Segelfoss Town by Knut Hamsun

Author:Knut Hamsun [Hamsun, Knut]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Google: Vn1cAAAAMAAJ
Publisher: A.A. Knopf
Published: 1925-01-14T14:00:00+00:00

II

T

HE two friends were left together.

“You did not try very hard to show him out the other way,” said Anton Coldevin, laughing.

“That’s the shopkeeper here; he’s said to be a smart fellow,” said Willatz. “He had just bought a small piece of land from me.”

“And you did not agree as to the method of payment.”

“No. I had given him instructions.”

Willatz was dissatisfied with himself probably, and for that reason said no more. What an idea, indeed, to support a rascal in spite of his better judgment! But, of course, one had to stick to one’s word, once spoken, even thought one were doing a foolish thing.

What had Willatz done, exactly? Konrad was idling about—he was certainly hard-up. Willatz had seen him coming from the split-fish rocks in the evenings with his dinner-can in his hand; after that he had lost sight of him—the fish were dry; Konrad was out of work. Probably Willatz reflected, as was true: What have I to do with the man? He had a comrade, Aslak by name; with him Willatz had settled accounts. Konrad, on the other hand, had got nothing. No, but then he had earned nothing. Then the man turns up on the road again and Willatz meets him; this happens a couple of times, and the man salutes him each time—Konrad takes off his cap to him. Willatz looked at him out of his grey eyes, and then he did for the poor fellow the first thing that entered his head—the same, very likely, as his father and his father’s father would have done—gave the poor chap a couple of hundred crowns, ten crowns at a time.

But what if, to make matters worse, the rascal should come and hold out his hand and thank him? He might have the cheek to do that even!

“Land!” said Anton. “What if I were to buy some land from you, too, and settle here?”

“You wouldn’t succeed your father as Consul in that case,” said Willatz, a little tartly.

Anton Coldevin was never at a loss for an answer. “Who can be like his father? Do you flatter yourself that you are?” he asked.

What a tone between friends! These must be close friends to be able to make fun of one another, to scratch each other’s eyes out in jest. Anyhow, they were host and guest. From the very first day this had been their tone, and it grew freer all the time, till they gradually drifted into extremes of friendly rudeness that were astounding but magnificent. It was the guest who led his host on, all the time.

Pauline comes in with coffee. It is easy to see where Pauline’s eyes are, and she does not answer the strange young gentleman once, though he talks coaxingly to her.

“I have been here a whole week now, and it’s time you began to look a little at me too, Pauline,” he says. And when Pauline has gone, he goes on talking to Willatz: “Those are wonderful eyes that girl has!”

Taken all in all, Anton Coldevin was a jolly fellow, bold, with a spice of vulgar assurance.

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