Chapter 26 - Page 2

come
and tell her when he saw his father coming. Henrik, however, had
entirely forgotten her injunctions in the more interesting occupation of
catching shrimps in one of the salt-water pools which a recent high tide
had left among the rocks; and there, in the bright afternoon, over the
blue and gold sea, dotted with sails, was the boat with its stripe and
number already close by, standing straight in for the harbour with a
flowing sheet.

With all her deep love for her husband, Elizabeth always awaited his
return now with a certain dread; and as she sat there by the window with
her work, in her rather foreign, Dutch style of dress, with the rays of
the evening sun streaming in upon her through the geraniums, she did not
look a happy woman. She was pale, and from time to time leaned her cheek
for a moment on her hand, and closed her eyes with a wearied look, and
then went on again determinedly with her sewing. When she heard his
voice unexpectedly outside the door, she jumped up hurriedly, but
stopped then with a half-frightened look, hesitating whether to go out
and meet him or not.

While she hesitated the door opened, and her expression changed at once
to one of cheerfulness, and apparently glad surprise.

"Well, mother, how goes it?" he cried, as he entered, in a light and
cheery tone, which took in a moment a weight off her heart; "and where
is the 'bagman'?"--a pet name he had for his youngest son, when he was
in good humour.

Gjert's adventure with Beck's grandson had made him a different man
to-day, and had immeasurably lightened for the time his wife's task; but
she was very careful not to let him see that she found him any different
from usual. Still, as she helped him off with his pilot-coat he noticed
that her hand trembled. His attention was diverted, however, at the
moment by the appearance of Henrik in the doorway, looking very
frightened and conscious, and with his trousers still tucked up over his
bare legs, and with the tin cup, in which he had his shrimps, in his
hand.

Gjert came in now with some of the things for the house which his father
had bought in Arendal, and impressing the doleful-looking "bagman" into
the service, took him down with him to the boat to help him to bring up
the rest. He had only given his mother a hurried kiss, as he had seen at
a glance that all was right this time. When it was otherwise, he always
kept by her, and, in look and manner, gave her all the help he could. He
had seen from his childhood, and comprehended so much of the unhappiness
of her relations with his father, that he had constituted himself her
friend and support, although, at the same time, he was devoted to his
father. When Gjert was in