Selma Lagerlöf - The Emperor of Portugallia, 1916 by gnosisclassics

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FHE EMPEROR PORTUGALLIA

1 SELMA LAGERLOF

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THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

Books by the Same Author JERUSALEM, A

Novel

(Trans, from Swedish by

Felma Staansion Howard)

CHRIST LEGENDS (Trans, from Swedish by

Felma StoansUm Howard)

WONDERFUL ADVENTURES OF

NILS

(Trans, from Swedish by Felma Swanston Howard)

FURTHER ADVENTURES OF NILS (Trans, from Swedish by Felma Swanston Howard)

GIRL FROM THE MARSH CROFT (Trans, from Swedish by Felma Swanston Howard)

LEGEND OF THE SACRED IMAGE (Trans, from Swedish by Felma Swanston

Howard

MIRACLES OF ANTICHRIST (Trans, from Swedish by Pauline Bancroft Flach)

STORY OF GbSTA BERLING (Trans, from Swedish by Pauline Bancroft Flach)

FROM A SWEDISH HOMESTEAD (Trans, from Swedish by Jessie Brochner)

THE EMPEROR OF

PORTUGALLIA FROM THE SWEDISH OF

SELMA LAGERLOF TRANSLATED BY

VELMA SWANSTON HOWARD

Garden City New York DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY 1916

DOUBLEDAY, PaGE & CoMPANY Ml

rights reserved, including that of translation into foreign languages

Coll«g»

FT CONTENTS

'^P-

BOOK ONE PACK

The Beating Heart

Glory Goldie Sunnycastle

The Christening

The Vaccination Bee

The Birthday

Christmas

Morn

Glory Goldie's

Illness

Calling on Relatives

The School Examination

The Contest

Fishing

Agrippa

Forbidden Fruit

BOOK TWO Lars Gunnarson

The Red Dress

The New Master

96 V

1221886

CONTENTS

PACK

the Mountain-top

The Eve At the

The

104

of Departure

Pier

114

Letter

August Dar Nol

125

October the First

130

The Dream Begins

139

Heirlooms

145

Clothed

152

in Satin

Stars

155

Waiting

160

The Empress

164

The Emperor

169

BOOK THREE The Emperor's Song The Seventeenth

of August

......

177 183

Katrina and Jan

191

Bjorn Hindrickson*s Funeral

198

The Dying Heart

208

Deposed

213

The

222

Catechetical Meeting

An Old

Troll

232

CONTENTS

vii PAOS

The Sunday

after

Midsummer

242

Summemight

259

The Emperor's Consort

270

BOOK FOUR The Welcome Greeting

275

The

286

Flight

296

Held! Jan's Last

Words

The Passing

The

304

of Katrina

Burial of the

Emperor

311

314

BOOK ONE

THE BEATING HEART

JAN

of RufHuck Croft never tired of telling about

the day

when

his little girl

came

into the world.

In the early morning he had been to fetch the midwife, and other helpers;

all

the forenoon and a

good part of the afternoon he had sat on the choppingblock, in the woodshed, with nothing to

Outside

rained in torrents and he

do but to wait.

came

in for his

share of the downpour, although he was said to be under

The

cover.

rain reached

him

in the guise of

dampness

through cracks in the walls and as drops from a leaky then

roof,

all

at once, through the doorless opening of

the shed, the wind swept a regular deluge in upon him.

"I just wonder

anybody thinks I'm glad to have

young one coming?" he muttered, impatiently

that

kicking at a small stick of across the yard.

could

come

"This me!

wood and sending

I, it

girl

and farmhand

When we

got married, Katrina

tired of

drudging as hired

for Eric of Falla, 3

flying

about the worst luck that

was because we were

and

and wanted to

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

plant our feet under our

own

table; Jjut certainly not

to raise children!"

buried his face in his hands and sighed heavily.

was

dampness and the long

plain that the chilly

dreary wait had somewhat to do with putting him in a

bad humour, but they were by no means the only

The

cause. far

"Fve

real reason for his

lament was something

serious.

work every day," he reminded

got to

"work from

early morning

so far I've at least

till

himself,

late in the evening;

had some peace

Now

nights.

but sup-

pose that young one will be squalling the whole night long,

and

I'll

get no rest then, either."

Whereupon an even worse his

hands from before

fear seized him.

his face

Taking

he wrung them so hard

that the knuckles fairly cracked.

managed

"Up

to this we've

to scratch along pretty well, because Katrina

has been free to go out and work, the same as myself,

but

now

she'll

have to

sit

home and take

care of that

young one."

sat staring in front of

had beheld Famine

making straight "Well!" said

itself

him

as hopelessly as if

stalking across the yard and

for his hut. he, bringing his

two

fists

down on the

THE BEATING HEART chopping-block by

say that Falla

I'd only

of emphasis.

known

came to me and

ground, and gave if I

way

just

**I

when

at the time

offered to let

me some

this

Eric of

build on his

old timber for a

had only known then that

want to

little

shack,

would happen,

I'd

have said no to the whole business, and gone on living in the stable-loft at Falla for the rest of

He knew tion to take

these were strong words, but

days."

felt

inclina-

them back.

"Supposing something were to happen began

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

for

.?'*

by that time matters had reached such a

pass with him he would not have minded it

if the child

met with some mish ap before coming into the world

had

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;but

he never finished what he wished to say as he was

in-

terrupted by a faint cry from the other side of the wall.

The woodshed was attached

to the house

itself.

he listened, he heard one peep after the other from within, and knew, of course, for a long while he sat

sorry.

"So

very

what that meant.

still,

Finally he said, with a it's

they might

feeling neither glad nor

little

shrug:

And now, for the in to warm myself!"

here at last! let

me slip

Then,

But that comfort was not to be

love of God,

his so soon!

were more hours of waiting ahead of him.

There

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

The

rain

came down

Though only the

creased.

was

still

as disagreeable as a

climax, he

fell

and

latter part of

November

August,

day.

felt

init

cap the

to brooding over something that

him even more wretched. slighted

and the wind

in sheets

made

that he was being

set aside.

"There are three womenfolk, beside the midwife, in there

"One

with Katrina," he murmured.

of them,

might have taken the trouble to come and

at least,

me whether it's a boy or a girl." He could hear them bustling about,

tell

fire,

they made up

and saw them run out to the well to fetch water,

but of his existence no one seemed to be aware.

a sudden he clapped his hands to his eyes and

began to rock himself backward and forward.

"My

dear Jan Anderson," he said in his mind, "what's

wrong with you?

Why

you? it?

Why

does everything go against

must you always have such

And why

couldn't

looking young

girl,

a dull time of

you have married some good-

instead of that ugly old Katrina

fromFalla?"

He was

so unspeakably wretched

trickled

down between

made

little

his

fingers.

of in the parish,

Even

a few tears

"Why

are

you

good Jan Anderson?

THE BEATING HEART Why

should you always be pushed back for others?

You know self

there are those

and whose work

are just as poor as your-

no better than yours; but no

way you

one gets put down the the matter with you,

who

do.

What can be

my dear Jan Anderson?"

These were queries he had often put to himself, though

in vain,

and he had no hope of finding the an-

swer to them now, either.

After

was nothing wrong with him? planation was that both unfair to

When

all,

perhaps there

Perhaps the only ex-

God and

his

fellowmen were

him ? that thought

from before

his eyes

came

and

to him, he took his hands

tried to put

on a bold

face,

"If you're ever again allowed inside your own house,

good Jan Anderson, you mustn't so much

as glance

toward the young one, but march yourself straight over to the fireplace

and

sit

down, without saying a word.

Or, suppose you get right up and walk away! don't have to

over with.

sit

here any longer

now

with.

know it's

that you

Suppose you show Katrina and the

of the womenfolk that you're not a

man

You rest

to be trifled

..."

He was

just

on the point of

rising,

when the

mistress

of Falla appeared in the doorway of the woodshed, and.

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

with a charming curtsy, bade him come inside to have a peep at the infant.

Had

been any one

herself that

else

had invited him

would have gone

all,

than the mistress of Falla in, it is

doubtful whether he

angry as he was.

to follow, of course, but he took his

tried to

when the

assume the

air

Her he had

own time about

and bearing of Eric of

latter strode across the floor of the

it.

Falla,

town

hall

to deposit his vote in the ballot-box, and succeeded re-

markably well

in looking quite as

solemn and important.

"Please walk in," said the mistress of Falla, opening the door for him, then stepping aside to

One

glance at the

had been cleaned and pot,

room

told

tidied

newly polished and

full

let

him go

first.

him that everything in there.

The

coflPee-

and steaming, stood at

the edge of the hearth, to cool; the table, over by the

window, was spread with a snow-white cover, on which were arranged dainty flowered cups and saucers belonging to the mistress of Falla.

Katrina lay on the

bed and two of the women, who had come to lend a hand, stood pressed against the wall so that he should

and unobstructed view of

have a

free

tions.

Directly in front of the table stood the midwife,

with a bundle on her arm.

all

the prepara-

THE BEATING HEART Jan could not help thinking that

for

once in his

he appeared to be the centre of attraction. glanced up at him appealingly, as

whether he was pleased with too,

all

her.

life

Katrina

wanting to ask

The

other

women,

turned their eyes toward him, expectantly

waiting for some word of praise from him for trouble they had been to on

However,

it is

all

the

his account.

when

not so easy to appear jubilant

one has been half frozen and out of sorts

all

day!

Jan

could not clear his face of that Eric-of-Falla expression,

and stood there without saying a word.

Then

the midwife took a step forward.

was so tiny that that one

stride

The hut

put her square in front

of him, so that she could place the child in his arms.

"Now Jan what

shall

have a peek at the

She's

lassie

I'd call a real baby .'" said the midwife.

And

there stood Jan, holding in his

thing soft and

warm done up

two hands some-

in a big shawl, a

comer

of which had been turned back that he might see the little

wrinkled face and the tiny wizzened hands.

was wondering what the womenfolk expected him to do with that which had been thrust upon him, when he felt

a sudden shock that shook both

him and the

child.

had not come from any of the women and whether

lo it

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

had passed through the child to him or through him

to the child, he could not

Immediately

after,

in his breast as

was no longer

tell.

the heart of

had never done

All

prehend

why

there

Nor

climbing

"My

did he feel

But he could not com-

was a thumping and a beating

when he had not been dancing,

breast,

to beat

Now

before.

cold, or sad, or worried.

was well with him.

angry.

him began

in his

or running, or

hills.

good woman," he said to the midwife, "do

lay your

hand here and

feel

heart!

seems to

beat so queerly."

"Why,

a regular attack of the heart!" the mid-

it*s

"But perhaps

wife declared.

you're subject to these

spells?"

"No," he

assured her.

"I've never had one before

not just in this way."

" Do you

feel

bad ?

Are you

in pain ?"

"Oh, no!"

Then the midwife could not make out what him.

"Anyhow,"

said she, "I'll relieve

ailed

you of the

child."

But now Jan child.

"Ah,

let

felt

he did not want to give up the

hold the

little

girl!"

he pleaded.

THE BEATING HEART The womenfolk must have

read something in his

eyes, or caught something in his tone that pleased for the midwife's

other

women

all

mouth had

them:

a peculiar quirk and the

burst out laughing.

"Say Jan, have you never cared body that your heart has been

set

much

for

some-

athrobbing because

of her?" asked the midwife.

"No indeed!" But

at that

said Jan.

moment he knew what

quickened the heart

him.

was that had

Moreover he was begin-

ning to perceive what had been amiss with him life,

all

his

and that he whose heart does not respond to either

joy or sorrow can hardly be called human.

GLORY GOLDIE SUNNYCASTLE

THE

following

day Jan of Ruffluck Croft stood

waiting for hours on the doorstep of his hut, with the

This, too, different

little girl in his

was a long

from the day

wait.

before.

arms.

But now

He was

was

all

standing there

good company that he could become neither

in such

weary nor disheartened.

Nor could he begin to tell how good it felt to be holding the warm little body pressed

close to his heart.

It occurred to

him that hitherto he

had been mighty sour and unpleasant, even to himself;

but

He had

now

all

was

bliss

and sweetness within him.

never dreamed that one could be so gladdened

by just loving some one.

He had

not stationed himself on the doorstep with-

out a purpose, as

may

be assumed.

was an impor-

tant matter that he must try to settle while standing there.

He and

Katrina had spent the whole morning

trying to choose a at

name

for the child.

They had been

for hours, without arriving at a decision.

Finally

GLORY GOLDIE SUNNYCASTLE

Katrina had said: "I don't see but that you'll have to take the child and go stand on the stoop with her.

Then you can ask what her name give to the

Now

girl,

the

female that happens along

and the name she names we must

is,

first

ugly or pretty."

the hut lay rather out of the

way and

was

seldom that any one passed by their place; so Jan had to stand out there ever so long, without seeing a soul.

This was also a gray day, though no rain

fell.

was

not windy and cold, however, but rather a bit sultry. If

Jan had not held the

have

little girl in his

arms he would

lost heart.

"My

dear Jan Anderson," he would have said to

himself.

down

"You must remember

in the Ashdales,

that you live

away

by Dove Lake, where there

isn't

but one decent farmhouse and here and there a poor Who'll you find hereabout with a

fisherman's hut.

name

that's pretty

But

since this

enough to give to your

was something which concerned

daughter he never doubted that

stood looking

to see

how

Httle girl?"

down toward

all

would come

the lake, as

thought

right.

not caring

shut in from the whole countryside

in its rock-basin.

his

lay,

might just happen

that some high-toned lady, with a grand name, would

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

come rowing

across from Doveness,

of the lake.

Because of the Httle

this

would come to

The

on the south shore he

girl

felt

almost sure

pass.

child slept the

whole time; so for

all

of her he

could have stood there and waited as long as he liked.

But the worrisome person was Katrina!

Every other

minute she would ask him whether any one had come along yet and

infant out in the

Jan turned

he thought

damp

air

little

prudent to keep the

longer.

up toward Great Peak,

his eyes

high above the

any

rising

groves and garden-patches of the

Ashdales, like a watch tower atop some huge fortress,

keeping

all

strangers at a distance.

possible that

some great

lady,

Still it

might be

who had been up

to the

Peak, to view the beautiful landscape, had taken the

wrong path back and strayed

in the direction of RufF-

luck.

He was

The

quieted Katrina as well as he could.

safe enough, he assured her.

Now

child

that he had

stood out there so long he wanted to wait another

minute or

Not

so.

a soul hove in sight, but he

he just stuck to be otherwise.

it,

was confident that

the help would come.

could not

would not have surprised him

GLORY GOLDIE SUNNYCASTLE queen

in a golden chariot

had come driving over moun-

and through thickets, to bestow her name upon

tains

his little girl.

More moments

passed,

and he knew that dusk

Then he would not be

would soon be

falling.

there longer.

Katrina looked at the clock, and again

begged him to come

**I

think

something peeping out over west."

The sky had been that

stand

inside.

"Just you be patient a second!" he said. I see

let

moment

overcast the whole day, but at

the sun* came bursting out from behind

the clouds, and darted a few rays

down toward

the

child.

"I don't wonder at your wanting to have a peek at the liT lassie before you go down," said Jan to the sun.

"She's something worth seeing!"

The sun came a rose-coloured

"Maybe

forth, clearer

and

clearer,

and shed

glow over both the child and the hut.

you'd

like to

be godmother to 'er?" said

Jan of Ruffluck.

To which beamed

for a

the sun

made no

direct reply.

She just

moment, then drew her mist-cloak about

her and disappeared. *In Swedish the sun

feminine.

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

"Was any one

Once again Katrina was heard from. "I thought

there?" asked she. to somebody.

You'd better come

heard you talking

inside

now."

"Yes, now I'm coming," he answered, and stepped

"Such

in.

a grand old aristocrat just

she was in so great a hurry

went by!

But

had barely time to say

*go'day' to her, before she was gone." **

How

Goodness me!

trina.

"And

after

provoking!" exclaimed Ka-

we'd waited so.long, too!

suppose

you didn't have a chance to ask what her name was.?"

"Oh, that

yes.

much

Her name

I got

Glory Goldie Sunnycastle

out of her."

"Glory Goldie Sunnycastle/

But won't that name

be a bit too dazzling.?" was Katrina's only comment.

Jan of Ruffluck was positively astonished for

at himself

having hit upon something so splendid as making

the sun godmother to his child. a changed laid in his

man from arms!

the

moment

He had the

indeed become

little girl

was

first

THE CHRISTENING

WHEN

the

little girl

of Ruffluck Croft

was to be

taken to the parsonage, to be christened, that father of hers behaved so foolishly that

Katrina and the godparents were quite put out with him. It

â&#x20AC;˘

was the wife of Eric of Falla who was to bear the

child to the christening.

She sat in the cart with the

infant while Eric of Falla, himself, walked alongside

the vehicle, and held the reins. road,

all

the

way

to Doveness,

The

was

first

part of the

so wretched

could

hardly be called a road, and of course Eric had to drive

very carefully, since he had the unchristened child to convey.

Jan had himself brought the child from the house it

over to the godmother, and had seen them

one knew better than he into what good

and turned set out.

hands

was being

intrusted.

And

he also knew that

Eric of Falla was just as confident at handling the reins 17

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

«8

as at everything else.

—why she had

for Eric's wife

borne and reared seven children; therefore he should not have

felt

the least bit uneasy.

way and Jan had

again

his digging, a terrible sense of fear

came

Once they were gone back to over him.

What

well on their

the parson should drop the child ? of Falla should wrap too girl,

What

Eric's horse should shy?

many

so she'd be smothered

What if the

mistress

shawls around the

when they

little

arrived with her

at the parsonage f

argued with himself that

borrow trouble, when

his child

stilled.

had such godfolk

Of a sudden he dropped

for the parsonage just as he

was wrong

was

his

When

as the

spade and started

—taking the short cut

across the heights, and running at top speed

way.

him to

Yet his anxiety would not

master and mistress of Falla. be

all

the

Eric of Falla drove into the stable-yard

of the parsonage the

first

person that met his eyes was

Jan of Ruffluck.

Now,

not considered the proper thing for the

father or mother to be present at the christening, and

Jan saw his

him

once that the Falla folk were displeased at

coming to the parsonage. to

come and help with the

Eric did not beckon to horse, but unharnessed

THE CHRISTENING

the beast himself, and the mistress of Falla, drawing

the child closer to her, crossed the yard and went into the parson's kitchen, without saying a word to Jan. Since the godparents would not so

much

as notice

him, he dared not approach them; but when the god-

mother swept past him he heard a from the bundle on her arm.

little

Then he

piping sound at least

knew

the child had not been smothered.

felt it

was stupid

him not to have gone home

But now he was so sure the parson would drop

once.

the child, that he had to stay.

lingered a

moment

in the stable-yard,

straight over to the house

then went

and up the steps into the

hallway. It is

the worst possible form for the father to appear

before the clergyman, particularly

when

his child

such sponsors as Eric of Falla, and his wife.

has

When

the door to the pastor's study swung open and Jan of

Ruffluck in his soiled workaday clothes calmly shuffled into the room, just after the pastor service

had begun the

and there was no way of driving him out, the

godparents swore to themselves that once they were

home they would take him unseemly behaviour.

severely to task for his

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

The

christening passed off as

slightest occasion for a mishap,

had nothing

for his intrusion.

should without the

and Jan of Ruffluck

Just before the close of

the service he opened the door and quietly slipped out

He saw

again, into the hallway.

of course that every-

thing seemed to go quite smoothly and nicely without his help.

In a

little

while Eric of Falla and his wife also

out into the

hall.

They were going

came

to the

across

kitchen, where the mistress of Falla had left the child's

outer wraps and shawls.

Eric went ahead and opened

the door for his wife, whereupon two kittens came darting into the hallway and tumbled over each other right in front of the

woman's

herself going headlong

"I'm

falling

feet, tripping her.

steadied her.

life,"

when

will

killed

and

I'll

a strong hand seized and

Looking round she saw that her rescuer

was Jan Anderson of Ruffluck, who had hallway as

felt

and barely had time to think:

with the child;

heartbroken for

She

lingered in the

knowing he would be needed

fore she could recover herself sufficiently to

there.

Be-

thank him,

he was gone.

And when

she and her husband

there stood Jan digging away.

came driving home,

After the accident had

THE CHRISTENING been averted, he had

felt

that he might safely go back

to his work.

Neither Eric nor his wife said a word to him about his

unseemly behaviour.

invited as he

him

Instead, the mistress of Falla

in for afternoon coffee,

was from working in the wet

muddy and begrimed

soil.

THE VACCINATION BEE

WHEN

the

little girl

of Ruffluck was to be vac-

cinated no one questioned the right of her father to

The

wish.

her, since that

was

his

vaccinating took place one evening late in

When

August.

accompany

Katrina

home, with the

left

child, it

was so dark that she was glad to have some one along

who

could help her over

difficulties

The

and ditches, and other

stiles

of the wretched road.

vaccination bee was held that year at Falla.

The housewife had made living-room

and thought

a big it

fire

on the hearth in the

unnecessary to furnish any

other illumination, except a thin tallow candle that

burned on a small

table, at

perform

work.

his surgical

The Ruffluck

folk, as well as

room uncommonly back

which the sexton was to

light,

every one

although

as if a dark-gray wall

was

else,

dim

at the

had been raised there

making the room appear smaller than

was.

in this semi-darkness could be dimly seen a 22

found the

And

group of

THE VACCINATION BEE women with babes

and

in every

and tended

fed,

arms that had to be trundled, way.

The mothers were busy unwinding shawls and mufflers

from their

little

and

ones, drawing off their slips,

unloosing the bands of their undershirts, so that the

upper portion of their

little

bodies could be easily

exposed when the sexton called them up to the operating table. It

was remarkably quiet

there were so place.

many

little

in the

cry-babies

The youngsters seemed

room, considering all

gathered in one

to be having such a

good time gazing at one another they forgot to make a noise.

The mothers were

to hear

quiet because they

what the sexton had

wanted

to say; for he kept

up a

steady flow of small talk.

"There's no fun looking at shall see

all

going about vaccinating and

the pretty babies," said he.

whether

it's

"Now we

a fine lot you've brought

this

year."

The man was not only the sexton he had lived master.

all

He had

his

life,

of the parish, where

but he was also the school-

vaccinated the mothers, had taught

them, and seen them confirmed and married.

he was going to vaccinate their babies.

Now

This was the

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

children's first contact with the

such an important part in their

man who was

lives.

seemed to be a good beginning.

the other

came forward and

One mother

down on

sat

its

bared

smooth baby

made

much

as a peep

coming

fireplace to let the vaccine

dry

Meantime she thought of what the sexton had

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;that

some day be a up to be

was

large

its

in.

said

and beautiful and would

credit to the family; that

good as

all

Afterward the mother took her

from the youngster.

of her child

fall

the three tiny scratches in the

without so

skin,

baby over to the

would

arm; and the sexton, chattering

left

the while, then

after

a chair at the

table, each holding her child so that the light

upon

to play

would grow

father and grandfather

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;or even

better.

Everything passed until

off thus peacefully

came to Katrina's turn

and quietly

at the table with her

Glory Goldie.

The

little girl

simply would not be vaccinated.

screamed and fought and kicked.

hush her and the sexton spoke but

did no good.

softly

The poor

little

She

Katrina tried to

and gently to her; thing was uncon-

trollably frightened.

Katrina had to take her away and try to get her

THE VACCINATION BEE Then

quieted.

a big, sturdy boy-baby let himself be

But the instant

vaccinated with never a whimper.

Katrina was back at the table with her started

afresh.

girl

the trouble

She could not hold the child

long enough for the sexton to

make even

still

a single in-

cision.

Now

there

was no one

left

Katrina was in despair because of

Goldie of Ruffluck.

her child's bad behaviour.

do about

it,

to vaccinate but Glory

She did not know what to

when Jan suddenly emerged from the

shadow of the door and took the

Then Katrina

got up to let

child in his arms.

him take her place

at the

table.

"You

just try

let's see

whether

you'll

did not regard the

whom

once!" she said scornfully, "and

do any better."

little

For Katrina

toil-worn servant from Falla

she had married as in any sense her superior.

Before sitting down, Jan slipped off his jacket.

must have

rolled

his shirt sleeve while

the dark, at the back of the room, for his

standing in

left

arm was

bared.

He wanted

much

to be vaccinated, he said.

had never been vaccinated but once, and there was nothing

the world he feared so

much

as the smallpox.

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

The instant quiet,

the

little girl

and looked

saw his bare arm she became

at her father with wide,

comprehend-

She followed closely every movement of the

ing eyes.

sexton, as he put in the three short red strokes on the

Glancing from one to the other, she noticed that

arm.

her father was not faring so very badly.

When

the sexton had finished with Jan, the latter

turned to him, and said

"The

liT lassie

still

now

that

maybe you can

try it."

The The

sexton tried, and this time everything went well.

little girl

was

as quiet as a

mouse the whole time

the same knowing look in her eyes.

The sexton

also

kept silence until he had finished; then he said to the father:

"If you did that only to calm the as well

have made believe

"No, Sexton," succeeded.

You

said Jan,

child,

could just

"then you would not have

never saw the Hke of that child!

don't imagine you can get her to believe in something

that isn't

what

passes for."

THE BIRTHDAY

THE little girFs first birthday her father was

out digging in the recall to

mind how

when he had no one the

field;

when he

field at Falla; it

had been

he tried to

in the old days,

to think about while at

work

did not have the beating heart in

him, and when he had no longings and was never anxious.

"To in

think that a

contempt of

man

can be

of Falla or as strong as Borje, it

that!" he mused

were as rich as Eric

who

digs here beside me,

"If

his old self.

would be as nothing to having a throbbing heart

your breast.

That's the only thing that counts."

Glancing over at his comrade, a powerfully built fellow

who

could do again as

he noticed that to-day the as rapidly as usual

much work

man had

as himself,

not gone ahead

with the digging.

They worked by

the job.

Borje always took upon

himself more work than did Jan, yet they always ished at about the

same time. a?

fin-

That day, however,

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

28 it

went slowly

Jan, but was

for Borje; he did not

left far

even keep up with

behind.

But then Jan had been working

for all

that he might the sooner get back to his

day he had longed

for her

more than

he was worth,

little girl.

usual.

That

She was

always drowsy evenings; so unless he hurried home early, he

when he

was

likely to find her asleep for the night

got home.

When Jan had

completed

his

was not even half through. happened before gether,

work he saw that Borje

Such a thing had never

in all the years

they had worked to-

and Jan was so astonished he went over to

him.

down

in the ditch, trying to

He had

stepped on a piece of

Borje was standing deep loosen a clump of sod. glass,

and received an ugly gash on the bottom of

foot, so that

he could hardly step on

it.

his

Imagine the

torture of having to stand and push the spade into the soil

with an injured foot!

"Aren't you going to quit soon?" asked Jan.

"I'm obliged comrade. till

the

to finish this job to-day," replied the

"I can't get any grain from Eric of Falla

work

done, and we're

"Then go '-night

all

out of rye-meal."

for to-day," said Jan.

THE BIRTHDAY

He was too tired and done up

Borje did not respond.

to give even the customary good-night salutation.

Jan of Ruffluck walked to the edge of the

but

field;

there he halted.

"What

does

you come home

matter to the

But Borje has seven kid-

home, and no food

them starve

" She's

for her birthday ? " he thought.

just as well off without you. dies at

whether or not

little girl

so that

for them.

Shall

you

let

you can go home and play with

Glory Goldie?"

Then he wheeled round, walked back got

down

into the ditch to help him.

tired after his day's toil It

to Borje, and

Jan was rather

and could not work very

fast.

was almost dark when they got through.

"Glory Goldie must be thought Jan, when he

asleep

finally

this

long while,"

put in the spade for the

last bit of earth.

"Go'-night for to-day," he called back to Borje for the second time.

"Go'-night," returned Borje, the help.

Now

Another time

I'll

"and thanks

to you for

must hurry along and get

give you a

"I don't want any pay.

lift, .

"Don't you want anything

rye.

be sure of that! .

Go'-night!"

for helping

me?" asked

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

30 Borje. all

What*s come over you, that you're so stuck-up

once?"

"Well, you

"And

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

see, it's

it's

for that I got help

the lassie's birthday to-day.'*

with

my digging?"

"Yes, for that and for something

else, too!

Well

good bye to you!'*

Jan hurried away so

what that something tip of his

as not to be else

was.

tongue to say: "To-day

Goldie's birthday, but

it's

tempted to explain had been on the is

not only Glory

also the birthday of

heart." It

was

as well, perhaps, that he did not say

it,

for

Borje would surely have thought Jan had gone out of his mind.

CHRISTMAS MORN

CHRISTMAS

morning Jan took the

little

girl

along with him to church; she was then just

one year and four months Katrina thought the

girl

old.

rather young to attend

church and feared she would set up a howl, as she had

done at the vaccination bee; but inasmuch as the custom to take the

Matins, Jan had his

So at

was

It air

five o'clock

little

was

ones along to Christmas

own way. on Christmas ^(lom they

all

set out.

pitch dark and cloudy, but not cold; in fact the

was almost balmy, and quite

still,

usually

toward the end of December. Before coming to an open highway, they had to walk

along a narrow winding path, through

fields

and groves

in the Ashdales, then take the steep winter-road across

Snipa Ridge.

The

big farmhouse at Falla, with lighted candles at

every window, stood out as a beacon to the Ruffluck folk, so that

they were able to find their 31

way

to Borje's

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

hut; there they met some of their neighbours, bearing

Each

torches they had prepared on Christmas Eve.

torch-bearer led a small group of people most of followed in silence; but they, too, like the Wise star, in

quest of the

When pass

all

were happy; they

Men

whom that

felt

of old, were following a

new-bom King.

they came to the forest heights they had to a huge stone which

had been hurled

at Svartsjo

Church, by a giant down in Frykerud, but which, luckily,

had gone over the steeple and dropped here

When the church-goers came along, the

on Snipa Ridge.

But they knew,

stone lay, as usual, on the ground.

they did, that in the night twelve golden

pillars

and feasted under It

had been

and that the

trolls

raised

upon

had danced

it.

was not so very pleasant to have to walk past a

stone like that!

Jan looked over

whether she was holding the trina,

little girl

Katrina to see securely.

Ka-

calm and unconcerned, walked along, chatting

with one of their neighbours.

She was quite oblivious,

apparently, to the terrors of the place.

The spruce

old and gnarled,

and

were dotted with clumps of snow.

trees

their branches

up there were

seen in the glow of the torch light, one could not but

CHRISTMAS MORN

think that some of the trees were really

trolls,

with

gleaming eyes beneath snow hats, and long sharp claws protruding from thick snow mittens.

was

all

very well so long as they held themselves

still.

But what

forth

special

one of them should suddenly stretch

hand and

somebody?

seize

There was no

danger for grown-ups and old people; but Jan

had always heard that the ness for small children

had a great fond-

trolls

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;the

smaller the better.

seemed to him that Katrina was holding the girl

very carelessly.

the huge clawlike her.

arms

in a

the

would be no

little

trick at all for

hands to snatch the child from

troll

course he could not take the baby out of her

dangerous spot

like this, for that

might cause

trolls to act.

Murmurs and whispers now

passed from tree-troll

to tree-troll; the branches creaked as

they were about

to bestir themselves.

Jan did not dare ask the others

what he

did.

they saw or heard

question of that sort might be the

very thing to rouse the

In this agony of suspense

trolls.

he knew of but one thing to do he struck up a psalm-tune. :

He had

a poor singing voice

any one could hear him.

and had never before sung so

He was

weak

at carrying a

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

tune that he was afraid to sing out even in church; but

now he had to sing, no matter how

went.

that the neighbours were a Httle surprised.

He observed Those who

walked ahead of him nudged each other and looked round; but that did not stop him; he had to continue.

Immediately one of the womenfolk whispered to him: "Wait a

bit,

Jan, and

I'll

help you."

She took up the Christmas carol

ody and the

correct key.

among

singing in the night

body joined "Hail

in the correct

sounded beautiful,

melthis

the trees, and soon every-

in.

Blessed

foretold," rang out

came from the

Morn, on the

tree-trolls;

by prophets' air.

holy

murmur

words

of anguish

they bowed their heads so

that their wicked eyes were no longer visible, and drew in their claws

under spruce needles and snow.

the last measure of the

first

When

stanza died away, no one

could have told that there was anything besides ordi-

nary old spruce trees on the forest heights.

The

torches that

had lighted the Ashdales folk

through the woods were burned out when they came to the highroad; but here they went on, guided by the lights

from peasant huts.

When

one house was out of

CHRISTMAS MORN

they glimpsed another in the distance, and every

sight,

house along the road had candles burning at

all

the win-

dows, to guide the poor wanderers on their way to church.

last

they came to a hillock, from which the church

There stood the House of God,

could be seen.

some

gigantic lantern, light streaming out through

windows.

When

their breath.

After

its

like all

the foot-farers saw this, they held all

the

little,

low-windowed huts

they had passed along the way, the church looked marvellously big and marvellously bright.

sight of the sacred edifice

Jan

about some poor folk in Palestine, in the night

to thinking

who had wandered

from Bethlehem to Jerusalem with a

their only comfort in the

fell

child,

and joy, who was to be circumcised

Temple of the Holy

City.

These parents had

way in the darkness of night, for were many who sought the life of their child. The people from the Ashdales had left home to grope their

there

early hour, so as to reach the church ahead of those

who

drove thither.

But when they were quite near the

church grounds,

sleighs,

ling bells,

went

with foaming horses and jing-

flying past, forcing the poor foot-farers

to take to the snow banks, at the edge of the road.

Jan now carried the

child.

He was

continually

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

dodging vehicles, for the tramp along the road had be-

come very temple;

and

tered,

But before them lay the shining

difficult.

they could only get to safe

they would be shel-

from harm.

Suddenly, from behind, there came a deafening noise

of clanging bells and clamping hoofs.

drawn by two

horses,

young gentleman,

sat a

cap, and his

young

was coming.

huge

the front seat

and a high fur

in a fur coat

The gentleman was

wife.

sledge,

driving;

behind him stood his coachman, holding a burning torch so high that the draft blew the flame backward, leaving

wake

in its

a long trail of

smoke and

flying sparks.

Jan, with the child in his arms, stood at the edge of

the snowbank.

All at once his foot sank deep in the

snow, and he came near

man

in the sledge

drew

falling.

rein

Quickly the gentle-

and shouted to the peasant,

whom he had forced from the road: "Hand with

us.

over the child and It's risky

carrying a

many teams out." "Much obliged to you,"

shall ride to the little

church

baby when there

are so

can get along

all

"We'll put the

young wife.

said

Jan Anderson, "but

right." little girl

between

us,

Jan," said the

CHRISTMAS MORN

"Thanks," he returned, "but you needn*t trouble yourselves

"So you're

man

laughed the

The

afraid

us with

trust

in the sledge,

child?'*

and drove on.

foot-farers trudged along

under ever-increasing

Every horse

Sledge followed sledge.

difficulties.

the

the parish was in harness that Christmas morning.

"You might have trina.

"I'm

"What, thinking

of,

let

him take the

Ka-

girl," said

afraid you'll fall with her!"

him have

let

woman!

Didn't you see

"What harm would

What are you who he was?"

child?

there have been in letting her

ride with the superintendent of the ironworks ?

Jan Anderson of Rufiluck stood

"Was

stockstill.

that the superintendent at Doveness?" he said, looking as

though he had just come out of a dream. " Why of course

Whom did you suppose it was

Yes, where had Jan's thoughts been?

had he been carrying?

What

child

Where had he intended going?

In what land had he wandered

stood stroking his

forehead, and looked rather bewildered

when he

an-

swered Katrina. "I thought

was Herod, King of Judea, and

Herodias," he said.

his wife,

GLORY GOLDIE'S ILLNESS

WHEN

the

old she

little girl

had an

of Ruffluck was three years

illness

which must have been

the scarlet fever, for her all

little

She would not

over and burning hot to the touch.

eat,

body was red

nor could she sleep; she just lay tossing in delirium.

Jan could not think of going away from home so long

stayed in the hut day after day,

as she

was

and

looked as though Eric of Falla's rye would go un-

sick.

threshed that year. It

was Katrina who nursed the

little girl,

the quilt over her every time she cast fed her a

little

who

it off,

spread

and who

diluted blueberry cordial, which the

housewife at Falla had sent them.

When

maid was well Jan always looked

after her;

soon as she became

ill

the

little

but as

he was afraid to touch her,

lest

he might not handle her carefully enough and would only hurt her. sat in a corner

never stirred from the house, but

by the hearth

the sick child. 38

all

day, his eyes fixed on

GLORY GOLDIE'S ILLNESS The

little

one lay

in her

own

crib with only a couple

of straw pillows under her, and no sheets.

have been hard on the delicate tive

little

by rash and inflammation,

body,

lie

must

made

sensi-

upon the coarse

tow-cloth pillow-casings.

Strange to say, every time the child began to toss

on the bed Jan would think of the

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

name

to his

his

Sunday

finest

thing he had

shirt.

He possessed only one good shirt, which was of smooth white linen, with a starched front. that

of that shirt.

The

rest of his

in constant use,

casings the

little girl

But maybe of that shirt?

him

was so well made

would have been quite good enough

superintendent at Doveness.

was

ruin

it,

was

And Jan was very proud wearing apparel, which

as coarse as

were the pillow-

lay on.

was only stupid

him

Katrina would never

for she

for the

had given

to be thinking

in the

him

as a

world

let

wedding

present.

Anyhow, Katrina was doing

all

she could.

She bor-

rowed a horse from Eric of Falla, wrapped the one her.

little

shawls and quilts and rode to the doctor's with

That was courageous of Katrina

could not see that

did any good.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;though

Jan

Certainly no help

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

came out of the

big medicine bottle she brought back

with her from the apothecary's, nor from any of the doctor's other prescriptions.

