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Page 18
Fanny and Delphin could not restrain a slight laugh; and Mrs. Aalbom
muttered, "To think of answering a man in my husband's position in that
way!"
The Consul now endeavoured to give a peaceable direction to the
conversation, by consulting Johnsen on several matters relating to the
National School. Mr. Garman had been for some years chairman of the
school committee; for Sandsgaard was included within the limits of the
town, although it was situated at a considerable distance from it.
Rachel heard with pleasure the terse and forcible answers which her
neighbour gave to the Consul's questions. She was especially pleased to
hear the new inspector insist upon certain changes being made in the
school, and upon an increase of expenditure, which her father thought
unnecessary and altogether too lavish.
It was not often Rachel had met a man who showed such power and energy
as their young guest, and each time he spoke as to the necessity of
something or another being done for the school, she could not help
looking half disdainfully at Delphin, who was now quite taken up with
teaching Fanny a trick with a piece of cork and two forks. But when her
eye fell on Jacob Worse, an inquiring expression seemed to come over her
face, to which, however, he appeared to pay little attention. He was
quite occupied in talking half jestingly with old Miss Cordsen.
Ever since Jacob Worse had begun to be a constant guest at Sandsgaard,
quite a friendship had sprung up between him and the old lady. She was
usually cold and reserved in her manner, but he had a particular knack
of getting her into conversation, so that he became quite a favourite of
hers.
Aalbom was so annoyed that he ate nearly all the beet-root, and Uncle
Richard was amusing himself by quietly working him up. Gabriel, too,
devoted all the time that he could spare from his dinner to staring at
the master; and every time the latter looked over to that part of the
table where Gabriel was sitting, by the side of Miss Corsden, the young
scapegrace took up his glass and emptied it with a careless, grown-up
air, which he knew would irritate his natural enemy.
Morten, who sat between Mr. Johnsen and Pastor Martens, amused himself
by keeping both their glasses well filled. He paid otherwise but little
attention to what went on at the table, especially as he had managed to
get one of the bottles of Burgundy close by his side.
It was a still, warm day in spring, and at dessert the sun, which shone
in obliquely through the two open windows, just reached as far as the
table. First it was reflected from Mrs. Garman's black silk, and then
shed a faint halo around Pastor Martens's blond head. The rays fell on
those of the company who were sitting with their backs to the light,
and, casting their shadows over the white cloth, sparkled in the
polished decanters. Morten held up his glass to the light, and enjoyed
its brilliancy.
"See how lovely your sister-in-law looks in the sunlight!" whispered
Delphin to Fanny.
"Oh! do you really think so?" she answered.
Shortly after she told one of the maid-servants, who was waiting, to
pull down the blind a little, as she did not like the glare in her eyes.
The conversation now became lively at the upper end of the table. The
subject on which it turned was education. Aalbom held forth on his
hobby, which was, that it was quite impossible for young people to get a
proper insight into learning without the use of corporal punishment, and
maintained that there would be an end of all intellectual cultivation if
a limit were not placed to modern humanitarianism, which he preferred to
call indulgence. His wife took the same side from conviction, and
Richard Garman from mischief, while the Consul was impartial. He set the
greatest store by the good old times, but still he could not help
thinking that they might get on with a little less of the stick than he
had experienced. Johnsen was very strong on the importance of religious
instruction and home influence.
"As to home influence," broke in Mrs. Aalbom, "school and home ought to
go hand-in-hand."
"Of course they ought," rejoined her husband. "If a boy is punished at
school, he ought to be punished also at home."
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