One of Life's Slaves

Silla to thank that she was now deprived of all the help she might and-it was her firm conviction-ought to have had in her son Nikolai, with the regul

he nourishment of her own weighty person. On the other hand her ever ready hospitality with the coffee-pot was not without its savour

the meetingplace for all the goss

hats on, and snow-drifts lay by

enever anybody came in, Mother Taraldsen, who cupped people and applied leeches, and ta

mes, and how every trade was going down-hill, while Mother B?kken, getting mor

up; "but the day has grown longer for workmen now. Just think how they sat in the dark in the farms and cottages with pine-torches in the fireplace to cut and spin by; and there lay the lads the whole long winter through, and idled and yawned in their

at way either, when they sit and play cards

's good for something, too, both in t

ness and dancing

in order to contradict in her most ingenious manner. But just then Anne Graves came in to the

me. He was an excellent man. She enlarged, by the plundering of diverse fragments of the funeral sermon, upon his worth and importance as a man and a citizen of the town. There h

had been the poor man's friend, they could have sung and trumpeted a little about it while he lived. Perhap

long way up from the chemist's, you had escaped rogues and robbers, you ought to go free up here. But there came those great, grown-up girls, flying one after another along a slide down the street, screaming and shouting, so that it was enough to knock people down. So she had dropped the cup with all five leeches in it, and i

nd thought that Nikolai shou

altogether, I must confess. But young blood must have movement in some way, and may I ask,"-here Mother B?kken laid one fo

er Taraldsen

new fashion that Mother B?kken's preaching about. If you kept a careful watch at the corn

other B?kken obstinately; "a man like that clerk down at the contractor's, and him at t

ing at the counte

d been with him day and night for fourteen years. If she only had

if it had not been for the man at her ba

oking their heads out of every single gate the whole way up the street;

not even mention, and some they named with all sorts of interesting doubts and opinions, and last

and made up her mind that Nikolai should be warned; he should at

tory-girls up there were exposed to. She had sufficient instinct not to mention Silla, so that he should not think she was speak

his evening too, and Nikolai was sitting

s-half-grown lads and lassies, and now and then a party of fine people from the town below. One tall lad, with the rope ov

e kitchen window, and left his mother, who sat

ce. They were waiting for somebody-Silla perhaps; they were standing close by her street. It was a question which of them would dare to venture in and be so bold

ith fine hats and glowing cigars

d her knitting

ill quite late," she remarked, "as

to get into this, then he might as wel

king about at the corn

y," said he, suddenly

want to speak to them! Haven't you? Do you know how I got out? I was only going to get the cat in for the nigh

elongated shadow across the snow imitate

promised to

pose they've

Listen, Nik! If you were nice "-she took hold of his jacket, and pushed him backwards and forwards-"you would find them and tell them-can you tell them properly?-that I must be good and stay at home this evening, but hurrah

s and prettiness; but it had just the opposite effect. While she stood

ust let them drag you out among them! But that a respectable girl wil

t as it were, when she comes to a slide-daren't even look out of the corner of her eye at a hand-sledge, because she's so well-behaved! It was a respectable one like that you ought to have had. And then, when you were standing hammering all day in the smithy, and she was deep in h

themselves too; and-and the insignificant ones have to take care of what they have, it seems to me-and if you're of the s

unexpected. "No, no, let it be," she begged in an eager whisper. "Think of mother! Have you qu

ime enough for me, Silla. I

me afterwards? And you're not dre

th my own eyes how highly my daughter condescends to re

she was standing in the gatewa

wn flesh and blood out, without leave, in conversation in the street, in the middle of the snow. Neither should I have thought

nd a wealth of emotions: injured motherly dignity, wrath, contempt, hatred, and something heavy, which was mean

days; he knew now that there were others of whom he was more

m, for I didn't come here this evening to stand out

aid here where we stand," answered Mr

ut then I must explain one or

aughter, Silla, in her despair and terror, suddenly made her choice. There was not

ttle. And I came this evening to ask for her, and to ask if we could have the benefit of y

t they all three-Mrs. Holman yielding half involuntarily-came through

olman assumed a mightily offended, repellant attitude. She employed her whole power; she bridled, and she was wrathful, and she exhibited the most extreme astonishment. It almost looked as if he thought he could really take her daughter from her, wh

n her. Her eyes began to gaze into a perspective of the future. If Nikolai ever came to justify the great words

t her from selling every concession,

, however it might be, she would not hear of any gadding about or sweet-

when Nikolai could lay as much money on the table in

omething decided at last. He

snowdrift to shorten the way, and knocked at Barbara's door. He must have some one to tell

to Barbara while she lay that night collecting herself after the news. She

e could live

ly eating her up-it did not enter

the shop in time, and how instead she could be of unspeakable use in helping the totally inexperienced Silla to manage the h

as silent too. Only once she led the conversation up to her son Nikolai, and thought that possibly in the autumn, when the room

! and somewhat unexpectedly shortened her visit, shall be left untold. It can only be stated, that from that moment, a silent c

illa. On that point they watched each other in diplomatic silence, like two chess-players of whom the one dare not move until he has seen through the other one's intention; Mrs. Holman, in the middle of some strictly reserved opinion, taking in everything

lways more and more decided-if she could not live with them herself, she

making it impossible for the other; but of this quietly calculated conflict whi