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Page 25
"Ah, you flatterer, it is well that you are my nephew or else Fabian
might be jealous."
"Well I am not sure but that he may yet have an occasion, for, I am not
aware that nephews are forbidden to love their aunts."
From that day forward Gottlieb was taken under the especial protection
of his aunt, and as her favorite he was certain of a comfortable and
pleasant life. When she became acquainted with his manners, virtues and
accomplishments, her esteem for him was, if possible, doubly increased.
What could he not do, the dear boy? Not to speak of his wonderful
success in amusing little Jean Ulrick, Mr. Fabian's sole heir, he was
able to read aloud to his aunt from her favorite volume, and to repeat
with almost sublime patience, all those tender passages to which she in
a plaintive tone would sigh _de capo_. More than all this. He could
sing--the model nephew--and accompany his voice with the guitar not only
to the tune of "my love and I," but also to his aunt's favorite ballad,
"In the shadows of the wood; in the cavern hid away." And finally there
was not a female domestic in the house who dared to compete with
Gottlieb in the art of chopping string beans. In short, he was a nephew
whose peer could not be found in all Sweden, and who knows whether the
piece of linen he chose from the bleachery was the last he received from
his indulgent aunt.
Poor Gottlieb, while you are thus the prime favorite of your strong
minded aunt, having free access to the pantries and dairy-rooms, have
you no misgivings that the day will arrive when the doors of this house
shall be closed against you? Relentless fate who ever demands a
sacrifice. How true are the words of the wise Solomon, "All is vanity
and vexation of spirit; and there is no profit under the sun." But it is
not to be believed that Mr. Fabian's slumbers were disturbed because his
wife had deserted him. No, he even preferred the company of hunger and
thirst rather than that of his Ulgenie. Not that this state of mind
originated from the many lectures he had received from his wife. Ah,
no, there were far more powerful reasons; but it is certain that if
Mistress Ulrica had suspected that her husband's indifference arose from
any other motive than the wish to escape a deserved punishment she would
have, undoubtedly, increased the vigor of her tongue to such a pitch
that his house would have been uncomfortably warm to him.
After dining upon Gottlieb's partridge which had done much to smoothe
her ruffled temper, Mrs. Ulrica was thus insinuatingly addressed by her
husband:
"Have you any errands for me to perform at the parsonage, dear Ulgenie?
I wish to ride down there to talk over the parish matters with the
parson."
"That's right, dear Fabian. Take Gottlieb along with you. He would like
to see the young ladies, each of whom are worth a ton of gold."
At this proposal Mr. Fabian's brow darkened; but the gloom was soon
dispelled as Gottlieb declined the pleasure of going, and the first
smile which the young man had received from his uncle was when he
replied: "Excuse me to-day, my dear aunt, I wish to write to my mother."
He had no desire to disappoint his young pupil of the valley.
"Excellent youth!" exclaimed his aunt, "pleasure cannot wile you from
your duties. God forbid that I should attempt to do so; and you Fabian,"
she added extending her arms towards her husband, "kiss me before you
go. Your Ulgenie has no desire to deprive you of any reasonable
enjoyments."
CHAPTER IX.
MR. FABIAN AND MAGDE LONNER.
"O, how thankful I am that you can come out here on the green, dear
father." Thus said Magde, as she gave old Mr. Lonner his hat and cane,
after Nanna had filled and lighted his pipe.
It was a beautiful scene to behold the two sisters thus employed. Ragnar
was right. Without waiting for a request, they were apparently striving
to outvie each other in performing little services for the old man. In
short, Mr. Lonner had not a wish which was not gratified. They
anticipated his every desire.
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