1877
CONTENTS
————
THEMANWHOLOSTHISNAME
THESTORYOFANOUTCAST
AGOOD—FOR—NOTHING
ASCIENTIFICVAGABOND
TRULS,THENAMELESS
ASATHOR’SVENGEANCE
TALESFROMTWOHEMISPHERES。
THEMANWHOLOSTHISNAME。
ONtheseconddayofJune,186——,ayoungNorseman,HalfdanBjerkbyname,landedonthepieratCastleGarden。Hepassedthroughthestraightandnarrowgatewherehewasaskedhisname,birthplace,andhowmuchmoneyhehad,——atwhichhegrewverymuchfrightened。
\"Andyourdestination?\"——demandedthegruff—lookingfunctionaryatthedesk。
\"America,\"saidtheyouth,andtouchedhishatpolitely。
\"DoyouthinkIhavetimeforjoking?\"
roaredtheofficial,withanoath。
TheNorsemanranhishandthroughhishair,smiledhistimidlyconciliatorysmile,andtriedhisbesttolookbrave;buthishandtrembledandhisheartthumpedawayatanalarminglyquickenedtempo。
\"PuthimdownforNebraska!\"criedastoutred—cheekedindividual(inwrappedinthemingledfumesoftobaccoandwhisky)whosefunctionitwastoopenandshutthegate。
\"ThereaintmanyasgotoNebraska。\"
\"Allright,Nebraska。\"
Thegateswungopenandthepressurefrombehindurgedthetimidtraveleron,whileanextrapushfromthegate—keepersenthimflyinginthedirectionofaboardfence,wherehesatdownandtriedtorealizethathewasnowinthelandofliberty。
HalfdanBjerkwasatall,slender—limbedyouthofverydelicateframe;hehadapairofwonderfullycandid,unreflectingblueeyes,asmooth,clear,beardlessface,andsoft,wavylighthair,whichwaspushedbackfromhisforeheadwithoutparting。Hismouthandchinwerewellcut,buttheirlineswere,perhaps,ratherweakforaman。Wheninrepose,theensembleofhisfeatureswasexceedinglypleasingandsomehowremindedoneofCorreggio’sSt。John。Hehadlefthisnativelandbecausehewasanardentrepublicanandwasabstractlyconvincedthatman,genericallyandindividually,livesmorehappilyinarepublicthaninamonarchy。
Hehadanticipatedwithkeenpleasurethelarge,freelybreathinglifehewastoleadinalandwhereeverymanwashisneighbor’sbrother,wherenosenselesstraditionskeptajealouswatchoverobsoletesystemsandshrines,andnochillingprejudiceblightedthespontaneousblossomingofthesoul。
Halfdanwasanonlychild。Hisfather,apoorgovernmentofficial,haddiedduringhisinfancy,andhismotherhadgivenmusiclessons,andkeptboarders,inordertogainthemeanstogivehersonwhatiscalledalearnededucation。
IntheLatinschoolHalfdanhadenjoyedthereputationofbeingabrightyouth,andattheageofeighteen,hehadenteredtheuniversityunderthemostpromisingauspices。Hecouldmakeveryfairverses,andplayallimaginableinstrumentswithequalease,whichmadehimafavoriteinsociety。Moreover,hepossessedthatveryold—fashionedaccomplishmentofcuttingsilhouettes;andwhatwasmore,hecoulddrawthemostcharminglyfantasticarabesquesforembroiderypatterns,andheevendabbledinportraitandlandscapepainting。
Whateverheturnedhishandto,hedidwell,infact,astonishinglywellforadilettante,andyetnotwellenoughtoclaimthetitleofanartist。Nordiditeveroccurtohimtomakesuchaclaim。Asoneofhisfellow—studentsremarkedinafitofjealousy,\"OncewhenNaturehadmadethreegeniuses,apoet,amusician,andapainter,shetookalltheremainingoddsandendsandshookthemtogetheratrandomandtheresultwasHalfdanBjerk。\"Thisagreeablemelangeofaccomplishments,however,provedveryattractivetotheladies,whoinvitedthepossessortoinnumerableafternoontea—parties,wheretheydrewheavydraftsonhisunflaggingpatience,andkepthimsteadilyengagedwithpatternsanddesignsforembroidery,leatherflowers,andotherdaintyknickknacks。