Perhaps he would not be allowed to keep so rare a jewel as the

for her the best that he had,

not be easy to

stand

make

was ready to

unless he

little girl,

mused

he.

But

sacrifice it

would

a person of Katrina's sort under-

this.

Old Finne-Karin came into the hut one day while the girl

lay sick.

all

either,

She knew how to cure sickness

in animals,

persons of her race, and she was not so bad,

at conjuring

worms; but

away

styes and boils

for other ailments

of consulting her.

and

ring-

one would scarcely think

was hardly the thing to expect

help from a witch doctor for anything but trifling complaints.

The moment

the old

woman

she noticed that the child was

her that advice.

had the

scarlet fever,

stepped into the room ill.

Katrina informed

but nobody sought her

That the parents were anxious and troubled

she must have seen, of course, for as soon as Katrina

had treated her to

coffee

and Jan had given her a piece

of plug-tobacco, she said, entirely of her

"This sickness

beyond

own

accord:

healing powers; but

GLORY GOLDIE'S ILLNESS 41 this much Fm able to tell you; you can find out whether it's life

Keep awake

or death.

till

midnight, then, on

the stroke of twelve, place the tip of the forefinger of

your like,

left

hand against the

and look through

carefully

who

know what

lies

tip of the little finger, eyelet-

the young one.

Notice

beside her in the bed, and you'll

to expect."

Katrina thanked her kindly, knowing

was best to

keep on the good side of such folk; but she had no notion of doing as she

had been

told.

Jan attached no importance to the advice,

thought of nothing but the

shirt.

either.

But how would

he ever be able to muster courage enough to ask Katrina if

he might tear up his wedding shirt?

girl

That the

little

would not get any better on that account he under-

stood, to be sure, and just be throwing

she must die anyhow, he would

away.

Katrina went to bed that evening at her usual hour,

but Jan

felt

too troubled to sleep.

he could see

how Glory

Seated in his corner,

Goldie was

suflPering.

That

which she had under her was too rough and coarse.

sat thinking

make up soft

how

bed for the

and smooth.

nice

would be

little girl

he could only

that would feel cool and

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

His

shirt, freshly

bureau drawer.

laundered and unused, lay in the

same time he

at the

Katrina to use her

However,

him

It hurt

felt

gift as a

to think of

its

being there;

would hardly be

fair to

sheet for the child.

drew on toward midnight and Katrina

was sleeping soundly, he went over to the bureau and took out the

First he tore

shirt.

away the

stiff front,

then

the shirt into two parts, whereupon he slipped

slit

one piece under the

little girl's

body, and spread the

other one between the child and the heavy quilt that

covered her.

That done, he took up his

vigil.

stole

back to

He had

clock struck twelve.

his

comer and again

not sat there long

when the

Almost without thinking of what

he was doing he put the two fingers of his

left

hand up

to his eye, ring fashion, and peeped through at the

bed.

And God !

lo,

at the edge of the

was

all

bed sat a

little

angel of

scratched, and bleeding, from contact

with the coarse bedding, and was about to go away,

when

turned and

felt

of the fine shirt, running

tiny hands over the smooth white linen. twinkling,

swung

its legs

Then,

inside the edge of the

and lay down again, to watch over the

child.

its

in a

bed

At the

GLORY GOLDIE'S ILLNESS

same time up one of the bedposts crawled something black and hideous, which on seeing that the angel of

God seemed about

to depart, stuck

its

bedside and grinned with glee, thinking inside

and

lie

But when child, hell,

down

could creep

in the angel's place.

saw that the angel of God still guarded the

began to writhe as

suffering the torments of

and shrank back toward the

The next day ery.

head over the

the

little girl

floor.

was on the road to recov-

Katrina was so glad the fever was broken that

she had not the heart to say anything about the spoiled

wedding

shirt,

though she probably thought to herself

that she had a fool of a husband.

CALLING ON RELATIVES

ONE

set

Sunday afternoon Jan and Glory Goldie out together in the direction of the big

forest; the little girl

and

Silent

walked

hand

father

serious, in

solemn mission.

was then

hand,

They went

in her fifth year.

and

little

bent

daughter

upon a very

past the shaded birch

grove, their favourite haunt, past the wild-strawberry hill

and the winding brook, without stopping; then,

disappearing in an easterly direction, they went into

the densest part of the forest; nor did they stop there.

By and by they came above Loby. From there they

Wherever could they be going? out on a wooded

hill

went down to the scale-pan, where country-road and town-road

cross.

They

did not go to Nasta or to Nysta,

and never even glanced toward Dar Fram and Pa Valln, but went farther and farther into the could

village.

have told just where they were bound

one for.

Surely they could not be thinking of calling upon the

Hindricksons, here in Loby.? 44

CALLING ON RELATIVES

be sure Bjorn Hindrickson's wife was a half-

sister

of Jan's mother, so that Jan was actually related

to the richest people in the parish, and he had a right

But

to call Hindrickson and his wife uncle and aunt.

heretofore he had never claimed kinship with these

Even

people.

to Katrina he

had barely mentioned

the fact that he had such high connections.

always step out of the

way when he saw Bjorn

Jan would Hindrick-

son coming, and not even at church did he go up and

shake hands with him.

But now that Jan had such

remarkable

little

daughter he was something more than just a poor labourer.

He had

a jewel to

which to adorn himself.

show and

a flower with

Therefore he was as rich as

the richest, as great as the greatest, and

now he was going

straight to the big house of Bjorn Hindrickson to his respects to his fine relatives, for the first his

pay

time in

life.

The

visit at

the big house was not a long one.

than an hour after their

arrival,

Jan and the

In less

little girl

were crossing the house-yard toward the gate. at the gate

Jan stopped and glanced back, as

minded to go

in again.

But half-

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

no reason to regret

certainly had

Bjom Hin-

he and the child had been well" received. drickson's wife had taken the

over to the

girl

little

blue cupboard, and given her a cookie and a

Bjom

sugar, and

name and

Both

his call.

lump

Hindrickson himself had asked her

her age; whereupon he had opened his big

leather purse and presented her with a bright

new

sixpence.

Jan had been served with

coffee,

and

his

aunt had

asked after Katrina and had wondered whether they

kept a cow or a

and

pig,

and

their hut

was

cold in winter

the wages Jan received from Eric of Falla were

sufficient for their needs.

No, there was nothing about the troubled Jan.

When

visit itself

he had chatted a while with the

Hindricksons they had excused themselves

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;saying they were

quite proper

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;which was

invited to a tea that

afternoon and would be leaving in half an hour.

had

risen at

that

Jan

once and said good-bye, knowing they must

allow themselves time to dress.

Then

his

aunt had

gone into the pantry and had brought out butter and bacon, had

with

flour,

filled

and had

little

tied

bag with barley, and another

them

all

into a single parcel,

which she had put into Jan's hand at parting.

was

CALLING ON RELATIVES just a little something for Katrina, she

had

should have some recompense for staying at

said.

She

home

look after the house. It

was

this parcel

He knew that

in the

Jan stood there pondering over.

bundle were

all

sorts of

good things

to eat, the very things they longed for at every meal at Ruffluck,

to keep

still

felt it

would be unfair to the

little girl

it.

He had

not come to the Hindricksons as a beggar,

but simply to see his kinsfolk.

did not wish

to entertain any false notions as to that.

them

This thought

had come to him instantly the parcel was handed to him, but his regard for the Hindricksons was so great that

he would not have dared refuse

Now, turning back from

it.

the gate, he walked over to

the barn and put the parcel

down near

the door, where

the housefolk constantly passed and would be sure to see

it.

He was

sorry to have to leave

was no beggar! father

Nobody must

went about asking alms.

it.

But

his little girl

think that she and her

THE SCHOOL EXAMINATION

WHEN

the

little

girl

was

six years old

Jan

went along with her to the Ostanby school one day, to

This being the

first

listen to the examinations.

and only schoolhouse the parish

boasted, naturally every one was glad that at last a long-felt

want had been met.

In the old days Sexton

Blackie had no choice but to go about from farmhouse to farmhouse with his pupils.

until the year i860,

built, the

when the Ostanby

school

sexton had been compelled to change class-

rooms every other week, and many a time he and little

pupils

had

sat in a

prepared meals and the

man

of the house worked at a

and the chickens were cooped under the just the

same

been a

respect in

relief to

him

all

day

sofa.

had gone rather well with the

teaching; for Sexton Blackie was a

command

his

room where the housewife

carpenter's bench; where the old folk lay abed

But

was

weathers.

to be allowed to 48

man who

Still it

work

could

must have

in a

room that

THE SCHOOL EXAMINATION was to be used only

for school purposes;

where the walls

were not lined with cubby-beds and shelves

with

filled

pots and pans and tools; where there was no obstructing

loom

in front of the

and where

women

window

to shut out the daylight,

neighbours could not drop in for a

friendly chat over the coffee cups during school hours.

Here the walls were hung with

illustrations of Bible

stories,

with animal pictures and portraits of Swedish

kings.

Here the children had

benches, and did not have to

desks with low

little

sit

perched up round a

high table, where their noses were hardly on a level with the edge.

And

here Sexton Blackie had a desk

himself, with spacious drawers

and papers.

his record-books

and compartments

Now

when he had

for

former

often heard lessons while seated

the edge of a hearth, with a roaring

he looked rather

more impressive during school hours than days,

all

fire at his

upon

back and

the children huddled on the floor in front of him.

Here he had a for

maps and

them up

how

blackboard and hooks

charts, so that he did not

against doors and sofa backs.

where he had dren

fixed place for the

his

have to stand

He knew,

too,

goose quills and could teach the chil-

make

strokes and curves, so that each one

them would some day be

as fine a

penman

as himself.

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

was even

possible to train the children to rise in a

body and march out

in line,

Indeed,

soldiers.

no end of improvements could be introduced now that the schoolhouse was finished.

Glad

was every one of the new

school, the parents

did not feel altogether at ease in the presence of their children, after they

had begun to go

the youngsters had

fine

come

there.

into something

from which their elders were excluded.

was wrong of the parents to think

this,

was

new and Of course

when they

should have been pleased that the children were granted

many advantages which they

themselves had been

denied.

The day Jan his little all

of Ruffluck visited the school, he and

Glory Goldie walked hand

hand, as usual,

the way, like good friends and comrades; but as

soon as they came in sight of the schoolhouse and Glory Goldie saw the children assembled outside, she dropped her father's hand and crossed to the other side of the road.

Then,

in a

moment, she ran

off

and joined a

group of children.

During the examination Jan lectern,

sat near the teacher's

up among the School Commissioners and other

fine folk.

He had

sit

there; otherwise he could not

THE SCHOOL EXAMINATION

have seen anything of Glory Goldie but the back of her neck, as she sat in the front row, to the right of the

where the smaller children were placed.

lectern,

the old days Jan would never have gone so far forward;

but one who was father to a

Glory Goldie

little girl like

did not have to regard himself as the inferior of any-

Glory Goldie could not have helped seeing her

body.

father from where she sat, yet she never gave glance.

was

him

he did not exist for her.

the

other hand. Glory Goldie's gaze was fixed upon her teacher,

on the

who was then examining

left side

of the room.

the older pupils,

They

pointed out different countries and

read from books,

cities

on the map,

and did sums on the blackboard, and the teacher had

no time to look

at the little tots

on the

would not have mattered very much

right.

Glory Goldie

had sent her father an occasional side-glance; but she never so

much

However,

as turned her

was some

head toward him.

little

comfort to him that

the other children did likewise.

all

They, too, sat the

whole time with their clear blue eyes fastened on their teacher.

The

him when he

little

said

imps made believe they understood

something witty or clever;

they would nudge each other and giggle.

for

then

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

doubt

was a

surprise to the parents to see

how

well the children conducted themselves throughout the

But Sexton Blackie was a remarkable

examination.

man.

could

make them do almost

Jan of Ruffluck, he was beginning to

for

barrassed and troubled. it

was

own

his

else's.

anything.

little girl

sudden he

feel

em-

He no longer knew whether who sat there or somebody

left his

place

among

the School

Commissioners and moved nearer the door.

the teacher was done examining the older

last

pupils.

Now

who had

came the turn of the

little

ones, those

They had not

barely learnt their letters.

acquired any vast store of learning, to be sure, but a

few questions had to be put to them,

also.

Besides,

they were to give some account of the Story of the Creation. First they

the world.

were asked to

tell

was that created

And then, them if they knew of any

That they knew of

unhappily, the teacher asked other

who

course.

name for God.

Now

all

the Httle A-B-C-ers were stumped!

Their

cheeks grew hot and the skin on their foreheads was

drawn

into puckers, but they could not for the

them think out the answer

life

to such a profound question.

THE SCHOOL EXAMINATION Among

the larger children, over on the right, there

was a general waving of hands, and whispering and but the eight small beginners held their

tittering;

mouths shut

tight

Glory Goldie was as

"There

mum as the rest.

a prayer which

repeat every day,'* said

"What do we call God

the teacher.

Now

and not a sound came from them.

Glory Goldie had

wanted them to say they

She knew the teacher

it!

called

there

God

Father

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and raised

her hand.

"What do we call God, Glory Goldie?*' Glory Goldie jumped to her her

little

feet,

he asked.

her cheeks aflame,

yellow pigtail of a braid pointing straight out

from her neck.

"We

call

him Jan," she answered

in a high, pene-

trating voice.

Immediately a laugh went up from room. children

The all

gentry, the School

chuckled.

all

parts of the

Board, parents and

Even the schoolmaster ap-

peared to be amused.

Glory Goldie went red

The

as a beet

and her eyes

filled

up.

teacher rapped on the floor with the end of his

pointer and shouted "Silence!"

few words to explain the matter.

Whereupon he

said a

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

"It was Father Glory Goldie wanted to say, of course,

but said Jan instead because her own father's name is

Jan.

know

can't

wonder

at the little girl, for I hardly

of another child in the school

father as she has.

who

has so kind a

have seen him stand outside the

schoolhouse in rain and bluster, waiting for her, and I've seen

him come carrying her to school through

blizzards,

when

the

So who can wonder

name the

The people

best she

snow was knee-deep at her saying

Jan when she must

knows!"

teacher patted the all

in the road.

little girl

smiled, but at the

on the head.

The

same time they were

touched.

Glory Goldie sat looking down, not knowing what she should do with herself; but Jan of Ruffluck as a king, for

the

little girl

felt as

happy

had suddenly become clear to him that

had been

his the

whole time.

THE CONTEST

WAS

strange about the

little girl

They seemed

her father!

of Ruffluck and

to be so entirely of one

mind that they could read each

other's thoughts.

In Svartsjo lived another schoolmaster,

an old

soldier.

who was

taught in an out-of-the-way comer

of the parish and had no regular schoolhouse, as had the sexton; but he was greatly beloved by

all

children.

The youngsters themselves hardly knew they went

school to him, butthought they came together justto play.

The two schoolmasters were

But

the best of friends.

sometimes the younger teacher would try to persuade the older one to keep abreast of the times, and wanted

him

The

to go in for phonetics and other innovations.

old soldier generally regarded such things with mild tolerance.

Once, however, he

lost his

temper.

"Just because you've got a schoolhouse you think

you know

all,

Blackie!" he

you understand that as yours,

even

let fly.

children

know

"But

I'll

quite as

have

much

they do have only farmhouses to sit 55

in.**

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

"Yes,

said anything to the contrary. if

simply mean that

the children could learn a thing with

"Well, what then?" bristled the old

The

"and have never

know,'* returned the sexton,

knew from

sexton

had offended him, and

less effort

soldier.

the old man's tone that he tried

smooth over the

breach.

"Anyhow you make

so easy for your pupils that

they never complain about their lessons."

"Maybe old

make

"Maybe

man.

too easy for

them?" snapped the them anything?"

don't teach

he shouted, striking the table with his hand.

"What on the sexton.

earth has

come over you, Tyberg?"

"You seem

said

to resent everything I say."

"Well, you always come at

with so

many

allu-

sions!"

Just then other people happened

in,

and soon

all

was

smooth between the schoolmasters; when they parted

company they were old

good friends

man Tyberg was on

his

marks kept cropping up

as ever.

way home,

in his

But when

the sexton's re-

mind, and

now he was

even angrier than before.

"Why children

should that strippling say

if I

could teach the

kept abreast of the times?" he mut-

THE CONTEST "He

tered to himself.

though he doesn't say

too old,

words/*

Tyberg

probably thinks it

in plain

could not get over his exasperation, and as soon as he

reached

home he told

"Why

it all

to his wife.

should you mind the sexton's chatter?" said

"*Youth

the wife.

saying goes.

elastic,

but age

You're excellent teachers both of you."

"Little good your saying it!" he grunted. will think

The

as the

is solid,*

"Others

what they like just the same."

old

man went

about for days looking so glum

that he quite distressed his wife.

"Can't you show them they are

in the

wrong?" she

finally suggested.

" How show them ?

"I mean that

What do you mean?" you know your pupils to be

clever as the sexton's

"Of course they "

just as

are!" he struck

in.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;then you must see that your pupils

and

his get

together for a test examination."

The

old

man

proposition, but

some days

pretended not to be interested in her all

the same

caught

his fancy.

later the sexton received a letter

And

from him

wherein he proposed that the children of both schools be allowed to test their respective merits.

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

The

sexton was not averse to

this,

of course, only he

wanted to have the contest held some time during the Christmas holidays, so that

could be

made

a festive

occasion for the children.

"That was a happy I

conceit,**

thought he.

"Now

shan't have to review any lessons this term.**

Nor was

necessary.

was positively amazing

the amount of reading and studying that went on just

then in the two schools!

The

contest

Christmas.

was held the evening of the day

after

The schoolroom had been decorated

the occasion with spruce trees, on which shone

church candles

left

all

for

the

over from the Christmas Matins,

and there were apples enough to give every child two apiece.

guardians

was whispered about that the parents and

who had come

to listen to the children

be served with coffee and cakes.

The

would

chief attraction,

however, was the big contest.

one side of the room sat the

soldier*s pupils,

And now it was

for the children

to defend their teachers* reputations.

Schoolmaster

the other the sexton's.

Tyberg had

to examine the sexton's pupils, and the

sexton the Tyberg pupils.

Any

questions that could

THE CONTEST

not be answered by the one school were to be taken up

by the

Each question had

other.

so that the judges

was the

would be able to decide which schopl

better.

The

opened

sexton

rather cautiously at

had a

to be duly recorded

lot

the

first,

contest.

proceeded

but when he found that he

of clever children to deal with he went at

them harder and

The Tyberg

harder.

pupils were so

well grounded they did not let a single quizz get

them.

Then came

old

man

Tyberg's turn at questioning

the sexton's pupils.

The

Now bits,

was no longer angry with the sexton.

soldier

that his children had

the

demon

shown that they knew

their

At the

start

of mischief flew into him.

he put a few straight questions to the sexton's pupils,

but being unable to remain serious for long at a time he soon became as waggish as he usually was at his

own

school.

"Of

course

than have we

"You have I

wonder

know

that you have read a deal more

who come from

the backwoods," said he.

studied natural science and

any of you can

Motala Stream

are?'*

tell

much

me what

else, still

the stones in

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

Not one of the

sexton's pupils raised a hand, but

the other side hand after hand shot up.

Yet, in the sexton's division sat Olof Oleson

who knew he had

the best head in the parish, and

Nol, of good old peasant stock. answer.

who had not

She, with the others, wondered

lass

missed a day at school.

why

the sexton had not

them what there was remarkable about the stones

told in

Dar

But they could not

There was Karin Svens, the sprightly

a soldier's daughter,

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;he

Motala Stream. Schoolmaster Tyberg stood looking very grave while

Schoolmaster Blackie sat gazing at the

floor,

much

perturbed.

"I don't

see but that we'll

have to

let this

go to the opposition," said the soldier-teacher. so

many

Fancy,

bright boys and girls not being able to answer

an easy question

At the

question

last

that!"

moment Glory Goldie turned and

looked

back at her father, as was her habit when not knowing

what

else to do.

Jan was too

far

away

to whisper the answer to her;

but the instant the child caught her father's eye she

knew what she must

say.

Then, in her eagerness,

she not only raised her hand, but stood up.

THE CONTEST Her schoolmates

all

turned to her, expectantly, and

the sexton looked pleased because the question would

not be taken away from his children.

"They

are

wet!" shouted Glory Goldie without wait-

ing for the question to be put to her, for the time was up.

The next second

the

little girl

feared she had said

something very stupid and spoiled the thing for them all.

She sank down on the bench and hid her face

under the desk, so that no one should see her.

"Well answered, "It's lucky for

you could

girl!" said the soldier-teacher.

you sexton pupils there was one among

reply; for, with

were about to

And

lose the

all

your cock-sureness, you

game."

such peals of laughter as went up from the chil-

dren of both schools and from the grown folk as well, the two schoolmasters had never heard.

Some

of the

youngsters had to stand up to have their laugh out, while others doubled in their seats, and shrieked.

put an end to

"Now

all

That

order.

think we'd better remove the benches and

take a swing round the Christmas trees," said old

man

Tyberg.

And

never before had they had such fun in the school-

house, and never since, either.

FISHING

WOULD hardly have been possible for any one to

ITbe it

in old

as fond of the little girl as her father

may be truly said that she had

was; but

a very good friend

seine-maker Ola.

This

the

way they came

had taken to setting out

to be friends: Glory Goldie

fishing-poles in the

brook for

the small salmon-trout that abounded there.

She had

better luck with her fishing than any one would have

expected, and the very

couple of spindly

first

day she brought home a

fishes.

She was elated over her success, as can

and received praise from her mother

when

provide food for the family, girl of eight.

fish.

he had never tasted the

burnt that the

imagined,

for being able to

she was only a

encourage the child, Katrina

cleanse and fry the

plain truth.

be'

For the

like of that fish,

fish

little girl

Jan ate of

was

little

let

her

and declared

which was the

bony and dry and

herself could scarcely swallow a

morsel of it. 62

FISHING But

for all that the little girl

was

just as enthusiastic

She got up every morning at the

over her fishing.

same time that Jan did and hurried

off to the

basket on her arm, and carrying in a

worms

to bait her hooks.

numerous

ran,

clear

smooth

box the

Thus equipped, she went

off

and rapids, between which were short

falls

stretches of dark

little tin

came gushing down the rocky steep

to the brook, which in

brook, a

still

water and places where the stream

and transparent, over a bed of sand and

stones.

Think of with the

After the

it!

fish

had fastened

her tackle from rapid to to rippling

no better

falls,

week she had no luck

The worms were gone from

fishing.

hooks, but no

first

still

there.

all

the

She shifted

water, from

and she changed her hooks

still

water

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;but with

results.

She asked the boys at Borje's and at Eric's

they

were not the ones who got up with the lark and carried off her fish.

But a question

not deign to answer. fish

that the boys would

For no boy would stoop to take

from the brook, when he had the whole of Dove

Lake

to fish

in.

not allowed to go

was

down

all

right for little girls,

who were

to the lake, to run about hunt-

ing fish in the woods, they said.

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

Despite the superior airs of the boys, the

"Surely some one must take

only half-believed them. the

fish off

hooks " she said to

and not just bent

real hooks, too,

satisfy herself she

little girl

Hers were

herself.

pins.

And

in order to

arose one morning before Jan or

Katrina were awake, and ran over to the brook.

When

near to the stream she slackened her pace, taking very short cautious steps so as not to slip on the stones or to

Then,

rustle the bushes.

became numb.

all

whole body

at once her,

For at the edge of the brook, on

the very spot where she had set out her poles the

morning before, stood a lines.

was not one of the boys,

tampering with her

fish thief

as she

had supposed,

but a grown man, who was just then bending over the water, drawing up a Little

right

fish.

Glory Goldie was never

up to the

thief

and caught him

She rushed

afraid.

in the act.

"So you're the one who comes here and takes fish!" she said. at last so

"It's a

we can put

The man then saw

his face.

good thing I've run across you

a stop to this stealing."

raised his head,

was the

and now Glory Goldie

old seine-maker,

who was one

of their neighbours.

"Yes,

know this

your tackle," the

man

admitted.

FISHING

without getting angry or excited, as most folks do when taken to task for wrongdoing.

"But how can you take what

yours?" asked the

Isn*t

puzzled youngster.

The man look; she

looked straight at her; she never forgot that

seemed to be peering Into two open and empty

caverns at the back of which were a pair of half-dead eyes,

beyond

reflecting either joy or grief.

"Well, you see, I'm aware that you get what you require from your parents and that

you

fish

only for

my home we are starving.'* The little girl flushed. Now she felt ashamed.

the fun of it, while at

The seine-maker his

cap

(it

said nothing further, but picked

had dropped from

his

head while he was

bending over the fishing-poles) and went

his

way.

Nor

A couple of fish lay floundering

did Glory Goldie speak.

on the ground, but she did not take them up; when she

had stood a while looking

at them, she kicked

them back

into the water.

All that

day the

little girl felt

without knowing why.

had done wrong.

displeased with herself,

For indeed

was not she who

She could not get the seine-maker

out of her thoughts.

The

old

man was

said to

have

been rich at one time; he had once owned seven big

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

farmsteads, each in

But

Falla's farm.

worth

itself

much

as Eric of

some unaccountable way he had

disposed of his property and was

now

quite penniless.

However, the next morning Glory Goldie went over

same

to the brook the

touched her hooks, for of every

and

laid

This time no one had

now

was

there

She released the

line.

them

as usual.

in her basket;

a fish at the

fishes

end

from the hooks

but instead of going

home

with her catch she went straight to the seine-makpr's cabin.

When the old man was

little girl

She stood

out in the yard, cutting wood.

at the stile a

over.

came along with her basket the

moment, watching him, before stepping

Even her

looked pitifully poor and ragged.

father had never appeared so shabby.

The

little girl

had heard that some well-do-to people

had offered the seine-maker a home

for

life,

but

preference he had gone to live with his daughter-in-law,

who made

her

her in any

way

home

here in the Ashdales, so as to help

that he could; she had

and her husband, who had deserted

many

her,

children,

was now sup-

posed to be dead.

"To-day there was little girl

from the

stile.

fish

on the hooks!" shouted the

FISHING "You

don't

me!"

tell

"But

said the seine-maker.

that was well." "I'll gladly give

you

all

the fish

catch," she told

him, "if I'm only allowed to do the fishing myself."

So saying, she went up to the seine-maker and emptied the contents of her basket on the ground, expecting

of course that he would be pleased and would praise her,

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;who was always pleased with everything she said or did â&#x20AC;&#x201D; had always done. But the seine-

just as her father

maker took

this attention

with his usual calm indif-

ference.

"You keep to going

few

what's yours," he said.

"We're

so used

hungry here that we can get on without your

little fishes."

There was something out of the common about poor old

man and Glory

this

Goldie was anxious to win his

approval.

"You may take the hooks,

you

fish off

like," said she,

and stick the worms on the " and you can have

all

the

tackle and everything."

"Thanks," returned the

old

man.

"But

I'll

not

deprive you of your pleasure."

Glory Goldie was determined not to go until she had thought out a

way

of satisfying him.

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

68 **

Would you

come and

call for

you every

morning," she asked him, "so that we could draw up the lines together and divide the catch half,

and

Then

^you to get

half?"

the old

man

stopped chopping and rested on his

axe.

child,

and the shadow of a smile crossed

turned his strange, half-dead eyes toward the

"Ah, now you put out the

"That

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

proposition

I'll

his face.

right bait!" he said.

not say no to."

AGRIPPA

THE

little girl

was certainly a marvel

When she

was only ten years old she could manage even

whom was

Agrippa Prastberg, the sight of

enough to scare almost any one out of his

wits.

Agrippa had yellow red-lidded eyes, topped with

bushy eyebrows, a

frightful nose,

and a wiry beard

that stood out from his face like raised bristles.

His

forehead was covered with deep wrinkles and his figure

was

tall

and ungainly.

always wore a ragged mili-

tary cap.

One day when

the

little girl

sat all

herself

on the

Hat stone in front of the hut, eating her evening meal of buttered bread, she espied a tall

the lane berg.

whom

she soon recognized as Agrippa Prast-

However, she kept her wits about

once broke and doubled her side in

man coming down

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;then slipped

slice

her,

of bread

and at

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;buttered

under her apron.

She did not attempt to run away or to lock up the house, knowing that that would be 69

useless

with a

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

man

of his sort; but kept her seat.

was to

All she did

pick up an unfinished stocking Katrina had

left

lying

on the stone when starting out with Jan's supper a while ago, and go to knitting for dear

She sat there as

quite calm and content, but with

one eye on the gate. about

life.

No, indeed, there was not a doubt

Agrippa intended to pay them a

visit, for

just then he lifted the gate latch.

The

moved

farther back on the stone and

skirt.

She saw now that she would

little girl

spread out her

have to guard the house. Glory Goldie knew, to be sure, that Agrippa Prastberg was not the kind of

man who would

steal,

and he

never struck any one unless they called him Grippie, or offered

him buttered bread, nor did he stop long

at a

place where folk had the good luck not to have a Darlecarlian clock in the house.

Agrippa went clocks, tall,

and once he

about

the

set foot in a

parish

"doctoring"

house where there was a

old-fashioned chimney clock he could not rest

until he

there was any-

he never

failed to find

had removed the works, to see

thing wrong with them.

And

flaws which necessitated his taking the whole clock apart.

That meant he would be days putting

to-

AGRIPPA

Meantime, one had to house and feed

gether again.

him.

The worst on a clock

was that

Agrippa once got

would never run

afterward one had to year, or

let

him

his

hands

as well as before,

tinker

and

at least once a

The

would stop going altogether.

old

man

do honest and conscientious work, but just the

tried to

same he ruined Therefore

all

the clocks he touched.

was best never to

let

him

That Glory Goldie knew, of

clock.

fool

with one*s

course, but she

saw no way of saving the Dalecarlian timepiece, which was ticking away

inside the hut.

Agrippa knew of the clock being there and had long

watched times at

for

an opportunity to get at

when he was to keep

him

When

the old

man came up

little girl,

but at other

seen thereabout, Katrina had been

home

of the

it,

at a safe distance.

he stopped right

in front

struck the ground with his stick, and

rattled off:

"Here

comes

Johan

Utter

Agrippa

Prastberg,

drummer-boy to His Royal Highness and the Crown! I

have faced shot and

devils.

shell

and fear neither angels nor

Anybody home?"

Glory Goldie did not have to reply,

for

he strode

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

past her into the house and went straight over to the big Dalecarlian clock.

The

girl

good clock

ran in after him and tried to

was, that

tell

him what a

ran neither too fast nor too

slow and needed no mending.

"How lated

can a clock run well that has not been regu-

by Johan Utter Agrippa Prastberg!" the

man roared. He was so

tall

old

he could open the clock-case without

having to stand on a chair. In a twinkling he removed the face

and the works and placed them on the

table.

Glory

Goldie clenched the hand under her apron, and tears

came

to her eyes; but

Agrippa was

in a fever of a

ailed the clock, before

and

tell

him

what could she do to stop him? hurry to find out what

Jan or Katrina could get back

needed no repairing.

He had brought

with him a small bundle, containing work-tools and grease jars, which he tore open with such haste that half its contents

fell

to the floor.

Glory Goldie was told to pick up everything that

And any one who has seen Agrippa Prastberg must know she would not have dared do anything but obey him. She got down on all fours had dropped.

and handed him a tiny saw and a mallet.

AGRIPPA

"Be

"Anything more!" he bellowed.

glad you're

allowed to serve His Majesty's and the Kingdom's

drummer-boy, you confounded crofter-brat!"

"No, not that Never had she

the

I see," replied

felt

little girl

meekly.

She was

so crushed and unhappy.

to look after the house for her mother and father, and

now this had to happen! "But

the spectacles.?"

must have dropped,

"No,"

snapped Agrippa.

"They

too.?"

no spectacles here."

said the girl, "there are

Suddenly a faint hope sprang up

What

in her.

couldn't do anything to the clock without his glasses?

What

they should be

And

lost.?

on the spectacle-case, behind a

The

old

just then her eye

leg of the table.

man rummaged and

searched

cog-wheels and springs in his bundle.

but

I'll

have to get down on the

Quick

as a flash the little girl's

among

the

"I don't see

floor myself,

" Get up, crofter-brat

he said presently.

lit

and hunt,"

hand shot out and closed

over the spectacle-case, which she hid under her apron.

"Up

with you!" thundered Agrippa.

you're lying to me.

apron?

Come!

What

Out with

are

"I believe

you hiding under your

it!"

She promptly drew out one hand. The other hand she

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

had kept under her apron the whole time. to

show that one,

"Ugh!

It's

as if the girl **I

The

old

Then he saw the buttered

too.

bread.

Agrippa shrank back

buttered bread! "

were holding out a rattlesnake.

sat eating

out of sight

Now she had

for, I

man

when you came, and then

know you

got

put

don't like butter."

down on

his

hands and knees and

began to search, but to no purpose, of course.

"You must have

left

them where you were

last,"

said Glory Goldie.

He had wondered thought

unlikely.

about that himself, though he

all

events he could do nothing to

the clock without his glasses.

He had no

choice but to

gather up his tools and replace the works in the clock-case.

While

back was turned the

little girl

slipped the

spectacles into his bundle, where he found

them when

his

he got to Lovdala to before

Manor

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;the

last place

he had been

opening the

coming to Ruffluck Croft.

bundle to show they were not there, the

first

object

that caught his eye was the spectacle-case.

Next time he saw Jan and Katrina

in the pine

grove

outside the church, he went up to them.

"That is

girl

of yours, that handy

little girl

going to be a comfort to you," he told them.

of yours

FORBIDDEN FRUIT

THERE

were

that his

when

many who said

little girl

to Jan of Ruffluck

would be a comfort to him

she was grown.

Folks did not seem to

understand that she already made him happy every

day and every hour that God granted them.

Only

once in the whole time of her growing period did Jan

have to

any annoyance or humiliation on her

suffer

account.

The summer

the

her to Lovdala

little girl

Manor on

was eleven her father took

the seventeenth of August,

which was the birthday of the lord of the manor, Lieutenant Liljecrona.

The seventeenth joicing that

one

who

was looked forward to

in Svartsjo

and

participated in

young

of August was always a day of re-

in Bro, all

the year by every

not only by the gentry,

the festivities, but also by the

folk of the peasantry,

Lovdala to look

all

who came

at the smartly dressed people

ten to the singing and the dance music. 75

crowds to

and to

lis-

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

*j(>

There was something

else, too,

that attracted the

young people to Lovdala on the seventeenth of August, and that was

all

the fruit that was to be found in the

orchard at that time.

been taught it

came

and as

strict

be sure, the children had

honesty in most matters, but when

to a question of such things as hang on bushes

trees,

much

out in the open, they

When

liberty to take

it.

Jan came into the orchard with

Goldie he noticed she

felt at

they wanted, just so they were careful not

to be caught at

when

saw

all

round greenings.

how

the

little girl

Glory

his

opened her eyes

the fine apple trees, laden with big

And Jan would

not have denied

her the pleasure of tasting of the fruit had he not seen Superintendent Soderlind

and two other men

walking about in the orchard, on the lookout for trespassers.

hurried Glory Goldie over to the lawn in front of

the manor-house, out of temptation's way. plain that her thoughts were

still

on the apple

trees

was and

the gooseberry bushes, for she never even glanced at the prettily dressed children of the upper class or at the beautiful flowers.

Jan could not get her to

to the fine speeches delivered

listen

by the Dean of Bro and

FORBIDDEN FRUIT

Engineer Boraeus of Borg, in honour of the day.

Why

she would not even listen to Sexton Blackie's congrat-

ulatory poem!

Anders Oster*s clarinet could be heard from the house.

was playing such

folks

lively

dance music just then that

were hardly able to hold themselves

little girl

still,

but the

only tried to find a pretext for getting back to

the orchard.

Jan kept a firm grip on her hand

all

the while and no

matter what excuse she would hit upon to break away, he never relaxed his hold. for

him

until evening,

Then coloured

Everything went smoothly

when dusk

fell.

lanterns were brought out and set in

the flower beds and hung in the trees and in clinging ivy that covered the house wall.

a pretty sight that Jan,

who had never

among the

was such

before seen any-

thing of that kind, quite lost his head and hardly

whether he was

still

not

little

let

go of the

When and

his

on earth; but just the same he did hand.

the lanterns had been lighted, Anders Oster

nephew and the

village

brother-in-law struck up a song. air

knew

shopkeeper and

his

While they sang the

seemed to vibrate with a strange sort of rapture that

took away

all

sadness and depression.

came

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

softly

and caressingly on the balmy night

just gave

up to

it,

did every one

that Jan

air

All were

else.

glad to be alive; glad they had so beautiful a world to live in.

"This must be the way

folks feel

who

live in

Para-

dise," said a youth, looking very solemn.

After the singing there were fireworks, and

when the

rockets went up into the indigo night-sky and broke into showers of red, blue, and yellow stars,

carried

away that

Glory Goldie.

for the

When

moment he

Jan was so

forgot about

he came back to himself she

was gone. "It can't be helped now," thought Jan.

hope

all will

go well with

her, as usual,

"I only

and that Super-

intendent Soderlind or any of the other watchers won't lay hands on her." It

would have been

futile for

Jan to try to

find her

out in the big, dark orchard: he knew that the sensible thing for him to do was to remain where he was, and

wait for her.

And he

did not have to wait very long!

There was one more song; the died

last strains

had hardly

away when he saw Superintendent Soderlind come

up, with Glory Goldie in his arms.

Lieutenant

Liljecrona

was standing with a

little

FORBIDDEN FRUIT

group of gentlemen at the top of the steps, listening to the singing, in front of

when Superintendent Soderlind stopped

him and

set the little girl

down on

the

ground.

Glory Goldie did not scream or try to run away.

She had picked her apron of nothing save to hold

the apples would

full

of apples and thought

securely, so that

none of

roll out.

