee What
The _Menu_ Would Be. It Consisted Of Julienne Soup, Ham, And Pork
Cutlets With _Sauer Kraut_; Then Roast Lamb And Roast Veal, Served With
Chervil And Beet-Root; And Lastly, Meringues And Vanilla Cream.
At The Head Of The Table The Conversation Was Mostly Carried On Between
Mr. Aalbom And Delphin, Both Of Whom Came From The Neighbourhood Of
Christiania, And Aalbom Tried His Best To Induce The Other To Say
Something Disparaging Of The West Coast And Its Surroundings. This He
Did In The Hope That It Would Cause Annoyance To The Consul And His
Brother, And Also That It Would Put The Speaker, As A New Guest At
Sandsgaard, In an Unfavourable Light. Delphin Was, However, Too Quick
For Him. Either He Noticed His Intention, Or Else He Really Meant What
He Said. The Scenery, He Declared, Was Most Interesting, And He Was
Particularly Pleased With The Acquaintances He Had Hitherto Made In The
Neighbourhood.
Richard Garman Had His Usual Place On The Left Of The Consul, Who Sat At
The Head Of The Table, And, Leaning Over Beyond Rachel And Mr. Aalbom,
Who Sat Next To Him, And Raising His Glass To The New School Inspector,
He Said--
"As You Are Of The Same Opinion As Mr. Delphin With Regard To Our
Scenery,
