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Page 20
Gabriel, having annexed a cigar, had wandered off to the ship-yard, in a
happy and contented mood, to make an inspection of the vessel and talk
English with Mr. Robson.
CHAPTER VI.
The first acquaintance Madeleine made in her new home was with the
sewing-maid, for naturally there were a good many repairs of various
kinds to be seen to. She had already made some acquaintance with the
family by previous short visits to Sandsgaard, and the same impression
of coldness which she had hitherto received from her relations still
oppressed her. Not that Madeleine was of a timid nature--far from it;
but the change from a free and open-air life to the regularity of a
well-ordered house was too abrupt. She tried in vain to adapt herself to
her new surroundings, and during the first few weeks she fretted herself
quite out of health. For a reason she could scarcely define, she
concealed this fact from her father when writing to him.
Her cousin Gabriel was the only person who seemed to have a friendly
word for Madeleine; the others were so reserved that she could not help
thinking they were selfish. With Rachel she could never get on friendly
terms, and the two cousins had but little in common. Although Rachel was
only a few years the elder, she was greatly superior to her cousin in
knowledge and experience. Whilst Madeleine was bright and radiant as
sunshine, there was something in Rachel's cold and commanding nature
which betokened an uneasy longing for employment, and a desire to take
an active part in whatever she could find to occupy her.
Not long previously Rachel had had a sharp dispute with her father. She
came one day into the office, and desired him to give her some
employment in the business. Consul Garman never lost his self-command,
but on this occasion he was on the very point of doing so. The dispute
was short, it is true, and soon ended, like every other conflict that
was carried on against the father's principles, in a decided victory for
his side; but from that time the daughter became still more cold and
reserved in her manner.
It was a light task for Rachel to read her little country cousin through
and through, and when she made up her mind that Madeleine had nothing in
her except perhaps some undefined longings, but at the same time no real
desire for work, she let her go her own way, and the relation between
them became almost that of a child to a grown person--friendly, but
without intimacy.
Mrs. Garman was not particularly well disposed towards her new guest,
because she had not been originally consulted as to her visit; and even
the good-natured Miss Cordsen frightened Madeleine at first, with her
tall, spare figure and well-starched cap-strings.
The sewing-maid was a pale, weakly creature, with large wondering eyes
which wore a deprecatory expression. She was still pretty, but the first
look told that her face had once been still prettier, and there was
something stunted and faded about her appearance. Her cheeks were
somewhat sunken, and it could be seen that she had lost some of her
teeth.
During the first few days Madeleine had to spend much of her time with
the sewing-maid, for Mrs. Garman was anxious that her dress should be in
keeping with the rest of the establishment, and the Consul had given
Miss Cordsen strict orders on the subject. It was a great relief to
Madeleine, in her loneliness, to show herself kindly and almost
affectionately disposed towards the timid girl. One evening when she had
gone, Madeleine asked Miss Cordsen who she was, and the old lady, after
scrutinizing her sharply, answered, "that Marianne was a granddaughter
of old Anders Begmand, and that some years before she had had a baby.
Her sweetheart," said Miss Cordsen, fixing her eyes again sharply on
Madeleine, "had gone to America, and the child was dead, and as she had
been in service at Sandsgaard, the Garmans had had her taught
dressmaking, so that now she had constant employment in the house."
This was all Madeleine found out, and she did not ask any more questions
on the subject, which was a relief to Miss Cordsen.
The old lady's story was, however, not Strictly correct in its details;
a secret of the Garman family was hid in the sempstress's history--a
secret which Miss Cordsen concealed with the greatest jealousy.
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