"This youngster has been up

an apple tree," said

Superintendent Soderlind, "and your orders were that if I

caught any apple thieves

was to bring them to

you." Lieutenant Liljecrona glanced

and the It

round

fine wrinkles

was impossible

to tell

or cry in a second.

sharp reprimand to

his eyes

at the little girl,

began to twitch.

whether he was going to laugh

He had intended to administer a the one who had stolen his apples.

But now when he saw the round her apron, he puzzled to

down

felt

little girl

tighten her hands

sorry for her.

know how he should manage

that she could keep her apples; for off

without further ado,

his

whole orchard stripped.

"So you've been up

might

Only he was this thing so

he were to

result in his

in the apple trees,

let

her

having

have you?**

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA "You have gone

said the lieutenant.

read about

dangerous

Adam

it is

and

to school

and Eve, so you ought to know how

to steal apples."

At that moment Jan came forward and placed himself beside his

for

daughter; he

having spoiled

to stand

his pleasure,

but of course he had

her.

"Don't do anything to the he said.

quite put out with her

felt

" For

was

little girl,

who gave

Lieutenant!"

her leave to climb the

tree for the apples."

Glory Goldie sent her father a withering glance, and broke her

silence.

"That

"I wanted the apples.

she declared.

isn't true,"

Father has been standing here

the whole evening holding onto

my hand

so I shouldn't

go pick any."

Now the lieutenant was tickled. "Good for my girl!" said he. "You did right in not letting

your

know

that

father shoulder the blame.

when Our Lord was

suppose you

so angry at

Adam

you,

and Eve

wasn't because they had stolen an apple, but because

they were cowards and onto the other.

tried to shift the blame, the

one

You may go now, and you can keep your

apples because you were not afraid to

With that he turned

tell

to one of his sons,

the truth.'*

and said:

FORBIDDEN FRUIT "Give Jan a

him because old

glass of punch.

his girl

Mother Eve,

must drink to

spoke up for herself better than

would have been well

Glory Goldie had been

Eve."

in the

for us all if

Garden of Eden instead of

BOOK TWO

LARS GUNNARSON

ONE

cold winter

day Eric of Falla and Jan were

in the forest cutting

just

down

trees.

They had

sawed through the trunk of a big spruce,

and stepped aside so branches when

as not to be caught

came crashing

under

its

to the ground.

"Lx)ok out, Boss!" warned Jan.

"It's

coming your

way." There was plenty of time for Eric to have escaped while the spruce

still

swayed; but he had

trees in his lifetime that he

more about

this

felled so

thought he ought to

than Jan did, and stood

still.

many know

The next

moment he lay upon the ground with the tree on top of him. He had not uttered a sound when the tree caught him and now he was completely hidden by the thick spruce branches.

Jan stood looking round not knowing what had be-

come of his employer. iar voice

Presently he heard the old famil-

he had always obeyed; but

he could hardly make out what 8S

sounded so feeble

was saying.

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

"Go get a team and some men to take me home," said the voice.

"Shan't

"Do

help you from under

as I tell

first?'*

you!" said Eric of Falla.

Jan, knowing his employer to be a

demanded prompt obedience,

man who

some distance away,

so that

always

said nothing further but

hurried back to Falla as fast as he could.

asked Jan.

The farm was

took time to get there.

arriving, the first person

Jan came upon was

Lars Gunnarson, the husband of Eric's eldest daughter

and prospective master of to take over

When

Falla,

which he was destined

upon the decease of the present owner.

Lars Gunnarson had received his instructions

he ordered Jan to go straight to the house and mistress of

what had occurred; then he was

hired boy.

tell

the

to call the

Meantime Lars himself would run down to

the barn and harness a horse.

"Perhaps ing the

needn't be so very particular about

womenfolk

just yet?" said Jan.

once start crying and fretting Eric's voice

will

"For

only

mean

tell-

they

delay.

sounded so weak from where he lay that

think we'd best hurry along."

But Lars Gunnarson,

made

since

coming to the farm, had

a point to assert his authority.

He would

LARS GUNNERSON

no more take back an order once given than would

his

father-in-law.

"Go

in to

mother

once!" he commanded.

"Can't

you understand that she must get the bed ready so have some place to put him when we come back

we'll

with him.?"

Then of course Jan was Try

the mistress. it

obliged to go inside and notify

he would to make short work of it,

took time to relate what had happened and

how

had happened.

When Jan

returned to the yard he heard Lars thun-

dering and swearing in the stable.

The

hand with animals.

Lars was a poor

horses would kick

he went

anywhere near them and he had not been able to get one of the beasts out of

its stall

the whole time that

Jan had been inside talking with the housewife. It

would not have been well

help Lars.

Knowing

this

for

Jan had he offered to

he went immediately on his

He thought

other errand, and fetched the hired boy. it

mighty strange that Lars had not

to Borje,

who was

stead of sending

work out vard.

told

him

to speak

threshing in the barn close by, in-

him

after the hired boy,

in the birch-grove, a

who was

good way from the farm-

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

And

while Jan ran these needless errands, the faint

The

voice under the spruce branches rang in his ears. voice

was not so imperative now, but

plored

him to

hasten.

"Fm

He had

Jan whispered back.

begged and im-

coming,

tries

to run but

Lars had at

last

managed

who cannot

told

sure to take along straw and blankets. it

meant

still

take a step.

to get a horse into the

Then the womenfolk came and

very well, but

coming!*'

the sensation of one in a

nightmare who

shafts.

him

to be

This was

all

further delay.

Finally Lars and Jan and the hired

boy drove away

But they had got no farther than to the

from the farm.

edge of the forest, when Lars stopped the horse.

"One

gets sort of rattled

this kind," said he.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;but Borje

now

when one

receives

"I never thought of

news of till

just

back at the barn."

"It would have been well to have taken him along," said Jan,

" for

Then Lars Borje; which

he's twice as strong as

sent the hired

meant

While Jan sat

boy back to the farm to get

a long wait.

in the sledge, powerless to act,

though within him opened a It

any of us."

big,

empty

ice-cold void.

was the awful certainty that they would be too

Then

at last

came Borje and the boy,

all

felt as

late!

out of breath

LARS GUNNARSON

from running, and now they drove on into the woods.

They went very

slowly, though, for Lars

the old spavined bay to the sledge.

had harnessed

What

he had said

about his being rattled must have been true, for once he wanted to turn

"If you go

all

on the wrong road.

come to Great

in that direction, we'll

Peak," Jan told him; "and we must get to the woods

beyond Loby." "Yes,

know," returned Lars, "but farther up

a crossroad where

"What

it's

better driving."

road might that be ?

"Wait, and

I'll

there's

I've never seen it."

show you,"

said Lars, determined to

continue up the mountain.

Now

Borje sided with Jan, so Lars had to give in

of course; but precious time had been consumed while

they argued with him, and Jan

felt as if all

the

life

had

gone out of his body.

"Nothing matters now," thought

beyond our help when we arrive."

Falla will be

The it

old

bay jogged along the

could, but

like this.

time.

"Eric of

he.

When

forest road as well as

had not the strength

for a

heavy

was poorly shod, and stumbled time going uphill the

the sledge and walk, and

men had

to get

pull after

down from

when they came upon

trackless

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

unbeaten ground

in the thick of the forest the horse

was almost more of a hindrance than

all

events they got there

they found Eric of Falla

a help.

finally.

in fairly

Strange to say,

good condition; he

was not much hurt and no bones were broken.

One

of his thighs had been lacerated by a branch, and there

he had an ugly wound;

still it

was nothing but what he

could recover from.

When Jan went back

to his

work the next morning

he learned that Eric had a high fever and was suffering intense pain.

While lying on the frozen ground he had

caught a severe cold, which developed into pneumonia,

and within a fortnight he was dead.

THE RED DRESS

THE

summer the young

girl

was

in her seven-

teenth year she went to church one Sunday with her parents.

On the way she had worn a shawl,

which she sHpped

off when she

Then everybody

noticed that she was wearing a dress

came

to the church knoll.

such as had never before been seen in the parish.

travelling merchant, one of the kind that goes

about with a huge pack on

his back,

had found

his

to the Ashdales, and on seeing Glory Goldie in

way

all

the

glow and freshness of her youth he had taken from

his

pack a piece of dress goods which he parents to buy for her. red, of a texture almost

beautiful.

buy

least,

The

cloth

tried to induce her

was a changeable

Uke satin and as costly as

Of course Jan and

Fancy!

When

was

Katrina could not afford

for their girl a dress of that sort,

would have

though Jan, at

liked nothing better.

the merchant had vainly pressed and

begged the parents for a long while he grew terribly excited because he could not have his way. 91

said

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

he had set his heart on their daughter having the dress, that he had not seen another

who would

set

the whole parish

girl in

off as well as she could.

had measured and cut

off as

much

Whereupon he

of the cloth as was

needed for a frock, and presented

he asked was to see

did not

the young

came to

want any payment,

girl

all

to Glory Goldie.

dressed in the red frock the next time he

Ruffluck.

Afterward the frock was made up by the best seamstress in the parish, the

ladies at it

one who sewed for the young

Lovdala Manor, and when Glory Goldie

on the

effect

was

so perfect that one

tried

would have

thought the two had blossomed together on one of the lovely wild briar bushes out in the forest.

The Sunday Glory Goldie showed in her

new

dress, nothing could

herself at church

have kept Jan and

Katrina at home, so curious were they to hear what folks

would

And

say. it

turned out, as has been said, that everybody

noticed the red dress.

looked at

When

the astonished folk had

once they turned and looked again; the

second time, however, they glanced not only at the dress but at the

Some had

young girl who wore

it.

already heard the story of the dress.

Others

THE RED DRESS wanted to know how lass

happened that a poor

Then of course

stood there in such fine raiment.

Katrina and Jan had to ling merchant's visit,

come about they were of taking a

little

tell

them

all

cotter's

about the travel-

and when they learned how all

had

glad that Fortuna had thought

peep into the humble

home down

in the

Ashdales.

There were sons of landed proprietors who declared that

if this

girl

had been of

less

humble

would have proposed to her then and

there.

were daughters of landed proprietors heiresses

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;who

said

have given half of

origin they

And

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;some

there

them

themselves that they would

their possessions for a face as rosy

and young and radiant with health as

hers.

That Sunday the Dean of Bro preached

the

Svartsjo church, instead of the regular pastor.

The

dean was an austere, old-fashioned divine who could not abide extravagance in any form, whether in dress or other things.

Seeing the young

girl

the bright red frock he

must have thought she was arrayed

in silk, for

mediately after the service he told the sexton to girl

call

imthe

and her parents, as he wished to speak with them.

Even he noticed that the

girl

and the dress went well

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

together, but for

all

that he was none the less dis-

pleased.

" My child," he

said, laying his

hand on Glory Goldie's

want

shoulder, "I have something I

Nobody

could prevent

of a bishop, I don't I

if I

me from

to say to you.

wearing the vestments

so wished; but I never do

because

want to appear to be something more than what For the same reason you should not dress as

am.

though you were a young lady of quality, when you are only the daughter of a poor crofter."

These were cutting words, and poor Glory Goldie

was

so dismayed she could not answer.

promptly informed him that the

girl

But Katrina

had received the

cloth as a gift.

" Be that can't

may," spoke the dean.

you comprehend that

" But parents,

you allow your daughter

to array herself once or twice in this fashion she will

never again want to put on the kind of clothes you are able to provide for her?"

Now

that the dean had spoken his mind in plain

words he turned away; but before he was out of earshot Jan was ready with a retort.

"If

this little girl could

would be

be clothed as

as gorgeous as the

sun

befits her, she

itself," said he.

" For

THE RED DRESS

a sunbeam of joy she has been to us since the day she

was born."

The dean came back and regarded fully.

the trio thought-

Both Katrina and Jan looked old and

toil

worn,

but the eyes in their furrowed faces shone when they turned them toward the radiant young being standing

between them.

Then the dean

felt it

would be a shame to mar the

happiness of these two old people. to the

"If fort to

young girl, he it is

said in a mild voice

true that you have been a light and a

your poor parents, then you

fine dress

Addressing himself

with a good grace.

may

well

wear your

For a child that can

bring happiness to her father and mother sight that our eyes

com-

may look upon."

the best

THE NEW MASTER

WHEN

the Ruffluck family

came home from

church the Sunday the dean had spoken so beautifully to Glory Goldie they found

two

men perched on their fence, close to the gate. One of the men was Lars Gunnarson, who had become master of Falla after Eric's death, the other was a clerk from

the store coffee

down

at Broby,

where Katrina bought her

and sugar.

They looked

so indifferent

and unconcerned

sitting

there that Jan could hardly think they wanted to see

him; so he simply raised

his

cap as he went past them

into the house, without speaking.

The men remained where they

Jan wished

where he could not see them.

that Lars had harboured a grudge against

him

they would go

knew

were.

sit

since that ill-fated

day

in the forest

and had hinted more

than once that Jan was getting old and would not be

worth

his day's

wage much

longer.

Katrina brought on the midday meal, which was hur96

THE NEW MASTER Lars Gunnarson and the clerk

riedly eaten.

on the

and chatting.

fence, laughing

Jan of a pair of hawks biding

upon the

still

sat

They reminded swoop down

their time to

Finally the

prey.

helpless

fence,

men

got

down

ofF

opened the gate, and went toward the

house.

Then,

after

all,

they had come to see him!

Jan had a strong presentment that they wished him ill.

glanced anxiously about, as

Then

corner where he might hide.

Glory Goldie, who

his

he thought.

sourceful,

and

some

his eyes fell

through the

courage came back.

should he be afraid

like her?

to find

also sat looking out

window, and instantly

Why

when he had

a daughter

Glory Goldie was wise and

afraid of nothing.

re-

Luck was always on

her side, so that Lars Gunnarson would find

far

from easy to get the best of her!

When

the two

cerned as before.

men came Yet Lars

they seemed as uncon-

said that after sitting so

long on the fence looking at the pretty

they had

They

finally

little

house

taken a notion to step inside.

lavished praises

upon everything

in the

house

and Lars remarked that Jan and Katrina had reason to feel

very thankful to Eric of Falla; for of course

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

was he who had made

home and

them to

possible for

build a

to marry.

**That reminds me," he said quickly, looking away

from Jan and Katrina.

"I suppose Eric of Falla had

the foresight to give you a deed to the land on which the

hut stands?" Neither Jan nor Katrina said a word.

Instantly

they knew that Lars had now come to the matter he

wanted to

discuss with them.

"I understand there are no papers continued Lars, "but that.

For

in existence,"

I can't believe it is

in that event the

so bad as

house would

fall

all

to the

owner of the land." Still

Jan said nothing, but Katrina was too indignant

to keep silent any longer.

"Eric of Falla gave us the stands," she said,

lot

on which

"and no one has the

this

house

right to take

away from us!"

"And no one new owner

has any intention of doing so," said the

in a pacifying tone.

have everything regular, that was

him have

a hundred rix-dollars

"A hundred

He all.

only wanted to If

Jan could

let

by October fairtime

rix-dollars!" Katrina broke in, her voice

rising almost to a shriek.

THE NEW MASTER

Lars drew his head back and tightened his

"And

lips.

you, Jan, you don't say a word!" said Katrina

reproachfully.

"Don't you hear that Lars wants to

squeeze from us one hundred rix-dollars ?

"It won't be so easy, perhaps, for Jan to come up

with one hundred rix-dollars," returned Lars Gunnarson, "but just the

same

I've got to

know what's

mine."

"And

so you're going to steal our

"Nothing of the kind!" yours.

It's

said

hut?"

Lars.

"The hut

the land I'm after."

"Then we can move

the hut off of your land," said

Katrina.

would hardly be worth your while to go to the

**It

bother of moving something you'll not be able to keep."

"Well, really

never!"

gasped

Katrina.

do mean to lay hands on our property?"

Lars Gunnarson

made

a gesture of protest.

No, of course he did not want to put a house, not he!

But

"Then you

Had

on the

he not already told them as much?

happened that the storekeeper at Broby had

sent his clerk with settled.

lien

some accounts that had not been

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

loo

The table.

clerk

now produced

bills

and

laid

them on the

Katrina pushed them over to Glory Goldie

and told her to

was no

the

figure

up the

amount due.

total

than one hundred

less

rix-dollars that

they

owed! "I see that you mean

Katrina went white as a sheet. to turn us out of house and

home," she

"Oh, no," answered Lars, "not

said, faintly.

you pay what you

owe."

"You ought

"They,

Katrina reminded him. gles before

own

to think of your

too,

parents, Lars,"

had

you became the son-in-law of a

Katrina had to do

all

their strug-

rich farmer."

the talking, as Jan would not

say anything; he only sat and looked at Glory Goldie looked and waited.

his

mind

this affair

was

something that had been planned for her special

just

benefit,

that she might prove her worth.

"When you he's

done

take the hut

away from the poor man

for," wailed Katrina.

"I don't want to take the hut," said Lars Gunnarson,

on the defensive.

"All

But Katrina was not poor

man

has his

but the homeless

home

want

listening.

he's as

man knows

he's

a settlement."

"As

long as the

good as anybody

nobody."

else,

THE NEW MASTER Jan

felt

loi

The hut was

that Katrina was right.

built

of old lumber and stood aslant on a poor foundation.

Small and cramped it

seemed

certainly was, but just the

would be over

as if all

for

them

they

Jan, for his part, could not think for a second

same

lost

it.

would

Was not his Glory Goldie there? see how her eyes were beginning to

be as bad as that.

And

could he not

flash fire?

In a

little

while she would say something or

do something that would drive these tormentors away.

youVe

**0f course said the

move on at

new owner. the

first

got to have time to think

But bear

mind that

over,**

either

you

of October or you pay the storekeeper

Broby the one hundred

before that date.

rix-dollars

Besides, I

you owe him on or

must have another hun-

dred for the land."

Old Katrina sat wringing her toil-gnarled hands. She was so wrought up that she talked to

who heard

caring

"How among live

can

people

herself,

not

her.

go to church and

when I'm

how can

be seen

so poor I haven't even a hut to

in?"

Jan was thinking of something

mind

all

hut.

else.

called to

the beautiful memories associated with the

was

here, near the table, the midwife

had

laid

I02

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

the child in his arms.

was over

there, in the door-

way, he had stood when the sun peeped out through the clouds to

name

the

The hut was one

little girl.

with himself; with Katrina; with Glory Goldie. could never be

He saw

lost to

Glory Goldie clench her

come to

she would

them. fist,

and

felt

that

their aid very soon.

Presently Lars Gunnarson and the shopkeeper's clerk got up and

moved toward the

When

door.

they

left

they said "good-bye," but not one of the three who

remained

in the

The moment

hut rose or returned the salutation. the

men were gone

the young

with a proud toss of her head, sprang to her

"If you would only

let

me go

girl,

feet.

out in the world!" she

said.

Katrina suddenly ceased mumbling and wringing her hands.

Glory Goldie's words had awakened

in her

a faint hope.

"It shouldn't be so very

hundred

rix-dollars

ber," said the

three whole

difficult to

earn a couple of

between now and the

girl.

months

"This till

then.

first

of Octo-

only midsummer, so If

you

will let

it's

to Stockholm and take service there, I promise you

the house shall remain in your keeping."

THE NEW MASTER When Jan ashen.

swoon.

was

of Ruffluck heard these words he grew

His head sank back as

How

loj

dear of the

for this he

he were about to

little girl!

he thought.

had waited the whole time

how could he ever bear to

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;yet how,

let her go away from him?

ON THE MOUNTAIN-TOP of Ruffluck walked along the

JAN where he tent,

and

his

forest

road

womenfolk, happy and con-

had passed on the way home from church

a few hours earlier.

He and

Katrina, after long deliberation, had decided

that before sending their daughter

away

or doing any-

thing else in this matter that Jan had better see Senator

Carl Carlson of Storvik and ask him whether Lars

Gunnarson had the There was no one

was so well versed

right to take the hut

from them.

in the

whole of Svartsjo Parish who

in the

law and the statutes as was

the senator from Storvik, and those

who had

the good

sense to seek his advice in matters of purchase and sale, in

making

ing

up a

up an auction, or draw-

appraisals, or setting

will,

could rest assured that everything would

be done in a correct and

ward there was no

legal

manner and that

fear of their

after-

becoming involved

lawsuits or other entanglements.

The

senator was a stern and masterful man, brusque 104

ON THE MOUNTAIN-TOP of

manner and harsh of

voice,

105

and Jan was none too

pleased at the thought of having to talk with him.

"The to read

first

thing he'll do

when

come

him

will

a lecture because I've got no papers,"

thought Jan.

"He

has scared some folks so badly at

the very start that they never dared

him what they

tell

had come to consult him about." Jan

left

home

such haste that he had no time to

think about the dreadful

man

he was going to

see.

But

while passing through the groves of the Ashdales toward

came over him.

the big forest the old dread

mighty stupid

"It was

not to have taken Glory Goldie

along!" he said to himself.

When

leaving

home he had not

so he concluded that she

seen the

girl

about,

had betaken herself to some

lonely spot in the woods, to

weep away her

she never wanted to be seen by any one

when

grief, as

she

felt

downhearted. Just as Jan was about to turn from the road into the forest

he heard some one yodelling and singing up on the

mountain, to right of him.

stopped and listened. It

was a woman's

voice; surely

sounded

In any case, he must

like!

tainty before going farther.

could not be the one

know

for a cer-

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

io6

could hear the song clearly and distinctly, but

the singer was hidden by the trees.

from the road and pushed

his

Presently he turned

way through some

tangle-

brush in the hope of catching a glimpse of her; but she

was not

as near as he

standing

still.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;farther

away and higher

singing seemed to

The

above him.

Nor was she

the contrary, she seemed to be

moving farther away

At times the

had imagined.

singer

come from

up.

directly

must be going up to the peak,

he thought.

She had evidently taken a winding path leading up the

mountain, where

was almost perpendicular.

Here there was a thick growth of young birches; so of course he could not see her.

She seemed to be mount-

ing higher and higher, with the swiftness of a bird on the

wing, singing

Then Jan but in to

all

the while.

started to climb straight

his eagerness

make

his

to feel as

he strayed from the path and had

way through

wonder he was

up the mountain;

left far

the bewildering woods.

behind!

Besides he had begun

he had a heavy weight on his chest; he

could hardly get his breath as he tramped uphill, straining his ears to catch the song.

Finally he

slowly that he seemed not to be moving at

all.

went so

ON THE MOUNTAIN-TOP It

was not easy to distinguish voices out

107

in the

woods,

where there was so much that rustled and murmured

and chimed

But Jan

were.

in, as it

who

get to where he could see the one

went

flying

up the

steep.

for

very joy

Otherwise he would harbour

doubts and misgivings the rest of his

He knew that

life.

once he was on the mountain top, where trees, the singer could

that he must

felt

was barren of

not elude him.

The view from the summit was

glorious.

From

there

could be seen the whole of long Lake Loven, the green vales encircling the lake and

the valley.

When

folks

all

the blue

hills

that shelter

from the shut-in Ashdales

climbed to the towering peak they must have thought of the mountain whither the

Tempter had once taken

Our Lord, that he might show Him

all

the kingdoms of

the world, and their glories.

When Jan had

at last left the dense

him and had come to

a cleared place, he

At the top of the highest peak was a topmost stone of

woods behind

saw the

cairn,

singer.

and on the

this cairn silhouetted against the pale

evening sky stood Glory Goldie Sunnycastle, in her scarlet dress.

If the folk in the dales

and woodlands below had

turned their eyes toward the peak just then, they

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

io8

would have seen her standing there

in her shining rai-

ment.

Glory Goldie looked out over miles and miles of

She saw steep

country.

hills

crowned with white

churches on the shores of the lake, manors and founder-

surrounded by parks and gardens, rows of farm-

ies

houses along the skirt of the woods, stretches of

field

and meadow land, winding roads and endless tracts of forest.

first

But presently she hushed her

she sang.

sing-

ing and thought only of gazing out over the wide, open

world before her. if

Suddenly she flung out her arms as

wanting to take

all

into her

embrace

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

all

this

wealth and power and bigness from which she had been shut out until that day.

Jan did not return

and when

until far into the night,

he reached home he could give no coherent account of his

movements.

declared he had seen and talked

with the senator, but what the senator had advised him to do he could not remember. "It's no

good trying to do anything," he said again

and again.

That was

all

the satisfaction

Katrina

got.

Jan walked

all

bent over, and looked

ill.

Earth and

ON THE MOUNTAIN-TOP moss clung to fallen

109

and Katrina asked him

his coat,

he had

and hurt himself.

"No," he

told her, but he

may have

lain

on the

ground a while.

Then he must be It

was not that

ill,

thought Katrina.

either.

had stopped the instant little girl

It it

was

just that something

dawned on him that

had offered to save the home

his

for her parents

not out of love for them, but because she longed to get

away and go out speak of.

in the world.

But

this

he would not

THE EVE OF DEPARTURE

T" HE

evening before Glory Goldie of Ruffluck

left for

Stockholm Jan discovered no end of

things that had to be attended to

He had no

sooner got

home from

his

all

at once.

work than he must

betake himself to the forest to gather firewood, where-

upon he

set

about fixing a broken board in the gate

When

that had been hanging loose a whole year.

had

finished with that he dragged out his fishing tackle

and began to overhaul All this time he

not to

feel

it.

was thinking how strange

any actual

regret.

Now he was

he had been seventeen years before; he nor sad.

felt

seemed

the same as neither glad

His heart had stopped Hke a watch that has

received a hard blow

when he had

seen Glory Goldie

on the mountain-top, opening her arms to the whole world. It

folks

had been

like this

with him once before.

had wanted him to be glad of the

coming, but he had not cared a bit about

it;

little

Then girl's

now they

all

THE EVE OF DEPARTURE

iii

expected him to be sad and disconsolate over her de-

was not

parture, and he

The hut was

full

that, either.

of people

and

let

them

he thought

all

to say

Jan had not the face to go

good-bye to Glory Goldie. in

who had come

see that he neither

wept nor wailed; so

best to stop outside.

events

was

taken this turn, for

good thing for him matters had

if all

had been

as before he

knew he

should never have been able to endure the separation,

and

all

the heartache and loneliness.

A while ago, in passing by the window, he had noticed that the hut inside was decked with leaves and wild flowers.

the table were coffee cups, as on the day

Katrina was giving a

of which he was thinking.

little

who was

to fare forth

into the wide world to save the home.

Every one

party in honour of the daughter

seemed to be weeping, both the housefolk and those

who had come

to bid the

Godspeed.

little girl

Jan

heard Glory Goldie's sobs away out in the yard, but

they had no

effect

upon him.

**My good people," he mumbled it

should be.

out of the nest

Look if

at the

to himself, "this

young birds

they don't leave

ever watched a young cuckoo?

They are thrust

willingly.

What

is'^as

Have you

could be worse

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

112

than the sight of him lying

in the nest, fat

and

sleek,

and

shrieking for food the whole blessed

day while his parents

wear themselves out to provide

him ?

let

the young ones

for

They have

the world and shift for themselves

had side;

last all

was quiet

so that

left,

got to go out into

my good

Jan could just

He would

and Katrina should be

friends."

The neighbours

in the house.

as well

but he went on puttering with

while longer.

won't do to

around at home and become a

sit

burden to us older ones.

have gone

in-

his fishing tackle a

Glory Goldie

rather that

bed and asleep before he

crossed the threshold.

By and

by,

when he had heard no sound from within

for ever so long, he stole

up to the house

as cautiously as

a thief.

The womenfolk had not the open

retired.

window he saw Glory Goldie

arms stretched out across the on them.

As Jan passed by

It looked as if she

was standing back

in the

sitting with her

table, her

were

still

head resting

crying.

Katrina

room wrapping her big shawl

around Glory Goldie's bundle of clothing,

"You

needn't bother with that, mother," said Glory

Goldie without raising her head. father

mad

"Can't you see that

because I'm leaving?"

THE EVE OF DEPARTURE "Then

have to get glad

he'll

again,"

113

returned

Katrina, calmly.

"You the

through her sobs.

girl,

hut. I'll

say that because you don't care for him," said

But father and

"All you think about

the

think of each other, and

not leave him!"

"But what about "It can go as care for

the hut?" asked Katrina.

will

with the hut,

only father will

again."

Jan moved quietly away from the door, where he

had been standing

the step.

moment,

listening,

never thought for an instant that Glory

Indeed he knew better

Goldie would remain at home.

than did any one

was to him

been

laid in his arms.

trying to

must go away.

else that she

same

once more.

and sat down on

Now

as if the soft little

make up

All the

bundle had again

His heart had been set going

was beating away for lost time.

in his breast as

With that he

felt

that his armour of defence was gone.

Then came shadows

grief

among

He saw them as dark He opened his arms to

and longing. the trees.

them, a smile of happiness lighting

"Welcome!

Welcome!" he

his face.

cried.

AT THE PIER

WHEN

the steamer Anders Fryxell pulled out

from the pier at Borg Point with Glory Goldie of Ruffluck on board, Jan and Ka-

trina stood gazing after

until they could

the faintest outUne of either the

one

else

down

had

left

girl

the pier, the

no longer see

or the boat.

Every

watchman had hauled

the flag and locked the freight shed, but they

still

tarried. It

was only natural that the parents should stand

there as long as they could see anything of the boat,

but

why

they did not go their ways afterward they

hardly knew themselves.

Perhaps they dreaded the

thought of going home again, of stepping into the lonely hut in each other's

company.

"I've got no one but him to cook for now!" mused Katrina,

"no one but him

care for him? It

was the

talk, not

girl

to wait for!

But what do

He could just as well have gone, who understood him and all his

I'd be better off alone." 114

too. silly

AT THE PIER "It would be easier to go

115

home with my

grief if I

didn't have that sour-faced old Katrina sitting round

the house," thought Jan.

"The

to get on with her, and could tent; but

now

suppose

girl

knew

so well

how

make her happy and connever get another

I'll

civil

word from that quarter."

a sudden Jan gave a start.

clapped his hands to his knees.

new-found hope and his gaze

his

Bending forward he His eyes kindled with

whole face shone.

kept

on the water and Katrina thought something

extraordinary must have riveted his attention, although she,

who

less

play of the gray-green waves, chasing each other

stood beside him, saw nothing save the cease-

across the surface of the lake, with never a stop.

Jan ran to the

far

end of the pier and bent -down over

the water, with the look on his face which he always

wore whenever Glory Goldie approached him, but which he could never put on when talking to any one His mouth opened and

his lips

moved

though he were

speaking, but not a word was heard by Katrina. after smile crossed his face, just as

to stand and

rail at

"Why, Jan!" you?"

else.

when the

girl

Smile used

him.

said Katrina,

"what has come over

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

ii6

He Then

did not reply, but motioned to her to be

he straightened himself a

to be following something that glided

gray-green waves. in the direction the

Whatever

was,

away over the moved quickly

Now Jan no longer

boat had taken.

bent forward but stood quite upright, shading

his eyes

Thus

with his hand that he might see the better. he remained standing

there

till

still.

His gaze seemed

little.

was nothing more

Then, turning to Katrina, he

to be seen, apparently. said:

"You didn't see anything, perhaps?" "What can one see here but the lake and its waves ?" "The little girl came rowing back," Jan told her, his voice lowered to a whisper.

boat of the captain.

noticed

was marked ex-

She said there was something

actly like the steamer.

she had forgotten about

"She had borrowed a

when

left; it

was something

know what

you're talking

she

she wanted to say to us."

"My about!

dear Jan, you don't If the girl

have seen

too,

would

her.'*

"Hush now, and said

had come back then

Jan, in

I'll tell

you what she wants of us!"

solemn and mysterious whispers.

"It

seems she had begun to worry about us; she was afraid

AT THE PIER we two wouldn't

get on

117 Before she had

ourselves.

always walked between us, she said, with one hand in

mine and the other had gone

'Now

and

in that

way everything

But now that she wasn't here to keep

well.

together

in yours,

she

know what might happen,

didn't

perhaps father and mother

will

go their separate

ways,' she said.'* **Sakes alive!" gasped Katrina, "that she should have

The woman was

thought of that "

own

by what

— the words were the echo of thoughts — that she quite forgot that the

had just been said her

so affected

for

daughter could not possibly have come back to the pier

and talked with Jan without her seeing

now

*"So

she, *and

I've

come back

you mustn't

firm hold for

you

As soon

again.'

sake

let

it.

to join your hands,' said

go of each other, but keep a

till I

return and link hands with

as she

had

said this she

rowed

away." There was

"And

silence for a

here's

moment on

the pier.

hand," Jan said presently,

uncertain voice that betrayed both shyness and anxiety

—and put out

a hand,

which despite

always remained singularly the

girl

wants

me to,"

soft.

he added.

ail his

"I do

had

hard

toil

this

because

ii8

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

"And

here's mine/* said Katrina.

stand what

you and the

girl

could have been that you saw, but

want us to

Then they went in

hand.

"I don't under-

all

the

stick together, so

way home

do I."

to their hut,

hand

THE LETTER

ONE

morning when Glory Goldie had been gone

about a fortnight, Jan was out

in the pasture

nearest the big forest, mending a wattled fence.

He was

so close to the

murmur

of the pines and see the grouse hen walking

about under the

woods that he could hear the

trees, scratching for food

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;a long

line

of grouse chicks trailing after her.

Jan had nearly

finished his

work when he heard

loud bellowing from the wooded heights!

moment and

Then he knew contrary,

stood

again.

afraid of, but

on the

Soon he heard

listened.

was nothing to be

seemed to be a cry

He threw down

his pickets

sounded

so weird and awful he began to be alarmed. still

for help.

and branches and hurried

through the birch grove into the dense

fir

woods, where

he had not gone far before he discovered what was amiss.

Up there was

a big, treacherous marsh.

belonging to the Falla folk had gone

mire and Jan saw at once that 119

down

in a

A cow quag-

was the best cow they

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

I20

had on the farm, one offered

for

which Lars Gunnarson had been

two hundred rix-dollars. She had sunk deep

mire and was

now so

the

terrified that she lay quite still

and

sent forth only feeble and intermittant bellowings.

was plain that she had struggled desperately was covered with mud

clear to her horns,

for she

and round

about her the green moss-tufts had been torn up.

She had bellowed so loud that Jan thought every one in Ashdales

must have heard

her, yet

had come up to the marsh.

no one but himself

did not tarry a second,

but ran straight to the farm for help. It

was slow work

setting poles in the marsh, laying

out boards and slipping ropes under the cow, to draw

For when the men reached her she had

her up by.

sunk to her back, so that only her head was above the After they had finally dragged her back onto

mire.

firm ground and carted her invited

all

home

who had worked

to Falla the housewife

over the animal to come

inside for coffee.

one had been so zealous

Jan of Ruffluck. lost.

And

for

just think!

two hundred

To Jan

But

in the rescue

work

had

him the cow would have been

She was a cow worth at

least

rix-dollars.

this

seemed a rare stroke of

luck.

Surely

THE LETTER new master and

the

so great a service.

happened

121

mistress could not

fail

in the old

Then

master's time.

horse that had been impaled on a picket

one who

to recognize

Something of a similar nature once

found the horse and had

The

fence.

home

carted

was a

re-

ceived from Eric of Falla a reward of ten rix-dollars;

and that despite the

injured that Eric had to shoot

But the cow was

was

fact that the beast

alive

so badly

it.

and

nowise harmed.

Jan pictured himself going on the morrow to the sexton, or to

him

some other person who could

to write to Glory Goldie and

write, to ask

her to

tell

come

home.

When

Jan came into the living-room at Falla he na-

drew himself up

turally

a bit.

The

old housewife

pouring coffee and he did not wonder at

handed him

his

been served. coffee,

was

when she

cup before even Lars Gunnarson had

Then, while they were

every one spoke of

how

well

all

having their

Jan had done, that

every one but the farmer and his wife; not a word of

is,

praise

came from them.

But now that Jan were over and for

him

felt

his luck

so confident his hard times

was coming back,

to find grounds for comfort.

was easy

might be that

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

122

Lars was silent because he wished to make what he

would say

all

the more impressive.

But he was

cer-

tainly withholding his thanks a distressingly long while.

The

situation

had become embarrassing.

had stopped talking and looked a

When

cups some of the

men

refill

cow

that's

so quick to act

one's eyes turned toward the

were waiting

for

"If

said.

we would have

worth her two hundred

This was followed by a dead

the cofFee

among them.

hesitated; Jan

"Oh, have another wee drop, Jan!" she you hadn't been

others

uncomfortable.

little

the old mistress went round to

The

lost a

rix-dollars."

silence,

man

and now every

of the house.

All

some expression of appreciation from

him.

Lars cleared his throat two or three times, as give added weight to

"It strikes

what he was about

there's

last spring I

seems to

fit

was

to say.

something queer about this

"You

whole business," he began.

owes two hundred

rix-dollars

all

and you

offered just that

sum

know also

that Jan

know

for the cow.

that It

in altogether too well with Jan's case that

the cow should have gone

down

in the

marsh to-day

and that he should have rescued her." Lars paused and again cleared

his throat.

Jan rose

THE LETTER

123

and moved toward him; but neither he nor any of the others had an answer ready.

know how Jan happened to be the one who cow bellowing up in the marsh," pursued

"I don't

heard the Lars.

"Perhaps he was nearer the scene when the

mishap occurred than he would have us think.

Maybe

he saw a possibility of getting out of debt and deliber" ately drove the cow

Jan brought that

made

"You

his fist

the cups

down on

jump

in their saucers.

judge others

the table with a crash

yourself,

you!" he

said.

"That's the sort of thing you might do, but not

You must know

that

One day last winter you But

just

can see through your "

when Jan was on

tricks.

the point of saying some-

thing that could only have ended in an irreparable

break between himself and his employer, the old housewife nipped

him by the coat

sleeve.

