Horrible Nightmare: "Tell My Mother It Has All Come Right." But Matters
Grew Still Worse When, A Short Time Afterwards, He Presented Himself
Before Mrs. Worse In The Back Room; For Scarcely Had He Pronounced The
Fatal Words, "It Has All Come Right!" Than Mrs. Worse Flew At Him And
Kissed Him Right On His Lips.
This Kiss, In connection With The Smudge Of Ink, Made This Day A
Memorable One For Old Svendsen, And He Used To Reckon From It As An
Epoch Which He Could Never Forget.
The Same Post Brought, Among Other Things, A Note For Morten Garman. He
Opened It, Smiled In a Singular Manner, And Sent It Upstairs To His
Wife. Fanny Took The Two Enclosed Cards, On One Of Which Was Written The
Name Of A Lady, Which She Recognized As Belonging To A Wealthy Family In
Chapter 25 Pg 161
Christiania, And On The Other Was The Name Of George Delphin.
She Stood Before The Looking-Glass With His Card In Her Hand, Observing
Narrowly The Expression On Her Face, While The Genuine Sorrow She Had
Hitherto Felt, Now Turned To Mortification And Bitterness. There Was
Scarce A Shadow To Be Seen On Her Brow While These Sensations Passed
Through Her Heart. She Had Accustomed Herself To These Exercises Before
The Glass; This Was A Grand Rehearsal, And She Bore It Bravely. Only The
Delicate Wrinkles Round Her Eyes Quivered Slightly; But When She Smiled
Again They Made Her As Charming As Ever. No Emotion Should Spoil Her
Beauty; And While These Six Years Of Pain And Sorrow Seemed Again To
Burst Forth, She Stood As Lovely And Undisturbed As Ever, Without Losing
Anything Of Her Self-Command.
At This Moment The Doctor Entered The Room.
"Have You Spoken To My Husband, Doctor?"
"No, Mrs. Garman. Is There Anything The Matter With Him?"
"Has He Anything The Matter With Him! I Am Really Surprised That You
Should Ask Such A Question," Replied Fanny, Sharply. "Can You Not See
That He Is Weary--Overworked? He Must Go To Carlsbad This Year, Or His
Health Will Suffer Severely."
"Oh Yes!" Said The Doctor, Good-Humouredly, "It Might Perhaps Have A
Good Effect; But You Know Yourself That His Answer Always Is That He Has
No Time, And So--"
"Bah!" Answered Fanny; "As If A Doctor Ought To Listen To Rubbish Of
That Sort!"
The Doctor Went Off Straight To The Office, And Succeeded In Frightening
Morten To Such A Degree That The Journey Was Arranged For The Next Week.
Jacob Worse'S "Disappearance," As It Was Called, Caused A Great
Sensation, And The Astonishment Did Not Diminish When A Telegram
Arrived, Announcing His Engagement To Rachel Garman. At The Same Time He
Begged Morten To Arrange Everything For The Wedding, As They Intended To
Be Married Shortly After Their Return Home.
Morten, After Consulting His Wife, Answered That The Doctor Had Ordered
Him Off To Carlsbad At Once; But He Proposed To Meet Them Both In
Copenhagen, Where The Wedding Might Take Place. He Received An Answer
Assenting To His Proposal, And The Day Was Fixed. Although He Had Not
Been Consulted, Morten Was Much Pleased With The Match.
During The Last Six Years, He Had Often Thought Upon The Advice His
Father Had Given Him Before His Death, When He Had Advised Him To Take
Jacob Worse Into Partnership. Morten Had Never Mentioned The Idea To Any
One. He Could Not Reconcile Himself To Such A Humiliation. Now The
Opportunity Came Of Itself, And At A Most Fortunate Time, When He Was On
The Point Of Starting For Abroad. Worse Would, Therefore, Be Able To Get
An Insight Into Everything During His Absence, And There Were Some Weak
Places In The Business Which Were Causing Morten Much Uneasiness.
Chapter 25 Pg 162
Matters Of This Nature Are More Easily Got Over When They Can Be
Explained By Letter.
The Wedding Thus Took Place In copenhagen. Gabriel Was Present At The
Ceremony. He Had Been For Some Time In an Office In england, Whither
They Had Telegraphed To Him From Paris, And He Joined Them At Cologne.
It Was Already More Than Half Settled, That Gabriel Should Take Rachel'S
Place With Barnett Brothers In Paris, A Prospect At Which He Was Quite
Overjoyed.
The Wedding-Breakfast Was Served At The Hotel D'Angleterre, In One Of
The Large _Salons_ Looking Out On The Kongen'S Nytorv. Every One Was In
The Highest Spirits, And Morten Made A Speech In Which He Remarked, That
Garman And Worse Would Now Again Become A Reality.
"And My Old Enemy Aalbom?" Asked Gabriel At Dessert.
"Oh, He Is The Same As Ever," Answered Morten. "The Other Day He Made A
Virulent Speech Somewhere About The Garman Dynasty. He Is Terribly
Bitter Since We Have Ceased Inviting Him To Sandsgaard."
"Poor Aalbom!" Said Gabriel, Thoughtfully. He Was So Happy Himself, And
In Such A Forgiving Mood, That He Sat Down At A Table By The Window, And
Began Sketching, With The Greatest Care And Attention, The Equestrian
Statue On The Kongen'S Nytorv. The Sketch Was Intended As A Present For
Mr. Aalbom.
A Few Days After Each Went To His Own Place; Morten And Fanny To
Carlsbad, Gabriel To England To Arrange His Change Of Quarters, And The
Newly Married Couple Home To Norway.
On The Quay Where The Steamers Landed Their Passengers Was To Be Seen A
Shining New Carriage, With A New Coachman And A New Pair Of Horses. In
The Carriage Sat Mrs. Worse, Wearing A New Silk Mantle And A New Bonnet.
She Had Telegraphed For The Whole Set-Out To Worse'S Agent In
Copenhagen, With Whom The Money Had For Some Time Been Lying Ready.
On The Box Of The Carriage, Huddled Up In a Heap, Sat Mr. Samuelsen.
Mrs. Worse'S Efforts To Make Him Take His Place By Her Side Had Been
Unavailing; He Thought It Was Quite Bad Enough As It Was.
A Group Of Small Boys Were Naturally Standing Round The Carriage, Partly
To See The Horses, And Partly To Have A Good Look At The Dreaded Pitter
Nilken. Suddenly One Of The Young Rascals Took It Into His Head To
Repeat The Well-Known Irritating Verse--Not Exactly Singing Out Loud,
But Only Barely Moving His Lips. The Idea Was Soon Caught Up By His
Comrades, And Wherever The Unhappy Mr. Samuelsen Turned His Head He
Could Read The Couplet On The Busy Lips, And Follow The Song--
"Little Pitter Nilken,
Sitting On His Chair"--
It Was Enough To Drive One Mad.
