Chapter 32 - Page 2

slily. "He will be at home with
you the whole week."

Gjert was evidently ready to burst with some news or other, but he had
to restrain himself until his father had taken his seat by the fire that
was crackling brightly on the hearth in the kitchen, and had leisurely
filled his pipe, and taken two or three pulls at it.

"Now then, Gjert," he said, "you may tell it. I see you can't keep it in
any longer."

"Well, mother!" he exclaimed, "father says that I shall be an officer in
the navy; and so he has taken me from school and is going with me to
Frederiksvoern next week."

Henrik's mouth opened slowly, while Elizabeth, who was stirring the
porridge, suspended that operation, and looked in something like alarm
at her husband.

"What do you mean, Salvé?"

"Wouldn't it be a fine thing, don't you think, to see the boy come home
to you some day in a smart uniform, Elizabeth? You have always had a
turn for that sort of thing," he added, jokingly. "And since you
couldn't go in for it yourself,--as they don't take womenfolk in the
navy--and it was not much in my line either,--why, I thought we could
make the experiment with Gjert."

"Are you really in earnest, Salvé?" she asked, looking at him still in
suspense.

He nodded in confirmation.

"Well, if it is your father's wish, may--may God prosper you in it, my
boy!" she said, going over to Gjert and stroking his forehead.

"So--now you may take your joiner's bench into the room again, Henrik;
you can talk with Gjert in there--that is to say, if he will condescend
now to answer a common man like you--tell him you will be a merchant
captain, and earn as much as two such fellows in uniform. Mother and I
can then enjoy a little peace from you here in the kitchen."

When they were alone, Elizabeth asked--

"But how has it all happened, Salvé?"

"Well, you see, I had taken the idea into my head about Gjert that he
should become something a little better than his father had been, and so
I went up to the Master, to Beck, and asked what I must do to push the
thing. Yes; and I spoke to young Fru Beck too."

"Salvé! did you go to Beck?"

"Yes, I did--the boy must be pushed; and into the bargain, I half begged
his pardon for the way I used to turn the rough edge of my tongue on
him--and so we were reconciled. He is a fine old fellow in reality, and
I have wronged him. He said he had never forgotten that I had saved the
Juno for him, and that he had intended to put me one day in command of
her. While we were talking, young Fru Beck came