Andinreturnforallhisexertionstheycalledhim\"sweet\"and\"beautiful,\"andappliedtohimmanyotherenthusiasticadjectivesseldomheardinconnectionwithmasculinenames。Intheuniversity,talentsofthisordergainedbutslightrecognition,andwhenHalfdanhadforthreeyearsbeenpreparinghimselfinvainfortheexamenphilosophicum,hefoundhimselfslowlyandimperceptiblydriftingintotheranksoftheso—calledstudiosiperpetui,whopreserveasolemnsilenceattheexaminationtables,fraternizewitheverynewgenerationoffreshmen,andatlastbecomepartofthefixedfurnitureoftheirAlmaMater。InthelargerAmericancolleges,suchmenaremercilesslydroppedorsenttoaDivinitySchool;buttheEuropeanuniversities,whosetempersthecenturieshavemellowed,harborintheirspaciousGothicbosomsatendererheartfortheirunfortunatesons。Theretheprofessorsgreetthematthegreentableswithagood—humoredsmileofrecognition;theyaretreatedwithgentleforbearance,andareallowedtolingeron,untiltheydieorbecometutorsinthefamiliesofremoteclergymen,wheretheyinvariablyfallinlovewiththehandsomestdaughter,andthusloungeintoamodestprosperity。
IfthishadbeenthefateofourfriendBjerk,weshouldhavedismissedhimherewithaconfident\"vale\"onhislife’spilgrimage。But,unfortunately,Bjerkwasinclinedtoholdthegovernmentinsomewayresponsibleforhisownpoorsuccessasastudent,andthis,inconnectionwithanaestheticenthusiasmforancientGreece,graduallyconvincedhimthattherepublicwastheonlyformofgovernmentunderwhichmenofhistastesandtemperamentwereapttoflourish。
Itwas,likeeverythingthatpertainedtohim,acheerful,genialconviction,withouttheslightesttingeofbitterness。Theoldinstitutionswereobsolete,rottentothecore,hesaid,andneededaradicalrenovation。HecouldsitforhoursofaneveningintheStudents’Union,anddiscourseoveraglassofmildtoddy,onthebenefitsofuniversalsuffrageandtrialbyjury,whilethepicturesquenessofhislanguage,hisgenialsarcasms,oroccasionalwittyallusionswouldcallforthuproariousapplausefromthrongsofadmiringfreshmen。ThesewerethesunnydaysinHalfdan’scareer,dayslongtoberemembered。TheycametoanabruptendwhenoldMrs。Bjerkdied,leavingnothingbehindherbutherfurnitureandsometriflingdebts。Theson,whowasnotaneminentlypracticalman,underwentlonghoursofmiseryintryingtosettleupheraffairs,andfinallyinamomentofextremedejectionsoldhisentireinheritanceinalumptoapawnbroker(reservingforhimselfafewringsandtrinkets)forthemodestsumof250dollarsspecie。HethentookformalleaveoftheStudents’Unioninabrilliantspeech,inwhichhetracedtheparallelismsbetweenthelivesofPericlesandWashington,——
inhisopinionthetwogreatestmentheworldhadeverseen,——expoundedhistheoryofdemocraticgovernment,andexplainedthecausesoftherapidriseoftheAmericanRepublic。
ThenextmorningheexchangedhalfofhisworldlypossessionsforatickettoNewYork,andwithinafewdayssetsailforthelandofpromise,inthefarWest。
II。
FromCastleGarden,HalfdanmadehiswayupthroughGreenwichstreet,pursuedbyaclamoroustroopofconfidencemenandhotelrunners。
\"KommenSiemitmir。IchbinauchDeutsch,\"criedone。\"Voila,voila,jeparleFrancais,\"shoutedanother,seizingholdofhisvalise。\"JegerDansk。TaleDansk,\"[1]roaredathird,withanaccentwhichseriouslyimpeachedhistruthfulness。Inordertoescapefromtheseimportunaterascals,whowereeverymomentgettingbolder,hethrewhimselfintothefirststreet—carwhichhappenedtopass;hesatdown,gazedoutofthewindowsandsoonbecamesothoroughlyabsorbedintheanimatedsceneswhichmovedasinapanoramabeforehiseyes,thathequiteforgotwherehewasgoing。