" Look out, Jan " said she. !

Jan did

so.

Then he saw Katrina coming toward

the house with a letter in her hand.

That was surely the

letter

from Glory Goldie which

they had been longing for every day since her departure. Katrina, knowing

how happy Jan would be

get

124 this,

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA had come straight over with

moment

the

arrived.

Jan glanced about him, bewildered. words were on the

tip of his tongue,

time to give vent to them.

What

but

with a power that was

The

now

ugly

he had no

did he care about be-

Why

ing revenged on Lars Gunnarson?

bother to defend himself?

Many

letter

irresistible.

should he

drew him away

He was

out of the

house and with Katrina before the people inside had

re-

covered from their dread of what he might have hurled at his employer in the

way of accusation.

AUGUST DAR NOL

ONE

when Glory Goldie had been gone

evening,

about a month, August Dar Nol came down to the Ashdales.

August and Glory had been

comrades at the Ostanby school and had been confirmed the same summer.

A fine, ite

manly

lad

with every one.

was August Dar Nol, and a favourHis parents were people of means

and no one had a brighter or more assured future to look forward to than had he.

from home his

return

for six

that

order to earn his

months, he had only learned on

Glory

money

Goldie

had gone away

to save her old home.

mother who told him of

finished

Having been absent

talking he snatched

out, never pausing until he

this,

was

and before she had his

cap and rushed

had reached the gate

Ruffluck Croft; there he stopped and looked toward the hut.

Katrina saw August standing there and

made

pretext of going to the well for water in order to speak

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

126

to him; but the lad did not appear to see her, so Katrina

immediately went back into the house.

Then

in a little while

Jan came down from the

forest

with an armful of wood, and when August saw him coming he stepped to one side until he, too, had gone in;

then he went back to the gate. Presently the closing

window of the hut swung open,

Jan seated

dis-

one side of the window-table smok-

ing his pipe, and Katrina at the other side, knitting.

"now

"Well, Katrina dear," said Jan,

we're having

There's only one thing

a real cosy evening.

wish

for."

"I wish if I

for a

could have

"But

who can

hundred things!" sighed Katrina, "and

them

all

I'd

still

be unsatisfied."

only wish the seine-maker, or somebody else

read,

would drop

and read us Glory Goldie's

letter."

"You've had that since

you got

that you ought to

"That may be it

always does

though the

letter read to

you

many

know it by

times

heart."

true enough," returned Jan, "but

me good

little girl

listen to her

words."

read, for then I feel as

herself were standing

seem to

to me, and

to hear

still

see her eyes

and talking

beam on me

as I

AUGUST DAR NOL "I wouldn't mind hearing Katrina,

"But on folks to

glancing

again, myself," said

through

out

the

a fine light evening like this

come

127

open window.

can't expect

to our hut."

me than

"It would be better to

the taste of white

bread with coffee to hear Glory Goldie's letter read while I'm sitting here smoking," declared Jan, "but

I'm sure every one

Ashdales has grown tired of

in the

being asked to read the letter over and over, and I

don't

know who

now

to turn to."

The words were hardly out

of his mouth,

when

door opened, and in walked August Dar Nol.

the

Jan

started in surprise.

"Bless me!

Here you come,

when wanted." caller

you

for

to read to us.

mate of yours.

Maybe

how

on?"

she's getting

lingering over each finished,

"How

word

him he It's

said: "I've got a

from an old school-

you'd be interested to hear

August Dar Nol took the

had

dear August, just

After Jan had shaken hands with the

and pulled up a chair

letter I'd like

letter

and read

drinking

it in.

aloud,

When

Jan remarked:

wonderfully well you read,

I've never heard Goldie's

dear August!

words sound as beautiful

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

128 as

from your

Would you do me the favour

lips.

to read

the letter once more?"

Then the boy read the the same deep feeling.

second time, with

letter for the It

was

as if

he had come with a

When

thirst-parched throat to a spring of pure water.

he had read to the end he carefully folded the

and smoothed

about to return

As he was

over with his hand. to Jan,

occurred to him the letter

had not been properly folded and he must do

That done, he

sat very silent.

conversation, but failed. "It*s so nice to get a

"Now know will

Jan

Finally the

boy

rose to go.

but

I can't

of that, nor has Katrina the heart to talked of asking

don't

Goldie's kitten.

have to be put out of the way, it;

over.

help sometimes," said Jan.

little

what to do with Glory

can't afford to keep

tried to start a

have another favour to ask of you.

just

letter

some stranger to take

suppose, as

bear the thought

drown

it.

We've

it."

August Dar Nol stammered a few words, which could scarcely be heard.

"You

can put the kitten in a basket, Katrina," Jan

said to his wife,

"then August

that we'll not have to see

will

take

along, so

again."

Katrina then picked up a

little

kitten that lay asleep

AUGUST DAR NOL on the bed, placed

129

an old basket around which

she wrapped a cloth, and then turned

over to the

boy.

"I'm glad so

to be rid of this kitten," said Jan.

happy and

herself.

It's

playful

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;too

best to have

Young Dar

much

"It's

Glory Goldie

out of the way."

Nol, without a word, went toward the

door; but suddenly he turned back, took Jan's hand, and pressed

it.

"Thanks!" he given

said in a

me more than you

"Don't imagine said to himself

it,

when

choked voice.

"You have

yourself know."

dear August Dar Nol!" Jan

the boy had gone.

understand about.

know what

something

you, and

know who has taught me to know."

"This

I've given

OCTOBER THE FIRST

THE

first

day of October Jan lay on the bed the

whole afternoon, to the wall, and

fully dressed, his face

nobody could

turned

word out

get a

of him.

In the forenoon he and Katrina had been down to the

meet the

pier to

written not!

Not that Glory Goldie had

little girl.

them to say she was coming,

was only that Jan had

not be otherwise.

figured out that

This was the

day the money must be paid

for indeed she

first

remain lay

in all

home

He knew

earlier.

Stockholm

could

of October, the

to Lars Gunnarson, so of

He had

course Glory Goldie would come.

pected her

had

not ex-

she would have to

as long as she could in order to

that money; but that she should be

Even

longer he never supposed.

away any

she had not suc-

ceeded in scraping together the money, that was no reason

why

she should be

away

after the first of

Oc-

tober.

That morning while Jan had stood on the 130

pier wait-

OCTOBER THE FIRST ing,

"When

he had said to himself:

the

131 little girl

sees

us from the boat she'll put on a sad face, and the

mo-

ment she lands

I will

When

money.

raise the

she'll tell

has not been able to

sh'e

she says that Katrina and

pretend to take her at her word and

I can't

understand

knew that money." the pier

how

she dared

Katrina and

all

I'll

say that

come home when she

cared about was the

He was sure that before they were away from she would go down in her pocket, bring up a

well-filled purse,

and turn

Then, while

over to them.

Katrina counted the bank notes, he would only stand

and look

Glory Goldie.

The

would then

little girl

see that all in the world he cared about

was to have

him he was

just as big a

her back, and she would

simpleton

now

when

tell

she went away.

Thus had Jan pictured homecoming.

But

his

to himself Glory Goldie's

dream did not come

That day he and Katrina did not have at the pier.

The boat

true.

a long wait

arrived on time, but

was so

overladen with passengers and freight bound for the

Broby Fair that tell

at first glance

whether or not the

little girl

was on board.

expected that she would be the

down

they were unable to

first

come

the gangplank; but only a couple of

Jan had tripping

men came

132

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA Then Jan attempted

ashore.

to look for her on the

boat; but he could get nowhere for the crush.

same he

she was there that

felt so positive

deck hands began to draw to the captain not to

other person to

let

in the

who

when the

gangplank he shouted

the boat leave as there was an-

come ashore

tioned the purser,

All the

The captain ques-

here.

assured

him

there were no

passengers for Svartsjo.

Then to go

the boat pulled out and Katrina and Jan had

home by

inside the hut

moment they were down on the bed so

themselves, and the

Jan cast himself

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

weary and disheartened that he did not know how he would ever be able to get up again.

The Ashdales

folk

who had

seen the father and mother

return from the pier without Glory Goldie were greatly

concerned.

One after the other, the neighbours dropped

in at Ruffluck to find

Was boat.?

out

how matters

stood with them.

true that Glory Goldie had not

they inquired.

And was

come on the

true that they had

received no letter or message from her during the

whole month of September ?

Jan answered not a word to mattered not

who came

all

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;he lay

their queries. still.

Katrina had

to enlighten the neighbours as best she could.

They

OCTOBER THE FIRST

133

thought Jan lay on the bed because he was

in despair

They could think what they

of losing the hut.

liked

for all of him.

Katrina wept and wailed, and once inside the friends

they must remain,

felt

to give It

what

little

was not

only out of pity for her, and

comfort they could.

likely that

Lars Gunnarson would take

The

the house from them, they said.

Falla would never let that happen.

shown

herself to be a just

old mistress of

She had always

and upright person.

Besides,

the day was not over yet, and Glory Goldie might

be heard from.

be sure

still

would be nothing short of

she had succeeded in earning 2CX) rix-

dollars in less

than three months' time: but then, that

marvellous

girl

always had such good luck.

They

discussed the chances for and against.

Katrina

informed them that Glory Goldie had earned nothing

whatever the

first

weeks, that she had taken lodgings

with a family from Svartsjo,

now

living in

where she had been obliged to pay

Stockholm,

for her keep.

And

then one day she had had the good fortune to meet in the street the

dress,

merchant who had given her the red

and he had found a place

Would

for her.

not be reasonable to suppK>se that the met-

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

134

chant had also raised the money for her?

That was

not altogether impossible.

"No, the

was not impossible,"

said Katrina,

"but since

has neither come herself nor written

girl

it's

plain

she has failed."

Every one

in the

hensive for every

hut grew more anxious and appre-

moment

that some dire misfortune would soon

who

lived there.

When

They

that passed.

fall

seldom seen in the Ashdales came instant this

man

upon those

the tension was becoming un-

bearable the door opened once more and a

The

all felt

entered

man who was

in. it

became

still

the hut as on a winter night in the forest, and every one's eyes save Jan's alone turned toward him.

did not

stir,

Senator Carl Carlson of Storvik had just come

The

Jan

although Katrina whispered to him that

senator held in his hand a

roll

in.

of papers and

every one took for granted that he had been sent here

by the new owner of of

what must

befall

Falla, to notify the Ruffluck folk

them,

now

that they could not

meet Lars Gunnarson's claim. Carl Carlson wore his usual magisterial mien and no

one could guess how heavily the blow he had come to deal would

fall.

He went up and shook

hands,

first

OCTOBER THE FIRST

135

with Katrina, then with the others, and each one in turn rose as he came to them; the only one rise

who

did not

was Jan.

not very well acquainted in this district," said

the senator, "but in the It

Ashdales that

gather that this must be the place is

called Ruffluck Croft."

was of course. Every one nodded

in the affirmative,

but no one was able to utter an audible word.

They

wondered that Katrina had the presence of mind to

nudge Borje, and make him get up and give

his chair

to the senator.

After drawing the chair up to the table the senator laid the roll of papers

box and placed

removed

down, then he took out

his snufF

beside the papers, whereupon he

his spectacles

from their case and wiped them

with his big blue-and-white checkered handkerchief. Afeer these preliminaries he glanced round the room,

looking from one person to the other. there were persons of such

little

Those who sat

importance he did not

even know them by name.

"I wish to speak with Jan Anderson of Ruffluck," he said.

"That's him over there," volunteered the seinemaker, pointing at the bed.

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

136

"Is he sick?" inquired the senator.

"Oh, no!

Oh, no!" replied half a dozen at the same

time.

"And he isn*t drunk, either," added Borje. "Nor is he asleep," said the seine-maker. "He has walked so far to-day he's all tired Katrina, thinking

out," said

best to explain the matter in that

At the same time she bent down over her hus-

way.

band and

tried to persuade

But Jan lay

him

rise.

still.

"Does he understand what I'm saying?" asked the senator.

"Yes indeed," they "Perhaps it's

all

assured him.

he's not expecting

Senator Carl Carlson

any glad

who

tidings, seeing

paying him a

call."

This from the seine-maker.

The maker.

senator turned his head and stared at the seine-

"Or

Bengtsa of Lusterby has not always

been so afraid of meeting Carl Carlson of Storvik," he observed in a mild voice. again, he took

up a

Turning toward the table

letter.

Every one was dumbfounded. ally

spoken

said to

in a friendly tone.

have smiled.

The senator had

actu-

could almost be

OCTOBER THE FIRST "The

fact is," he began,

"a couple of days ago

ceived a communication from a person self

137

who

I re-

calls her-

Glory Goldie Sunnycastle, daughter of Jan of

Ruffluck, in which she says she left

ago to try to earn two-hundred

home some months which sum

rix-dollars,

her parents have to pay to Lars Gunnarson of Falla on the

first

day of October

in order to obtain full rights of

ownership to the land on which their hut stands."

Here the senator paused a moment so that

his hearers

would be able to follow him.

"And now

she sends the

money

to me," he con-

tinued, "with the request that I

come down to the Ash-

dales and see that this matter

the

new owner of

any new

"That

properly settled with

Falla; so that he won't be able to play

trick later on." girl

has got some sense in her head," the

senator remarked as he folded the letter. to

me from

would be

the start.

less

"She turns

If all did as she has

done there

cheating and injustice in this parish."

Before the close of that remark Jan was sitting on the

edge of the bed.

"But

the girl?

Where

she.?" he

asked.

"And now

I'd like to

know," the senator proceeded,

taking no notice of Jan's question, "whether the par-

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

138

ents are in accord with the daughter and authorize

to close

"But the

girl,

the girl?" Jan struck

in.

"Where

she?"

"Where to see. this

she is?" said the senator, looking in the letter

"She says

money

in just

was impossible

for her to earn all

two or three months, but she has

found a place with a kind lady, who advanced her the

money, and now she until she has

"Then

made

she's not

"No, not

will

have to stay with the lady

good."

coming home?" Jan asked.

for the present, as I

understand

it," replied

the senator.

Again Jan lay down on the bed and turned

his face

to the wall.

What

did he care for the hut and

the good of his going on living,

not coming back?

all

when

that ?

What was

his little girl

was

THE DREAM BEGINS

THE

first

few weeks after the senator's

call

Jan

was unable to do a stroke of work: he just lay abed and grieved.

and put on

Every morning he rose

before he was outside the door he

that

go to his work; but

his clothes, intending to felt

weak and weary

he could do was to go back to bed.

all

Katrina tried to be patient with Jan, for she understood that pining, like any other sickness, had to run

Yet she could not help wondering

course. it

would be before Jan's intense yearning

Goldie subsided. this

till

"Perhaps

he'll

how for

"Or

long

Glory

be lying round

Christmas!" she thought.

its

possibly the

whole winter?"

And

this

might have been the case, too, had not the

old seine-maker dropped in at Ruffluck one evening and

been asked to stay for

The are far

coffee.

seine-maker, like most persons whose thoughts

away and who do not keep

touch with what

happens immediately about them, was always taciturn. 139

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

I40

But when tied

his coffee

had been poured and he had emp-

into his saucer, to let

cool, it struck

him that

he ought to say something.

"To-day

there's

Goldie," he said.

"We

bound

to be a letter

feel it in

from Glory

my bones."

had greetings from her only a fortnight ago

her letter to the senator," Katrina reminded him.

The seine-maker blew into his saucer before saying anything more. it

Whereupon he again found

expedient to bridge a long silence with a word or

"Maybe some it

a couple of times

blessing has

come

to the

girl,

so.

and

has given her something to write about."

"What Katrina.

one day

kind of blessing might that be.?" scouted

"When you've got to drudge as humdrum as another."

The seine-maker gulped his coffee. stillness fell

bit off a corner of a

When

as a servant,

sugar-lump and

he had finished an appalling

upon the room.

"It might be that Glory Goldie met some person in the street," he blurted out, his half-dead eyes vacantly staring at space.

He seemed

not to

know what he

was saying. Katrina did not think

necessary to respond; so re-

plenished his cup without speaking.

THE DREAM BEGINS "Maybe

141

the person she met was an old lady

who had

seine-maker went on in the

difficulty in walking,'* the

same ofFhand manner, "and maybe she stumbled and fell

when Glory Goldie came

"Would

along."

that be anything to write about?" asked

Katrina, weary of this senseless talk.

"But suppose Glory Goldie stopped and helped the old lady

up?" pursued the seine-maker, "and she was

so thankful to the girl for helping her that she opened

her purse and gave her

all

of ten rix-doUars

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;^wouldn't

Katrina, "if

were

that be worth telling?"

"Why But

this

"It

certainly," said is

just something you're

making up."

sometimes, to be able to indulge in

well,

true.

little

thought feasts," contended the seine-maker, "they are often

satisfying than the real ones."

"You've you ought

tried both kinds," returned Katrina,

know."

The seine-maker went

his

gave no further thought to

"so

for Jan,

he took

way

and Katrina

his story.

at first as idle chatter.

lying abed, with nothing to take

he began to wonder

directly,

there

his

But

mind, presently

was not some hidden mean-

ing back of the seine-maker's words.

The

old man's

142

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

tone sounded a bit peculiar

when he spoke

Would he have

and made up such a long

sat there

Perhaps he had heard

story only for talk's sake?

Perhaps Glory Goldie had written to him?

something. It

was quite

to the

of the letter.

possible that something so great

little girl

had come

that she dared not send direct word

to her parents, and wrote instead to the seine-maker,

asking him to prepare them, "He'll

come again to-morrow," thought Jan, "and

then we'll hear

But

for

all

about

it."

some reason the seine-maker did not come

back the next day, nor the day

day Jan had become

after.

the third

so impatient to see his old friend

that he got up and went over to his cabin, to find out

whether there was anything

The

old

man was

when Jan came

in.

what he had

sitting alone

He was

said.

mending

a drag-net

so crippled from

rheuma-

tism, he said, he had been unable to leave the house for several days.

Jan did not want to ask him outright ceived a letter from Glory Goldie.

would attain it

his object

in the indirect

said:

way

easily

he had

re-

He thought

by approaching

the other had taken.

So he

THE DREAM BEGINS

143

"I've been thinking of what you told us about Glory

Goldie the last time you were at our place."

The seine-maker looked up from It

was some

Jan alluded

little

to.

work, puzzled.

his

time before he comprehended what

"Why,

that was just a

little

whimsey

of mine," he returned presently.

Then Jan went very

man.

"Any-

how it was something pleasant to listen to," "You might have told us more, perhaps, if

he said.

close to the old

Katrina

hadn't been so mistrustful?"

"Oh, yes," sort of

"This

replied the seine-maker.

amusement one can

afford to indulge in

the

down

here, in the Ashdales."

"I have thought," continued Jan, emboldened by the encouragement,

"that

maybe

the

story

didn't

end with the old lady giving Glory Goldie the ten dollars.

Perhaps she also invited the

girl to

rix-

come

see her?"

"Maybe she did," said "Maybe she's so rich

the seine-maker.

that she owns a whole stone

house?"

"That was

"And maybe

happy thought,

friend

Jan!"

the rich old lady will pay Glory Goldie *s

debt?" Jan began, but stopped short, because the old

144

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

man's daughter-in-law had just come he did not care to

"So you're out in-law.

let

and of course

to-day, Jan," observed the daughter-

"I'm glad you're

"For that

in,

her into the secret.

feeling better."

have to thank

Bengtsa!" said Jan, with an

air of

good friend 01'

mystery.

He's the

one who has cured me."

Jan said good-bye, and

left

at once.

For a long

while the seine-maker sat gazing out after him.

"I don't know what he can have meant by saying that I have cured him," the old daughter-in-law.

no!"

man remarked

"It can't be that he's

to his ?

No,

HEIRLOOMS

ONE

evening, toward the close of autumn, Jan

was on

his

way home from

had been threshing

all

day.

Falla,

where he

After his talk

with the seine-maker his desire for work had come back to him.

felt

now

keep up so that the

that he must do

little girl

what he could

on her return would not

be subjected to the humiliation of finding her parents reduced to the condition of paupers.

When Jan was

far

enough away from the house not

to be seen from the windows he noticed a

the road coming toward him.

but he soon saw

woman

Dusk had already

was the mistress

fallen,

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;not the new

herself

one, but the old and rightful mistress of Falla.

She had

on a big shawl that came down to the hem of her

skirt.

Jan had never seen her so wrapped up, and wondered if

she was

spring,

ill.

She had looked poorly of

when her husband

died, she

late.

In the

had not a gray hair

on her head, and now, half a year afterward, she had not a dark hair

left.

145

146

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

The

old mistress stopped and greeted Jan, after which

the two stood and talked.

come out

indicate that she had

but he

to be so.

felt it

She said nothing that would expressly to see him,

It flashed into his

head that

she wanted to speak with him about Glory Goldie, and

he was rather miffed when she began to talk about something quite

different.

"I wonder, Jan, Falla,

father,

you remember the

who was master

old

owner of

there before Eric

earner

"Why

shouldn't I

remember him, when

of twelve at the time of his death

old mistress

was

all

"He had a good son-in-law," said "He had that," agreed Jan. The

silent a

the old mistress.

moment, and sighed

once or twice before she continued " I want to ask your :

You

advice about something, Jan.

that would go about tittle-tattling

"No,

can hold

thought he,

tress of Falla

say."

this year."

arose in Jan.

what

my tongue."

"Yes, I've noticed that

New hopes

are not the sort

would not be surprising,

Glory Goldie had turned to the old mis-

and asked her to

tell

him and Katrina

the great thing that had come to her.

For the old

HEIRLOOMS

147

been taken down with rheumatic

seine-maker had

fever shortly after their interrupted conversation, and for

weeks he had been too

up and about

was that

He had

ill

again, but very feeble.

after his illness his

Now

to see him.

he was

The worst of

memory seemed

to be gone.

waited for him to say something more about

Glory Goldie's

letter,

but as he had failed to do

so,

and

could not even take a hint, he had asked him straight

And

out.

the old

ceived any letter.

man had declared he had not reTo convince Jan he had pulled out

the table drawer and thrown back the chest, to let

him

lid

of his clothes-

see for himself that there

was no such

letter.

course he had forgotten what he did with

concluded.

So,

no wonder the

the mistress of Falla. first

place!

Now

Jan

had turned to

Pity she hadn't done

in the

that the old mistress was hesitating

so long he felt certain in his right.

little girl

it,

own mind

that he was

But when she again returned to the subject of

her father, he was so surprised he could hardly follow her.

She said:

"When

father

was nearing the end he summoned

Eric of Falla to his bedside and thanked

loving care of a helpless old

man

him

for his

in his declining years.

148 *

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

Don't think about that, Father,' said Eric.

'We're

glad to have you with us just as long as you care to

That's

stay.'

what Eric

And

said.

meant

it,

tool"

"He

did that," confirmed Jan.

fox-tricks about

"There were no

him!"

"Wait, Jan!" said the mistress, "we'll just speak of

Do you remember

the old people for the present.

the

long silver-mounted stick father used to carry?"

"Yes; both the

stick

and the high leather cap he

al-

ways wore when he went to church."

"So you remember the what

cap, too?

father did at the last?

his stick

told

Do you know me to fetch him

and cap, and then he gave them to

Eric.

could have given you something that was worth more

money,' he told Eric, *but stead, for I I

know you would

giving you these in-

rather have something

have used.*"

"That was an honour

well earned."

When Jan

said

that he noticed that the old mistress drew her shawl closer

together.

something under Goldie!

He was it

now

sure

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;maybe

she

present

was hiding from Glory

"She'll get round to that in time," he thought.

"All this talk about her father

only a makeshift."

HEIRLOOMS "I have often spoken of old mistress

Anna expected as Eric

stick

The when

sick, I

Gunnarson.

think both Lars and

that Lars would be called to the bedside,

had once been

them

children," the

also to Lars

called.

had brought him

and cap so they'd be handy

to give

this to

went on, "and

Last spring, when Eric lay

149

in case Eric

in the

wished

had no such thought."

to Lars; but he

old mistress's voice shook as she said that, and

she spoke again her tone sounded anxious and

uncertain.

"Once, when we were alone, wishes were, and he said things to Lars

strength to

if I

I asked Eric

wanted to

when he was gone

make

what

his

could give the

as he

had not the

speeches."

Whereupon the

mistress of Falla threw back her big

saw that she held under

shawl, and then Jan

silver-mounted ebony stick and a

stiff,

a long,

high-crowned

leather cap.

"Some words said

are

too heavy for utterance," she

"Answer me with

with great gravity.

nod, Jan,

you

will.

Can

just

give these to Lars

Gun-

narson?"

Jan drew back a entirely dismissed

step.

from

This was a matter he had

his

mind.

seemed such a

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

150

long time since Eric of Falla died he hardly

how it happened. "You understand, Jan,

remem-

bered

that

whether Lars can accept the

same

want to know

stick

in the forest.

believe there

ward between the young

Her voice

would be

folks

you were with

would be well

she added, as Jan did not speak, "if to Lars.

and cap with the

You must know,

right as Eric.

him that time

all

for

me,"

could give

them

less friction after-

and me."

failed her again,

and Jan began to per-

why she had aged so much the past few months; now his mind was so taken up with other things

ceive

but

that he no longer cherished the old resentment against his

new employer.

"It's best to forgive in

and forget," he

"It pays

said.

the long run."

The

old mistress caught her breath.

"Then

just as I thought!" she said, drawing herself full height.

It's best for

"I'll

not ask you to

not to know.

tell

Lars Gunnarson shall never get his hands on

up to her

what took

But one thing

place.

certain,

my father's

stick!"

She had already turned to go, then suddenly faced about.

"Here, Jan," she

said, holding

out the things.

HEIRLOOMS "You may have I

them to

the stick and cap, for I want

be in good, honest hands. again lest

151

daren't take

them home

be forced to turn them over to Lars; so

you keep them

as a

memento

of the old master,

who

always thought well of you.'*

Then she walked away,

erect

Jan stood holding the cap and

and proud, and there

stick.

hardly

how it had come about. He had never expected honoured. Were these heirlooms now to be his

in a

knew

to be so

Then

moment, he found an explanation: Glory Goldie

was back of

it all.

The

old mistress

knew

that he was

soon to be elevated to a station so exalted that nothing

would be too good

for him.

Indeed, had the stick been

of silver and the cap of gold they would have been even

more suitable

for the father of Glory Goldie.

CLOTHED IN SATIN

LETTER

had come from Glory Goldie to

either her father or mother.

very

little

now

that Jan

But

mattered

knew she was

simply because she wished her parents to be surprised and

all

happy when the time came

silent

the more

for her to

proclaim the good tidings. But, in any case,

was a good thing

had peeped into her cards. have been made a

knew more about there

the

Sunday

service,

him that he

Otherwise he might easily

by persons who thought they

Glory's doings than he did.

was Katrina's experience

instance, first

fool of

for

Advent.

For

church

Katrina had been to

and upon her return Jan had noticed that she

was both alarmed and depressed. She had seen a couple of youths who were just back

from Stockholm standing on the church knoll talking with a group of young boys and

girls.

Thinking they

might be able to give her some news of Glory Goldie, she had gone up to

them

make inquiries. 152

CLOTHED IN SATIN The youths were escapades, for

seemly,

evidently telling of some of their

the men, at least, laughed uproari-

all

thought their behaviour very

Katrina

ously.

considering

The men must have she

153

they were

un-

on church ground.

realized this themselves, for

when

came up they nudged one another and hushed.

She had caught only a few words, spoken by a youth

whose back was turned to her, and who had not seen

"And

to think that she

was clothed

her.

in satin!" he

said.

Instantly a young

girl

gave him a push that silenced

him, then, glancing round, he saw Katrina just behind

him and

his face

went red

after he tossed his head,

as blood; but

and said

immediately

in a loud voice:

"What's the matter with you?

Why

can't I be

allowed to say that the queen was arrayed in satin?"

When

he said that the young people laughed louder

than ever.

Then Katrina went her way, unable

bring herself to question them.

home to

she was so

And when

she

came

unhappy that Jan was almost tempted

come out with the truth about Glory Goldie; but tell

him again what

"You

understand of

on second thought, he asked her to

had been

said about the queen.

Katrina did

so,

but added:

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

154

course that that was only said to sweeten the

pill for

me." Jan meanwhile kept mum.

But he could not help

smiling to himself.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Katrina. "You have such a queer look on your face these days. You don't know what they meant, do you?" "I certainly don't," answered Jan. to have is

enough confidence

in the little girl to

think

all

should be."

"But I'm

getting so anxious

"The time either

"But we ought

for

to speak," Jan struck in, "has not come,

them

me.

Glory Goldie herself has

probably requested them not to say anything to

So we must

rest easy, Katrina, indeed

we must."

us.

STARS

WHEN

the

months,

little girl

who

had been gone nearly eight

should come stalking into the

barn at Falla one threshing there, but

Mad was

Mad

Ingeborg was

day, while Jan stood

Ingeborg!

first

afraid of Katrina he

fine

cousin to Jan.

seldom saw

But

as she

was to

her.

escape meeting Jan's wife that she had sought him out at Falla during his

work hours.

Jan was none too pleased to not exactly insane, but flighty

He went

right

on with

his

see Ingeborg!

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;and a

you what

terrible chatterer.

work, taking no notice of her.

"Stop your threshing, Jan!" she tell

She was

said,

dreamed about you

"so that

can

last night."

"You'd better come some other time, Ingeborg," Jan suggested.

"If Lars Gunnarson hears that I'm resting

from my workhe'll be sure to come over to see what's up." "I'll

be as quick as quick can be.

was the brightest

child in our family,

you remember,

which doesn't give

me much to brag about, as the rest of you were a dull lot." 155

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

'iS6

"You were minded

"In I

going to

me about

dream," Jan

re-

her.

a minute

understand

scolded on

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;a

You

minute!

mustn't be afraid.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;understand: hard master now But don't be uneasy,

hard master.

when

tell

at Falla

for you'll not

There's no danger of that

account.

you're with a sensible person like me."

Jan would have

liked to hear

what she dreamed about

him, for confident as he was of the ultimate realization of his great expectations, he nevertheless sought as-

surances from

all

quarters.

But now

Mad

Ingeborg

was wandering along her own thought-road and times

was not easy

at such

She went very close

to stop her.

to Jan, then, bending over him, her eyes shut tight, her

head shaking, the words came pouring out of her mouth.

"Don't be

so scared.

Do you

suppose I'd be stand-

ing here talking to you while you're threshing at Falla if I

didn't

know

the master had gone up to the forest

and the mistress was down 'Always keep them

know enough

at the village selling butter.

in mind,' says the catechism.

for that

and take good care not to come

round when they can see me."

"Get out of the way, Ingeborg! might

hit

you."

Otherwise the

flail

STARS

me when we were "Even now I have to take

"Think how you boys used children!'* she rattled on.

thrashings.

But when

tions, I could beat

you

to beat

came

And I'm good

Lovdala Manor.

'She always knows her

what

memory

heart and the

sermons.

friends with the

I recite

questions and answers

little

the catechism for

—from

I've got!

hymn

to catechism examina-

*No one can catch Ingeborg

all.

napping,' the dean used to say. lessons.'

IS7

misses at

them

—both

beginning to end.

know

And

the whole Bible

book, too, and

all

the dean's

Shall I recite something for you, or

would

you rather hear me sing?" Jan said nothing whatever, but went to threshing again.

Ingeborg, undaunted, seated herself on a sheaf

of straw and struck up a chant of some twenty stanzas,

then she repeated a couple of chapters from the Bible,

whereupon she got up and went had gone in the

for good,

but

out.

Jan thought she

in a little while she

reappeared

doorway of the barn.

"Hold

still!

Now

but what we were going to say.

Only

she whispered.

still!"

we'll say nothing

"Hold

be still— still!"

Then up went rigid

her forefinger.

and her eyes open.

Now she held

"No other thoughts,

her body

no other

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

iS8

thoughts!"

she

"We'll keep to the subject.

said.

Only hush your pounding!" She waited

Jan minded

till

her.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

"You came to me last night in a dream yes, that was it. You came to me and I says to you like this 'Are you :

out for a walk, Jan of the Ashdales?' *but

now I'm Jan

met,' says

Yes,' says you,

of the Vale of Longings.'

^There's where

Whereupon she disappeared by her strange words,

have lived again,

'Then, well all

my life.'"

and Jan, startled

did not immediately resume his

work, but stood pondering.

In a

moment

two

she was there again.

"I remember

him.

On cord,

loosen

now what brought me

"I wanted to show you

here," she told

stars."

her arm was a small covered basket bound with

and while she tugged and pulled it,

"They

she chattered like a magpie. are real stars, these.

Vale of Longings one earth; then one stars.

There

have to go

"No,

at a knot, to

When

isn't satisfied

with the things of

no other choice.

Now

you, too, will

them."

no, Ingeborg!" returned Jan. is

lives in the

compelled to go out and look for

in search of

search to what

one

"I'll confine

to be found on this earth."

STARS !

"For goodness sake hush "

159

cried the

"You

woman.

don't suppose I'm such a fool as to go ahunting for those

which remain

in the heavens,

kind that have

do you ?

I've got

fallen.

some

She opened her basket which was

only seek the

sense, I guess!"

filled

with a variety

of stars she had evidently picked up at the manors.

There were

tin stars

and

glass stars

ornaments from Christmas

"They

I'll let

and confectionery.

are the only person I've

shown them

to.

you have a couple whenever you need them."

"Thanks, Ingeborg," comes that right soon

Then It

stars

are real stars fallen from the sky," she de-

"You

clared.

trees

and paper

I shall

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

have need of

don't think

at last

was some

back to

Mad

"When

stars

the time

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;which may be

ask you for them." left.

time, however, before Jan

little

Not that

I'll

Ingeborg

his threshing.

pointing.

said Jan.

To him

this, too,

was a

went

finger-

a crack-brained person like Inge-

borg could know anything of Glory Goldie's movements;

but she was one of the kind

who

sensed

when something extraordinary was going

in the air

to happen.

She could see and hear things of which wise folk never

had an

inkling.

WAITING

ENGINEER of strolling

Boraeus of Borg was in the habit

down

to the pier mornings to

He had

the steamer.

meet

only a short distance to

go, through his beautiful pine grove,

always some one on the boat with

and there was

whom

he could ex-

change a few words to vary the monotony of country life.

At the end of the abrupt descent to the

upon which to

sit

while

grove, where the road began an pier,

who had come from a waiting for the boat. And folk

ways many who waited

at the

never any certainty as to It

seldom put

while it

in before

did not

sit

when

Borg

distance used there were al-

pier, as there

come

until

was

the boat would arrive.

twelve o'clock, and yet once in a

reached the pier as early as eleven.

who were down to

were some large bare rocks

Sometimes

one or two; so that prompt people,

at the landing

by ten

o'clock, often

had

there for hours.

Engineer Boraeus had a good outlook over Lake Loven i6o

WAITING from

his

chamber window

i6i

at Borg.

could see

when

the steamer rounded the point and never appeared at

Therefore he

the landing until just in the nick of time. did not have to

sit

on the rocks and wait, and would

only cast a glance, in passing, at those there.

who were

seated

However, one summer, he noticed a meek-

looking Httle

man

with a kindly face sitting there

waiting day after day.

The man always

sat quite

still,

seemingly indifferent, until the boat hove in sight.

Then he would jump

to his feet, his face shining with

joyous anticipation, and rush

end of the

pier,

come some

when

down

the incline to the far

where he would stand

one.

But nobody ever came

about to wel-

for him.

And

the boat pulled out he was as alone as before.

Then, as he turned to go home, the gone from

his face,

light of happiness

he looked old and worn; he seemed

hardly able to drag himself up the

hill.

Engineer Boreaus was not acquainted with the man.

But one day when he again saw him

sitting

there

gazing out upon the lake, he went up and spoke to him.

soon learned that the man's daughter,

had been away

for a time,

who

was expected home that

day.

"Are you quite

certain she

coming to-day.^" said

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

i62

the engineer.

day

"I've seen you sitting here waiting every

for the past

two months.

In that case she must

have sent you wrong instructions before."

"Oh, no," repHed the man

quietly,

"indeed she

me any wrong instructions!" "Then what in the name of God do you

hasn't given

demanded the engineer "You've

man.

sat here

gruffly, for

mean.?"

he was a choleric

and waited day

after

day with-

out her coming, yet you say she has not given you

wrong

instructions."

"No," answered the meek

little

man, looking up

the engineer with his mild, limpid eyes, "she couldn't have, as she has not sent any instructions."

"Hasn't she written to you.?"

"No; we've had no

letter

from her since the

first

day

of last October."

"Then why do you

idle

away your mornings down

here?" asked the engineer, wonderingly.

"Can you

afford to leave off working like this ?"

"No," pose

it's

replied the

wrong

man, smiling

to himself.

to do so; but

all

"I sup-

that will soon

be made good." "Is

possible that you're such a stupid ass as to

hang round here when

there's

no occasion

for it?" roared

WAITING

163

"You ought

the engineer, furiously.

to be shut

a madhouse."

The man round

said nothing.

He sat with

his knees, quite unperturbed.

about his mouth

all

his

hands clasped

smile played

the while, andevery second he seemed

more and more confident of his ultimate triumph.

The engineer shrugged his shoulders and walked away, but before he was halfway down the his harshness,

The

and turned back.

hill

he repented

stern forbidding

look which his strong features habitually wore was

gone and he put out

his

hand to the man.

"I want to shake hands with you,'* he

now

had always thought that

this parish

see that I

who knew what

have found

now

said.

"Until

was the only one

was to yearn; but now

my master."

