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Page 37
"Nor do I at my home," said the magistrate approvingly.
The inspector and the innkeeper's son kept quiet; they understood
that Sven Persson had scored heavily.
The magistrate straightway began to discourse on temperance and its
salutary effects. Karin listened to him with interest, and agreed
with all that he said. Seeing that this was the kind of talk that
would appeal to her, the magistrate began to spread himself, and
delivered long-winded harangue on the curse of liquor and
drunkenness. Karin recognized all her own thoughts on the subject,
and was glad to find that they were shared by so intelligent a man
as the magistrate.
In the middle of his monologue Berger Sven Persson glanced over at
Halvor, who sat at the table, looking glum and sulky, his coffee
cup untouched.
"It's pretty rough on him," thought Berger Sven Persson,
"particularly if there's any truth in what people say about his
having given Elof a little lift on his way into the next world.
Anyway, he did Karin a good service by relieving her of that
dreadful sot." And since the magistrate seemed to think that he had
as good as won the game, he felt rather friendly toward Halvor.
Raising his cup, he said: "Here's to you, Halvor! You certainly
did Karin a good turn when you took her drunken sot of a husband
off her hands."
Halvor did not respond to the toast. He sat looking the man
straight in the eyes, and wondered how he should take this.
The inspector again burst out laughing. "Yes, yes, a good turn," he
haw-hawed, "a real good turn."
"Yes, yes, a real good turn," echoed the innkeeper's son, with a
chuckle.
Before they were done laughing, Karin had vanished like a shadow
through the kitchen door; but she could hear from the kitchen all
that was said inside. She was both sorry and distressed over
Halvor's untimely visit. It would probably result in her never
being able to marry Halvor. It was plain that the gossips were
already spreading evil reports. "I can't bear the thought of
losing him," she sighed.
For a time no sound came from the sitting-room, but presently she
heard a noise as if a chair were being pushed back. Some one had
evidently risen.
"Are you going already, Halvor?" young Ingmar was heard to say.
"Yes," Halvor replied. "I can't stop any longer. Please say good-bye
to Karin for me."
"Why don't you go into the kitchen and say it for yourself?"
"No," Halvor was heard to answer, "we two have nothing more to say
to each other."
Karin's heart began to pump hard, and thoughts came rushing into
her head, as if on wings. Now Halvor was angry at her--and no
wonder! She had hardly dared even to shake hands with him, and when
the others had scoffed at him, she never opened her mouth in his
defence, but quietly sneaked away. Now he must think she did not
care for him, and was therefore going, never to return. She could
not understand why she should have treated him so shabbily--she who
was so fond of him. Then, all at once her father's old saying came
to her: "The Ingmarssons need have no fear of men; they have only
to walk in the ways of God."
Karin hastily opened the door, and stood facing Halvor before he
could manage to leave the room.
"Are you leaving so soon, Halvor?" she asked. "I thought you were
going to stay to supper."
Halvor stood staring at Karin. She seemed to be completely changed;
her cheeks were aglow, and there was something tender and appealing
about her which he had never seen before.
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