Theconductorcalledforfares,andreceivedanEnglishshilling,which,aftersomeineffectualexpostulation,hepocketed,butgavenochange。
Atlastafteraboutanhour’sjourney,thecarstopped,theconductorcalledout\"CentralPark,\"andHalfdanwokeupwithastart。Hedismountedwithatimid,deliberatestep,staredindimbewildermentatthelongrowsofpalatialresidences,andachillsenseoflonelinesscreptoverhim。Thehopelessstrangenessofeverythinghesaw,insteadoffillinghimwithraptureashehadonceanticipated,Sentacoldshivertohisheart。Itisaverylargeaffair,thisworldofours——agooddeallargerthanitappearedtohimgazingoutuponitfromhissnuglittlecornerupunderthePole;anditwasasunsympatheticasitwaslarge;hesuddenlyfeltwhathehadneverbeenawareofbefore——
thathewasaverysmallpartofitandofverylittleaccountafterall。Hestaggeredovertoabenchattheentrancetothepark,andsatlongwatchingthefinecarriagesastheydashedpasthim;hesawthehandsomewomeninbrilliantcostumeslaughingandchattinggayly;theapatheticpolicemenpromenadinginstoicdignityupanddownuponthesmoothpavements;thejauntilyattirednurses,whominhisNorseinnocencehetookformothersorauntsofthechil—
dren,wheelingbaby—carriageswhichtoNorseeyesseemedmiraclesofdaintyingenuity,undertheshadycrownsoftheelm—trees。Hedidnotknowhowlonghehadbeensittingthere,whenalittlebright—eyedgirlwithlightkidgloves,asmallblueparasolandabluepolonaise,quitealadyoffashionenminiature,stoppedinfrontofhimandstaredathiminshywonder。Hehadalwaysbeenfondofchildren,andoftenrejoicedintheiraffectionatewaysandconfidentialprattle,andnowitsuddenlytouchedhimwithawarmsenseofhumanfellowshiptohavethislittledaintilybefrilledandcrisplystarchedbeautysinglehimoutfornoticeamongthehundredswhoreclinedinthearbors,orsaunteredtoandfrounderthegreattrees。
[1]\"IamaDane。IspeakDanish。\"
\"Whatisyourname,mylittlegirl?\"heasked,inatoneoffriendlyinterest。
\"Clara,\"answeredthechild,hesitatingly;
then,havingbyanotherlookassuredherselfofhisharmlessness,sheadded:\"Howveryfunnyyouspeak!\"
\"Yes,\"hesaid,stoopingdowntotakehetinybeglovedhand。\"Idonotspeakaswellasyoudo,yet;butIshallsoonlearn。\"
Claralookedpuzzled。
\"Howoldareyou?\"sheasked,raisingherparasol,andthrowingbackherheadwithanairofsuperiority。
\"Iamtwenty—fouryearsold。\"
Shebegantocounthalfaloudonherfingers:
\"One,two,three,four,\"but,beforeshereachedtwenty,shelostherpatience。
\"Twenty—four,\"sheexclaimed,\"thatisagreatdeal。Iamonlyseven,andpapagavemeaponyonmybirthday。Haveyougotapony?\"
\"No;Ihavenothingbutwhatisinthisvalise,andyouknowIcouldnotverywellgetaponyintoit。\"
Claraglancedcuriouslyatthevaliseandlaughed;thensuddenlyshegrewseriousagain,putherhandintoherpocketandseemedtobesearchingeagerlyforsomething。Presentlyshehauledoutasmallporcelaindoll’shead,thenared—paintedblockwithlettersonit,andatlastapenny。
\"Doyouwantthem?\"shesaid,reachinghimhertreasuresinbothhands。\"Youmayhavethemall。\"
Beforehehadtimetoanswer,ashrill,penetratingvoicecriedout:
\"Why,gracious!child,whatareyoudoing?\"
Andthenurse,whohadbeendeeplyabsorbedin\"TheNewYorkLedger,\"camerushingup,snatchedthechildaway,andretreatedashastilyasshehadcome。
Halfdanroseandwanderedforhoursaimlesslyalongtheintertwiningroadsandfootpaths。
