Are Quite Right. Won'T He Look Noble With His Imposing Figure And White
Hair, And The Gold Cross Shining On His Breast? It Is A Pity Ours Is Not
A Cathedral Town; A Bishop Is Really So Interesting. For Instance, In
'Leonardo.' Madeleine, Have You Ever Seen A Bishop?"
Madeleine Turned Towards Her With A Deep Blush On Her Face, As She
Stammered Out, "What Were You Asking, Fanny?"
But Fanny'S Quick Eye Had Already Caught Sight Of Delphin, Who Was
Coming Over From The Other Side Of The Street. She Returned His Bow,
And, Observing Madeleine Closely, Said To Her, "Will You Be So Good As
To Go And Get A Cup For Mr. Delphin?"
"Is He Coming In?" Said The Chaplain, Looking For His Hat.
"Yes. But I Have Not Given You Leave To Go, Mr. Martens; We Were Getting
Chapter 7 Pg 49
On So Nicely."
Delphin Came In, And Fanny Gave Him A Friendly Nod, And Continued, "Now,
In Your Position As Clergyman, You Really Must Assist Us To Effect Mr.
Delphin'S Conversion."
"No Necessity! No Necessity, I Assure You, Mrs. Garman," Said Delphin,
Gaily. "My Conversion Is Already About As Perfect As It Can Be. Mr.
Johnsen And I Have Been Conversing On The Subject In a Most Serious
Manner For The Last Half-Hour."
"We Were Also Talking On Religious Subjects," Said Fanny.
"Have You Just Left Mr. Johnsen?" Asked The Chaplain, Who Had Got His
Hat, And Was On The Point Of Taking His Leave.
"I Walked With Him A Little Way On The Road To Sandsgaard. It Appears
That He Had An Invitation To Go There," Answered Delphin.
"To-Day, Again!" Said Fanny.
"Good Morning, Ladies, Good Morning! No, You Really Must Allow Me. I
Have Already Been Here Longer Than I Ought. Good Morning, Miss Garman."
Madeleine Was Just Coming Into The Room, And The Chaplain Took A Step
Towards Her In Order To Shake Her Hand; But, As She Was Carrying The
Tray With The Cups Upon It, He Was Obliged To Content Himself With
Giving Her A Warm And Respectful Look. As He Went Downstairs, He Thought
How Unfortunate It Was That Delphin Should Always Be Coming In His Way.
Severin Martens Was Naturally Very Good-Natured, But Delphin Was A Man
He Could Not Bear. If The Two Got Into Conversation, Everything Seemed
To Go Wrong For The Chaplain. The Other Had A Particular Way Of Taking
Up His Words, Turning Them Into Ridicule, And Exciting Laughter Among
The Hearers, Which Was Most Unpleasant. The Chaplain Did Not Care Very
Much, Either, For Mr. Johnsen. That Apparently Helpless Young Man Had
Shown That He Knew How To Look After Himself Only Too Well. "Invited
Nearly Every Day To Sandsgaard! Hum!" Muttered Martens, As He Went Down
The Street.
No Sooner Had Delphin Taken The Clergyman'S Place, Than The Conversation
Changed Its Tone.
"Our Worthy Chaplain Did Not Much Like Johnsen'S Going To Sandsgaard,"
Said Fanny.
"That Was Just The Reason I Mentioned It," Said Delphin.
"Yes, I Could See That Very Well. You Are Always So Dreadfully
Mischievous. But Can You Make Out What Is The Matter With My Learned
Sister-In-Law? Rachel, Who Is Generally As Cold And Unsympathetic As An
Iceberg, Becomes All At Once Quite Taken Up With What Appears To Me The
Most Unlikely Person."
"Your Sister-In-Law Always Appears Attracted Towards Any One Who Shows
Originality."
Chapter 7 Pg 50
"Well," Objected The Lady, "I Don'T See Much In Him; At First I Thought
He Was Rather Interesting. He Reminded Me Somewhat Of Brand In Ibsen'S
Play, Or Something Of That Sort; But Really, How Tiresome He Is, With
His Short, Cutting Remarks, Which Come Plump Into The Middle Of A
Conversation Like So Many Stones!"
"I Am A Man Of The People! My Place Is Among The People!" Said Delphin,
Imitating Johnsen'S Voice And Manner.
Fanny Laughed, And Clapped Her Hands. Madeleine Laughed Too; She Could
Not Help It When Delphin Said Anything Amusing. It Is True She Liked Him
Better When He Was Serious, As He Was When They Were Alone; He Had Then
A Frank, Genuine Manner That She Found Particularly Attractive. She
Could Talk To Mr. Delphin On Many Subjects Which She Would Never Have
Had The Courage To Mention To Others. It Was Plain Enough--That Is To
Fanny, Though Not To Madeleine--That He Always Paid His Visits, Quite
Accidentally, Of Course, Whenever Madeleine Was In The Town.
As They Sat Chatting Merrily On Different Subjects, Fanny, Who Always
Kept Her Eye On Passers-By, Suddenly Cried, "Just Look! There Is Jacob
Worse. I Declare, He Is Passing The House Without Looking Up; But I Saw
Him Speak To Some One At The Door. I Wonder Who It Could Have Been?"
And, With A Woman'S Curiosity, She Hurried Over To The Window.
"Ah!" Said She, Laughing, "I Declare It Was My Little Frederick He Was
Talking To. Freddy," She Cried, Looking Out Of The Window, "Come Up To
Mother, And You Shall Have Some Chocolate."
Little Christian Frederick, A White-Haired, Sturdy Little Fellow Of
Between Six And Seven, Came Scrambling Up The Stairs. The Maid Opened
The Door For Him, And His Mother Asked, As She Poured Him Out Some
Chocolate, "Who Was It My Freddy Was Talking To Downstairs There By The
Door?"
"It Was The Big Man," Answered The Child, Looking At The Cup With Eager
Eyes.
"The Big Man Is Jacob Worse, And The Little Man Is Yourself, Mr.
Delphin," Explained Fanny, Laughing. "My Son'S Manners Are Not Yet Quite
Perfect. Did The Big Man Ask Who Was Up Here With Mother?"
"He Asked If Aunt Rachel Was In Town," Answered The Child, Putting Out
His Hand For The Cup.
Madeleine Did Not Exactly See What The Others Found So Amusing, But She
Joined In The Laugh, Because Little Freddy Was Her Darling.
"You Are A Dangerous Woman," Said George Delphin, As He Took His Leave;
"I Must Go And Warn My Friend Worse."
"Yes, You Dare!" Cried Fanny, Holding Up Her Taper Finger Threateningly
At Him.
There Was Something Which Madeleine Could Not Exactly Define, That She
Did Not Quite Like, About Fanny. She Noticed It Most When They Were In
The Society Of Men, But Even When They Were Alone The Same Unpleasant
Manner Would Sometimes Appear. She Was Not Accustomed To All These
Questions, Innuendoes, And Allusions, Which Always Seemed To Take The
Chapter 7 Pg 51
Same Direction; But At Last She Became So Fascinated By Her Lively And
Talkative Friend, That