THE EMPRESS

THE

little girl

of Ruffluck had been

much

as a

fully

had not betrayed by

thirteen months, yet Jan so

away

word that he had any knowledge

He had vowed

of the great thing that had come to her.

to himself never to speak of this until Glory Goldie's If the little girl did not discover that he

return.

about her grandeur, her pleasure

would be

But

all

in this

world of ours

tell

what he knew.

let

folks think

in his

shabby clothes

him nothing but

a poor crofter

to the end of his days.

own

sake that he

Not on

For he would have

Indeed not!

account.

been quite content to go about

and

the unexpected that

There came a day when Jan was

forced to unseal his lips and

own

overwhelming him

the greater.

happens mostly.

his

knew

felt

was

for

the Httle

girl's

compelled to reveal the great

secret.

happened one day, early

gone down to the pier to watch 164

August, when he had for her.

For you

see,

THE EMPRESS going

down

see her

come

165

meet the boat every day that he might

ashore,

was a pleasure he had been unable

The boat had

deny himself.

and he had

just put in

He had

sup-

posed that she would be finished with everything

now

seen that Glory Goldie was not on board.

and could leave

for

But some new hindrance

home.

must have

arisen to detain her, as

summer.

was not easy

mands upon her time

Anyhow

was

for

one who had so

a great pity she did not

quaintances at the

de-

many

come to-day, of her old ac-

There stood both Senator

pier.

Dar Nol.

Carl Carlson and August

was

many

all

to get away.

thought Jan, when there were so

son's son-in-law

had been the case

also

Bjorn Hindrick-

on hand, and even Agrippa

Prastberg had turned out.

Agrippa had nursed a grievance against the girl since

the day she fooled him about the spectacles.

Jan had to admit to himself that great triumph for

boat that day

would have been a

him had Glory Goldie stood on the

in all

her

pomp and

Prastberg could have seen her.

had not come, there was nothing home.

little

As he was about

splendour, so that

However, since she for

him but

to go back

to leave the pier cantankerous

old Agrippa barred his way.

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

i66

"So you*re running

"Well, well!" said Agrippa.

down

here after that daughter of yours to-day, too?"

Jan knowing

man get

was best not

bandy words with a

Agrippa, simply stepped to one side, so as to

by him.

"I declare such a

fine

don't wonder at your wanting to meet

lady as she has turned out to be!" said

Agrippa with a

leer.

Just then August

Dar Nol rushed up and

Agrippa by the arm, to

seized

But Agrippa was

silence him.

not to be silenced.

"The whole

parish

knows of

it,"

he shouted, "so

high time her parents were told of her doings!

Anderson girl

his,

a decent fellow, even

and

can't bear to see

him

sit

here day after

now

called the little girl of Ruffluck such a

that Jan would not repeat

Jan

he did spoil that

day, week in and week out, waiting for a

it's

bad name

But

even in his thoughts.

that Agrippa had flung that ugly word at him in a

loud voice, so that every one on the pier heard what he said, all that

year burst den. secret.

The

Jan had kept locked within him

its

bonds.

little girl

said

for a

could no longer keep

must forgive him

what he had

whole it

hid-

for betraying her

to say without the least

THE EMPRESS show of anger or hand and

boastfulness.

With

167 a sweep of his

a lofty smile, as if hardly deigning to answer,

he said: "

"When the Empress comes "The Empress!" that be?" girl's

Just as

grinned Agrippa.

"Who

might

he had not heard about the

little

elevation.

Jan of Ruffluck, unperturbed, continued

in the

same

calm, even tone of voice:

"When

the Empress Glory of Portugallia stands on

the pier, with a crown of gold upon her head, and with

seven kings behind her holding up her royal mantle, and seven tame lions crouched at her

feet,

and seven and

seventy generals, with drawn swords, going before her,

then we shall herself

see, Prastberg,

what you've

When

just said to

still

how terrified they

mo-

looked,

of them; then, turning on his heel, he walked away,

but without hurry or

The

flurry, of course.

instant his back

commotion on the it,

me!"

he had finished speaking he stood

ment, noting with satisfaction all

whether you dare say to

pier.

was turned there was

first

a terrible

he paid no attention to

but presently, on hearing a heavy thud, he had to look

back.

Then he saw Agrippa

lying flat on his face

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

i68

and August Dar Nol bending over him with clenched fists.

"You

cur!" cried August.

"You knew

well enough

that he couldn't stand hearing the truth.

have any heart

You

your body!"

This much Jan heard, but as anything in the fighting or quarrelling

went on up the

can't

hill,

was contrary to

without mixing

way

his nature,

in the fray.

But strangely enough, when he was out of every one's sight an uncontrollable spell of weeping

did not

came over him.

know why he wept, but probably

were of joy at having cleared up the mystery.

now

as if his Httle girl

had come back to him.

his tears

felt

THE EMPEROR

THE

first

Sunday

September the worshippers

had a surprise

at Svartsjo church

in store for

them.

There was a wide gallery across the nave.

The

in the

first

church extending clear

row of pews

in this gallery

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;the gentleon the â&#x20AC;&#x201D;as

had always been occupied by the gentry

men on

the right side and the ladies

back as can be remembered. church were

from

free, so

left

far

All the seats in the

that other folk were not debarred

sitting there, if

they so wished; but of course

would never have occurred to any poor cotter to ensconce himself in that row of pews. In the old days Jan had thought the occupants of this particular bench a delight to the eye.

was

Even now he

willing to concede that the superintendent

from

Doveness, the lieutenant from Lovdala, and the engineer from Borg were fine

pearance.

which

But they were

folks

men who made

a good ap-

as nothing to the

beheld that day. 169

grandeur

For anything Hke a

170 real

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA emperor had

never

before

been

seen

the

gentry's bench.

But now there

sat at the

head of

this

bench just

such a great personage, his hands resting on a long silver-mounted stick, his head crowned with a high, green leather cap, while on his waistcoat glittered two large stars, one like gold, the other like silver.

When

hymn

the organ began to play the processional

the Emperor lifted up his

emperor

voice in song.

obliged to sing out, loud and clear,

church, even

For an

when

he cannot follow the melody or sing in

Folks are glad to hear him in any case.

tune.

The gentlemen stared at him.

probably the

Who

first

now and then turned and

at his left

could wonder at that?

was

time they had had so exalted a per-

sonage among them.

He had

remove

of course, for that

his hat,

thing which even an emperor must do divine service; but he kept

that

all

might

And many

feast their eyes

of the worshippers

some-

when attending

as long as possible,

it.

who

sat in the

body of

the church had their eyes turned up toward the gallery that Sunday.

Their thoughts seemed to be on him

more than on the sermon.

They were perhaps

little

THE EMPEROR surprised that he

had become so

they could understand that one

171

exalted.

But surely

who was

father to an

empress must himself be an emperor.

Anything

else

was impossible.

When

he came out on the pine knoll at the close of

the service

many

persons went up xo him; but before

he had time to speak to a soul Sexton Blackie stepped

up and asked him to come along into the vestry.

The

pastor was seated in the vestry, his back turned

toward the door, talking with Senator Carl Carlson,

when Jan and the sexton entered.

He seemed to be dis-

tressed about something, for there were tears in his voice.

"These were two

whom The

souls

entrusted to

have allowed to go to ruin," he

keeping

said.

senator tried to console him, saying:

"You

can't

be responsible. Pastor, for the evil that goes on in the large cities."

But the clergyman would not be consoled. He covered his beautiful

"No," he have

young

face with his hands,

sobbed,,

"I suppose

done to guard the young

on the world, unprotected? comfort her old father

"The

pastor

can't.

girl

But what

who was thrown

And what have

who had

practically a

and wept.

done to

only her to live for?"

newcomer

in the parish,**

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

172

said the senator, "so that

responsibiHty us,

falls

there

any question of

more heavily upon the

who were acquainted with

rest of

But

the circumstances.

who

could think

folk

have to make their own way

Young

was to end so disastrously?

We've

in life.

all

been thrust out in much the same way, yet most of us have fared rather well."

"O God

of mercy!" prayed the pastor, "grant

Would

the wisdom to speak to the unhappy father.

might stay

his fleeing wits

The

Sexton Blackie, standing there with Jan, his throat.

now

cleared

pastor rose at once, went up to Jan,

and took him by the hand.

"My tall

dear Jan!" he said feelingly.

and

fair

and handsome.

When

The

pastor was

he came up to

you, with his kindly blue eyes beaming benevolence,

and spoke to you

in his

not easy to

him.

resist

deep sympathetic voice,

was

In this instance, however, the

only thing to do was to set him right at the

start,

which

Jan did of course.

"Jan

are

no more,

good Pastor," he

Emperor Johannes of

Portugallia,

does not wish to address us by our proper

have nothing to say to."

said.

"Now

and he who title,

him we

THE EMPEROR With nod of

that,

dismissal,

rather foolish, vestry, out.

Jan gave the pastor a

stiff

imperial

his cap.

They looked

men who

stood in the

and put on

did the three

173

when Jan pushed open

the door and walked

BOOK THREE

THE EMPEROR'S SONG THE

INa

wooded heights above Loby there was

short stretch of an old country road where in

bygone days

all

teams had to pass, but which was

now condemned because hills,

no one

The

in driving

farers climbed

The road ran

led

up and down the worst

fact,

part that remained was so steep that

made

use of

foot-

was a good short

cut.

any of the regular crown

as broad as still

any more though

occasionally, as

highways, and was

free

and rocky slopes instead of having the sense to go

round them.

still

covered with fine yellow gravel.

was smoother now than formerly, being

from wheel tracks, and mud, and dust.

Along the

edge bloomed roadside flowers and shrubs; dogwood, bittervetch,

and buttercups grew there

in profusion

even

to this day, but the ditches were filled in

and a whole

row of spruce

Young ever-

trees

had sprung up

them.

greens of uniform height, with branches from the root up, stood pressing against each other as closely as the foliage of a

boxwood hedge;

their needles

177

were not dry

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

178

and hard, but moist and

soft,

and

The

bright with fresh green shoots.

trees sang

and

When Jan

of Ruffluck walked

Sunday he had appeared there

home from church

for the first

time

royal regalia, he turned in on the old forest road. a

all

humming bees on a fine summer day, when sun beams down upon them from a clear sky.

played the

were

their tips

warm sunny day

and, as he went up the

hill,

the

in his It

was

he heard

the music of the spruces so plainly that it astonished him.

Never had spruce

him

trees

sung

like that!

that he ought to find out

why

they were so loud-voiced

just to-day.

And

It struck

being in no special haste to reach

home, he dropped down

in the

middle of the smooth

gravel road, in the shade of the singing trees. stick

on the ground, he removed

his

Laying

his

cap and mopped

brow, then he sat motionless, with hands clasped,

his

and

listened.

The

air

was quite

therefore

still,

been the wind that had set

ments into motion.

all

these

could hardly have

little

was almost

musical instruif

the spruces

played for very joy at being so young and fresh; at being let

stand in peace by the abandoned roadside, with the

promise of

human

many

years of

life

ahead of them before any

being would come and cut them down.

THE EMPEROR'S SONG But

such was the case,

179

did not explain

trees sang with such gusto just that day; rejoice over those

summer day; they Jan sat

still

spruce, though

found

the heights.

middle of the road, listening with

was pleasant hearing the

was

all

hum of the

on one note, with no

rests,

was neither melody nor rhythm about

so refreshing

it.

and delightful up here on

No wonder the trees felt happy, he mused. He

better than

looked up at their small twigs on which

every needle was place,

they could

any pleasant

The wonder was they sang and played no they did.

the

did not call for any extra music.

in the

rapt attention.

so that there

particular blessings

why

and drank

fine

and well made, and

in the

in its

proper

piney odour that came from them.

There was no flower of the meadow, no blossom of the

grove so fragrant!

which the

scales

noted their half-grown cones on

were compactly massed for the pro-

tection of the seed.

These

what

trees,

which seemed to understand so well

to do for themselves, ought to be able to sing

and

play so that one could comprehend what they meant.

Yet they kept harping

He grew drowsy self flat

all

the while on the same strain.

listening to them,

on the smooth,

fine gravel to

and stretched himtake a

little

nap.

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

i8o

But hark!

What was

touched the ground and

this?

The

instant his head

his eyes closed, the trees struck

Ah, now there came rhythm and

up something new. melody!

Then

that other was only a prelude, such as

all

played at church before the hymn.

This was what he had

had not wanted to say also

felt

the whole time, though he

The

even in his mind.

knew what had happened.

was on

his

trees

account

And

they tuned up so loudly the instant he appeared.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

now they sang of him there was no mistaking it now, when they thought him asleep. Perhaps they did not wish him to hear how much they were making of him.

And what

a song,

what

a song!

lay

all

the while

with his eyes shut, but could hear the better for that.

Not

sound was

lost to

Ah, this was music!

him.

was not

at the edge of the road that

whole

forest.

pets; there

just the

young

trees

made music now, but

the

There were organs and drums and trum-

were

little

thrush flutes and bullfinch pipes;

there were gurgling brooks and singing water-sprites, tinkling bluebells and

thrumming woodpeckers.

Never had he heard anything

so beautiful, nor

lis-

THE EMPEROR'S SONG tened to music in just this way. so that he could never forget

When

rang in his ears

it.

the song was finished and the forest grew silent,

he sprang to

his feet as if startled

forever in his

The Empress's Feels so happy

Then came

from a dream.

hymn

mediately he began to sing this as to fix

i8i

of the woods so

memory.

father, for his part. in his heart.

the refrain, which he had not been able to

catch word for word, but

anyhow he sang

about as

had sounded to him: Austria, Portugal, Metz, Japan,

Read the newspapers,

Boom, boom, boom, and

you can. roll.

Boom, boom.

No gun

Now

Im-

be his but a sword of gold

crown

cap on

for a

his

head behold!

Austria, Portugal, Metz, Japan,

Read the newspapers,

Boom, boom, boom, and

you can. roll.

Boom, boom. Golden apples are

his

No more of turnips

meat.

shall

he eat,

Austria, Portugal, Metz, Japan,

i82

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA Read the newspapers,

you can.

Boom, boom, boom, and

roll.

Boom, boom. Court ladies clothed

Bow

in bright array

he passes on his way.

Austria, Portugal, Metz, Japan,

Read the newspapers,

you can.

Boom, boom, boom, and

roll.

Boom, boom.

When

he the forest proudly treads,

nod their heads.

All the tree-tops

Austria, Portugal, Metz, Japan,

Read the newspapers,

Boom, boom, boom, and

you can. roll.

Boom, boom. It

was

best of

"boom, boom" that had sounded

just this

all

With every boom he struck the

to him.

ground hard with

his stick

and strong as he could. over again,

till

first

his voice as

which

common!

and only time

And

in his life

and carry a tune was

deep

sang the song over and

the forest fairly rang with

But then the way so out of the

and made

it.

had been composed was

the fact that this was the

he had been able to catch

in itself a proof of its merit.

THE SEVENTEENTH OF AUGUST

THE

time Jan of RufHuck had gone to

first

Lovdala on a seventeenth of August the

had

not passed off as creditably for

could have wished; so he had never repeated

he had been told that each year lively

and

festive at the

But now that the

him

it,

visit

although

was becoming more

Manor.

little girl

had come up

in the world,

was

would be a great disappointment to Lieutenant

altogether different with

Liljecrona

him.

so exalted a personage as the

felt

that

Emperor

him the honour of

Johannes of Portugallia did not do

wishing him happiness on his birthday.

So he donned

his imperial regalia

taking good care not to be

For him who not to put in

among the

was an emperor

was the

an appearance until

made themselves

and

all

sallied forth, first

arrivals.

correct thing

the guests had

quite at home, and the festivities

were well under way.

Upon

the occasion of his former visit he had not 183

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

i84

ventured farther than the orchard and the gravelled

walk

He had

in front of the house.

to pay his respects to the host.

not even gone up

But now he could not

think of behaving so discourteously.

made

This time he the

left

straight for the big

bower

of the porch, where the lieutenant sat with a

group of dignitaries from Svartsjo

and elsewhere,

grasped him by the hand, and wished him

many happy

returns of the day.

"So you've come out to-day, Jan,"

said the lieutenant

in a tone of surprise.

be sure he was not expecting an honour

which probably accounted self as to

knew

for his so far forgetting

him-

address the Emperor by his old name.

that so genial a

meant no

like this,

offense

man

as the lieutenant could

that, therefore he corrected

Jan have

him

in all meekness.

"We

must make allowances

said, "since this

his birthday;

for the lieutenant," he

but by rights we should

be called Emperor Johannes of Portugallia."

Jan spoke

in the gentlest

same the other gentlemen for

tone possible, but just the

all

laughed at the lieutenant

having made such a bad break.

tended to cause him humiliation on

Jan had never

in-

his birthday, so

THE SEVENTEENTH OF AUGUST

185

promptly dismissed the matter and turned to the others. Raising his cap with an imperial flourish, he said:

"Go '-day,

go '-day,

and Governors."

was

worthy Generals and Bishops his intention to

shake hands with everybody, as one

go around and

expected to do at

a party.

Nearest the lieutenant sat a short, stocky white cloth jacket, with a gold-trimmed

sword at

his side,

him did not two

right,

may have

intentions

but of course a potentate

will

have to give

been

all

Emperor Johannes

knew he must stand upon

"I think you

and a

whole hand, but merely held out

The man's

of Portugallia

collar,

in a

who, when Jan stepped up to greet

offer his

fingers.

man

his dignity.

me your whole

hand,

good Bishop and Governor," he said very pleas-

antly, for he did not

want

to disturb the

harmony on

this great day.

Then, mind you, the man turned up

"I have just heard Liljecrona called you

was not

his nose!

to your liking that

by name," he observed, "and

wonder how you can have the audacity to say du* to

me!"

Then, pointing to three poor

little

yellow stars

that were attached to his coat, he roared: "See these?"

*Du

like the

French "tu"

used only

addressing intimates.

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

i86

When

remarks of

kind were flung at him, the

this

Emperor Johannes thought

humility.

high time to lay off his

quickly flipped back his coat, exhibiting

a waistcoat covered with large

"silver" and "gold."

toned

over these

always

felt so

at ease

ill

alted personages

usually kept his coat but-

decorations

tarnished, and crushable.

showy "medals" of they were

Besides, he

when

easily

knew that people

in the presence of ex-

and he had no desire to add to

their

embarrassment by parading his grandeur when there was

no occasion

for

Now, however,

it. !

" Look here, you " he said. to

show if you want

to brag.

had to be done.

" This

what you ought

Three paltry

little stars

pooh! that's nothing!"

Then you had The

respect!

press

fact that all

man showed

who knew about

proper

the

Em-

and the Empire were laughing themselves sick

Major General must have had

the

better believe the

its

effect,

also.

"By

cracky!" he ejaculated, rising to his feet and

bowing.

me!

"If

isn*t a real

monarch that

Your Majesty even knows how

have before

to respond to a

speech."

"That's easy when you know

how

meet people,"

THE SEVENTEENTH OF AUGUST

187

After that no gentleman in the

retorted the other.

party was so glad to be allowed to talk to the ruler of Portugallia as was this very man,

high and mighty at

than two

first

who had been

that he would not present more

when an emperor had

fingers,

offered

him

his

whole hand. need hardly be said that none of the others seated

bower refused to accord the Emperor a

in the

Now

greeting.

that the

first

fitting

feeling of surprise

and

embarrassment had passed and the men were beginning to perceive that he

was not

a difficult person to get

with, emperor though he was, they were as eager as

every one

else to

hear

about the

all

them

that he even consented to sing for

all

home

he was on so friendly a footing with

parish.

last

was

little girl's rise

royal honours and her prospective return to her

song he had learned in the

them the

forest.

This was perhaps too great a condescension on his part, but since they

were

uttered he could not deny

him

all

so glad for every

word he

them the pleasure of hearing

sing, also.

And when sternation!

he raised his voice in song imagine the con-

Then

his

audience was not confined to the

group of elderly gentlemen

in the

bower.

For immedi-

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

i88

ately the old countesses and the old wives of the old gen-

who had been

erals

sitting

on the big sofa

draw-

in the

ing room, sipping tea and eating bonbons, and the

young barons and young Court dancing

in the ballroom, all

him and

all

ladies

who had been

came rushing out

to hear

eyes were fixed on him, which was quite the

proper thing, as he was an emperor.

The

song they had never heard, of course,

like of that

and

as soon as he

him

to sing

had sung

again.

through they wanted

one must never be too obliging they would not be

refrain,

they

satisfied until

And

importunities.

all

this time,

joined

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; matters â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but

hesitated a good while

in,

in such

he had yielded to their

when he came

to the

and when he got to the

"boom, boom" the young barons beat time with feet

and the young Court

for

their

hands to

ladies clapped their

the measure of the tune.

But that was a wonderful

lay!

As he sang

again

and again, with so many smartly dressed people chiming in; so

many

approval; so

pretty young ladies darting

many young

every verse, he It

was

Hfted

him

felt as

air.

swains shouting bravo after

dizzy as

he had been dancing.

some one had taken him

into the

him glances

in their

arms and

THE SEVENTEENTH OF AUGUST He

knew

did not lose his head, though, but

while that his feet were

still

on the earth.

189 all

the

Meantime,

he had the pleasant sensation of being elevated far

above every one.

the one hand, he was being borne

up by the honour, on the other by the

glory.

They

bore him away on strong wings and placed him upon an imperial throne, far, far

away amongst the rosy evening

clouds.

There was but one thing wanting. great Empress, his

little

Think,

the

Glory Goldie, had only been

there, too

Instantly this thought flashed upon him, a red shim-

mer passed before he saw that frock

who had

his eyes.

Gazing at

emanated from a young just

intently,

girl in

a red

come out from the house, and was

then standing on the porch.

The young girl was of gold-yellow hair.

tall

and graceful and had a wealth

From where he

stood he could not

see her face, but he thought she could be

than Glory Goldie. so blissfully

of the

Then he knew why he had been

happy that evening;

little girl's

none other

nearness.

was

Breaking

of his song and pushing aside

he ran toward the house.

all

who

just a foretoken

off in the

middle

stood in his way,

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

190

When

he reached the steps he was obliged to halt.

His heart thumped so violently

seemed ready to

But gradually he recovered just enough strength

burst.

Very slowly he mounted step

to be able to proceed.

step

till

last

he was on the porch.

Then,

spreading out his arms, he whispered

"Glory Goldie!" Instantly the young

Glory Goldie! at

him

Not

girl

strange

turned round.

woman

was not

stood there, staring

in astonishment.

word could he

utter, but tears

eyes; he could not hold

all

steps.

sprang to his

Now

them back.

about and staggered down the

upon

Turning

he faced his

back

the merriment and splendour, he went on up

the driveway.

The people kept to

come back and

them

not.

calling for him.

sing to

fast as

them

They wanted him

again.

But he heard

he could go he hurried toward

the woods, where he could be alone with his

grief.

KATRINA AND JAN of Ruffluck had never had so

JAN

many

things

to think about and ponder over as now, that

he had become an emperor. In the

first

place he had to be very guarded, since

greatness had been thrust upon him, so as not to

He must

get the upper hand.

that

we humans were

all

of us

weak and

made from the same

sinful

pride

bear in mind continually

and had sprung from the same were

let

material

First Parents; that

and

bottom one person

was no better than another. All his hfe long he

people tried to lord

had observed, to

dismay,

how

over one another, and of course

he had no desire to do likewise. that

his

was not an easy matter

for

found, however,

one

who had become

exalted to maintain a proper humility.

His greatest

concern was that he might perhaps say or do something that would cause his old friends,

who were

to pursue their humble callings, to slighted

and forgotten.

feel

still

themselves

Therefore he deemed 191

obliged

best

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

192

when attending such

functions as dinners and parties

which duty demanded of him

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;never

to mention in

the hearing of these people the great distinction that

had come to him. ing him.

Indeed not!

wisest not to

And

could not blame them for envyJust the same he

felt it

was

make them draw comparisons.

men

Borje and

the seine-maker to address him as Emperor.

Such old

of course he could not ask

friends could call

him Jan,

as they

had always done;

they could never bring themselves to do other-

for

wise.

But the one whom he had

and be most guarded with was the old

home

in the hut.

tion to him,

her also.

Anything

yore.

Goldie must have to

hair

home

not.

known

woman

when going

wife,

who

sat at

greatness had

come to

She was the same

was hardly to be expected.

make an empress

agine the old

as well,

had

else

others

would have been a great consola-

and a joy

But

all

to consider before

as of

Glory

would be quite impossible

of Katrina.

One could not im-

pinning a golden coronet on her

to church; she would have stayed at

rather than

but the usual black

show her silk

face framed in anything

headshawl.

Katrina had declared out and out she did not want

KATRINA AND JAN

193

the

must have been hard

for

to hear about Glory Goldie being an empress.

whole

was perhaps best to humour her in

But one can understand

him who spent

his

mornings at the

admiring throngs of people,

him

he found

his

own

surrounded by

who at every turn

"Emperor," to drop

he set foot in

pier,

this.

addressed

his royal air the

house.

cannot be denied that

a bit irksome having to fetch

wood and

water for Katrina and then to be spoken to as

gone backward If Katrina

have minded

moment

he had

in life instead of forward.

had only stopped it,

at that

he would not

but she even complained because he

would not go out to work now,

as in former days.

When'

she came with such things he always turned a deaf ear.

he did not

know

that the Empress of Portugallia

would soon send him so much money that he need never again put on his working clothes!

an insult to her to give

One sitting

in to

felt it

would be

Katrina on this point.

afternoon, toward the end of August, as Jan

upon the

his pipe,

close by,

flat

was

stone in front of the hut, smoking

he glimpsed some bright frocks in the woods

and heard the ring of youthful

voices.

Katrina had just gone down to the birch grove to cut

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

194

twigs for a broom: but before leaving she had said to

Jan that hereafter they must arrange so that she could go

down

their matters

to Falla and dig ditches;

he might stay at home and do the cooking and mendhe was too

ing, since

fine

now

work

not said a word in retort,

had

but

was mighty unpleasant having to

talk; therefore he his

inside for his imperial cap

down

all

the

listen

same

to such

was very glad that he could turn

thoughts to something

again and

for others.

else.

and

Instantly he stick,

ran

and was out

at the gate just as the

young girls came

them

in the party, the

along.

There were no three

less

than

five of

young misses from Lovdala and two

who were

strangers,

evidently guests at the Manor.

"Go'-day,

dear Court ladies," said Jan as he

swung the gate wide open and went out toward them. "Go'-day,

dear Court ladies," he repeated, at the

same time making such

a big

sweep with

his

cap that

almost touched the ground.

The at

girls

first,

stood stockstill.

They looked

a bit shy

but he soon helped them over their momen-

tary embarrassment.

Then it was *'good-day " and "our kind Emperor."

KATRINA AND JAN was plain they were little

really glad to see

misses were not like

Ashdales

him

These

again.

Katrina and the rest of the

They were not

folk.

195

at all averse to hearing

about the Empress and immediately asked him

Highness was well and

she was not expected

Her

home

soon.

They

also asked if they

the hut, to see well afford to let

how

That he could

looked inside.

them

might be allowed to step into

do, for Katarina always kept the

house so clean and tidy that they could receive callers there at any time.

When the young misses from the Manor came into the house they were no doubt surprised that the great Empress had grown up in a little place like that. It may have done very well to

it,

come

in the old days,

they said, but back.?

Would

how would

when be

she

now

was used

should she

she reside here, with her parents,

or return to Portugallia

Jan had thought the selfsame things himself, and he understood of course that Glory Goldie could not settle

down

kingdom

the Ashdales

when she had

a whole

to rule over.

"The chances

are that the

Portugallia," he replied.

Empress

will return to

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

196

"Then you of the

will

accompany

suppose?" said one

her, I

misses.

little

Jan would rather the young lady had not questioned

Nor

him regarding that matter. reply at

first,

did he give her

any

but she was persistent.

know

"Possibly you don't

as yet

how

will

be?" she

said.

Oh, sure

yes, he

how

knew

about

all

people would regard his decision.

they might think

emperor to

do.

was not the shall

"It would never do for

"So Katrina

away from see

not going to Portugallia

"You

couldn't get

Katrina

to love

and cherish

till

" I

understand that one can't break that vow."

know about

everything.

of you?" she added. all

the hut, and I shall stay right here with her.

This was said by the young to

correct thing for an

to leave Katrina."

when one has promised

death

"Yes,

Perhaps

remain at home," he told her.

"No," he answered.

You

only he was not quite

it,

girl

who seemed most

"Do you

"Jan won't leave

eager

hear that, his wife

all

though

the glories of Portugallia are tempting him."

And think of it! The girls were very glad They patted him on the back and told him

of this.

he did

KATRINA AND JAN right.

That was

showed that

all

197

a favourable sign, they said, for

was not over yet with good old Jan

Anderson of Ruffluck Croft.

could not

make out

just

that; but probably they were ish

was not going to

lose

what they meant by

happy to think the par-

him.

They bade him good-bye now, saying they were going over to Doveness to a garden party.

They had

barely gone

when Katrina walked

She must have been standing outside the door

in.

listening.

But how long she had stood there or how much she had heard, Jan did not know.

Anyway, she looked more

amiable and serene than she had appeared

in a

long

while.

**You*re an old simpleton," she told him.

der what other like

you?

women would

But

don't want to go

still

it's

say

they had a husband

comfort to

away from me."

"I won-

know

that you

BJORN HINDRICKSON'S FUNERAL

JAN

ANDERSON

of Ruffluck was not invited

to the funeral of

Bjom

But he understood, of

Hindrickson of Loby.

course, that the family

of the departed had not been quite certain that he would care to claim kinship with

them now that he had

to such glory and honour; possibly they feared

upset their arrangements

risen

might

so exalted a personage as

Johannes of Portugallia were to attend the funeral.

The immediate

relatives of the late Bjorn Hindrick-

son naturally wished to ride in the

rights place should

an emperor.

first

have been made

They knew,

carriage,

for

where

him who was

to be sure, that he

was not

over particular about the things which seem to count for so

much with most

folks.

occurred to him to stand in the to

sit in

would never have

way

of those

the place of honour at special functions.

fore, rather

than cause any

ill

feeling,

who

There-

he remained

away

from the house of mourning during the early forenoon, before the funeral procession had started, and went 198

BJORN HINDRICKSON'S FUNERAL direct to the church.

Not

until the bells

199

had begun

toll-

ing and the long procession had broken up on church

ground did he take

When

his place

among

they saw Jan there they

now he was

astonished; but

his relatives. all

looked a

so accustomed to seeing

folks surprised at his condescension that he took

matter of course. place

him

late to

at the so, as

little

as a

doubt they would have liked to

head of the Hne, but then

was too

they were already moving toward the

churchyard. After the burial service, funeral

when he accompanied the

party to the church and seated himself on

the mourners' bench, they appeared to be slightly

embarrassed.

upon

his

having placed himself among them instead of

occupying

his usual high seat, in the gentry's gallery

as the opening

At the

However, there was no time to comment

hymn had

just begun.

close of the service,

when

the conveyances

belonging to the funeral party drove up onto the knoll,

Jan went out and climbed into the hearse, where he sat

down upon

the dais on which the coffin rested on the

drive to the churchyard.

As the

big

wagon would now

be going back empty, he knew that here he would not

be taking up some other person's place.

The daughter

200

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

and son-in-law of the

late

back and forth at the

side of the hearse

him.

him

They

Bjorn Hindrickson walked

regretted no doubt that they could not ask

to ride in one of the

first

Nor

carriages.

He was what

wish to incommode any one.

any

and looked at

did he

he was in

case.

During the drive to Loby he could not help thinking

when he and Glory Goldie had

of the time

their rich relatives.

This time, however,

Who was great

different!

upon

called

was

all

and respected now? and who

was conferring an honour upon

his kinsfolk

by seeking

them out ? As the

carriages

drew up

in turn before the house of

mourning, the occupants stepped out and were conducted into the large waiting-room on the ground

where they removed their wraps. Hindricksons,

who

acted

to step upstairs, where dinner

was

were to

host and hostess, then

was

served.

a difficult task having to single out those

sit

gathering

Two neighbours of the

more prominent persons among the guests

invited the

floor

at the first table.

For at so large a funeral

was impossible to make room

guests at one sitting. set three or four times.

The

who

for all the

table had to be cleared and

BJORN HINDRICKSON'S FUNERAL Some people would have regarded

as an inexcusable

oversight had they not been asked to

table.

for

him who had

201

the

sit at

first

risen to the exalted station

of Emperor, he could be exceedingly obliging in

many

ways, but to be allowed to right

first

table

was a

which he must not forgo; otherwise

folks

might

think he did not before

know

others.

all

being

among

stairs.

was

It did not

the very

was

sit

first

at the

come

his prerogative to

matter so much

his not

to be requested to step up-

self-evident that he should dine with the

pastor and the gentry; so he

felt

no uneasiness on that

score.

sat

all

by himself on a corner bench, quite

silent.

Here nobody came up to chat with him about the Empress, and he seemed a

bit dejected.

home Katrina had begged him not funeral, because the folks at this

When

come to

left

this

farm were of too good

stock to cringe to either kings or emperors.

It looked

now as if she were right about it. For old peasants who have lived on the same farm from time immemorial consider themselves the superiors of the titled aristocracy. It

was

a slow proceeding bringing together those

were to be at the

first

table.

The

who

host and hostess

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

202

moved about

a long while seeking the highest worthies,

but somehow they failed to come up to him.

Not

far

who had

chatting, called

from the Emperor sat a couple of old

not the least expectation of being

They were speaking

then.

spinsters,

of the late Bjorn Hindrickson, saying

of Linnart, son it

was well that

he had come home in time for a reconciliation with

his

father.

Not

that there had been any actual enmity between

father and son, but

when

earlier,

happened that some thirty years

the son was two and twenty and wanted to

marry, he had asked the old the

management

own

to let

him take over

of the farm, so that he could be his

This Bjorn had

master.

man

wanted the son to stay

flatly refused to do.

home and go on working under

him and then to take over the property when the

man was no "I'll

more.

father.

and make a home as

you

the son's answer.

choose to go your

Then

I prefer to

go out in the world

for myself, for I

must be

are, or the feeling of comradeship

us will soon end."

him.

"No," was

old

not stay at home and be your servant even though

you are

man

"That can end

good a

between if

you

own ways," Bjorn Hindrickson

told

any time,

the son had gone up into the wilderness

BJORN HINDRICKSON'S FUNERAL northeast of

and

least

farm of

Dove Lake, and had

his

His land lay in Bro parish, and he

own.

old Bjorn

Not

in Svartsjo.

his parents laid eyes

when

settled in the wildest

populated region, where he broke ground for a

was never again seen had

203

in thirty years

But a week ago,

on him.

was nearing the end, he had come

home. This was good news to Jan of Ruffluck. before,

when Katrina

The Sunday

got back from church and told

him that Bjorn was dying, he immediately asked whether the son had been sent

for.

But

seems he had not.

Katrina had heard that Bjorn's wife had begged and implored the old

man

to let her send for their son

that he would not hear of

it.

and

He wanted

to die in

matter

rest there.

peace, he said.

But Jan was not

The thought

satisfied to let the

of Linnart

away out

in the wilds,

knowing

nothing of his father's grave condition had caused him to disregard old Bjorn's wishes and go self.

He had

tell

the son him-

heard nothing as to the outcome until

now, and he was so interested

what the two

old

spinsters were saying, that he quite forgot to think

about either the

When

first

or the second table.

the son returned he and the father were as nice

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

204

The

as could be to each other.

"I suppose

said.

it*s

rain

up our way

"But weVe had so summer and I had thought

replied. this

of hauling in some oats to-day." to get in

wagon

"I got one

loaded, but that I left standing in the field

that you were sick.

at once, without

"Who told

I hurried

stopping to change

clothes.*'

I've never seen before," replied the son.

away

you about it?" the father inquired. "Some

didn't occur to like

"Did you manage

any?" the old man asked him.

when word came

man

laughed at the

should have dressed up, since

Sunday," Linnart

much

man

" So youVe come in your working clothes,"

son's attire.

old

little

to ask

him who he was.

old beggarman."

"You must

looked

find that

man and thank him from me," old Bjorn then "Him you must honour wherever you meet him. has meant well by us."

happy over

The

"It

said.

father and son were so

their reconciliation that

was

as if death

had brought them joy instead of grief. Jan winced when he heard that Linnart Hindrickson

had that

called it

him a beggar.

But he understood of course

was simply because he had not worn

cap or carried

his stick

when he went up

This brought him back to

his present

his imperial

to the forest.

dilemma.

Surely

BJORN HINDRICKSON'S FUNERAL He

he had waited long enough! called

this time.

205

should have been

This would never do!

rose at once, resolutely crossed the

into

stairs,

and opened the door

He saw

at a glance that the

the hallway, climbed the to the big dining-hall.

room

dinner was already on; every place at the large horse-

shoe table was occupied and the Hrst course had

Then

been served. be among the

was not meant that he should

elect, for there sat

the pastor, the sexton,

the lieutenant from Lovdala and his lady

every one

One

who

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;there

sat

should be there, except himself.

of the young

girls

who

passed around the food

rushed over to Jan the instant he appeared in the door-

"What are you low voice. "Go down way.

**But

good

doing here, Jan?" she said in a

with you!"

hostess!"

"Em-

Jan protested,

peror Johannes of Portugallia should be present at the first sitting."

"Oh, shut up, Jan!"

said the

girl.

"This

proper time to come with your nonsense.

and

you'll get

It so

not the

Go down,

something to eat when your turn comes."

happened that Jan entertained a greater regard

for this particular household

parish; therefore

than for any other

in the

would have been very gratifying to

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

2o6

him

manner

to be received here in a

tion.

strange feehng of despondency

as he stood all his

befitting his sta-

down by

came over him

the door, cap in hand; he feh that

imperial grandeur was falling from him.

Then,

in the middle of this sore predicament, he heard Linnart

Hindrickson exclaim:

"Why,

there stands the fellow

Sunday and

"What

told

who came to me

last

that father was sick!"

you saying?" questioned the mother.

are

" But are you certain as to that ? '*

"Of

course

am.

seen him before to-day, but

that queer get-up.

be any one but he.