Hevisitedthemenageries,admiredthestatues,tookaverylightdinner,consistingofcoffee,sandwiches,andice,attheChinesePavilion,and,towardevening,discoveredaninvitingleafyarbor,wherehecouldwithdrawintotheprivacyofhisownthoughts,andponderuponthestillunsolvedproblemofhisdestiny。Thelittleincidentwiththechildhadtakentheedgeoffhisunhappinessandturnedhimintoamoreconciliatorymoodtowardhimselfandthegreatpitilessworld,whichseemedtotakesolittlenoticeofhim。Andhe,whohadcomeherewithsowarmaheartandsoardentawilltojoininthegreatworkofhumanadvancement——tofindhimselfthusharshlyignoredandbuffetedabout,asifhewereahostileintruder!Beforehimlaythehugeunknowncitywherehumanlifepulsatedwithlarge,fullheart—throbs,whereabreathless,weirdintensity,acold,fiercepassionseemedtobehurryingeverythingonwardinamaddeningwhirl,whereagentle,warm—
bloodedenthusiastlikehimselfhadnoplaceandcouldexpectnaughtbutaspeedydestruction。
Astrange,unconquerabledreadtookpossessionofhim,asifhehadbeencaughtinaswift,strongwhirlpool,fromwhichhevainlystruggledtoescape。Hecroucheddownamongthefoliageandshuddered。Hecouldnotreturntothecity。No,no:heneverwouldreturn。Hewouldremainherehiddenandunseenuntilmorning,andthenhewouldseekavesselboundforhisdearnativeland,wherethegreatmountainsloomedupinserenemajestytowardthebluesky,wherethepine—forestswhisperedtheirdreamilysympatheticlegends,inthelongsummertwilights,wherehumanexistenceflowedonincalmbeautywiththemodestaims,smallvirtues,andsmallviceswhichwerethehappinessofmodest,idyllicsouls。Heevensawhimselfinspiritrecountingtohisastonishedcountrymenthewonderfulthingshehadheardandseenduringhisforeignpilgrimage,andsmiledtohimselfasheimaginedtheirwonderwhenheshouldtellthemaboutthebeautifullittlegirlwhohadbeenthefirstandonlyonetoofferhimafriendlygreetinginthestrangeland。Duringthesereflectionshefellasleep,andsleptsoundlyfortwoorthreehours。Once,heseemedtohearfootstepsandwhispersamongthetrees,andmadeanefforttorousehimself,butwearinessagainovermasteredhimandheslepton。Atlast,hefelthimselfseizedviolentlybytheshoulders,andagruffvoiceshoutedinhisear:
\"Getup,yousleepydog。\"
Herubbedhiseyes,and,bythedimlightofthemoon,sawaHerculeanpolicemanliftingastoutstickoverhishead。Hisformerterrorcameuponhimwithincreasedviolence,andhisheartstoodforamomentstill,then,again,hammeredawayasifitwouldbursthissides。
\"Comealong!\"roaredthepoliceman,shakinghimvehementlybythecollarofhiscoat。
Inhisbewildermenthequiteforgotwherehewas,and,inhurriedNorsesentences,assuredhispersecutorthathewasaharmless,honesttraveler,andimploredhimtoreleasehim。ButtheofficialHerculeswasinexorable。
\"Myvalise,myvalise;\"criedHalfdan。
\"Prayletmegetmyvalise。\"
Theyreturnedtotheplacewherehehadslept,butthevalisewasnowheretobefound。
Then,withdumbdespairheresignedhimselftohisfate,andafterabriefrideonastreet—car,foundhimselfstandinginalarge,low—ceiledroom;hecoveredhisfacewithhishandsandburstintotears。
\"Thegrand—thehappyrepublic,\"hemurmured,\"spontaneousblossomingofthesoul。
Alas!Ihaverootedupmylife;Ifearitwillneverblossom。\"
