He asked her some questions about herself, all of which she answered frankly. Then he told her about himself, which she first met with an astonished stare. He narrated his experiences in Norway, of his trip westward, and the real purpose of his coming to Minnesota. She heard his story with alternating smiles and tears, as it touched her heart. They sat thus for a long time, oblivious to the singing birds above, of the curious pa.s.sers-by, or the fast falling night. They walked home in the lighted streets, and it was late when he bade her goodnight at the gate.
The next day Henrik had a talk with Uncle Jens which ended in the uncle"s closing with a bang the open Bible on the table out of which they had been reading, and then in uncontrolled rage ordering his nephew out of the house. Henrik tried to make peace with his uncle, but it proved useless, so he took his hat and left.
Henrik met Rachel again that evening, and again they sat on the bench under the trees. Once again they became lost to all outward disturbances in the deep concerns which brooded in their hearts and found utterance in their speech.
"I shall remain here a few days more," said he in conclusion, "because I want to get better acquainted with you; and then we must talk over our plans further. Then I shall go back to Norway. In a few months I shall come back, and we two shall go westward where the Temples are, and there begin the work that is ours--the work that the Lord has called us to do.
What do you say to that?"
"Thank you," she replied simply, and with her usual smile; "I shall be ready."
XIV.
"Rend your heart and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your G.o.d: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness."--_Joel 2:13._
On Henrik"s arrival in Norway, the harvesting was in full swing, and he busied himself with that. His friends, some of whom were surprised at his return, asked him what he had found in America, and he told them freely. Had he discovered the delusion in his American religion? No, he replied, his faith had been made stronger. Selma had relented somewhat, she making him welcome at her home in Christiania. Here he also met Marie. Henrik treated her as a friend with whom he had never had differences. When she saw him back again, browned and hardy, but the same gentle Henrik, Marie wondered, and by that wonder her resentment was modified, and she listened to his accounts of America and his relatives in Minnesota with much interest. As he spoke with an added enthusiasm of his cousin Rachel, the listeners opened their ears and eyes. He told them freely of his plans, and what he and Rachel were going to do.
"Yes," he said, "I can see the hand of the Lord in my finding Rachel."--Marie had her doubts, but she said nothing.--"It is all so wonderful to me, and I am only sorry that you folks can"t see it!" But they replied nothing.
Henrik wrote often to Rachel, and the letters which he received in reply he usually handed to Selma, and Marie, if she was present. They p.r.o.nounced them fine letters. "She must be a jolly girl," they said.
"She is," he affirmed; "the most religious and yet the merriest girl I have ever met. That seems a contradiction, but it isn"t." Then he went on explaining, and they could not help listening. Henrik studied the two young women to see what impression he might be making. On Selma there was very little, but he believed Marie was overcoming some of her prejudice. Selma told him that Marie loved him as much as ever, and that if he deserted her, it would break her heart.
"But Selma," he exclaimed, "I have never deserted her. It was she who broke the engagement."
"How could she do otherwise;--but she has been waiting, and will still wait in hope."
"I, too, shall do that," he said.
That fall Henrik again sailed for America. Going westward by way of Minnesota, he called for Rachel and took her with him. In one of the Temple cities they found lodgings with some of his friends, and then they entered upon their work for their ancestors. Henrik had a long list of them, and so they were kept busy nearly all the winter. At the end of three months, Henrik asked Rachel if she was tired and wanted a rest.
"Oh, no," she said; "I believe I can do this work all my life. It isn"t always easy, but there is so much joy and peace in it. I believe the angels are with us, and I don"t want better company."
And so these two were very much contented. They sent letters home telling of the "glorious" time they were having, and the work they were doing. At the opening of spring, Henrik left Rachel to continue the work, he having to go back to Norway. He asked her if she desired to return to her folks in Minnesota, but she said no, not yet.
The early spring months found Henrik in Christiania. He made a trip to Denmark on genealogical research which proved quite successful. The first of June found him back to Nordal.
Midsummer Night came clear and cool. Henrik was in Christiania, and was to be one of a party to spend the night on the hills above the city.
Marie was not with them, and Henrik enquired the reason.
"She is ill," said Selma.
"Ill? Where is she?"
"At home. I think you should go and see her."
"Does she want me?"
"Yes."
Henrik excused himself from the party and went immediately to Marie. He found her on the veranda, reclining on a couch. The lamp-light from an open window fell on a pale face, startling in its changed expression. He silently took her hand, her fingers tightening in his grasp. She looked him steadily in the face, her swimming eyes not wavering. Then Henrik knew that he loved this girl yet. For a long time he had tried to forget her, tried to root out his love for her, tried to think that she was not for him. "I"ll not try again," he had thought, "for twice now have I been disappointed;" but now a flood of compa.s.sionate love engulfed him, and he, too, clung to the fingers in his grasp.
"I am sorry to see you like this," he said, "what is the matter?"
"I don"t know."
"Doesn"t the doctor know?"
She shook her head with a faint smile. "Sit down, Henrik, I want to talk to you," she said.
He took the low chair by her side. The mother looked at them from the door-way, but did not come out.
"I want you to forgive me," she said.
"That has been done long ago."
"Thank you--now listen. I have been wrong, wickedly wrong, it seems to me--listen! I have not been honest, neither with you, nor myself, nor with the Lord--which is the worst of all. I understood much that you taught me of the restored gospel--It seemed so easy to my understanding; but my pride was in the way, and I would not accept the light. I pushed it away. I kept saying to myself, "It isn"t true," when I knew all the time that it was. That"s the sin I have committed."
"My dear--"
"You remember that book you asked me to read? Well, I read it through, though I led you to believe that I did not. It is a beautiful book, and true, every word. * * * Perhaps you will not believe me when I tell you that I have been a number of times to your meetings in Osterhausgade.
Once when you were there--I thought you would see me," she smiled. "And I could find no faults, though at first I went looking for them * * *
Now, I"ve told you. You have forgiven me, you say; but will the Lord?"
"Yes; the Lord is good."
"When I get better--if I do--I am going to join the Church as you have done. That is the right thing to do, isn"t it?"
"Yes."
"And then, may I go to where you and your cousin Rachel are working for the dead? When--when are you to be married?"
"Married? To whom?"
"Why, to your cousin Rachel. Are you not going to marry her?"
"Certainly not--never thought of it for a moment."
"Oh, dear, I must have made another mistake. Forgive me." She lay back on her cushions.
"Marie, when I get married, it"s you I want for my wife. I have told you that before, and I haven"t changed my mind. You shall be mine, if you will come back to the sweet days of long ago. Will you?"
He leaned over the couch, and she drew his face to hers. "Yes," she whispered.