Wanderers Part 28

"Well, the parcel was for you," said I, trying to master my disappointment.

"Wait a minute. I was just going out again; we can go together."

Frken Elisabeth puts on some over-things, calls out through a door to say she won't be very long, and goes out with me. We take a cab and drive to a quiet cafe. Frken Elisabeth says yes, she loves going to cafes. But there's nothing very amusing about this one.

Would she rather go somewhere else?

"Yes. To the Grand."

I hesitated; it might be hardly safe. I had been away for a long time now, and if we met any one I knew I might have to talk to them. But Frkenen insisted on Grand. She had had but a few days' practice in the capital, and had already gained a deal of self-a.s.surance. But I liked her so much before.

We drove off again to Grand. It was getting towards evening. Frkenen picks out a seat right in the brightest spot, beaming all over herself at the fun of it. I ordered some wine.

"What fine clothes you're wearing now," she says, with a laugh.

"I couldn't very well come in here in a workman's blouse."

"No, of course not. But, honestly, that blouse ... shall I tell you what I think?"

"Yes, do."

"The blouse suited you better."

There! Devil take these town clothes! I sat there with my head full of other things, and did not care for this sort of talk.

"Are you staying long in town?" I asked.

"As long as Lovise does. We've finished our shopping. No, I'm sorry; it's all too short." Then she turns gay once more, and asks laughingly: "Did you like being with us out in the country?"

"Yes. That was a pleasant time."

"And will you come again soon? Haha!"

She seemed to be making fun of me. Trying, of course, to show she saw through me: that I hadn't played--my part well enough as a country labourer. Child that she was! I could teach many a labourer his business, and had more than one trade at my finger-ends. Though in my true calling I manage to achieve just the next best of all I dream....

"Shall I ask Papa to put up a notice on the post next spring, to say you're willing to lay down water-pipes and so on?"

She closed her eyes and laughed--so heartily she laughed.

I am torn with excitement, and her merriment pains me, though it is all good-humoured enough. I glance round the place, trying to pull myself together; here and there an acquaintance nods to me, and I return it; it all seems so far away to me. I was sitting with a charming girl, and that made people notice us.

"You know these people, it seems?"

"Yes, one or two of them. Have you enjoyed yourself in town?"

"Oh yes, immensely. I've two boy cousins here, and then there were their friends as well."

"Poor young Erik, out in the country," said I jestingly.

"Oh, you with your young Erik. No, there's one here in town; his name's Bewer. But I'm not friends with him just now."

"Oh, that won't last long."

"Do you think so? Really, though, I'm rather serious about it. I've an idea he might be coming in here this evening."

"You must point him out to me if he does."

"I thought, as we drove out here, that you and I could sit here together, you know, and make him jealous."

"Right, then, we will."

"Yes, but.... No, you'd have to be a bit younger. I mean...."

I forced myself to laugh. Oh, we would manage all right. Don't despise us old ones, us ancient ones, we can be quite surprisingly useful at times. "Only you'd better let me sit on the sofa beside you there, so he can't see I'm bald at the back."

Eh, but it is hard to take that perilous transition to old age in any quiet and beautiful way. There comes a forcedness, a play of jerky effort and grimaces, the fight against those younger than ourselves, and envy.

"Frken...." I ask this of her now with all my heart. "Frken, couldn't you ring up Fru Falkenberg and get her to come round here now?"

She thinks for a moment.

"Yes, we will," she says generously.

We go out to the telephone, ring up the Victoria: Fruen is there.

"Is that you, Lovise? You'd never guess who I'm with now? Won't you come along? Oh, good! We're at the Grand. No, I can't tell you now. Yes, of course it's a man--only he's a gentleman now--I won't say who it is. Are you coming? Why, you said just now you would! Some people? Oh, well, do as you like, of course, but I do think.... Yes, he's standing here. You are in a hurry...."

Frken Elisabeth rang off, and said shortly:

"She had to go and see some friends."

We went back to our seat, and had some more wine; I tried to be cheerful, and suggested champagne. Yes, thanks. And then, as we're sitting there, Frkenen says suddenly:

"Oh, there's Bewer! I'm so glad we're drinking champagne."

But I have only one idea in my mind, and being now called upon to show what I can do, and charm this young lady to the ultimate advantage of some one else, I find myself saying one thing and thinking another.

Which, of course, leads to disaster. I cannot get that telephone conversation out of my head; she must have had an idea--have realized that it was I who was waiting for her here. But what on earth had I done? Why had I been dismissed so suddenly from vreb, and Falkenberg taken on in my place. Quite possibly the Captain and his wife were not always the best of friends, but the Captain had scented danger in my being there, and wished to save his wife at least from such an ignominious fall. And now, here she was, feeling ashamed that I had worked on her place, that she had used me to drive her carriage, and twice shared food with me by the way. And she was ashamed, too, of my being no longer young....

"This will never do," says Frken Elisabeth.

So I pull myself together again, and start saying all manner of foolish things, to make her laugh. I drink a good deal and that helps; at last, she really seems to fancy I am making myself agreeable to her on her own account. She looks at me curiously.

"No, really, though, do you think I'm nice?"

"Oh, please--don't you understand?--I was speaking of Fru Falkenberg."

"s.h.!.+" says Frken Elisabeth. "Of course it is Fru Falkenberg; I know that perfectly well, but you need not say so.... I really think we're beginning to make an impression on him over there. Let's go on like we are doing, and look interested."

So she hadn't imagined I was trying on my own account, after all. I was too old for that sort of thing, anyway. Devil take it, yes, of course.