"You"re right about its being a good offer," the old man agreed, "but he says that he has already made a deal else where."
"I wonder if he has really considered what it is that he"s losing?"
said Sven Persson, and walked on.
Thus far none of the Ingmarsson family had been seen about the yard; but presently young Ingmar was discovered standing leaning against a wall, quite motionless, and with his eyes half closed.
Now a number of people got up to go over and shake hands with him, but when they were quite close, they bethought themselves and went back to their seats.
Ingmar was deathly pale, and every one who looked at him could see that he was suffering keenly; therefore, no one ventured to speak to him. He stood so quietly that many had not even noticed that he was there. But those who had could think of nothing else. Here there was none of the merriment which usually prevails at auctions.
With Ingmar standing there, hugging the wall of the old home he was about to lose, they felt no inclination to laugh or to joke.
Then came a moment for the opening of the auction. The auctioneer mounted a chair, and began to offer the first lot--an old plow.
Ingmar never moved. He was more like a statue than a human being.
"Good heavens! why can"t he go away?" said the people. "He doesn"t have to stay here and witness this miserable business. But the Ingmarssons never behave like other folks."
The hammer then fell for the first sale. Ingmar started as if it had caught him; but in a moment he again became motionless. But at every ring of the hammer a shudder went through him.
Two peasant women pa.s.sed just in front of Mother Stina; they were talking about Ingmar.
"Think! If he had only proposed to some rich farmer"s daughter he might have had enough money to buy the farm; but of course he"s going to marry the schoolmaster"s Gertrude," said one.
"They say that a rich and influential man has offered to give him the Ingmar Farm as a wedding present, if he will marry his daughter," said the other. "You see, they don"t mind his being poor, because he belongs to such a good family."
"Anyway, there"s some advantage in being the son of Big Ingmar."
"It would indeed have been a good thing if Gertrude had had a little, so that she could have given him a lift," thought Mother Stina.
When all the farming implements had been sold, the auctioneer moved over to another part of the yard, where the household linens were piled. He then bean to offer for sale home-woven fabrics--table cloths, bed linen, and hangings, holding them up so that the embroidered tulips and the various fancy weaves could be seen all over the yard.
Ingmar must have noticed the light flutter of the linen pieces as they were being held aloft, for he involuntarily glanced up. For a moment his tired eyes looked out upon the desecration, then he turned away.
"I"ve never seen the like of that," said a young peasant girl. "The poor boy looks as if he were dying. If he"d only go away instead of standing here tormenting himself!"
Mother Stina suddenly jumped to her feet as if to cry out that this thing must be stopped; then she sat down again. "I mustn"t forget that I"m only a poor old woman," she sighed.
All at once there was a dead silence, which made Mother Stina look up. The silence was due to the sudden appearance of Karin, who had just come out from the house. Now it was quite plain what they all thought of Karin and her dealings, for as she went across the yard every one drew back. No one put out a hand to greet her, no one spoke to her; they simply stared disapprovingly.
Karin looked tired and worn, and stooped more than usual. A bright red spot appeared on both cheeks, and she looked as miserable as in the days when she had had her struggles with Elof. She had come out to find Mother Stina and ask her to go inside. "I didn"t know till just now that you were here, Mother Storm," she said.
Mother Stina at first declined, but was finally persuaded.
"We want all the old antagonisms to be forgotten now that we are going away," said Karin.
While they were going toward the house Mother Stina ventured: "This must be a trying day for you, Karin."
Karin"s only response was a sigh.
"I don"t see how you can have the heart to sell all these old things, Karin."
"It is what one loves most that one must first and foremost sacrifice to the Lord," said Karin.
"Folks think it strange--" Mother Stina began, but Karin cut her short.
"The Lord, too, would think it strange if we held back anything we had offered in His Name."
Mother Stina bit her lip. She could not bring herself to say anything further. All the reproaches which she had meant to heap upon Karin stuck in her throat. There was an air of lofty dignity about Karin that disarmed people; therefore, no one had the courage to upbraid her. When they were on the broad step in front of the porch, Mother Stina tapped Karin on the shoulder.