It can't

However

didn't recognize I see

now

I've

him

that he's the

man." "If he

down by wife.

our man, he mustn't be allowed to stand

the door, like a beggar," said the old house-

"In that

the table. it

case,

we must make room

Him we owe me

him

both honour and thanks, for

was he who sent comfort to Bjorn

while to

for

in his last hours,

he has brought the only consolation

that can lighten

sorrow in the

loss of a

husband

mine."

And room was made,

too,

be crowded enough already.

though the table seemed to

BJORN HINDRICKSON'S FUNERAL Jan was placed

at the centre of the horseshoe, di-

rectly opposite the pastor. for

207

anything better.

first

could not comprehend

could not have wished

he seemed a

why

little

dazed.

they should make

such fuss over him just because he had run a few miles into the

woods with a message

Suddenly he understood, and it

for Linnart Hindrickson. all

became

clear to

him:

was the Emperor they wished to honour; they had

gone about

in this

slighted or put out.

other way.

way

no one should

feel

It couldn't be explained in

any

so that

For he had always been kind and good-

natured and helpful, yet never before had he been

honoured or feted in the

least degree for that.

THE DYING HEART

ENGINEER

BORAEUS

the pier could not

fail

his daily stroll to

to notice the crowds

that always gathered nowadays around the little

man from

old

sit

all

Jan did not have

Ruffluck Croft.

by himself any more and while away the

long, dreary hours in silent musings, as he

during the summer.

Instead,

all

had done

who waited

boat went up to him to hear him

tell

for the

what would

happen on the homecoming of the Empress, more pecially

when she stepped ashore

landing.

here, at the

es-

Borg

Every time Engineer Boraeus went by he

heard about the crown of gold the Empress would wear

on her hair and the gold flowers that would spring into

bloom on

tree

and bush the instant she

set foot

land.

One

day, late in October, about three months after

Jan of Ruffluck had Glory Goldie's

rise

saw an uncommonly

first

proclaimed the tidings of

royal

honours, the engineer

large gathering of people around ao8

THE DYING HEART the

little

old

man.

greeting, as usual, but

to see

what was going first

209

intended to pass by with a curt

changed

his

mind and stopped

on.

glance he found nothing out of the ordinary,

Jan was seated upon one of the waiting

stones, as usual,

looking very solemn and important.

Beside him sat

tall,

thin

woman, who was talking so

fast

and excitedly

that the words fairly spurted out of her mouth; she

shook her head and snapped her eyes, her body bending forward

all

the while so that by the time she had finished

speaking her face was on a level with the ground.

Engineer Boraeus immediately recognized the as

Mad

Ingeborg.

first

he could not make out what

she was saying, so he turned to a asked him what

all this

woman

man

in the

crowd and

was about.

" She's begging him to arrange for her to accompany the Empress to Portgallia, returns thither," the talking to

him about

man

when Her Royal Highness explained.

this for a

"She has been

good while now, but he

won't make her any promises."

Then the engineer had no colloquy.

difficulty in following the

But what he heard did not please him, and,

as he listened, the wrinkle between his eyebrows deepn

ened and reddened.

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

2IO

Here self,

sat the only person in the world, save

who

believed in the wonders of Portugallia, yet

she was denied the pleasure of a trip there. old soul

Jan him-

knew

The poor

that in that kingdom there was no

poverty and no hunger, neither were there any rude people

who made

who pursued

fun of unfortunates, nor any children

lone, helpless

In that land reigned only peace, and

at them.

years were good years.

taken

wanderers and cast stones

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;away

So thither she longed to be

from the anguish and misery of her

wretched existence.

She wept and pleaded, employing

every argument she could think again

all

of,

but "No," and

"No" was the only answer she got.

And he who turned a who had sorrowed and

deaf ear to her prayers was one

few months ago, when

his heart

yearned for a whole year.

was

athrob with

still

life,

perhaps he would not have said no to her pleadings;

but

now

at a time

pering with

when everything seemed

to be pros-

him, his heart had become hardened.

Even the outward appearance of the man showed that great change had taken place within.

quired

plump

moustache.

He had

ac-

cheeks, a double chin, and a heavy black

His eyes bulged from their sockets, and

there was a cold fixed stare about them.

His nose.

THE DYING HEART too, looked

more prominent than of yore and had taken His hair seemed to be en-

on a more patrician mold. tirely gone;

211

not one hair stuck out from under the leather

cap.

The

man from

engineer had kept an eye on the

day of their

first

talk in the

summer.

was no longer

an intense yearning that made Jan haunt the

Now

pier.

He came mania, who

he hardly glanced toward the boat.

who humoured his him "Emperor" just for the sport

only to meet people called

him

the

of hearing

sing and narrate his wild fancies.

But why be annoyed

The man was

thought the engineer.

at that?

a lunatic of course.

But perhaps the

madness need never have become so firmly

was then. Ruffluck

down

some one had

ruthlessly

fixed as

yanked Jan of

off his imperial throne in the

beginning

possibly he could have been saved.

The

man

engineer flashed the

Jan looked condescendingly

adamant

a challenging glance.

regretful,

but remained

as before.

In that fine land of Portugallia there were only princes and generals, to be sure people.

Mad

Ingeborg

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;only

richly dressed

her old cotton headshawl

and her knit jacket would naturally be out of place

212

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

there.

But Heavenly Father! the engineer actually

thought Engineer Boraeus looked just then as

have liked to give Jan a needed shrugged his shoulders.

He knew

lesson,

he would

but he only

he was not the right

person for that, and would simply

make bad

Quietly withdrawing from the crowd, he walked

worse.

down

to the end of the pier just as the boat hove into view

from behind the nearest point.

DEPOSED

before his marriage to

Falla, Lars

Anna

Ericsdotter of

Gunnarson happened one day to be

present at an auction sale.

The

parties

who

held the auction were poor folk

who probably had no tempting wares

to offer the bar-

gain seekers, for the bidding had been slow, and the sales poor.

They had

a right to expect better results,

Jons was such

with Jons of Kisterud as auctioneer.

a capital funmaker that people used to attend tions at

which he

listening to him.

quips life

all

auc-

officiated just for the pleasure of

Although he got

off all his usual

and jokes, he could not seem to infuse any

into the bidders

knowing what

hammer

else

this occasion.

last,

not

he could do, he put down his

saying he was too hoarse to do any more

crying.

"The

senator will have to get some one else to offer

the wares," he told Carl Carlson of Stovik,

sponsor for the auction.

who

stood

"I've shouted myself hoarse ai3

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

214

at these stone

home and keep my mouth shut

to go till I

images standing around me, and

can get back

was a

without a

for a

have

will

few weeks,

my voice."

serious matter for the senator to be left

crier,

when most

of the lots were

so he tried to persuade Jons to continue.

still

unsold;

But

was

plain that Jons could not afford to hurt his professional

standing by holding a poor auction, and therefore he

became speak

so hoarse

all

in a whisper.

" Perhaps there

at once that he could not even

He only wheezed. some one here who

wares for a moment, while Jons

will cry out the

resting?" said the

senator, looking out over the crowd without

much hope

of finding a helper.

Then Lars Gunnarson pushed said he at Lars,

was

willing to try.

who

his

way forward and

Carl Carslon only laughed

at that time looked like a

mere

stripling,

and told him he did not want a small boy who had not even been confirmed.

Whereupon Lars promptly

in-

formed Carl Carlson that he had not only been con-

He hammer

firmed but had also performed military service.

begged so eagerly to be allowed to wield the that the senator finally gave

"We may

as well let

way to him.

you try your hand

for a

DEPOSED while," he said.

than

"I dare say

215

any worse

can't go

has gone so far."

Lars promptly stepped into Jons's place.

up an old butter tub to there looking at

ping on

its

offer it

not to find any flaws in

sell

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;hesitated and just stood

turning the tub up and down, tap-

it,

bottom and

in a reluctant

took

Apparently surprised

sides. it,

he presently offered the

tone of voice, as

distressed at having

For

so valuable an article.

his part,

rather that no bids be made, he said.

lucky for the owner

lot

he would

would be

no one discovered what a precious

butter tub this was, for then he could keep

And now, when how disappointed Lars

it.

bid followed bid, everybody noticed looked.

was

all

very well so

long as the bids were so low as to be beneath his notice;

but face

when they began

mount higher and

became distorted from chagrin.

making

down

a great sacrifice

when he

higher, his

He seemed

finally decided to

to be

knock

the sour old butter tub.

After that he turned his attention to the water buckets,

the cowls, and washtubs.

somewhat

less reluctant

when

Lars Gunnarson seemed it

came

to disposing of

the older ones, which he sold without indulging in over-

much

sighing; but the

newer

lots

he did not want to

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

2i6 oflFer

"They

all.

are far too good to give

"They've been used so

remarked to the owner. that you could easily

The

them

sell

for

new

kept shouting more and more eagerly.

little

at the fair."

auction hunters had no notion as to

showed much

away," he

why

they

Lars Gunnarson it

could never

have been to please him they were bidding.

Somehow

distress for

every fresh bid;

they had come to regard the things he offered as of worth.

suddenly occurred to them that one thing

or another

was needed

home and

here were veritable

bargains, which they were not buying

fun of

it,

real

now

just for the

had been the case when Jons of Kisterud

did the auctioning.

After this master stroke Lars Gunnarson was in great

demand

all

acutions.

There was never any mer-

riment at the sales after he had begun to wield the ham-

mer; but he had the faculty of making folks long to get possession of a lot of old junk and inducing a couple of bigwigs to bid against each other on things

they had no earthly use

was no object to them. everything at

all

Once only did was

for,

simply to show that

And

money

he managed to dispose of

auctions at which he served. it

seem to go badly

Sven Osterby's, at Bergvik.

for Lars,

and that

There was a

fine

DEPOSED big house, with

all its

furnishings

217

Many

for sale.

people had assembled, and though late in the

autumn the

weather was so mild that the auction could be held out of doors; yet the sales were almost negligible.

could not or get

make the people take any interest

them

better for

It looked as

to bid.

him than

had gone

though

Lars

in the wares,

would go no

for Jons of Kisterud the

day Lars had to take up the hammer to help him

out.

Lars Gunnarson, however, had no desire to turn his

work over to another. it

He tried instead to find out what

was that seemed to be

the people and keeping

Nor was he

distracting the attention of

them from making purchases.

long getting at the cause of it.

Lars had mounted a table, that every one might see

what he had to

offer,

and from

this point of

vantage he

who

soon discovered that the newly created emperor, lived in the little hut close to Falla

labourer

all

his

life,

moved about

saw him bowing and smiling to

and had been a day in the crowd.

right

and

left,

Lars

and

let-

ting people examine his stars and his stick, and, at every turn, he

had a long

were older

folks

line of

youngsters at his heels.

above bandying words with him.

Nor

wonder the auction went badly, with a grand monarch like

him there

draw every one's attention to himself

2i8

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA first

Lars went right on with his auctioneering,

but he kept an eye on Jan of Ruffluck until the latter

had made

his

way

There was no fear of

to the front.

Johannes of Portugallia remaining

background!

in the

He shook hands with everybody and spoke a few pleasant words to each and until he

all,

at the

same time pushing ahead

had reached the very centre of the

ring.

But the moment Jan was there Lars Gunnarson

jumped down from the table, rushed up to him, snatched his imperial

cap and stick and was back

in his place

before Jan had time to think of offering resistance.

Then Jan

cried out

and

up onto the

tried to climb

table to get back the stolen heirlooms, but immediately

Lars raised the stick to him and forced him back.

At that

there

was a murmur of disapproval from the

crowd, which, however, had no effect upon Lars.

"I see that you are surprised at shouted

heard

in his loud auctioneering voice,

all

over the yard.

belong to us Falla folk. father-in-law, Eric Ersa,

who

"But

this

action," he

which could be

cap and this stick

They were bequeathed by the

old master of Falla,

ran the farm before Eric took

These

over.

things have always been treasured in the family, and I can't tolerate

having a lunatic parade around

them.

DEPOSED Jan had suddenly recovered

219

composure and while

his

Lars was speaking, he stood with his arms crossed on

sublime indifference to

his chest a look in his face of

As soon

Lars's talk.

as Lars subsided, Jan,

command, turned

ture of

with a ges-

to the crowd, and said very

quietly:

"Now, my good back

Not

Courtiers,

you must

see that I get

property."

a solitary person

there were

feel

move

Now

some who laughed.

over to Lars's side.

seemed to

made

to help him, but

they had

all

gone

There was just one individual who

sorry for Jan.

A woman

cried out to

the auctioneer:

"Ah, Lars,

let

him keep

trumpery!

his royal

The

cap and stick are of no use to you."

him one of my own

"I'll give

returned Lars.

"But

I'll

caps,

when

be hanged

get home,"

let

if I

him go

about any longer with these heirlooms, making of them a target for jests!"

This was followed by loud laughs from the crowd.

Jan was so dumfounded that stand

still

all

he could do was to

and look at the people.

one to another, unable to get over Dear, dear!

Was

there no one

glanced from

his

among

amazement.

all

those

who

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

220

had honoured and applauded him who would help him now,

in his

hour of need ?

He saw

moved.

so frightened that

from him, and he was to cry because

its

people stood there, un-

then that he meant nothing to them

and that they would not

came

The

be-

imperial greatness

fell

a finger for him.

lift

all his

like a little child that

ready

playthings have been taken away.

Lars Gunnarson turned to the huge

pile of

wares

stacked beside him, prepared to go on with the auc-

Then Jan attempted

tion.

to do something himself.

Wailing and protesting, he went up to the table where Lars stood, quickly bent

But Lars was too

down and

alert for

tried to overturn

it.

him; with a swing of the

imperial stick, he dealt Jan a blow across his back that sent

him

reeling.

"No you

don't!" cried he.

for the present.

this

straight

"I'll

keep these

articles

You've wasted enough time already

emperor nonsense.

home and take

Now

you'd

better

to your digging again."

Jan did not appear to be specially anxious to obey;

whereupon Lars again

raised the stick,

and nothing

more was needed to make Emperor Johannes of Portugallia turn

and

flee.

one made a move to follow him or

oflfered

him a

DEPOSED No

word of sympathy.

pitilessly

grandeur.

solemn at

"I think

his auctions as at a

it's

He wanted to have

suit Lars, either.

church service.

better to talk sense to

who encourage him treat him.

would be

who and what have been

it.

fore

it is

his

in his foolishness

But that

him Emperor.

his

hardly the right

employer

he'll

many

for

some

call

way

make him under-

even though he doesn't

bounden duty to

work; otherwise

are

and who even

far better to is,

Jan than to

"There

laugh at him," he said, reprovingly.

stand

how

and unceremoniously he had been stripped of

But this did not it

one called to him to come

Indeed folks only laughed when they saw

back.

all his

221

little

time, there-

see that he goes

back to

soon be a charge on the parish."

After that Lars held a good auction, with close and high bids. lessened

The

satisfaction

when on

his

which he now

felt

was not

homecoming the next day, he

learned that Jan of Ruffluck had again put on his working clothes, and gone back to his digging.

"We

must never remind him of

Gunnarson warned will

his people,

be spared to him.

than he needs."

his

madness," Lars

"then perhaps

his reason

Anyhow, he has never had more

THE CATECHETICAL MEETING

1ARS GUNNARSON

was decidedly pleased with

himself for having taken the cap and stick

-^ away same time

from Jan;

looked as

he had at the

relieved the peasant of his mania.

A fortnight after the auction at Bergvik a catechetical meeting was held at

from the whole

district

Ruffluck folk being

manner

in Jan's

People had gathered there

Falla.

round about Dove Lake, the

among them.

or bearing

now

There was nothing

that would lead one to

think he was not in his right mind. All the benches and chairs in the house

moved

into the large

room on the ground

had been floor

arranged in close rows, and there sat every one

and

who was

to be catechized, including Jan; for to-day he had not

pushed to.

his

way up

to a better seat than he

Lars kept his eyes on Jan.

He had

was

entitled

to admit to

himself that the man's insanity had apparently been

checked.

Jan behaved now

he was very quiet and

all

who

any rational being;

greeted

him received only

THE CATECHETICAL MEETING a

nod

stiff

desire

The

In response,

his part

which

may have

not to disturb the

when the

been due to a

spirit of the

regular meeting was preceded

223

a roll

meeting. call,

and

pastor called out "Jan Anderson of RufBuck

Croft," the latter answered "here" without the slightest hesitation

had never

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

as if

Emperor Johannes of Portugallia

existed.

The clergyman

sat at a table at the far

end of the

room, with the big church registry in front of him. Beside him sat Lars Gunnarson, enlightening him as to

who had moved away from and who had married. Jan having answered

the district within the year,

all

questions

correctly

and

promptly, the pastor turned to Lars and put a query to

him

in a

low tone of voice.

"It was not as serious as

"I took now,

out of him.

appeared," said Lars.

He works

at Falla every

day

he has always done."

Lars had not thought to lower his voice, as had the

Every one knew of

pastor.

and many glanced anxiously calm

whom at Jan,

he was speaking

who

sat there as

though he had not heard a word.

Later,

when

the catechizing was well on, the pastor

happened to ask a trembling youth whose knowledge

224

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

of the Scriptures was to be tested, to repeat the Fourth

Commandment. It this

was not wholly by chance the pastor had chosen

commandment

as his text for that evening.

When

seated thus in a comfortable old farmhouse, with

much

olden-time furniture, and

else that plainly be-

spoke a state of prosperity, he always impress upon his hearers

how

felt

moved

well those prosper

hold together from generation to generation,

years of their

cherish

who

their elders govern as long as they are able to do so,

who honour and

its

let

and

them throughout the remaining

lives.

He had just begun to unfold the rich promises which God has made to those who honour father and mother, when Jan of Ruffluck "There afraid to

"Go

some one standing outside the door who

come

see

arose. is

in," said Jan.

what the matter

is,

Borje," said the pastor.

"You're nearest the door." Borje rose at once, opened the door, and glanced up

and down the entry. "There's

nobody out there," he

replied.

"Jan

must have heard wrongly." After this interruption the pastor proceeded to ex-

THE CATECHETICAL MEETING plain to his listeners that this

much

of a

command

should be strictly followed in

He was

life.

225

commandment was not

was good counsel, which

one wished to succeed

himself only a youth, but this

much he

had already observed: lack of respect toward parents and disobedience were at the bottom of many of

life's

misfortunes.

While the pastor was speaking Jan time and again turned his head toward the door and he motioned to Katrina,

who was

sitting

on the

easily get to the door

last

bench and could

than he could, to go open

it.

Katrina kept her seat as long as she dared; but being a bit fearful of crossing Jan these days, she finally obeyed

him.

When

saw no one

she had got the door open, she, like Borje, in the entry.

and went back to her

The certed all

the

She shook her head at Jan

seat.

pastor had not allowed himself to be discon-

by Katrina's movements. young

the great joy of

people, he had almost ceased putting

questions and was voicing some of the beautiful thoughts

that kept coming into his mind.

"Think how wisely and the dear old people

homes!" he

said.

well things are ordered for

whom we

"Is

have with us

not a blessing that

our

we may

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

226

be a stay and comfort to those

we were

helpless, to

make

life

who

cared for us

be fed

an honour

for a

who

easy for those

haps have suffered hunger themselves that

when per-

we might

young couple to have

the fireside an old father or mother, happy and con" tent

When the pastor said

that a smothered sob was heard

from a corner of the room.

Lars Gunnarson,

who had

been sitting with head devoutly bowed, arose at once. Crossing the floor on tiptoes, so as not to disturb the meeting, he went over to his mother-in-law, placed his

arm around her in his

looked

her,

own

down

beckoned to

and led her up to the

table.

chair, he stationed himself

at her with his wife to

Seating

behind

air of solicitude;

and

then he

come and stand beside him.

Every one understood of course that Lars wanted them to think that in this it

home

all

was

as the pastor

had

said

should be.

The old

minister looked pleased as he glanced up at the

mother and her children.

affected

him

woman wept

a all

little

The only thing that

unpleasantly was that the old

the while.

He had

never before suc-

ceeded in calling forth such deep emotion in any of his parishioners.

THE CATECHETICAL MEETING "It

not

difficult to

ment when we

are

keep the Fourth

young and

227

Command-

under the rule of our

still

parents," the pastor continued; "but the real test comes

when we

later,

are

grown and think ourselves quite

wise

Here the pastor was again interrupted. risen

and gone to the door himself.

Jan had just

He seemed

better luck than had Borje or Katrina: for he

to have

was heard

to say "Go'-day " to somebody out in the entry.

Now

every one turned to see

been standing outside

all

who

was that had

the evening, afraid to

They could hear Jan urging and

come

imploring.

in.

Evi-

dently the person wished to be excused, for presently

Jan pulled the door to and stepped back into the room, alone.

way up

to the table.

did not return to his seat, but threaded his

"Well, Jan," said the pastor, somewhat impatient,

"may we

hear

now who

it is

that has been disturbing

us the whole evening?"

"It was the old master of Falb

Jan

who

stood out there,"

replied, not in the least astonished or excited

what he had to impart.

"He

me tell Lars from him day after Midsummer Day." he bade

wouldn't come to beware the

in,

first

over

but

Sun-

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

228

many understood what lay back of Jan's Those who sat in the last rows had not heard

first

words.

distinctly,

not

but they inferred from the startled look on

the pastor's face that Jan must have said something dreadful.

They

sprang up and began to crowd

all

nearer the table, asking to right and

he could have been talking

left

who on

earth

to.

"But Jan!" said the pastor know what you are saying?"

in a firm tone,

"do you

"I do indeed," returned Jan with an emphatic nod.

"As soon

had given me the message

as he

in-law he went away.

him no

ill

Commandment better repent

Sunday

'Tell him,' he said, 'that I wish

for letting

and not coming to

after

lie in

the snow in

agony

aid in time; but the Fourth

a strict one.

and

for his son-

confess.

Tell

Midsummer to do

him from me he'd

will

have until the

it in.'

Jan spoke so rationally and delivered

his strange

message with such sincerity that both the pastor and the others firmly believed at

first

that Eric of Falla

had actually stood outside the door of his old home and talked with Jan.

And

naturally they

all

turned their

eyes toward Lars Gunnarson to see what effect Jan's

words had had on him.

THE CATECHETICAL MEETING Lars only laughed.

"I thought Jan sane," he

shouldn't have let

him come

229 said,

"or

The

pastor will have to pardon the interruption.

to the meeting. It

the madness breaking out again."

"Why he had

of course!" said the pastor, relieved.

been on the point of believing he

something

supernatural.

was

For

had come upon

well,

he thought,

that this was only the fancy of a lunatic.

"You

see,

Pastor," Lars went on explaining, "Jan

has no great love for me, and the wit to conceal

it.

it's

plain

now

must confess that

he hasn't in a sense

I'm to blame

for his daughter having to go away to

earn money.

It's this

The

parson, a

little

he holds against me." surprised at Lars's eager tone,

gave him a searching glance. gaze,

but looked away.

Lars did not meet that

Perceiving his mistake, he

tried to look the parson in the face.

couldn't

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

Somehow he

so turned away, with an oath.

"Lars Gunnarson!" exclaimed the pastor

"What

ishment.

in aston-

has come over you?"

Lars immediately pulled himself together.

"Can't

be rid of this lunatic?" he said, as though

Jan were the one he had sworn pastor and

all

at.

"Here stand the

my neighbours regarding me as a murderer

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

230

only because a against me!

madman happens

I tell

on account of

you he wants to get back

his daughter.

she would leave

How

could

know

that

home and go wrong simply because

wanted what was due me. will

to hold a grudge

no one here who

Is there

take charge of Jan/' he asked, "so that the rest of

may enjoy The

the service in peace?" Lars*s remarks

pastor sat stroking his forehead.

troubled him; but he could not reprimand him

when he

had no positive proof that the man had committed a wrong.

looked around for the old mistress of Falla;

but she had slipped away.

Then he glanced out over the

gathering, and from that quarter he got no help.

was confident that

all

in the

room knew whether or not

Lars was guilty, yet, when he turned to them, their faces

looked

blank.

quite

Meantime Katrina had

come forward and taken Jan by the arm, and the two of

them were then moving toward the

door.

Anyhow, the

pastor had no desire to question a crazy man.

"I think

"We

do for to-night," he said quietly.

this will

will bring the

meeting to a

short prayer, which was followed

upon the people went

close.'*

He made

hymn.

Where-

their ways.

The pastor was the last to leave.

While Lars was

see-

THE CATECHETICAL MEETING ing

him

to the gate he spoke quite voluntarily of that

which had just taken

"Did you mark,

Midsummer Day "That It

231

just

shows

was the Sunday

was over

place.

Pastor,

was the Sunday

was to be on it

was the

after

girl

at Jan's place to

guard?'* he said.

Jan had

Midsummer

after

mind.

of last year that

have an understanding with

him about the hut." All these explanations only distressed the pastor the

more.

and

sudden he put

his

hand on Lars's shoulder

tried to read his face.

"I'm not your judge, Lars Gunnarson," he warm, reassuring

tones,

"but

you have something on

your conscience, you can come to me. for

you every day.

said in

Only don't put

shall look

off too long!"

AN OLD TROLL

THE

second winter of the

little girl's

home was an extremely middle of January

cold that

snow had

severe one.

the

had grown so unbearably

banked around

to be

absence from

all

the Httle

huts in the Ashdales as a protection against the

ele-

ments, and every night the cows had to be covered

with straw, to keep them from freezing to death. It

was so cold that the bread

froze; the cheese froze,

and even the butter turned to

seemed unable to hold

how many

its

ice.

warmth.

The It

itself

fire

mattered not

logs one laid in the fireplace, the heat spread

no farther than to the edge of the hearth.

One day, when the winter was

at its worst,

Jan

decided that instead of going out to his work he would stay at

home and

help Katrina keep the

fire

alive.

Neither he nor the wife ventured outside the hut that day, and the longer they remained indoors the more they felt

the cold.

five o'clock in

the afternoon,

began to grow dark, Katrina said they might 232

when

as well

AN OLD TROLL "turn in";

was no good

233

their sitting

up any

longer,

torturing themselves.

During the afternoon Jan had gone over to the window, time and again, and peered out through a

little

corner of a pane that had remained clear, though the rest of the glass

was thickly crusted with

And now he went back there again. "You can go to bed, Katrina dear,"

frost flowers.

he said as he

stood looking out, "but I've got to stay up a while longer."

"Well

you stay

"Why

never!" ejaculated Katrina.

up.?

Why can't you go to

bed as well as

But Jan did not reply to her questions. I

should ?" I

"It's strange

haven't seen Agrippa Prastberg pass by yet," he said.

"Is

"He

him you're waiting

for!" snapped Katrina.

hasn't been so extra nice to

called

upon to

Jan put up

up and

sit

his

freeze

hand with

you that you need on

his

feel

account!"

sweep of authority

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

this

being the only mannerism acquired during his emperorship which had not been dropped.

There was no

of Prastberg coming to them, he told her.

heard that the old

man had

He had

been invited to a drinking

bout at a fisherman's hut here far

fear

he had not seen him go by.

in the Ashdales,

but so

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

234

"I suppose he has had the good sense to stay at home," said Katrlna. It

grew colder and

creaked as

The

colder.

corners of the house

the freezing wind were knocking to be

let

All the bushes and trees were covered with such

in.

thick coats of shapeless.

snow and rim

But bushes and

frost

they looked quite

trees, like

humans, had to

clothe themselves as well as they could, in order to be

protected against the cold.

In a clock

little

while Katrina observed: "I see by the

only half after

it's

five,

but

the same

all

I'll

put

on the porridge pot and prepare the evening meal. After supper, you can

sit

up and wait

go to bed, whichever you All this time

him?" he

"Who n't

like."

Jan had stood

can't be that he has

come

for Prastberg or

this

at the

window.

way without my

"It

seeing

said.

cares whether a brute like

him comes or does-

come!" returned Katrina sharply,

for she

was

tired

of hearing about that old tramp.

Jan heaved a deep she herself knew.

sigh.

Katrina was more right than

did not care a bit whether or not

old "Grippie" had passed.

His saying that he was ex-

pected was merely an excuse for standing at the window.

AN OLD TROLL No word

or token

Empress, the

235

had he received from the great

little girl

of Ruffluck, since the day Lars

wrested from him his majesty and glory.

felt

that

such a thing could never have happened without her sanction,

and inferred from

that he had done

this

something to incur her displeasure; but what he could

He had brooded

not imagine!

over this

all

through the

long winter evenings; through the long dark mornings,

when

threshing in the barn

when

short days,

carting

for three

through the

Falla;

wood from

Everything had passed

him

the big forest.

off so happily

and well

for

whole months, so of course he could not

think she had been dissatisfied with his emperorship.

He had then known

a time such as he

could come to a poor

man

had never dreamed

like himself.

Glory Goldie was not offended at him

But surely

for that!

He had done

or said something which was dis-

pleasing to her, that

was why he was being punished.

No.

But could

to forgive

him.''

be that she was so slow to forget as never If she

would only

tell

him what she

He would do anything he could to She must see for herself how he had put on

was angry about! pacify her. his

working clothes and gone out as a day labourer as

soon as she

let

him know that such was her

wish.

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

236

could not speak of this matter to either Katrina

He would

or the seine-maker.

some

positive sign

he had his

felt it

be patient and wait for

from Glory Goldie.

to be so near that he

hand and take

it.

Many

times

had only to put out

That very day, shut

in as

he was,

he had the feeling that there was a message from her on

clear corner

little

unless It

why he stood peering out through the He knew, also, that of the window.

This was

the way.

came very soon he could not go on

was

so dark

now

living.

that he could hardly see as far as

the gate, and his hopes for that day were at an end.

He had no

objection to retiring at once, he said pres-

Katrina dished out the porridge, the evening

ently.

meal was hurridly eaten, and by a quarter after

six

they were abed.

They dropped

off to sleep, too;

were of short duration. carlian clock

but their slumbers

The hands

of the big Dale-

had barely got round to

six-thirty

when

Jan sprang out of bed; he quickly freshened the

fire,

which was almost burned out, then proceeded to dress himself.

Jan

tried to be as quiet as possible,

but for

all

that

Katrina was awakened; raising herself in bed she asked if it

was already morning.

AN OLD TROLL No, indeed Jan

wasn't, but the

237

little girl

had

called to

dream, and commanded him to go up to the

in a

forest.

Now

was Katrina's turn to

madness come back, thought pecting

every day for some

been so depressed and

sigh!

must be the

she.

She had been ex-

little

time, for Jan had

restless of late.

She made no attempt to persuade him to stay

home, but got up, instead, and put on her

"Wait

a minute!" she said,

then

raise objections,

he remained at the door apparently anxious to be

And what

off,

against

them

like a

faces; their

their

they had been cut

any

all

day.

The

rain of piercing

cold

and cut-

Their skins smarted and they

noses

fingertips

Though

he seemed more controlled

a night to venture out into!

ting glass-splinters.

to-night,

but he didn't;

she was ready.

till

and rational than he had been

felt

woods

at the

want to go with you."

She feared Jan would

came

clothes.

when Jan was

door. "If you're going out into the

were

being torn

from their

ached and their toes were as off;

they hardly knew they had

toes.

Jan uttered no word of complaint, neither did

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

238

Katrina; they just tramped on and on.

Jan turned

on the winter-road across the heights, the one they

had traversed with Glory Goldie one Christmas morning

when

she was so Httle she had to be carried.

There was a

clear

sky and in the west gleamed a

pale crescent moon, so that the night

dark.

Still it

was

difficult to

was

far

from pitch

keep to the road because

everything was so white with snow; time after time

they wandered too close to the edge and sank deep Nevertheless, they

into a drift.

way by it

clear to the

Katrina,

make

their

huge stone that had once been hurled

a giant at Svartsjo church.

when

managed

who was

Jan had already got past

little

way behind

him, gave

a shriek.

"Jan!" she

cried out.

And Jan had

not heard her

sound so frightened since the day Lars threatened to take their there's

home away from them.

some one

sitting

"Can't you see

here?"

Jan turned and went back to Katrina. the two of

them came near taking

And now

to their heels; for,

sure enough, propped against the stone and almost

covered with rim frost sat a giant

troll,

with a bristly

beard and a beak-like nose!

The

troll,

or whatever

was, sat quite motionless.

AN OLD TROLL

had become so paralyzed from the cold that

not been able to get back to it

239

kept

itself

"I should never have believed

I've heard so

Jan was the it

cave, or wherever else

there really are such creatures after all!"

said Katrina.

what

had

nowadays.

"Think that

all

its

it,

for

much about them." first

to recover his senses and to see

was they had come upon.

"It's

"It's Agrippa

Katrina," he said.

troll,

Prastberg."

"Sakes alive!" gasped Katrina.

me!

From

taken for a

the look of

him he could

don't

tell

easily be mis-

troll."

"He has just fallen asleep "He can't be dead, surely!" They shouted but he never

here,"

observed Jan.

name and shook him;

the old man's

stirred.

"Run back

for the sled,

we can draw him home. with snow

"You

till

Katrina," said Jan, "so

I'll

stay here and rub him

he wakes up."

"Just so you don't freeze to death yourself!"

"My as

warm

dear Katrina," laughed Jan, "I haven't as I feel

about the

now

little girl!

many

Wasn't

a day.

felt

I'm so happy

dear of her to send us

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

240

out here to save the

many

spreading so

week

two

him who has gone around

life

Hes about her?"

later, as

Jan was returning from

his

work one evening, he met Agrippa Prastberg.

"I'm I

know

come

right

well

and

fit

again," Agrippa told him.

enough that

you and Katrina had not

to the rescue there wouldn't have been

by now.

of Johan Utter Agrippa Prastberg

wondered what

"But

much

left

So I've

could do for you in return."

"Oh, don't give that a thought,

good Agrippa

Prastberg!" said Jan, with that upward imperial sweep of the hand.

"Hush now,

"When

while I

I said I'd

tell

you!" spoke Prastberg.

thought of doing you a return service,

wasn't just empty chatter.

has already been done.

the travelling salesman

The

meant

it.

other day

who gave

And now ran across

that lass of yours

the red dress."

"Who?"

cried Jan, so excited he could hardly get

his breath.

"That blackguard who gave the

girl

and who afterward sent her to the devil First I gave him,

on your account,

all

the red dress in

Stockholm.

the thrashing

AN OLD TROLL he could take, and then

I told

241

him that the next time

he showed his face around here he'd get just as big a dose of the same kind of medicine."

Jan would not believe he had heard

what did he say?" he questioned

eagerly.

Had

you ask him about Glory Goldie ?

aright.

"But

"Didn't

he no greetings

from her.?"

"What

could he say?

held his tongue.

Anderson,

and

took his punishment and

Now I've done you we're

even.

a decent turn,

Jan

Johan Utter Agrippa

Prastberg wants no unpaid scores."

With that he strode

on, leaving Jan in the middle of

The

the road, lamenting loudly. to send

him

a message!

little girl

had wanted

That merchant had come

with greetings from her, but not a thing had he learned because the

man had

been driven away.

Jan stood wringing but he ached certain in his

all

his

hands.

over worse than

own mind

did not weep,

he were

ill.

felt

that Glory Goldie had wanted

Prastberg to take a message from her brought by the

merchant and convey Prastberg as with the

to her father.

trolls

But

was with

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;whether they wanted

help or hinder they only wrought mischief.

THE SUNDAY AFTER MIDSUMMER

THE

Sunday

first

after

was a grand party which every one

vited.

The old man and

Midsummer Day

there

at the seine-maker's to

in the

Ashdales had been

his daughter-in-law

were

in-

in the

habit of entertaining the whole countryside on this day

of each year.

Folks wondered, of course,

how two

people

who were

so pitiably poor could afford to give a big feast, but to all

who knew

the

whys and wherefores

seemed per-

fectly natural.

As a matter of

man

fact,

when

the seine-maker was a rich

he gave his two sons a farmstead each.

son wasted his substance in

or Bengtsa

much

The

way as poor. The

the same

himself had done, and died

younger son, who was the more steady and kept his portion and even increased

was quite

well-to-do.

elder

it,

so that

But what he owned

reliable,

now he

at the pres-

ent time was as nothing to what he might have had his father

had not recklessly made away with both money 242

THE SUNDAY AFTER MIDSUMMER and lands, to no purpose whatever.

If such wealth

had only come into the hands of the son days, there tained.

telling to

243

younger

in his

what he might have

could have been owner of

at-

the wood-

all

lands in the Lovsjo district, had a shop at Broby, and a

steamer plying Lake Loven; he might even have been

master of the ironworks at Ekeby. it difficult

Naturally he found

to excuse the father's careless business meth-

ods, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

When persons,

come

the crash

came

for 01' Bengtsa, a

good

many

Bengtsa among them, expected the son to

to his aid

by the

sacrifice of his

own

But what good would that have done? have gone to the creditors.

property.

would only

was with the idea

mind that the father should have something to back upon when

all his

fall

possessions were gone, that the

son had held on to his own. It

was not the

fault of the

Bengtsa had taken up

younger son that 01'

abode with the widow of

his

the elder son, for he had begged the father more than a

hundred times to come and refusal to accept this offer injustice; for because of

being

five

with him.

seemed almost it

The like

the son got the

mean and hard-hearted among

those

father's

an act of

name

who knew

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

244

the old

man was badly

off.

Still,

there

was no ill-feeling

between the two.

The son, accompanied by his wife and children, always drove down to the Ashdales over the steep and perilous

mountain road once every summer, just to spend a day with

his father.

If people felt

had only known how badly he and

his wife

every time they saw the wretched hovel, the ram-

shackle outhouse, the stony potato patch, and the sisterin-law's ragged children, they

how

his heart

went out to

was that the father their

honour.

would have understood

The worst

his father.

all

persisted in giving a big party in

Every time they bade the old man

good-bye they begged him not to invite in

when they came again

all

the neighbours

the next year; but he was

obdurate; he would not forego his yearly feast, though

he could

ill

afford the expense.

