"I"m to be turned out of the confirmation-cla.s.s," Pelle managed to say, and then burrowed into the hay to keep back his tears.
"Oh, no, surely not!" La.s.se began to tremble. "Whatever have you done?"
"I"ve half killed the parson"s son."
"Oh, that"s about the worst thing you could have done--lift your hand against the parson"s son! I"m sure he must have deserved it, but--still you shouldn"t have done it. Unless he"s accused you of thieving, for no honest man need stand that from any one, not even the king himself."
"He--he called you Madam Olsen"s concubine." Pelle had some difficulty in getting this out.
La.s.se"s mouth grew hard and he clenched his fists. "Oh, he did! Oh, did he! If I had him here, I"d kick his guts out, the young monkey! I hope you gave him something he"ll remember for a long time?"
"Oh, no, it wasn"t very much, for he wouldn"t stand up to me--he threw himself down and screamed. And then the parson came!"
For a little while La.s.se"s face was disfigured with rage, and he kept uttering threats. Then he turned to Pelle. "And they"ve turned you out? Only because you stood up for your old father! I"m always to bring misfortune upon you, though I"m only thinking of your good! But what shall we do now?"
"I won"t stay here any longer," said Pelle decidedly.
"No, let"s get away from here; nothing has ever grown on this farm for us two but wormwood. Perhaps there are new, happy days waiting for us out there; and there are parsons everywhere. If we two work together at some good work out there, we shall earn a peck of money. Then one day we"ll go up to a parson, and throw down half a hundred krones in front of his face, and it "u"d be funny if he didn"t confirm you on the spot--and perhaps let himself be kicked into the bargain. Those kind of folk are very fond of money."
La.s.se had grown more erect in his anger, and had a keen look in his eyes. He walked quickly along the foddering pa.s.sage, and threw the things about carelessly, for Pelle"s adventurous proposal had infected him with youth. In the intervals of their work, they collected all their little things and packed the green chest. "What a surprise it"ll be to-morrow morning when they come here and find the nest empty!" said Pelle gaily. La.s.se chuckled.
Their plan was to take shelter with Kalle for a day or two, while they took a survey of what the world offered. When everything was done in the evening, they took the green chest between them, and stole out through the outside door into the field. The chest was heavy, and the darkness did not make walking easier. They moved on a little way, changed hands, and rested. "We"ve got the night before us!" said La.s.se cheerfully.
He was quite animated, and while they sat resting upon the chest talked about everything that awaited them. When he came to a standstill Pelle began. Neither of them had made any distinct plans for their future; they simply expected a fairy-story itself with its inconceivable surprises. All the definite possibilities that they were capable of picturing to themselves fell so far short of that which must come, that they left it alone and abandoned themselves to what lay beyond their powers of foresight.
La.s.se was not sure-footed in the dark, and had more and more frequently to put down his burden. He grew weary and breathless, and the cheerful words died away upon his lips. "Ah, how heavy it is!" he sighed. "What a lot of rubbish you do sc.r.a.pe together in the course of time!" Then he sat down upon the chest, quite out of breath. He could do no more. "If only we"d had something to pick us up a little!" he said faintly. "And it"s so dark and gloomy to-night."
"Help me to get it on my back," said Pelle, "and I"ll carry it a little way."
La.s.se would not at first, but gave in, and they went on again, he running on in front and giving warning of ditches and walls. "Suppose Brother Kalle can"t take us in!" he said suddenly.
"He"s sure to be able to. There"s grandmother"s bed; that"s big enough for two."
"But suppose we can"t get anything to do, then we shall be a burden on him."
"Oh, we shall get something to do. There"s a scarcity of laborers everywhere."
"Yes, they"ll jump at you, but I"m really too old to offer myself out."
La.s.se had lost all hope, and was undermining Pelle"s too.
"I can"t do any more!" said Pelle, letting the chest down. They stood with arms hanging, and stared into the darkness at nothing particular.
La.s.se showed no desire to take hold again, and Pelle was now tired out.
The night lay dark around them, and its all-enveloping loneliness made it seem as if they two were floating alone in s.p.a.ce.
"Well, we ought to be getting on," exclaimed Pelle, taking a handle of the chest; but as La.s.se did not move, he dropped it and sat down. They sat back to back, and neither could find the right words to utter, and the distance between them seemed to increase. La.s.se shivered with the night cold. "If only we were at home in our good bed!" he sighed.
Pelle was almost wishing he had been alone, for then he would have gone on to the end. The old man was just as heavy to drag along as the chest.