Allthehigh—flownadjectiveshehademployedinhispartingspeechintheStudents’Union,whenhepaidhisenthusiastictributetotheGrandRepublic,nowkeptrecurringtohim,andinthismomenttheparadoxseemedcruel。TheGrandRepublic,whatdiditcareforsuchashe?Apairofbrawnyarmsfittowieldthepick—axeandtosteertheplowitreceivedwithaneagerwelcome;forachild—like,lovingheartandagenerouslyfantasticbrain,ithadbutthesterngreetingofthelaw。
III。
Thenextmorning,HalfdanwasreleasedfromthePoliceStation,havingfirstbeenfinedfivedollarsforvagrancy。Allhismoney,withtheexceptionofafewpoundswhichhehadexchangedinLiverpool,hehadlostwithhisvalise,andhehadtohisknowledgenotasingleacquaintanceinthecityoronthewholecontinent。Inordertoincreasehiscapitalheboughtsomefifty\"Tribunes,\"but,asitwasalreadylateintheday,hehardlysucceededinsellingasinglecopy。Thenextmorning,heoncemorestationedhimselfonthecornerofMurraystreetandBroadway,hopinginhisinnocencetodisposeofthepapershehadstillonhandfromthepreviousday,andactuallydidfindafewcustomersamongthepeoplewhowerejumpinginandoutoftheomnibusesthatpassedupanddownthegreatthoroughfare。
Tohissurprise,however,oneofthesegentlemenreturnedtohimwithaverywrathfulcountenance,shookhisfistathim,andvociferatedwithexcitedgesturessomethingwhichtoHalfdan’searshadaveryunintelligiblesound。
Hemadeavainefforttodefendhimself;thesituationappearedsoutterlyincomprehensibletohim,andinhisdumbhelplessnesshelookedpitifulenoughtomovetheheartofastone。
NoEnglishphrasesuggesteditselftohim,onlyafewNorseinterjectionsrosetohislips。Theman’sangersuddenlyabated;hepickedupthepaperwhichhehadthrownonthesidewalk,andstoodforawhileregardingHalfdancuriously。
\"AreyouaNorwegian?\"heasked。
\"Yes,IcamefromNorwayyesterday。\"
\"What’syourname?\"
\"HalfdanBjerk。\"
\"HalfdanBjerk!Mystars!Whowouldhavethoughtofmeetingyouhere!Youdonotrecognizeme,Isuppose。\"
Halfdandeclaredwithatimidtremorinhisvoicethathecouldnotatthemomentrecallhisfeatures。
\"No,IimagineImusthavechangedagooddealsinceyousawme,\"saidtheman,suddenlydroppingintoNorwegian。\"IamGustavOlson,Iusedtoliveinthesamehousewithyouonce,butthatislongagonow。\"
GustavOlson——tobesure,hewastheporter’ssoninthehouse,wherehismotherhadonceduringhischildhood,takenaflat。Hewellrememberedhavingclandestinelytradedjack—
knivesandbuttonswithhim,inspiteofthefrequentwarningshehadreceivedtohavenothingtodowithhim;forGustav,withhisbroadfreckledfaceandredhair,waslookeduponbythegenteelinhabitantsoftheupperflatsasratheradisreputablecharacter。Hehadoncewhippedthesonofacolonelwhohadbeenimpudenttohim,andthrownasnow—ballattheheadofanew—fledgedlieutenant,whichoffenseshehaddulyexpiatedatahouseofcorrection。
SincethattimehehadvanishedfromHalfdan’shorizon。Hehadstillthesamebroadfreckledface,nowcoveredwithalustygrowthofcoarseredbeard,thesamerebelliousheadofhair,whichrefusedtoyieldtothesubduinginfluencesofthecomb,thesameplebeianhandsandfeet,anduncouthclumsinessofform。Buthislinenwasirreproachable,andacertaindashinhismanner,andtheloudfashionablenessofhisattire,gaveunmistakableevidencesofprosperity。
\"Come,Bjerk,\"saidheinatoneofgood—
fellowship,whichwasnotwithoutitsstingtotheidealisticrepublican,\"youmusttakeupabetterbusinessthansellingyesterday’s`Tribune。’
Thatwon’tpayhere,youknow。ComealongtoourofficeandIwillseeifsomethingcan’tbedoneforyou。\"
\"ButIshouldbesorrytogiveyoutrouble,\"
stammeredHalfdan,whosenativepride,eveninhispresentwretchedness,protestedagainstacceptingafavorfromonewhomhehadbeenwonttoregardashisinferior。