Seeing

how aged and

broken he looked, one would hardly have thought there

was so much of the Lusterby

still left

on a grand

scale

old happy-go-lucky 01' Bengtsa of

him, but the desire to do things

still

clung to him.

him misfortune from which he could never

The son had and the

had caused recover.

learned inadvertently that the old

sister-in-law scrimped the

man

whole year just to be

THE SUNDAY AFTER MIDSUMMER able to give a grand spread

245

on the day he was at home.

And then it was nothing but eat, eat the whole time! He and his family were hardly out of the wagon before they were served with

coflFee

appetizers.

And

bours with a

fish course,

rice-cakes,

later

and

all

kinds of tempting

came the dinner to a

meat

all

the neigh-

course, and game, and

and fruit-mold with whipped cream, and

quantities of wines and spirits.

was enough to make

He and his wife did nothing to encourage this On the contrary, they brought with them foolishness.

one weep

only such plain fare as they were accustomed to have

every day; but for feasting.

old

man

all

Sometimes they

felt

that rather than

let

the

ruin himself on their account they might

better remain so, lest their

And what

away

altogether.

Yet they feared to do

good intentions should be misinterpreted. a strange

with at these parties

and backwoodsmen! as the Falla family

too, there

that they could not escape the

company they were thrown

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;old

blacksmiths and fishermen

If such

had not been

good, substantial folk in the habit of

coming,

would have been no one there with

whom

they could have exchanged a word.

or best,

Bengtsa's son had liked the late Eric of Falla

but he also entertained in a high regard for Lars

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

246

Gunnarson, the present master of

Lars Gun-

Falla.

narson came of rather obscure people, but he was a

who had

man

who would

the good sense to marry well, and

doubtless forge ahead and gain for himself both wealth

and

When

position.

Gunnarson was not year, the latter

"But "Lars

it's

isn't

account,

the old

man

likely to

told his son that Lars

come

to the party this

was very much disappointed.

no fault of mine," 01' Bengsta declared. exactly

kind, but

all

the same, on your

went down to Falla yesterday and invited

him."

"Maybe "Oh,

he's

weary of these

parties," said the son.

no," returned 01' Bengtsa.

"I'm sure he'd be

only too glad to come, but there's something that's

keeping him away."

did not explain further just

then, but while they were having their coffee, he

"You

back to the subject. cause Lars

isn't

coming

mustn't

this evening,"

don't believe you'd care for his

"You

don't

mean

he said.

**I

company any more."

a bad guess!

suddenly in the spring, and since

drawn

badly be-

that he has taken to drink?"

"That wasn't such

hasn't

feel so

went

took to

Midsummer Day he

a sober breath."

During these

visits

the father and son immediately

THE SUNDAY AFTER MIDSUMMER they had finished their coffee always went old

man

usually kept very

as not to scare the fish

exception.

still

away, but

difficulty, as

more Hfe

there

was something

special he

was the

wanted to

His

there seemed

Evidently

say, or rather

He was

his son.

empty house shouting and

stands outside an

calling, in the

still

ordinarily.

something he wished to draw from

who

this year

always,

him now than

to be

The

on these occasions, so

spoke to the son time and again.

words came with

one

fishing.

247

hope that somebody

will

come and open

the door to him.

He harked back relating in part

to Lars

Gunnarson

what had occurred

meeting, and he even dragged in

been circulated about Lars

all

in the

several times,

at the catechetical

the gossip that had

Ashdales since Eric's

death.

The son granted blameless;

that Lars might not be altogether

he had

now begun

drinking

was a bad

sign.

"I'm curious said

to see

how

he'll

get through this day,"

Bengtsa.

Just then the son

felt

a nibble,

and did not have to

answer. There was nothing in this whole story that

had any bearing upon the common

interests of himself

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

248

and

his father, yet

he could not but

there

feel

was some

hidden intent back of the old man's words.

"I hope

he'll

drive over to the parsonage this even-

ing," pursued 01' Bengtsa. sins for

him who

"There

forgiveness of

will seek it,"

long silence ensued.

The son was too busy

ing his hook to think of replying.

Besides, this

anything which called for a response.

came from the

old

man

bait-

was not

Presently there

such a heavy sigh that he had

to look over toward him.

"Father!

you

believe

Can't you see you've got a nibble? are letting the perch jerk the rod

away

from you."

The the

man

old

fish

quickly pulled up his line and released

from the hook.

thumbs and the perch

His fingers seemed to be

all

slipped from his hands back into

the water.

"It

isn't

meant that

however much

I shall

may want

catch any

fish

to-day,

to."

Yes, there was certainly something he wished the

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;to

son to say

him

confess

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;but

to liken himself to one

surely he did not expect

who was

suspected of having

caused the death of his father-in-law?

Bengtsa did not bait his hook again.

stood

THE SUNDAY AFTER MIDSUMMER upon a fixed

stone, with his

—there

who

let their

icy chilliness

ward

—

his half-dead eyes

on the smooth water.

"Yes all

hands folded

249

will

pardon

for

old parents

—pardon

all,'*

lie

he said musingly, "for

waiting and freezing in

But

even to this day.

after-

be too late!"

Surely this could never have been said for the son's

The

benefit.

father

was no doubt thinking aloud,

the habit of old people.

Anyhow, the son thought he would try old

man

talk about something else.

"How

the

man who went

make

the

So he said:

crazy last year getting

on?" "Oh, you mean Jan of RufHuck! in his right

mind

party, either. so

him

since last

fall.

Well, he has been He'll not be at the

He's only a poor crofter like myself;

you'll not miss, of course."

This was true enough.

However, the son was so glad

of an excuse to speak of some one other than Lars narson, that he asked with genuine concern

Gun-

what was

wrong with Jan of Ruffluck. "Oh,

he's just sick

from pining

for a

daughter

who

went away about two years ago, and who never writes to him."

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

250

"The

who went wrong?" "So you knew about it, eh? But girl

that he's grieving himself to death.

isn*t

because of

It is

the awful

hardness and lack of love that he can't bear up under."

This forced colloquy was becoming intolerable.

made

the son

feel all

the more uncomfortable.

"I'm going over to the stone "I see a

lot

that

fish

farthest out," he said.

splashing round it."

move he was out

of earshot of his father,

and there was no further conversation between them

But go where he

for the remainder of the forenoon.

would, he

felt

that the dim, lustreless eyes of the old

man were following him. glad

when the

The

this

time he was actually

guests arrived.

dinner was served out of doors.

Bengtsa had taken off all

And

his place at the

worry and anxiety.

party, so

much

to the fore

When

to guess

01*

board he tried to cast acting as host at a

of the 01' Bengtsa of

was easy

When

bygone days came

what manner of man he

had once been.

No one from

Falla

was present.

But

was

plain that

Lars Gunnarson was in every one's thoughts; which was not surprising since this was the day he had been warned to look out

for.

Now of course 01'

Bengtsa's son had to

THE SUNDAY AFTER MIDSUMMER listen to further talk

251

about the catechetical meeting

and he heard more about the pastor's extraor-

at Falla,

dinary dissertation on the duties of children toward

However, he said

their parents than he cared to hear.

nothing; but 01' Bengtsa must have noticed that he

was beginning to be bored,

he turned to him with

for

the remark:

"What do you

say to

all this.

Nils ?

sitting there thinking to yourself it's

very strange Our

Lord hasn't written a commandment

how they

blood mounting to his face.

The son

was

"But my dear or thought

feel

the

he had done

it.

father!" he protested, "I've never said

man

"I know you

struck

will

in,

turning novr to his

hardly believe what

I tell

a fact that this son of mine has never

spoken an unkind word to me; neither has

his wife."

These remarks were not addressed to any one ticular,

"True," the old

it's

could

as if

something dreadful, and been caught at

you, but

for parents

shall treat their children?"

This was wholly unexpected.

guests.

suppose you're

nor did any one

feel

in par-

disposed to respond to

them.

"They have been put

some pretty hard

teats,"

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

252

Bengtsa went on.

were deprived prietors

of.

this

"It was a large property they

They

time

if I

could have been landed pro-

had only done the

right thing.

Yet they have never uttered a word of complaint and every summer they pay

a visit, just to

show they

are not angry with me."

The

old man's face looked so dead now,

sounded so hollow!

The son could not

and

tell

his voice

whether he

was trying to come out with something or whether he talked merely for talk's sake.

"Now

it's

altogether different with Lisa," said

Bengtsa, pointing at the daughter-in-law with

"She

lived.

scolds

whom

OF he

every day for not holding on to

property."

The

daughter-in-law, not in the least perturbed, re-

torted with a good-natured laugh:

because

can't find time to patch

"And you all

scold

the holes in the

boys' clothes."

man admitted. "You see, we're not shy; we say right out what we think and tell each other everything. What I've got is hers, and what she's got is mine; so I'm beginning to think it is she who is my "That's true," the old

real child."

Again the son

felt

embarrassed, and troubled as well.

THE SUNDAY AFTER MIDSUMMER

253

There was something the old man wanted to force from

him

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;something

of a personal nature; but surely he

could not expect this It

to be forthcoming here, before

all

company? was a great

relief to

the son of 01* Bengtsa

when on

looking up he saw Lars Gunnarson and his wife stand-

Not he

ing at the gate.

Now

to see them.

alone, but every

was

as if

their

all

one was glad

gloomy mis-

givings had suddenly been dispelled.

made

Lars and his wife late.

profuse apologies for being so

Lars had been suffering from a bad headache and

had feared he would not be able to come

at all;

but

had abated somewhat so he decided to come to the party, thinking he would forget about his aches and

pains

he got out

among

people.

looked a bit hollow-eyed, but he was as jolly and

sociable

barely got

he had been the year before.

down

the

first

the son of 01* Bengtsa ness, of big profits

The poor

mouthful of food when he and

fell

to talking of the lumber busi-

and interest on loans.

rustics

round about them, aghast

mere mention of these large their

mouths.

wanted to have

figures,

01' Bengtsa his

He had

at the

were afraid to open

was the only one who

say in the matter.

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

254

"Since you*re talking of money,'* he said, "I wonder, Nils, if I

you remember that note

got from the old ironmaster at Doveness ?

laid,

you

time when I

for 17,000 rix-dollars

was

was mis-

and couldn't be found at the

recollect,

in such

hard

Just the same,

straits.

wrote to the ironmaster requesting immediate pay-

ment; but received the reply that he was dying.

Later

on, after his death, the administrators of the estate

declared they could find no record of

was informed that

for

it,

both

claim.

wasn't possible for them to pay

produced the note.

unless I

and low

and

searched high

sons, but

couldn't

find it."

"You don't mean to tell me that you've come

across

at last!" the son exclaimed.

"It was the strangest thing imaginable!" the old

man went

on.

"Jan of Ruffluck came over here one

morning and told me he knew

for a certainty that

the note was in the secret drawer of

He had

seen

take

cedar chest.

out in a dream, he said."

"But you must have looked there?" "Yes,

did search through the secret drawer on the

left-hand side.

But Jan said

the right, and then,

when

was

in the

drawer on

looked more carefully,

THE SUNDAY AFTER MIDSUMMER

255

found a secret drawer that I'd never known about; and in that lay the note."

"You in

probably put

some time when you were

there

your cups."

"VeryHkelyldid."

The son

laid

down

his knife

then took them up again. tone

made him

and fork

Something

a bit wary.

"Maybe

Aloud he

he thought to himself.

for a

moment,

in the old it's

said,

man's

just a hoax,"

"It was out-

lawed, of course ?

"Oh, yes,"

replied the old

man,

would doubtless

"it

have been so regarded by any other debtor.

But

rowed across to Doveness one day and took the note to the

new

was good.

ironmaster,

who admitted

*It*s as clear as

day that

father*s debt, 01' Bengtsa,' he said.

to give

out

at once.'"

all

a few weeks' grace.

"That was spoken son, bringing his

like a

the old

day!

must pay

It is a large

man

'But you'll have

sum

pay

of honour!" said the

hand down heavily on the

sense of gladness stole in picions.

at once that

upon him

in spite

table.

of his sus-

To think that it was something so splendid man had been holding back from him the whole

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

2s6

"I told the ironmaster that he needn't pay me just then; that

he would only give

money could remain "That was was a

new note

the

in his safekeeping."

There

well," said the son approvingly.

strong, glad ring in his voice, that betrayed an ea-

gerness he would rather not have shown, for he

knew of

old that one could never be quite sure of 01* Bengtsa

—

in the

very next breath he might say

was

just a

yarn.

"You don't beheve me," observed the old man. "Would you like to see the note? Run in and get it, Lisa!"

Almost immediately the son had the note before First he glanced at the signature,

eyes.

and recognized

the firm, legible hand of the ironmaster.

Then he

looked at the figures, and found them correct.

nodded to

his wife,

how interested this

sat opposite him, that

same time passing the note

right, at the

The

who

she would be to see

to her,

of Lusterby'

she asked

—

was

He all

knowing

it.

wife examined the note carefully.

mean?"

his

" What does

—"'Payable to Lisa Persdotter

Lisa to have the

"Yes," the old man answered.

money?" " She gets this

because she has been a good daughter to roe."

money

THE SUNDAY AFTER MIDSUMMER " But this

"No,

not unfair," drawled the old

it is

257

unfair

man

in a tired

voice.

"I have squared myself and owe nobody any-

thing.

might have had one other creditor," he added,

turning to this son, "but after looking into matters, I find

that I haven't."

"You mean

me,

"But

suppose," said the son.

you don't seem to think

wanted to say to the father was

All that the son

had

unsaid, as he

was

left

interrupted by a piercing shriek from the opposite side of the table.

Lars

Gunnarson

brandy and put from

terror,

had

to his mouth.

was trying to take

seized

just

bottle

His wife, screaming

from him.

held

her back until he had emptied half the contents, where-

upon he

set the bottle

down and turned

face flushed, his eyes staring wildly, his

"Didn't you hear

"Why

note?'*

"All his dreams come true!

Can't you comprehend that the

happen to me

hands clenched.

was Jan who found the

he said in a hoarse voice.

second sight?

to his wife, his

man

has the

gift

You'll see that something dreadful will this day, as

he has predicted."

he has only cautioned you to be on your

guard," said the wife.

258

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

"You begged and

teased

should forget what day

come here

was, and

now

so that I

I get this re-

minder!"

Again Lars raised the brandy bottle to

time, however, the wife cast herself upon

he said with a laugh " Keep :

rose

must go

will

Keep

for all of

and kicked the chair out of

Good-bye to you,

"I hope you

him with

Replacing the bottle on the table,

prayers and tears.

With that he

This

his lips.

his

'* !

way.

01' Bengtsa," he said to the host.

pardon

leaving, but to-day I

to a place where I can drink in peace."

rushed toward the gate, his wife following.

When

he was passing out into the road, he pushed her back.

"Why can't you let me be!" he cried fiercely. had my warning, and I go to meet my doom!"

"I've

SUMMERNIGHT A LL /

day, while the party was going on at the

seine-maker's, Jan of Ruffluck kept to his hut.

-^ But

on the

went out and

sat

down up-

stone in front of the house, as was his wont.

flat

He was

at evening he

not

ill

exactly, but he felt

weak and

The

tired.

hut had become so overheated during the long, hot

sunny day that he thought a breath of fresh

not

much

air.

would be nice to get

found, however, that

cooler outside, but he sat

still

all

was

the same,

mostly because there was so much out here that was beautiful to the eye. It

had been an excessively hot and dry month of

June and

forest fires,

which always rage every

summer, had already got going.

rainless

This he could

by the pretty bluish-white smoke banks that above the ently,

hills at

away

off to

the other side of the lake.

tell

rose

Pres-

southward, a shimmery white curly

cloud head appeared, while in the west, over against

Great Peak, huge smoke-blended clouds rolled up and 259

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

26o up.

seemed to him as

the whole world were

afire.

flames could be seen from where he sat, but there

was no mistaking that

hold sway indefinitely. itself to

fine

had broken out

fire

only hoped

ai^d

could

would con-

the forest trees, and not sweep

down

upon huts and farmsteads.

He tities little

could scarcely breathe. of air had been of

it left.

was

as if such

quan-

consumed that there was very

At short

intervals he sensed an odour,

as of something burning, that stuck in his nostrils.

That odour did not come from any cook stove Ashdales!

was

a salutation

in the

from the great stake of

pine needles, and moss, and brushwood that sizzled and

burned many miles away.

A fire,

little

while ago the sun had gone down, red as

leaving in

its

wake enough

colour to tint the whole

sky, which

was now

corner of

where the sun had just been

its

entire expanse.

rose

hued not only across that seen, but over

At the same time the waters of

Dove Lake had become shadow of the towering

dark as mirror glass in the

hills.

In this black-looking

water ran streaks of red blood and molten gold. It

was the

sort of night that

makes one

feel

that the

SUMMERNIGHT earth

not worthy a glance; that only the heavens and

the waters that mirror

As Jan

summer

them

are

worth

seeing.

sat gazing out at the beauties of the light

night he suddenly began to wonder.

But

be that he saw aright?

firmament were sinking.

much

261

Could

actually looked as

Anyway,

to his vision

if it

the

was

nearer to the earth than usual.

Could

be possible that something had gone wrong?

Surely his eyes were not deceiving him!

The

great

pink dome of sky was certainly moving down toward the earth, and

all

the while

more oppressive.

was becoming hotter and

already

felt

the terrible heat that

seemed to come from the red-hot dome that was sinking toward him.

be sure Jan had heard a good deal of talk about

the coming destruction of the world pictured

as being effected

and had often

by means of thunder-storms

and earthquakes that would hurl the mountains into the seas and drive the waters of the lakes and rivers

over plains and valleys, so that extinct. in this

all life

would become

But he never imagined the end should come

way: by the

heaven with

its

suffocation

This,

earth's burial under the vault of

inhabitants it

all

dying from heat and

seemed to him, was the worst of all.

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

262

He put down his pipe, though but remained quietly seated else could

was only half-smoked,

in the

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;something

off

he could run away from.

One could not take up arms and defend it,

For what

one spot.

This was not something which he

he do?

ward

could

one's self against

nor find safety by creeping into cellars or caves.

Even

one had the power to empty

and

lakes, their waters

fires

of the firmament.

tains

would not

the oceans

suffice to

quench the

If one could uproot the

moun-

and prop them, beam-like, against the sky, they

could not hold up this heavy

that

all

dome

was meant

if it

should sink.

Singularly enough no one but himself seemed to be

aware of what was happening. Ah, look!

What was

above the crest of the

hill

that that went shooting up

over yonder.?

specks suddenly appeared in clouds.

among

lot

the pale smoke

These specks whirled round each other with

such rapidity that to Jan*s eyes they looked in

much

birds of course.

The

cession of streaks

when

of black

moving

like a suc-

the same

way

bees swarm.

They were

was that they had clouds.

risen in the night

strange part of

and soared into the

SUMMERNIGHT

263

They probably knew more than the human

kind,

thought Jan, for they had sensed that something was about to happen. Instead of the air becoming cooler, as on other nights, it

grew warmer and warmer.

to be expected, with the fiery

Jan thought

nearer.

else

was hardly

dome coming

nearer and

Anything

had already sunk to the brow

of Great Peak.

But there

the end of the world was so close at hand and

was no hope of

Goldie,

much

less

his getting

any word from Glory

of his seeing her, before

then he would pray for but a single grace

all

was over,

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;that

might

be made clear to him what he had done to offend her, so that he could repent of pertaining to the earth

before the end of everything

What had

life.

Why had the crown

she could not forgive nor forget?

and sceptre been taken away from

As he put these queries upon

But

him.

to himself his glance

his

fell

ground

mind was not on such things

This must have been one of the paper stars he

had borrowed of

Mad

a thought to this It

him.''

a bit of gilt paper that lay glittering on the

in front of

now.

he done that

Ingeborg.

empty show

But he had not given

since last

kept getting hotter and hotter, and

autumn.

was becoming

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

264

more and more

difficult to breathe.

ing," thought Jan.

"Maybe

"The end

just as well

it's

near-

wasn't

too long coming."

A great sense of lassitude came over him. â&#x20AC;˘

sit

up any

longer, he slipped

down

off the stone

stretched himself out on the ground.

hardly

Katrina not to

fair to

let

Unable to

her

He felt it was know what was

But Katrina had gone to the

taking place.

and

maker's party and was not back yet.

seine-

If he only

had

He would have Bengtsa, too. He

the strength to drag himself thither! liked to say a

word of farewell to

01'

was very glad when he presently saw Katrina coming

down

the lane, accompanied by the seine-maker.

wanted to

call

out to them to hurry, but not a sound

could he get past his of

lips.

Shortly afterward the two

them stood bending over him. Katrina immediately ran for water and made him

drink some; and then he got back just enough strength to

tell

them that the Last Judgment was

"How

you talk!" said Katrina.

ment indeed!

Why, you've

at hand.

"The Last Judg-

got fever, man, and you're

out of your head."

Then Jan turned

to the seine-maker.

sec either that the firmament

"Can't you

sinking and sinking.^'*

SUMMERNIGHT The

him any

latter did not give

265

reply,

but turned

instead to Katrina, saying:

"This

pretty serious.

the remedy

down

think we'll have to try

talked of on the way.

may

as well go

to Falla at once.**

"But Lars

"Why tavern.

will

never consent to

it.**

you know that Lars has gone down to the I'm sure the old mistress of Falla

will

have the

courage

Jan cut him

short.

could not bear to hear

them

speak of commonplace matters when such momentous things were in the

air.

"Stop talking," he

trump ?

"Don't you hear the

said.

last

Don't you hear the rumbling up in the moun-

tains.?"

They paused Jan.

And

moment and

listened, just to please

then they, too, heard a strange noise.

"There's a wagon said Katrina.

rattling

"What on

As the rumbling

along in the woods,"

earth can that

noise grew

mean?"

more and more

distinct,

their astonishment increased.

"And this it

it's

Sunday, too!" observed Katrina.

"Now if

were a weekday you could understand it; but whocan

be that's out driving in the woods on a Sunday night

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

266

Then she heard

She listened again.

the scraping of

wheels against stones and the clatter of hoofs along the steep forest road.

"Do you "Yes,

"Do you

hear?'* asked Jan.

I hear," said Katrina.

"But no matter who

comes I've got to get the bed ready It's

hear?"

for

you

at once.

that I have to think of."

"And I'm

down

to Falla," said the seine-

"That's more important than anything

maker.

Good-bye

The

going

else.

for the present."

man

away while Katrina went

in to

prepare the bed; she was hardly inside the door

when

old

hurried

the rattling noise, which she and the seine-maker believed

was caused by a common wagon, sounded

were almost upon them. of heavy

war

chariots, at

earth trembled.

who came "Dear suringly.

from

To Jan

as if it

was the rumble

whose approach the whole

called in a loud voice to Katrina,

out immediately. heart, don't be so scared!" she said

"I can see the horse now.

Falla.

Sit

up and

you'll see

It's it,

reas-

the old bay too."

Slip-

ping her hand under Jan's neck she raised him to a sitting posture.

Through the

elder bushes at the edge

of the road a horse could be seen running wildly in the

SUMMERNIGHT direction of Ruffluck.

"Don't you

Gunnarson driving home? self full at

way

267 see

it's

only Lars

He must have drunk

him-

know which

the tavern, for he doesn't seem to

he's going."

When by their

Katrina said that a horse and wagon dashed

Both she and Jan noticed that the wagon

gate.

was empty and the horse

driverless.

"Lord

All at once she let out a shriek:

Did you

see him,

wagon "

Jan ?

deliver us!

He's being dragged alongside the

Without waiting for a reply she rushed across

the yard into the road, where the horse had just bolted past.

Jan

let

He was

her go without a word.

glad to be

He had not yet found an answer to his query as to why the Empress was angry at him. The bit of gilt paper now lay directly under his eyes. alone again.

It glistened so that he

Meanwhile

his

to the time landing.

had to look

while.

thoughts went back to

again and again.

Mad

when he had come upon her

Ingeborg at the

Borg

struck him instantly that here was the

answer he had been seeking.

was the

little

He had

girl

Now

knew what

had been displeased about

been unkind to

never have refused to

let

all

this

Mad Ingeborg; he should

her go along to Portugallia.

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

268

How

could he ever have imagined anything so

of the great Empress as that she would not

Mad

have

Ingeborg with her!

want to

was that kind that

No wonder she was

she liked best to help.

mean

angry!

ought to have known that the poor and unfortunate

were always welcome

There was very ter if

in her

no to-morrow dawned, mused Jan.

Mad

He it

that could be done in this mat-

little

Ingeborg

first

a blissful relief to

Now

stilled.

He had no idea

him that

his hands.

Anyway,

this anxiety

had been

would not be nearly so hard to

as to

thing.

and folded

closed his eyes

was

But what

Ah, then he would go and talk

there should be one.?

with

kingdom.

how much time had

die.

elapsed before

he again heard Katrina's voice close to him. "Jan, dear,

how do you

to die and leave me, are

feel

now?

You're not going

you?"

Katrina sounded so doleful that he had to look up at her.

Then he saw

in her

hand the imperial

stick

and

the green leather cap.

"I asked the

folks

down

to you," she explained.

might

was better

to have you lose

all

for

at Falla to let

take these

"I told them that come what

you to have them again than

interest in life."

SUMMERNIGHT "The

dear

little

the great Empress, isn*t she

girl,

wonderful!" Jan said to himself.

come for

to a realization of his sin

it,

269

sooner had he

and promised to atone

than she again granted him her grace and her

favour.

He had

such a marvellous feeling of lightness, as

a great weight

ment had

had been

raised itself

lifted

and

from him.

let in air, at

"Now Katrina.

able to

sit

for the imperial regalia.

you can have them

for

"There'll be no one to

away from you,

firma-

the same time

He was

drawing away the excessive heat.

up now and fumble

The

for Lars

good and

all," said

come and take them

Gunnarson

dead."

THE EMPEROR'S CONSORT

KATRINA

Ruffluck

kitchen at Lovdala

Lady

wool.

yam, weighed

woman

came

into

it,

the

Manor with some spun

Liljecrona herself received

paid for

it,

Croft

the

and commended the old

for her excellent work.

"It's fortunate for you, Katrina, that

a good worker," said

you have to earn the

Lady

Liljecrona.

you are such "I dare say

living for both yourself

and the

husband nowadays." Katrina drew herself up a bit and two pink spots

came

into her face, just over the sharp cheekbones.

"Jan does

his best," she retorted,

"but he has never

had the strength of a common labourer."

"At any said

Lady

rate,

he doesn't seem to be working now,"

Liljecrona.

"I have heard that he only

runs about from place to place, showing his stars and singing."

Lady

Liljecrona was a serious-minded and dutiful

woman who

liked

industrious and capable folk like 270

THE EMPEROR'S CONSORT Katrina of Ruffluck.

wanted to show

271

She had sympathy for her and

But Katrina continued to stand up

it.

for her husband.

"He is old and He has need of a

has had little

much sorrow

these last years.

freedom, after a lifetime of hard

toil."

"It's well

you can take your misfortune

so calmly,"

observed Lady Liljecrona somewhat sharply.

"But

with your good sense, should

I really think that you,

try to take out of Jan the ridiculous nonsense that has

got into his head. will

end

You

in his being

see, if this

allowed to go on

shut up in a madhouse."

Now Katrina squared her shoulders and looked highly indignant.

"Jan

"But Our Lord has

not crazy," she said.

placed a shade before his eyes so

what he couldn't bear only

feel

Lady

seeing.

he'll

And

not have to see

for that

one can

thankful."

Liljecrona did not wish to appear contentious.

She thought

only right and proper for a wife to stand

by her husband. "Then, Katrina, everything said pleasantly. find

work enough

"And

is all

right as

it is,"

she

don't forget that here you will

to keep

you going the year around."

272

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

And

then l^ady Liljecrona saw the stern, set old

face in front of her soften

been bound solicitude

and

relax:

and held back gave

all

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

way

that had grief

and

and love came breaking through, and the eyes

overflowed.

"My only happiness is to work for him,*' said the old woman.

"He

has become so wonderful with the years

that he's something more than just human. that I suppose they'll

me.

But

for

come and take him away from

BOOK FOUR

THE WELCOME GREETING

SHE is

The

had come!

little girl

had come!

hard to find words to describe so great an

event.

She did not arrive

till

late in the

autumn, when the

passenger boats that ply Lake Loven had discontinued their trips for the season

by only two small

and navigation was kept up

freight steamers.

these she had not cared to travel

not even

known about them.

But on

either of

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;or perhaps she had

She had come by wagon

from the railway station to the Ashdales. So after

all

Jan of Ruffluck did not have the pleasure

of welcoming his daughter at the Borg pier, where for fifteen years all

he had awaited her coming.

of fifteen years that she had been away.

teen years she had been the light and

and It

for almost as long a

life

Yes,

was

For sevenof his home,

time had he missed her.

happened that Jan did not even have the good

for-

tune to be at home to welcome Glory Goldie when she

came.

He had

just stepped over to Falla to chat a 275

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

276

while with the old mistress,

who had now moved

out of

the big farmhouse and was living in an attic room in

one of the cottages on the estate.

She was one

whom

the Emperor of

many

lonely old people on

Portugallia peeped in occasionally, to speak a

them

cheer so as to keep It

good

spirits.

was only Katrina who stood

ceived the

little girl

to rest for a

door and

at the

on her homecoming.

sitting at the spinning wheel all

road.

It so

re-

She had been

day and had just stopped

moment, when she heard the

team down the

word of

rattle of a

seldom happened that any

one drove through the Ashdales that she stepped to the door to

listen.

common

Then she

cart that

discovered that

of doing that

or perturbed.

ful lest this

They had a

now whenever she became

frightened

Otherwise, she was well and strong

two and seventy

despite her

was not a

was coming, but a spring wagon.

All at once her hands began to tremble.

way

years.

She was only

fear-

trembling of the hands should increase so

that she would no longer be able to earn the bread for herself

and Jan, as she had done thus

this

far.

time Katrina had practically abandoned

all

hope of ever seeing the daughter again, and that day she had not even been in her thought.

But instantly

THE WELCOME GREETING she heard the rumble of certainty

277

wagon wheels she knew

who was coming.

for a

She went over to the chest

of drawers to take out a fresh apron, but her hands shook so hard that she could not insert the key into the key-

Now

hole. attire,

was impossible

therefore

she had

for her to better her

go meet her daughter

just as she was.

The

little girl

did not

come

any golden

she was not even seated in the wagon, but

The road

to the Ashdales

was

chariot,

came

afoot.

as rocky then as at the

time when Eric of Falla and his wife had driven her to the parsonage, to have her christened, and

and the driver tramped on either

now

side of the

she

wagon

steadying a couple of large trunks that stood on end

behind the seat, to prevent them being jolted into the ditch. this,

She arrived with no more pomp and state than

and more was perhaps not called

for either.

Katrina had just got the outer door open when the

wagon stopped

in front of the gate.

She should have

gone and opened the gate, of course, but she did not

so.

She

felt all at

once such a sinking at the heart

that she was unable to take a step.

She knew the person

was Glory Goldie who had come, although

who now pushed

the gate open looked like

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

278

a grand lady.

her head was a large hat trimmed

with plumes and flowers and she wore a smart coat

and girl

skirt of fine cloth;

but

all

the same

was the

little

of Ruffluck Croft!

Glory Goldie, hurrying into the yard

advance of the

team, rushed up to her mother with outstretched hand.

But Katrina shut her eyes and stood bitter thoughts arose in her at that

moment

many

still.

She

felt

that she could never forgive the daughter for being alive

and coming back so sound of wind and limb,

after

letting her parents wait in vain for her all these years.

She almost wished the daughter had never bothered to

come home. Katrina must have looked as

ready to drop, for

Glory Goldie quickly threw her arms around her and almost carried her into the house. " Mother dear, you mustn't be so frightened

Don't

you know me ? Katrina opened her eyes and regarded the daughter scrutinizingly.

She was a sensible person, was Katrina,

and of course she did not expect that one

whom

she had

not seen in fifteen years should look exactly as she had looked

when

rified at

leaving home.

what she beheld.

Nevertheless, she was hor-

THE WELCOME GREETING The person standing

was only two and

much

older

thirty.

But

was not because Glory Goldie had turned gray

at the

for she

than her years; it

before her appeared

279

temples and her forehead was covered with a mass of wrinkles that Katrina was shocked, but because she had

grown

She had acquired an unnatural leaden

ugly.

hue and there was something heavy and gross about her mouth.

The whites

of her eyes had become gray

and bloodshot, and the skin under her eyes hung

sacks.

Katrina had sunk down on a chair.

She sat with

her hands tightly clasped round her knees to keep

from shaking. girl

them

She was thinking of the radiant young

of seventeen in the red dress; for thus had she

lived in Katrina's

memory up

to the present

moment.

She wondered whether she could ever be happy over Glory Goldie's return.

"You

should have written," she said.

have sent us a greeting, so that

at least

known you were "Yes, least,

in the land of the living."

know," said the daughter.

had not

cheery

still

failed her;

as of old.

"You should we could have

Her

voice, at

sounded as confident and

"I went wrong

in the

but perhaps you've heard about it?"

beginning

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

28o

"Yes; that much we know/* sighed Katrina.

"That was why with

Goldie,

stopped writing," said Glory

laugh.

Httle

strong and sturdy about the

There was something girl

then, as formerly.

She was not one of those who torture themselves with remorse and self-condemnation. " Don't think any more of that, mother," she added, as Katrina did not speak.

For a time

"I've been doing real well

lately.

restaurant and now,

have you know, I'm head

I'll

stewardess on a steamer that runs between

and Liibeck, and

this fall I

myself at Malmo.

Sometimes

write to you, but finding I decided to

put

and father to

live

nicer to

"And you

come

for

I felt

thought

feel

you

would be ever so to write."

haven't heard anything about us?" asked

had told her mother it

only

made

the more depressed.

"No,"

replied the daughter, then added, as if in self-

justification: if

to take

after I'd got every-

should have gladdened her, but instead her

for

that I ought to

you myself than

All that Glory Goldie

Katrina.

up a home

was prepared Then,

with me. I

fitted

Malmo

rather hard to start in again,

off until I

thing fixed fine for you,

much

have

kept a

"I knew, of course, that you'd

things got too bad."

find help

At the same time she noticed

THE WELCOME GREETING how

Katrina's hands shook for

tightly folks

all

281

they were being held

She understood then that the old

clasped.

were worse

off

than she had supposed, and tried

to explain her conduct.

"I didn't care to send home

small sums, as others do, but wanted to save until

enough money to provide a good home

"We

for

haven't needed money," said Katrina.

would have been enough

for us if you

had

you."

"It

had only written."

Glory Goldie tried to rouse her mother from her slough of despond, as she had often done in the old days.

she said: "Mother, you don't for

me, do you ?

now, and

want

we'll take in

Come,

boxes and unpack them. We'll have a fine dinner

I've brought provisions along. all

moment

to spoil this

Why, I'm back with you again

ready by the time father comes home."

She went

out to help the driver take the luggage down from the

wagon, but Katrina did not follow

her.

Glory Goldie had not asked how her father was getting on.

working the

She supposed, of course, that he was at Falla.

Katrina knew she would have to

daughter of the

putting

it off.

still

father's

Anyway, the

condition,

little girl

but

tell

kept

had brought a

freshening breeze into the hut and the mother

to put a sudden end to her delight at being

felt

home

loath

again.

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

282

While Glory Goldie was helping unload the wagon, half a dozen children

came

to the gate and looked in;

they did not speak; they only pointed at her and

laughed

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;then

ran away.

they came back.

But

in a

moment

This time they had with them a

who

faded and shrivelled old man,

head thrown back and

two

little

strutted along, his

his feet striking the

ground with

the measured tread of a soldier on parade.

"What

a curious looking figure!" Glory Goldie re-

marked to the crowded

who

noticing a person

his

the youngsters

She had not the faintest

through the gate.

suspicion as to

man and

driver as the old

man was, who was so the

but she could not help fantastically arrayed.

head was a green leather cap, topped with a

bushy feather; round

his

neck he wore a chain of

paper stars and crosses that hung far down on It

gilt

his chest.

looked as though he had on a gold necklace.

The youngsters, unable "Empress, Empress!" old

man

strode on as

to hold in any longer, shouted

at the top of their voices.

The

the laughing and shrieking chil-

dren were his guard of honour.

When

they were almost at the door of the hut Glory

Goldie gave a wild shriek, and

"Who

that

man?"

fled into

she

asked

the house.

her

mother in

THE WELCOME GREETING a

frightened

"Is

voice.

father?

283

Has he gone

mad?" "Yes," said Katrina, the tears coming into her "Is

because of

"Our Lord

let it

eyes.

me?"

happen out of compassion.

He saw

that his burden was too heavy for him."

There was no time to explain further, stood

the

doorway,

and

behind

for

him was the

gang of youngsters, who wanted to see how ing,

now Jan

this

meet-

which they had so often heard him picture, would

be in reality.

The Emperor his

of Portugallia did not go straight up to

daughter but stopped just inside the door and de-

livered his speech of welcome.

**Welc;ome, welcome,

queen of the Sun!

rich

and beautiful Glory Goldie!"

The words were

delivered with that stilted loftiness

which dignitaries are wont to assume on great occasions.

All the same, there were tears of joy in Jan's

eyes and he had hard work to keep his voice steady.

After the well-learned greeting had been recited the

Emperor rapped three times on the

floor

with his

imperial stick for silence and attention, whereupon he

began to sing

in a thin,

squeaky

voice.

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

284

Glory Goldie had drawn close to Katrina. if

was

she wished to hide herself, to crawl out of sight behind

Up to this she

her mother.