"Do you know I think I"ll go back again!" said La.s.se at last in crestfallen tone. "I"m afraid I"m not able to tread uncertain paths. And you"ll never be confirmed if we go on like this! Suppose we go back and get Kongstrup to put in a good word for us with the parson." La.s.se stood and held one handle of the chest.
Pelle sat on as if he had not heard, and then he silently took hold, and they toiled along on their weary way homeward across the fields. Every other minute Pelle was tired and had to rest; now that they were going home, La.s.se was the more enduring. "I think I could carry it a little way alone, if you"d help me up with it," he said; but Pelle would not hear of it.
"Pee-u-ah!" sighed La.s.se with pleasure when they once more stood in the warmth of the cow-stable and heard the animals breathing in indolent well-being--"it"s comfortable here. It"s just like coming into one"s old home. I think I should know this stable again by the air, if they led me into it blindfold anywhere in the world."
And now they were home again, Pelle too could not help thinking that it really was pleasant.
XXIII
On Sunday morning, between watering and midday feed, La.s.se and Pelle ascended the high stone steps. They took off their wooden shoes in the pa.s.sage, and stood and shook themselves outside the door of the office; their gray stocking-feet were full of chaff and earth. La.s.se raised his hand to knock, but drew it back. "Have you wiped your nose properly?" he asked in a whisper, with a look of anxiety on his face. Pelle performed the operation once more, and gave a final polish with the sleeve of his blouse.
La.s.se lifted his hand again; he looked greatly oppressed. "You might keep quiet then!" he said irritably to Pelle, who was standing as still as a mouse. La.s.se"s knuckles were poised in the air two or three times before they fell upon the door; and then he stood with his forehead close to the panel and listened. "There"s no one there," he whispered irresolutely.
"Just go in!" exclaimed Pelle. "We can"t stand here all day."
"Then you can go first, if you think you know better how to behave!"
said La.s.se, offended.
Pelle quickly opened the door and went in. There was no one in the office, but the door was open into the drawing-room, and the sound of Kongstrup"s comfortable breathing came thence.
"Who"s there?" he asked.
"It"s La.s.se and Pelle," answered La.s.se in a voice that did not sound altogether brave.
"Will you come in here?"
Kongstrup was lying on the sofa reading a magazine, and on the table beside him stood a pile of old magazines and a plateful of little cakes.
He did not raise his eyes from his book, not even while his hand went out to the plate for something to put in his mouth. He lay nibbling and swallowing while he read, and never looked at La.s.se and Pelle, or asked them what they wanted, or said anything to give them a start. It was like being sent out to plough without knowing where. He must have been in the middle of something very exciting.
"Well, what do you want?" asked Kongstrup at last in slow tones.
"Well--well, the master must excuse us for coming like this about something that doesn"t concern the farm; but as matters now stand, we"ve no one else to go to, and so I said to the laddie: "Master won"t be angry, I"m sure, for he"s many a time been kind to us poor beggars--and that." Now it"s so in this world that even if you"re a poor soul that"s only fit to do others" dirty work, the Almighty"s nevertheless given you a father"s heart, and it hurts you to see the father"s sin standing in the son"s way."
La.s.se came to a standstill. He had thought it all out beforehand, and so arranged it that it should lead up, in a shrewd, dignified way, to the matter itself. But now it was all in a muddle like a slattern"s pocket-handkerchief, and the farmer did not look as if he had understood a single word of it. He lay there, taking a cake now and then, and looking helplessly toward the door.
"It sometimes happens too, that a man gets tired of the single state,"
began La.s.se once more, but at once gave up trying to go on. No matter how he began, he went round and round the thing and got no hold anywhere! And now Kongstrup began to read again. A tiny question from him might have led to the very middle of it; but he only filled his mouth full and began munching quite hard.
La.s.se was outwardly disheartened and inwardly angry, as he stood there and prepared to go. Pelle was staring about at the pictures and the old mahogany furniture, making up his mind about each thing.
Suddenly energetic steps sounded through the rooms; the ear could follow their course right up from the kitchen. Kongstrup"s eyes brightened, and La.s.se straightened himself up.
"Is that you two?" said Fru Kongstrup in her decided way that indicated the manager. "But do sit down! Why didn"t you offer them a seat, old man?"
La.s.se and Pelle found seats, and the mistress seated herself beside her husband, with her arm leaning upon his pillow. "How are you getting on, Kongstrup? Have you been resting?" she asked sympathetically, patting his shoulder. Kongstrup gave a little grunt, that might have meant yes, or no, or nothing at all.