"Have you noticed who is standing over there?" she asked, and pointed to Ingmar.
Karin winced a little, but was careful not to look over at her brother. "The Lord will find a way out for him," she murmured. "The Lord will surely find away out."
To all appearances the living-room was not much changed by reason of the auction, for in there the seats and cupboards and bedsteads were stationary. But shining copper utensils no longer adorned the walls, the built-in bedsteads looked bare, stripped of their coverings and hangings, and the doors of the blue-painted cupboards, which in the old days were always left standing half open, to let visitors see the great silver jugs and beakers that filled its shelves, were now closed; which meant that there was nothing inside worth showing. The only wall decoration the room boasted was the Jerusalem canvas, which on that day had a fresh wreath around it.
The large room was thronged with relatives and coreligionists of Halvor and Karin. One after another, they were conducted with much ceremony to a large, well-spread table, for refreshments.
The door to the inside room was closed. In there negotiations for the sale of the farm itself were pending. The talking was loud and heated, especially on the part of the pastor.
In the living-room, on the other hand, the people were very quiet, and when any one spoke, it was in hushed tones; for every one"s thoughts were in the little room where the fate of the farm was being settled.
Mother Stina turned to Gabriel, saying: "I suppose there"s no chance of Ingmar getting the farm?"
"The bidding has gone far beyond his figure by now," Gabriel replied. "The innkeeper from Karmsund is said to have offered thirty-two thousand, and the Company"s bid has been raised to thirty-five. The pastor is now trying to persuade Karin and Halvor to let it go to the innkeeper rather than to the Company."
"But what about Berger Sven Persson?"
"It seems that he has not made any bid to-day."
The pastor was still talking. He was evidently pleading with some one. They could not hear what he said, but they knew that no decision had been reached or the pastor would not have gone on talking.
Then came a moment of silence, after which the innkeeper was heard to say, not exactly loudly, but with a clearness that made every word carry: "I bid thirty-six thousand, not that I think the place is worth that much, but I can"t bear the thought of its becoming a corporation property."
Immediately after there was a noise as of some one striking a table with his fist, and the manager of the Company was heard to shout: "I bid forty thousand, and more than that Karin and Halvor are not likely to get."
Mother Stina, who had turned as white as a sheet, got up and went back to the yard. It was dreary enough out there, but not as insufferable as sitting in the close room listening to the haggling.
The sale of linen was over; the auctioneer had again changed his place, and was about to cry out the old family silverware--the heavy silver jugs inlaid with gold coin, and the beakers bearing inscriptions from the seventeenth century. When he held up the first jug, Ingmar started forward as if to stop the sale, but restrained himself at once, and went back to his place.
A few minutes later an old peasant came bearing the silver jug, which he respectfully deposited at Ingmar"s feet. "You must keep this as a souvenir of all that by right should have been yours," he said.
Again a tremor pa.s.sed through Ingmar"s body; his lips quivered, and he tried to say something.
"You needn"t say anything now," said the old peasant. "That will keep till another time." He withdrew a few paces, then suddenly turned back. "I hear that folks are saying you could take over the farm if you cared to. It would be the greatest service you could render this parish."
There were a number of old servants living at the farm, who had been there from early youth. Now that old age had overtaken them they still stayed on, and over these hung a pall of uncertainty such as had not touched the others. They feared that under a new master they would be turned out of their old home to become beggars. Or, whatever happened, they knew in their hearts that no stranger would care for them as their old master and mistress had done. These poor old pensioners wandered restlessly about the farmyard all day long. Seeing them shrink past, frail and helpless, with a look of hopeless appeal in their weak, watery eyes, every one felt sorry for them.
Finally one old man, who was nearly a hundred, hobbled up to Ingmar, and sat down on the ground quite close to him. It seemed to be the only place where he could be at ease, for there he remained quietly, resting his shaky old hands on the crook of his cane. And as soon as old Lisa and Cowhouse Martha saw where Pickaxe Bengt had taken refuge, they, too, came tottering up, and sat down at Ingmar"s feet. They did not speak to him, but somehow they must have had a vague idea that he would be able to protect them--he who was now Ingmar Ingmarsson.