Jan started to sing she to stop him.

had kept

silence,

cried out in terror

Then Katrina gripped

but when

and tried

her tightly

by the

arm.

"Leave him alone!" she forted

you

by the hope of singing

first

became

this

has been com-

song to you ever since

lost to us."

Then Glory Goldie tinue

"He

said.

held her peace and

let

Jan con-

"The Empress's Feels so

happy

father, for his part,

in his heart.

Austria, Portugal, Metz, Japan,

Read the newspapers,

Boom, boom, boom, and

you can. roll.

Boom, boom."

But Glory Goldie could stand no more.

Rushing

for-

ward she quickly hustled the youngsters out of the house, and banged the door on them.

Then turning

round upon her father she stamped her foot at him.

Now

she was angry in earnest.

"For heaven's

sake, shut up!" she cried.

"Do you

THE WELCOME GREETING want to make

a laughing-stock of

285

me by calling me an

empress?"

Jan looked a twinkling.

the

hurt, but he

was over

She was the Great Empress, to be

All that she did as

little

was

right; all that she said

honey and balsam.

moment he had

of gold and the

sure.

was to him

quite forgotten to look for the crown

field

own

In the supreme happiness of

marshals in golden armour.

she wished to appear poor and humble that was her

affair.

that she had come back.

when

she came,

was joy enough

for

him

THE FLIGHT

ONE

morning, just a week from the day of Glory

Goldie's homecoming, she and her mother stood at the

pier,

ready to depart for good and

Old Katrina was wearing a bonnet

all.

time in her to

Borg

Malmo

life,

and a

fine cloth coat.

for the first

She was going

with her daughter to become a

dame.

Never more would she have to

bread.

She was to

sit

fine city

toil

on a sofa the whole day, with her

hands folded, and be free from worry and care remainder of her

But despite Katrina had then,

for her

for the

life.

all

the promised

never

when standing

felt

and comfort,

ease

unhappy

so wretchedly

there on the pier.

Glory Goldie,

seeing that her mother looked troubled, asked her

she was afraid of the water, and tried to assure her there was no danger, although

was

windy that one

could hardly keep one's footing on the pier.

Goldie was accustomed to seafaring and she was talking about. 286

Glory

knew what

THE FLIGHT "These

287

are no waves,'* she said to her mother.

see of course that there are a few

little

whitecaps on the

water, but I wouldn't be afraid to row across the lake in

our old punt."

Glory Goldie, who did not seem to mind the remained on the

blown to

into a dark

But Katrina, to keep from being

pier.

went into the

pieces,

comer behind

had no

fore leaving.

desire to

freight shed

and crept

a couple of packing cases.

There she intended to remain as she

gale,

until the boat arrived,

meet any of the parish

At the same time she knew

folk be-

her heart

that what she was doing was not right, since she was

ashamed to be seen by tion at least; she

people.

She had one consola-

was not going away with Glory Goldie

because of any desire for ease and comfort, but only because her hands were failing her. she do

when

What

else

could

her fingers were becoming so useless that

she could not spin any more ?

Then who should come

into the shed but Sexton

Blackie!

Katrina prayed

God

he would not see her and come

up and ask her where she was going. she ever be able to

home and

tell

everything!

For how would

him she was leaving husband and

288

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

She had

tried

to bring about

some arrangement

whereby Jan and she could stay on

at the croft.

the daughter had only been willing to send them a little

could

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;say about ten

money

have managed

not hear of

this; she

rix-dollars a

fairly well.

month

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;they

But Glory would

had declared that not a penny

would she give them unless Katrina went along with her.

Katrina knew of course

was not from meanness

that Glory Goldie had said no to this.

been to the trouble of

fitting

up a home

The

girl

had

for her parents

and had looked forward to a time when she could prove to them

how much

she thought of them, and

how

hard she had worked for them, and now she wanted to have with her one parent, at least, to compensate her for all her bother.

Jan had been uppermost

in her

thought when she was preparing the home, for she had

been especially fond of her father however, she

felt it

in the old days.

Now,

would be impossible to have him

with her.

Herein lay the whole

difficulty:

Glory Goldie had

taken a violent dislike to her father. abide him now.

She could not

Never had he been allowed

to talk

with her of Portugallia or of her riches and power;

THE FLIGHT why, she could hardly bear the out in his royal trumpery.

289

sight of

All the

him decked

same Jan was

pleased with her as ever he had been, and always wanted to be near her, though she only ran

Katrina was sure that crazy father that the

girl

away from him.

was to escape seeing her

had not remained

home

longer than a week.

Presently Glory Goldie, too,

came

into the freight

She was not afraid of Sexton Blackie.

shed.

Not

She went right up to him and began to chat.

she!

She told him

turning to her

back with

the father as

first

breath that she was re-

own home and was taking

her mother

her.

Then Sexton him

the very

felt

Blackie naturally wanted to

about

this,

know how

and Glory Goldie informed

calmly as though she were speaking of a stranger

that she had arranged for her father to board with Lisa,

the daughter-in-law of 01' Bengtsa. her a fine

new house

after the old

Lisa had built

man's death, and she

had a spare room that Jan could occupy. Sexton Blackie had a countenance that revealed no

more of now,

his

thought than he wanted to reveal.

And

he listened to Glory Goldie, his face was quite

impassive.

Just the same Katrina

knew what

he,

who

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

290

was

whole parish, was thinking.

like a father to the

"Why

should an old

man who

has a wife and daughter

living be obliged to live with strangers

woman, but she can never have the that his

And

own

it,

Lisa

patience with Jan

too!

Katrina suddenly looked down at her hands. all,

a good

That was what he thought.

folks had."

he was right about

After

perhaps she was deceiving herself in laying the

blame on them.

Jan was

this: the

The

real reason for her desertion of

daughter had the stronger will and

she seemed unable to oppose her. All this time Glory Goldie stood talking to the sexton.

Now she was

to steal

him of their being compelled

telling

away from home

so that

Jan should not know

of their leaving.

This had been the most dreadful part of it to Katrina.

Glory Goldie had sent Jan on an errand to the store

away up

Bro parish and

had packed up felt like a

as soon as

their belongings

criminal in sneaking

and

he was gone they

away from the house

that way, but Glory Goldie had insisted

thing to do.

Katrina had

left.

was the only

For had Jan known of where they were

going he would have cast himself in front of the wagon, to be trampled and run over.

And now, on

his return.

THE FLIGHT

291

Lisa would be at the house to receive him and of course

she would try her best to console him; but to think of

how hard he would take

that his daughter had

left

still it

when he

hurt

learned

him.

Sexton Blackie had listened quietly to Glory Goldie,

Katrina had begun to

without putting in a word.

wonder whether he was pleased with what he had learned,

when he suddenly took the

girl's

hand

in his

and said

with great gravity:

"Inasmuch I shall

as I

your old teacher, Glory Goldie,

You want

speak plainly to you.

to run

from a duty, but that does not say that you ceed. it

will suc-

have seen others try to do the same thing, but

has invariably resulted in their undoing."

When of

away

Katrina heard this she rose and drew a breath

relief.

Those were the very words she

herself

had

been wanting to say to her daughter.

Glory Goldie answered not

know what

else she

in all

meekness that she did

could have done.

could not take an insane

man

She certainly

along to a strange city,

nor could she remain in Svartsjo, and Jan had himself to thank for that.

youngsters

Empress"

When

she went past a house the

came running out shouting "Empress, at her,

and

last

Sunday

church the people

292

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

in their eager curiosity to see her

her and

all

had crowded round

but knocked her down.

"I understand that such things are very trying," said the sexton.

there has been an

"But between you and your uncommonly

and you musn't think

Then

bond of sympathy,

can be so easily severed."

the sexton and Glory Goldie went outside.

Katrina followed immediately.

mind now and wanted a

father

moment

to glance

feeling that

to talk to the sexton, but stopped

up toward the

Jan would soon be

"Are you

She had altered her

She had the

hill.

there.

afraid father will come.^"* asked Glory

Goldie, leaving the sexton and going over to her mother.

"Afraid!" cried Katrina. "I only hope to here before I'm gone!"

Then, summoning

courage, she went on: "I feel that

thing wicked for which

"You

Anyhow,

he gets all

her

have done some-

long as

I shall suffer as

I live."

think that only because you've had to live in

gloom and misery so many years," "You'll

God

feel

differently once we're

it isn't

doesn't even

said Glory Goldie.

away from

likely that father will

know we've

left

here.

come when he

the house."

"Don't be too sure of that!" returned Katrina. **Jan has a

way

of knowing

all

that

necessary for

THE FLIGHT him

to know.

day you

It has

left us,

and

been this

increased with the years.

reason

Our Lord gave him

like that

293

with him since the

power of sensing things has

When a

new

the poor

light to

Then Katrina gave Glory Goldie

man

lost his

be guided by."

a brief account of

the fate of Lars Gunnarson and of other happenings of

more recent

date, to prove to her that

voyant, as folks

marked

call

attention.

it.

Jan was

clair-

Glory Goldie listened with

Before Katrina had tried to

many

her of Jan's kindness toward

but to that she had not cared to

tell

poor old people,

listen.

This, on the

contrary, seemed to impress the girl so

much

that

Katrina began to hope the daughter's opinion of Jan

would change and that

she, too,

would turn back.

But Katrina was not allowed long!

In a

to cling to this

moment Glory Goldie

hope

cried out in a jubi-

lant voice:

"Here's the boat, mother! out well for us, and

When filled

up.

now we'll

So after

all it

has turned

soon be off."

Katrina saw the boat at the pier her old eyes

She had intended to ask Sexton Blackie to

say a good word for Jan and herself to Glory Goldie, but

now

there

was no

caping the journey.

time.

She saw no way of

es-

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

294

The boat was

evidently late, for she seemed to be in

a great hurry to get

away

There was not even

again.

time to put out the gangplank. passengers

who had

thrown onto the seized her

pier

come ashore here were almost by the

sailors.

Glory Goldie

mother by the arm and dragged her over to

man

the boat, where a

The

old

to turn back, but no pity

was

lifted

woman wept and wanted shown

couple of hapless

her on board.

her.

The

instant Katrina

was on deck Glory Goldie put

her arm around her, to steady her.

"Come,

let's

go over to the other side of the boat,"

she said.

But

was too

late.

Old Katrina had just caught

man running down the knew who it was, too!

sight of a

And

she

"It's

Jan!" she

cried.

Jan did not stop the

pier;

figure.

hill

"Oh, what

toward the

will

pier.

he do now!"

until he reached the very edge of

but there he stood

He saw Glory

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;a

frail

and pathetic

Goldie on the outgoing boat and

greater anguish and despair than were depicted on his face could hardly be imagined.

was

all

But the

sight of

him

Katrina needed to give her the strength to defy

her daughter.

THE FLIGHT "You can

you want to/' she

shall get off at the next landing

"Do

you

like,

said.

"But

and go home again/*

mother," sighed Glory Goldie

wearily, perceiving that here

And

she could not combat. felt

295

was something which

perhaps she, too,

may have

that their treatment of the father was outrageous.

time was granted them for amends.

not want to lose his whole time, so with a

life's

Jan did

happiness a second

bound he leaped from the

pier into the

lake.

Perhaps he intended to swim out to the boat.

maybe he

just felt that he could not endure living

Or any

longer.

Loud

shrieks

went up from the

boat was sent out, and the

little

pier.

Instantly a

freight steamer lay

by and put out her skifF. But Jan sank I

The

at once

and never rose to the surface.

imperial stick and the green leather cap lay floating

on the waves, but the Emperor himself had disappeared so quietly, so

beyond

all

tracing, that if these souvenirs

him had not remained on top of the water, one would

hardly have believed him gone.

HELD!

SEEMED

ITGoldie

extraordinary to

many

that Glory

of Ruffluck should have to stand at the

Borg pier day

after day,

watching

for

who

one

never came.

Glory Goldie did not stand there waiting on

summer days

She was on the pier

either!

stormy November and

Nor

did

she have

fine light

in bleak

and

dark and cold December.

any sweet and solacing dreams

about travellers from a far country who would step ashore here in

pomp and

state.

She had eyes and

thoughts only for a boat that was being rowed back and forth

on the

lake, just

beyond the

pier,

dragging for the

body of a drowned man. In the beginning she had thought that the one for

whom

she waited would be found immediately the

dragging was begun. after

But such was not the

case.

Day

day a couple of patient old fishermen worked with

grappling hooks and dragnets, without finding a trace

of the body. 296

HELD!

297

There were said to be two deep holes

at the

of the lake, close to the Borg pier, and

bottom

some

thought Jan had gone down into one of them. maintained

Others

was a strong under-tow here at

there

the point which ran farther

toward Big Church

in,

and that he had been carried over

Inlet,

folks

there.

Then

Glory Goldie had the draglines lengthened, so that they

would reach down to the lowest depths of the

lake,

and

she ordered every foot of Big Church Inlet dragged; yet

she did not succeed in bringing her father back into the Hght of day.

the morning following the tragic end of her father

Glory Goldie ordered a she had

coffin

made.

brought down to the

man

lay the dead

Night and day not even have

the

had to be

him

old

found.

She would

put into the freight shed.

The guard

left

the pier, and the cof-

hand always so that Jan would not be

compelled to wait for

The

that she might

moment he was

had to stand out

locked the shed whenever he fin

pier,

there.

When it was ready

it.

Emperor used

at the pier,

to have kind friends around

to enliven his long waiting hours.

But Glory Goldie nearly always tramped there

alone.

She spoke to no one, and folks were glad to leave her

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

298

peace, for they felt that there

was something uncanny

about her which had been the cause of her father's death.

Then Glory Goldie

In December navigation closed.

had the

No one disturbed

pier all to herself.

fishermen

who were conducting She

felt

the search on the lake

She told the men they must

go on with the search while the lake was

must search

by Storvik Point breadth of

all

that her only hope of salvation lay in

the finding of her father.

that they

The

But that put Glory Goldie

wanted to quit now. despair.

her.

unfrozen,

him down by Nygard Point;

for

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;they

still

must search the length and

Lake Loven.

For each day that passed Glory Goldie became more desperately determined to find the body.

taken lodgings in a cotter's hut at Borg.

She had

In the begin-

ning she remained indoors at least some moments during the day, but after a time her

mind became prey to

such intense fear that she could scarcely eat or sleep.

Now

she paced the pier

all

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;not only during

the while

the short hours of daylight but

all

through the long,

dark evenings, until bedtime.

The

first

two days

after Jan's death Katrina

had

stayed on the pier with Glory Goldie, and watched for

HELD! his

return.

299

Then she went back

to Ruffluck.

was not from any

feeling of indifference that she stop-

ped coming to the

pier, it

was simply that she could not

stand being with her daughter and hearing her speak of Jan.

For Glory Goldie did not disguise her

ments.

Katrina knew

real senti-

was not from any sense of

pity or remorse that Glory Goldie

was

so determined

her father's body should rest in consecrated

but

soil,

she was afraid, unreasonably afraid while the one for

whose death she was responsible the bottom of the lake.

She

felt

lay unburied at

still

that

get her father interred in churchyard

not be such a menace to her.

mained where he was she must

she could only

mould he would

But so long live in

re-

constant terror of

him and of the punishment he would mete out to

her.

Glory Goldie stood on the Borg pier looking down at the lake, which was

now gray and

turgid.

Her gaze

did not penetrate beneath the surface of the water,

yet she seemed to see the whole wide expanse of lake

bottom underneath.

Down

there sat he, the

hands clasped round gray-green water

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

Emperor of

Portugallia, his

his knees, his eyes fixed

on the

constant expectation that she

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

300

would come to him.

His imperial regalia had been

discarded, for the stick and cap had never gone into the depths with him, and the paper stars

course been dissolved in

his

by the water.

had of

sat there

But there was no longer anything pretentious or

now he was

now

two empty hands.

old threadbare coat with

crous about him;

down

ludi-

only powerful and awe-

inspiring. It

was not without reason he had

emperor.

So great had been

enemy whose

evil

called himself

power

his

in life that the

deeds he hated had been overthrown,

while his friends had received help and protection.

This power he

him even

still

possessed.

had not gone from

in death.

Only two persons had ever wronged him.

them had already met herself

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;his

his

doom.

daughterâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;^who

had

The first

One of

other one was

driven him out

of his mind and had afterward caused his death.

he bided down there over.

Now

in the deep.

Her

His love for her was

he awaited her not to render her praise

and homage, but to drag her down into the realms of death, as punishment for her heartless treatment of him.

Glory Goldie had a weird temptation: she wanted to

remove the heavy

coffin lid

and

slide the coffin into the

HELD! lake, as a boat,

301

and then to get inside and push away

from shore, and afterward stretch herself out on the bed of sawdust at the bottom of the

coffin.

She wondered whether she would sink instantly or whether she would

drift a while, until the lashing

her bark and drew

filled

that she might not sink at

under.

all

She

also

waves

thought

but would be carried out

to sea only to be cast ashore at one of the elm-edged points.

the

She

felt

strangely tempted to put herself to

She would

test.

lie

perfectly

still

the whole time,

she said to herself, and use neither hand nor foot to propel the coffin.

She would put herself wholly at the

mercy of her judge; he might draw her down or

let

her

were thus to seek his indulgence perhaps

his

escape as he willed. If she

great love would again speak to her; perhaps he would

then take pity on her and grant her grace. fear

was too

great.

But her

She no longer dared trust

in his

love,

and therefore she was afraid to put the black

coffin

out on the lake.

old friend and schoolmate of Glory Goldie sought

her out at this time. Prasterud, roof.

who was

still

was August Dar Nol of living

under the parental

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

502

August Dar Nol was a quiet and It

did her good to talk with.

away and take up her

pier,

return of a dead man, he said.

man whom

advised her to go

old occupation.

haunt the desolate

for her to

sensible

was not well

watching for the

Glory Goldie answered

that she would not dare leave until her father had been in consecrated ground.

laid

hear of

this.

The

first

But August would not

time he talked with her nothing

was decided, but when he came again she promised to follow his advice.

that he was to

They parted with

come

the understanding

for her the following

her to the railway station in his

own

day and take

carriage.

Had he done so possibly all would have gone smoothly. But he was prevented from coming himself and sent a hired

man

with the team.

All the

got into the carriage and drove

off.

same Glory Goldie

the

way

to the

station she talked with the driver about her father

encouraged him to relate stories of her father's

and

clair-

voyance, the ones Katrina had told her on the pier and still

others.

When

she had listened a while she begged the driver

to turn back. afraid to go

She had become so alarmed that she was

any

farther.

He was

the old Emperor of Portugallia!

too powerful, was

She knew how the

HELD! dead that have not been buried

303 in

haunt and pursue their enemies.

churchyard mould

Her

father

have to be brought up out of the water and coffin.

she would never

laid in his

Word must be read over know a moment's peace.

God's Holy

would

him, else

JAN'S LAST

ALONG /

toward Christmas time Glory Goldie

ceived

-*-

word that her mother lay

Then

of death.

from the

WORDS at the point

at last she tore herself

away

pier.

She went home on get to the Ashdales

foot, this

When

being the best

way to

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;taking the old familiar road across

Loby, then on through the big Ridge.

re-

forest

and over Snipa

going past the old Hindrickson home-

stead she saw a big, broad-shouldered man, with a strong, grave-looking visage, standing at the roadside

mending a picket as she

went by.

fence.

The man gave her

stood

still

for a

stiff

nod

moment, looking

after her, then hastened to overtake her.

"This

must

said as he

Glory

came up with

word with you.

Goldie of her.

Ruffluck," he

**rd like to have a

I'm Linnart, son of Bjorn Hindrick-

son," he added, seeing that she did not

know who he

was.

"I'm

terribly pressed for time 304

now," Glory Goldie

JAN'S LAST "So perhaps you'd

told him.

day.

WORDS better wait

Linnart Hindrickson then asked

going

down

her, as it

he might walk with

said that he

to the pier to see her and

want to miss

this

another

till

my mother is dying."

I've just learned that

her part of the way.

305

had thought of

now he

did not

good opportunity of speaking with

was very necessary that she should hear what

he had to say.

Glory Goldie made no further objections. ceived, however, that the

man had some

stating his business, and concluded

of an

unpleasant nature.

a while, as

said,

She per-

difficulty in

was something

He hemmed and hawed

trying to find the right words; presently

with apparent

effort

"I don't believe you know, Glory Goldie, that the last person peror, as

who

we used

was

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;the Em-

talked with your father

to call him."

**No, I did not

know

of this," answered the

the same time quickening her steps. to herself that this conversation

girl,

She was thinking

was something she

would rather have escaped. **One day I

was

last

out in the

autumn," Linnart continued, "while yard hitching up a horse to drive over

to the village shop, I

saw the Emperor come running

3o6

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

down

the road; he seemed in a great hurry, but

me he stopped and asked if I had seen the Empress

espied

drive by.

couldn't deny that

He had

out crying. said,

when he

been on

had.

his

Then he

way

burst

to Broby, he

but such a strange feeling of uneasiness had sud-

denly come over him that he had to turn back, and

when he reached home he found the hut

Katrina was also gone.

deserted.

certain his wife and

felt

daughter were leaving by the boat and he didn't know

how

he should ever be able to get

down

to the Borg

pier before they were gone."

Glory Goldie stood stock with you, of course?" she

"Oh, yes," turn and

him

giving

"You

still.

"Jan once did me

replied Linnart.

wanted to repay

it.

Perhaps

did

" It was

like a child

wrong

who did

I didn't

the whole time he sat in the

know what

to do to comfort him, but

at last I said, 'Don't cry like that, Jan!

overtake her. that run in the

had

a good

attempting to leave him."

"He wept wagon.

ride

a lift?" !

him

said.

" No, indeed " said Glory Goldie.

wrong

let

I said

Besides,

autumn

these

little

are never

We'll surely

freight

No sooner my arm and

on time.'

that than he laid his hand on

steamers

WORDS

JAN'S LAST

asked

307

thought they would be harsh and cruel

if I

toward the Empress

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;those who had carried her

"Those who had

carried

off."

off!" repeated Glory

Goldie in astonishment.

"I was

much

astonished at that as you are,"

Linnart declared, "and Well, he meant those press while she

was

asked him what he meant.

who had

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

home

lain in all

wait for the

the enemies of

Em-

whom

Glory Goldie had been so afraid that she had not dared to put on her gold crown or so Portugallia,

and who had

finally

much

mention

overpowered her and

carried her into captivity."

"So that was

it!"

"Yes, just that.

You

understand of course that

your father did not weep because he had been deserted

and

left

peril."

alone, but because he thought

had been a

little

you were

hard for Linnart to come

out with the last few words; they wanted to stick in his

throat.

Perhaps he was thinking of old Bjorn

Hindrickson and himself, for there was that life

in his

own

which had taught him the true worth of a love that

never

fails

you.

But Glory Goldie did not yet understand.

She had

thought of her father only with aversion and dread

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

3o8

since her return

being a

and muttered something about

madman.

Linnart heard what she said, and not so sure that Jan was

him that Goldie.

*My

all

"I'm

hurt him.

retorted.

good Linnart,' he then closely they

They were

drove by?

mad!" he

"I told

hadn't seen any gaolers around Glory

you notice how

Vice,

his

said,

didn't

guarded her when she

Pride and Hardness, Lust and

the enemies she has to battle against back

there in her Empire.'"

Glory Goldie stopped a moment and turned toward

"Well?" was

Linnart.

all

she said.

"I replied that these enemies

too,

had seen,"

re-

turned Linnart Hindrickson curtly.

The

girl

"But

gave a short laugh.

instantly I regretted having said that," pur-

sued the man.

"For then Jan

*0h, pray to God, able to save the

little

cried out in despair:

dear Linnart, that girl

from

all

evil!

matter what becomes of me, just so she

may

It doesn't

helped.'"

Glory Goldie did not speak, but walked on hurriedly.

Something had begun to strings

knew

pull

and tear at her heart

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;something she was trying to force back.

that

She

that which lay hidden within should burst

JAN'S LAST its

WORDS

309

bonds and come to the surface, she would break

down

completely.

"And

those were Jan's last words," said Linnart.

"It wasn't long after that before he proved that he

meant what he that Jan

own

jumped

sorrow;

Don't think

said.

for

into the lake to get

moment

away from

his

was only to rescue Glory Goldie from

her enemies that he plunged in after the boat."

Glory Goldie tramped on, faster and father's great love

wanted to put

stood revealed

ill

Linnart

feeling against I for

you

in this parish as to

continued. at

first,

watch

now; we for

"There was

after the

Emperor

But we

all

feel dif-

him." short.

Her cheeks

burned and her eyes flashed with indignation.

down

one

your staying down at the pier

Then Glory Goldie stopped stay

and

part considered you unworthy

to receive his farewell message. ferently

behind her.

doings,"

was drowned.

now

to last

keep pretty well posted

another's

much

first

But she could not bear the thought of

to her.

"We

from

Her

faster.

there only because I'm afraid of him," she

said.

"You have

never wanted to appear better than you

310

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

are.

We know

better than ing.

But we understand perhaps

you yourself do what Hes back of

We have

treated

that.

them

also

this wait-

had parents and we haven't always

right, either."

Glory Goldie was so furious that she wanted to say

something dreadful to make Linnart hush, but some-

how

she couldn't.

All she could do

was to run away

from him. Linnart Hindrickson further.

He had

said

made no attempt what he wanted

to follow her

to say and he

was not displeased with that morning's work.

THE PASSING OF KATRINA

KATRINA

lay

on the bed

in the Httle

hut at

Ruffluck Croft, the pallor of death on her "

face, her eyes closed.

had already come.

looked as

the end

But the instant Glory Goldie

reached her bedside and stood patting her hand, she

opened her eyes and began to speak.

"Jan wants me with him," she **He doesn't hold

fort.

against

said,

with great

ef-

that I deserted

him."

Glory Goldie started.

Now she knew why her mother

was dying; she who had been

faithful a lifetime

was

grieving herself to death for having failed Jan at the last.

"Why that,

should you have to fret your heart out over

when

was the one who forced you to leave him?"

said Glory Goldie.

"Just the same the

memory

ful," replied Katrina.

"But now

tween Jan and me."

Then 311

has been so pain-

all is

well again be-

she closed her eyes and

312

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

lay very

and into her

still,

wan

face

came a

faint

Soon she began to speak again,

light of happiness.

for there

thin,

were things which had to be said; she could

not find peace until they were said.

"Don't be so angry with Jan

He meant right with

knew

it,

only well by you.

you

since

too, nor

wrong, each

parted, and he

first

either.

You both went

your own way."

Glory Goldie had something of

Things have never been

you and he

with him

running after you!

for

felt

that her mother would say

and had

this sort,

steeled herself before-

But her mother's words moved her more than

hand.

she realized, and she tried to say something comforting.

shall think of father as he

You remember what good

days.

were

was

friends

in the old

we always

at that time."

Katrina seemed to be

satisfied

with the response, for

she settled back to rest once more.

had not intended to say anything at once, she looked

Apparently she

further.

at her daughter

Then,

all

and gave her a

smile that bespoke rare tenderness and affection.

"I'm

so glad. Glory Goldie, that

you have grown

beautiful again," she said.

For that smile and those words

all

Glory Goldie's

self-

THE PASSING OF KATRINA way; she

control gave

fell

low bedstead, and wept.

313

upon her knees beside the It

was the

time since

first

her homecoming that she had shed real tears.

"Mother, as

you do!"

don*t

know how you can

cried the

girl.

blame

are dying, and I'm to

Katrina, smiling

all

"It*s

all

feel

toward

fault that

me you

for father's death, too."

the while,

moved her hands

in a

little caress.

"You are so good, mother," said Glory Goldie through her sobs. "You are so good to me!" Katrina gripped hard her daughter's hand and raised herself in bed, to give her final testimony.

"All that

she declared

good in

have learned from Jan,"

After which she sank back on her pillow

and said nothing more that was clear or

The death

struggle

sensible.

had begun, and the next morning

she passed away.

But

all

through the

weeping on the

final

floor beside

agony Glory Goldie lay

her mother's bed; she wept

away her anguish; her fever-dreams; her burden of guilt.

There was no end to her

tears.

THE BURIAL OF THE EMPEROR WAS to

bury Katrina of Ruffluck.

ticular

on the Sunday before Christmas they were

Sabbath the church attendance

most people

the great Holy

When

Usually on that par-

like to

very poor,

put off their church-going until

Day services.

the few mourners from the Ashdales drove into

the pine grove between the church and the town

they were astonished.

hall,

For such crowds of people as

were assembled there that Sunday were rarely seen even

when

the

Dean of Bro came

to Svartsjo once a year, to

preach, or at a church election. It

went without saying that

was not

for the purpose

of following old Katrina to her grave that every one to a

man

turned out.

Something

else

must have brought

them there. Possibly some great personage was expected at the church, or

regular pastor

maybe some clergyman

other than the

was going to preach, thought the Ashdales

folk, who lived in such

an out-of-the-way corner that much

could happen in the parish without their ever hearing of it. 314

THE BURIAL OF THE EMPEROR The mourners drove up the town

315

to the cleared space behind

where they stepped down from the

hall,

Here, as in the grove, they found throngs of

wagons.

people, but otherwise they

saw nothing out of the

Their astonishment increased, but they

ordinary.

felt

loath to question any one as to what was going on; for persons

who

drive in a funeral procession are ex-

pected to keep to themselves and not to enter into conversation with those

The

cofl&n

the town

come with toll

part in the mourning.

was removed from the hearse and placed

upon two black side

who have no

trestles

hall,

which had been

set

up just out-

where the body and those who had

were to remain until the

began to

bells

and the pastor and the sexton were ready to go with

them It

to the churchyard.

was

stormy day.

Rain came down

showers and beat against the certain:

brought

all

coffin.

in lashing

One thing was

could never be said that fine weather had these people out.

But that day nobody seemed to mind the wind.

rain and

People stood quietly and patiently under the

open sky without seeking the shelter of either the church or the town

The

hall.

six pall-bearers

and others who had gathered

3i6

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLlA

around Katrina noticed that there were two

trestles

there besides those on which her coffin rested. there

was

to be another burial that day.

had not known of

This they

Yet no funeral procession

before.

could be seen approaching. it

Then

was already

so late that

should have been at the church by that time.

When

was about ten minutes of ten o*clock and

time to be moving toward the churchyard, the Ashdales folk noticed that every one

tion of the

withdrew

in the direc-

Dar Nol home, which was only two minutes*

walk from the church. They saw then what they had not observed before, that the path leading from the town hall to the

house of Dar Nol was strewn with spruce

twigs and that a spruce tree had been placed at either side of the gate.

be taken.

Then

was from there a body was to

They wondered why nothing had been

about a death

in a family of

such prominence.

said

Besides,

there were no sheets put up at the windows, as there

should be in a house of mourning.

Then,

in a

moment, the

funeral party emerged.

carrying a creped mace.

First

opened and a

came August Dar Nol,

Behind him walked the

pall-bearers with the casket.

who had been

front doors

And now

all

standing outside the church

six

the people

fell

into line

THE BURIAL OF THE EMPEROR behind this funeral party.

honour to

The

Then

was

in order to

person they had come.

this

was carried down to the town

coffin

317

hall

and

August Dar Nol

placed beside the one already there.

arranged the trestles so that the two coffins would rest side

and shiny

side.

rains,

coffin

All the folk

breath.

new

had been

at the edges.

from the Ashdales suddenly caught their

For then they knew

lay in this coffin! for the sake of

many

and had seen rough handling,

was both scratched and broken

was not

It looked as if

as Katrina's.

washed by many for

The second

And they

was not a Dar Nol that

also

knew that

was not

some stranger of exalted rank that

people had

come out

to church.

Instantly every

one looked at Glory Goldie, to see whether she understood.

was

plain she did.

Glory Goldie, pale and heart-broken, had been standing

all

the while by her mother's coffin, and as she

recognized the one that had been brought from the

Dar Nol home she was

beside herself with joy as one

becomes when gaining something been striving. her

emotion.

stroked the

lid

for

which one has long

However, she immediately controlled Then,

smiling

wistfully,

of Katrina's coffin.

she

lightly

3i8

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

"Now

has turned out as well for you as ever you

could have wished," she seemed to be saying to her

dead mother.

August Dar Nol then stepped up to Glory Goldie and

"No

took her by the hand.

doubt

satisfactory to you," he said.

thought

this

"We

would be

arrangement

found him only

you

this

Glory Goldie stammered a few words, but her

lips

last Friday.

easier for

way."

quavered so that she could hardly be understood.

"Thanks.

It's

all

right.

know he has come

mother, and not to me."

"He

has come to you both, be assured of that, Glory

Goldie!" said August Dar Nol.

The

who was now well on toand bowed down by the weight of many

old mistress of Falla,

ward eighty sorrows, had

Katrina,

come

who

for

to the funeral out of regard for

many

servant and friend. perial

cap and

She had brought with her the im-

stick,

after Jan's death.

years had been her faithful

which had been returned to her

She intended to place them

grave with Katrina, thinking the old like to

in the

woman would

have with her some reminder of Jan.

Presently Glory Goldie turned to the old mistress of

THE BURIAL OF THE EMPEROR

319

Falla and asked her for the imperial regaHa, and then

she stood the long stick up against Jan's coffin and set

Every one understood that

the cap on top of the stick. she was sorry

now

that she had not wanted Jan to deck

himself out in these emblems of royalty and was trying to

make what

little

amends she

slight

There

could.

that one can do for the dead!

Instantly the stick was placed there the bells in the

church tower began ringing and the pastor, the sexton,

and the verger came out from the vestry and took their places at the head of the funeral procession.

The

rain

came

luckily, that there

showers that day, but

was a

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;menfolk

into line

happened,

let-up while the people formed

then womenfolk

first,

the two old peasants to their grave.

up looked

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;to

Those who

lined

a little surprised at their being there, for they

did not feel any grief, nor did they care especially to

honour either of the dead.

was simply

this:

when

the news was spread throughout the parish that Jan

of Ruffluck had

come back just

Katrina they had

all

felt

time to be buried with

that there was something

singularly touching and miraculous about this, which

made them want united in

death.

come and

And

see the old couple re-

course

no one dreamed

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA]

320

many others. much of a demon-

that the same thought would occur to so

They

felt

that this was almost too

stration for a couple of poor and lowly cotters.

People

glanced at one another rather shamefacedly; but

now

that they were there, there was nothing to do but go

along to the churchyard.

Then,

occurred to them

that this was just what the Emperor of Portugallia

would have

Two

liked,

they smiled to themselves.

mace-bearers (for there was also one from the

Ashdales) walked in front of the

coflSns,

and the whole

parish marched in the funeral procession.

It could not

have been better had the Emperor himself arranged

And they were not

it.

altogether certain that the whole

thing was not his doing. after his death,

had a purpose

for

had the

He had become so wonderful old Emperor. He must have

in letting his

daughter wait for him; a

purpose in rising up out of the deep at just the right

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

time

as sure as fate I

When they had coffins

all

come up

had been lowered into

to the wide grave and the it,

the sexton sang

"My

every step leads to the grave."

Sexton Blackie was

now an

old

man.

His singing

reminded Glory Goldie of that of another old man, to

whom

she had not wanted to listen.

And

the recollec-

THE BURIAL OF THE EMPEROR tion of this brought with

321

bitter anguish; she pressed

her hands to her heart and closed her eyes, so as not to

betray her sufferings.

And while she stood thus she saw before her her father as he

had been

her childhood,

when he and

such good friends and comrades.

had seen

face as she blizzard,

she were

She recognized

one Sunday morning

his

after a

when the road was knee-deep with snow and

he had to carry her to church.

She saw him again as he

appeared the Sunday she went to church in the red dress.

one had ever looked kinder or happier than

Jan did then.

But

more happiness

for him,

after that

day there had been no

and she had never been quite

contented either.

She strove to hold her good.

this face before her eyes.

There rose up

in her such a strong

tenderness as she looked at

her well.

it!

That

was not something to be

sit

wave of

face only wished

feared.

just the old kind-hearted Jan of Ruffluck.

never

It did

This was

He would

judgment upon her; he would not bring

misfortune and suffering upon his only child.

Glory Goldie had found peace. world of love was.

now

She had come into a

that she could see her father as he

She wondered how she could ever have imagined

THE EMPEROR OF PORTUGALLIA

322

that he hated her; he,

who

only wanted to forgive!

Wherever she was or wherever she went he would be there to protect her; he had no thought or wish but that.

Again she

the great tenderness well up in her

felt

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

heart like a mighty

wave

Then

all

she

knew

that

filling

her whole being.

was well again between her

father and her; that he and she were one, as in the old

days.

Now

that she loved him, there was nothing

to be atoned.

Glory Goldie awoke as from a dream.

had stood looking into her

father's

While she

kindly face the

pastor had performed the burial service.

Now

he was

addressing a few remarks to the people; he thanked

them, one and

all,

for

coming to

this funeral.

was

no great or distinguished man that had

just been laid

to rest, he said, but he was perhaps one

who had borne

the richest and warmest heart in these regions.

When

the pastor said this the people again glanced

And now every one looked pleased The parson was right: it was because of

at one another.

and

satisfied.

Jan's great heart they had

Then

come

to the funeral.

the pastor spoke a few words to Glory Goldie.

said that she

had received greater love from her

THE BURIAL OF THE EMPEROR parents than had any one he

knew

of,

323

and that such

love could only turn to blessing.

At they

this all

everybody looked over

Glory Goldie, and

marvelled at what they saw.

saying had already come true.

The

pastor's

For there, at the grave

of her parents, stood Glory Goldie Sunnycastle,

had been named by the Sun transfigured!

itself,

shining like one

She was as beautiful now as on that

Sunday when she came to church more

who

btautiful.

THE END

in the red dress, if not

IHE COUNTBT UFB PBESS OABDBN crrr, n. t.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY, LOS ANGELES

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