\"Nonsense,myboy。Hurryup,Ihaven’tmuchtimetospare。Theofficeisonlytwoblocksfromhere。Youdon’tlookasifyoucouldaffordtothrowawayafriendlyoffer。\"
ThelastwordssuddenlyrousedHalfdanfromhisapathy;forhefeltthattheyweretrue。A
drowningmancannotaffordtomakenicedistinctions——cannotaffordtoaskwhetherthehelpinghandthatisextendedtohimbethatofanequaloraninferior。SoheswallowedhishumiliationandthreadedhiswaythroughthebewilderingturmoilofBroadway,bythesideofhisofficiousfriend。
Theyenteredalarge,elegantlyfurnishedoffice,whereclerkswithsleekandseverelyapatheticcountenancesstoodscribblingattheirdesks。
\"Youwillhavetoamuseyourselfasbestyoucan,\"saidOlson。\"Mr。VanKirkwillbehereintwentyminutes。Ihaven’ttimetoentertainyou。\"
Adrearyhalfhourpassed。Thenthedooropenedandatall,handsomeman,withafullgrayishbeard,andacommandingpresence,enteredandtookhisseatatadeskinasmalleradjoiningoffice。Heopened,withgreatdispatch,apileofletterswhichlayonthedeskbeforehim,calledoutinasharp,ringingtoneforaclerk,whopromptlyappeared,handedhimhalf—a—dozenletters,accompanyingeachwithabriefdirection,tooksomecleanpaperfromadrawerandfelltowriting。Therewassomethingbrisk,determined,andbusiness—likeinhismanner,whichmadeitseemveryhopelesstoHalfdantoappearbeforehimasapetitioner。
PresentlyOlsonenteredtheprivateoffice,closingthedoorbehindhim,andafewminuteslaterre—appearedandsummonedHalfdanintothechief’spresence。
\"YouareaNorwegian,Ihear,\"saidthemerchant,lookingaroundoverhisshoulderatthesupplicant,withapreoccupiedair。\"Youwantwork。Whatcanyoudo?\"
Whatcanyoudo?Afatalquestion。Butherewasclearlynoopportunityformentaldebate。So,summoningallhiscourage,butfeelingneverthelessveryfaint,heanswered:
\"Ihavepassedbothexamenartiumandphilosophicum,[2]andgotmylaudclearintheformer,butinthelatterhaudonthefirstpoint。\"
[2]ExamenartiumistheentranceexaminationtotheNorwegianUniversity,andphilosophicumthefirstdegree。TheranksgivenattheseareLaudabilispraeceteris(instudent’sparlance,prae),laudabilisorlaud,haudillaudabilis,orhaud,etc。
Mr。VanKirkwheeledroundonhischairandfacedthespeaker:
\"ThatisallGreektome,\"hesaid,inaseveretone。\"Canyoukeepaccounts?\"
\"No。Iamafraidnot。\"
KeepingaccountswasnotdeemedaclassicalaccomplishmentinNorway。Itwasonly\"trade—
rats\"whotroubledthemselvesaboutsuchgrossthings,andifourNorsemanhadnotbeentooabsorbedwiththeproblemofhisdestiny,hewouldhavebeenjustlyindignantathavingsuchaquestionputtohim。
\"Thenyoudon’tknowbook—keeping?\"
\"Ithinknot。Inevertriedit。\"
\"Thenyoumaybesureyoudon’tknowit。
Butyoumustcertainlyhavetriedyourhandatsomething。Istherenothingyoucanthinkofwhichmighthelpyoutogetaliving?\"
\"Icanplaythepiano——and——andtheviolin。\"
\"Verywell,then。Youmaycomethisafternoontomyhouse。Mr。Olsonwilltellyoutheaddress。IwillgiveyouanotetoMrs。VanKirk。Perhapsshewillengageyouasamusicteacherforthechildren。Goodmorning。\"
IV。
Athalf—pastfouro’clockintheafternoon,Halfdanfoundhimselfstandinginalarge,dimlylighteddrawing—room,whosebrilliantupholstery,luxuriouscarpets,andfantasticallytwistedfurnituredazzledandbewilderedhissenses。Allwassostrange,sostrange;nowhereafamiliarobjecttogiveresttotheweariedeye。Whereverhelookedhesawhisshabbilyattiredfigurerepeatedinthelongcrystalmirrors,andhebecameuncomfortablyconsciousofhisthreadbarecoat,hisuncouthboots,andthegeneralincongruityofhisappearance。Witheverymomenthisuneasinessgrew;andhewasvaguelyconsideringtheproprietyofaprecipitateflight,whentherustleofadressatthefartherendoftheroomstartledhim,andasmall,plumplady,ofadaintilyexquisiteform,sweptuptowardhim,gaveaslightinclinationofherhead,andsankdownintoaneasy—chair:
\"YouareMr。————,theNorwegian,whowishestogivemusiclessons?\"shesaid,holdingapairofgold—framedeyeglassesuptohereyes,andrunningoverthenotewhichsheheldinherhand。Itreadasfollows:
DEARMARTHA,——ThebearerofthisnoteisayoungNorwegian,Iforgottoascertainhisname,afriendofOlson’s。Hewishestoteachmusic。Ifyoucanhelpthepoordevilandgivehimsomethingtodo,youwilloblige,Yours,H。V。K。
Mrs。VanKirkwasevidently,byatleasttwelveyears,herhusband’sjunior,andapparentlynotveryfaradvancedintheforties。Herblondehair,whichwasfreshlycrimped,felllightlyoverhersmooth,narrowforehead;hernose,mouthandchinhadaneatdistinctnessofoutline;hercomplexionwaseithernaturallyorartificiallyperfect,andhereyes,whichwereofthepurestblue,had,owingtotheirnear—sightedness,acertainpinchedandscrutinizinglook。
Thislook,whichwaswithouttheslightesttouchofseverity,indicatingmerelyalivelydegreeofinterest,wasfurtheremphasizedbythreesmallperpendicularwrinkles,whichdeepenedandagainrelaxedaccordingtothevaryingintensityofobservationshebestowedupontheobjectwhichforthetimeengagedherattention。
\"Yourname,ifyouplease?\"saidMrs。VanKirk,havingforawhilemeasuredhervisitorwithaglanceofmildscrutiny。
\"HalfdanBjerk。\"
\"Half—danB————,howdoyouspellthat?\"
\"B—j—e—r—k。\"
\"B—jerk。Well,butImean,whatisyournameinEnglish?\"
Halfdanlookedblank,andblushedtohisears。
\"Iwishtoknow,\"continuedtheladyenergetically,evidentlyanxioustohelphimout,\"whatyournamewouldmeaninplainEnglish。
Bjerk,itcertainlymustmeansomething。\"
\"Bjerkisatree——abirch—tree。\"
\"Verywell,Birch,——thatisaveryrespectablename。Andyourfirstname?Whatdidyousaythatwas?
\"H—a—l—f—d—a—n。\"
\"HalfDan。WhynotawholeDanandbedonewithit?DanBirch,orratherDanielBirch。Indeed,thatsoundsquiteChristian。\"
\"Asyouplease,madam,\"falteredthevictim,;
lookingveryunhappy。
\"Youwillpardonmystraightforwardness,won’tyou?B—jerk。Icouldneverpronouncethat,youknow。\"
\"Whatevermaybeagreeabletoyou,madam,willbesuretopleaseme。\"
\"Thatisverywellsaid。Andyouwillfindthatitalwayspaystotrytopleaseme。Andyouwishtoteachmusic?IfyouhavenoobjectionIwillcallmyoldestdaughter。Sheisanexcellentjudgeofmusic,andifyourplayingmeetswithherapproval,Iwillengageyou,asmyhusbandsuggests,nottoteachEdith,youunderstand,butmyyoungestchild,Clara。\"
Halfdanbowedassent,andMrs。VanKirkrustledoutintothehallwheresherangabell,andre—entered。Aservantindress—coatappeared,andagainvanishedasnoiselesslyashehadcome。ToourNorsemantherewassomethingweirdanduncannyaboutthesesilententrancesandexits;hecouldhardlysuppressashudder。Hehadbeenaccustomedtoheartheclatterofpeople’sheelsuponthebarefloors,astheyapproached,andtheaudiblecrescendooftheirfootstepsgaveonewarning,andpreventedonefrombeingtakenbysurprise。Whileabsorbedinthesereflections,hissensesmusthavebeendormant;forjustthenMissEdithVanKirkentered,unheraldedbyanythingbutahoveringperfume,theeffectofwhichwastolullhimstilldeeperintohiswonderingabstraction。
\"Mr。Birch,\"saidMrs。VanKirk,\"thisismydaughterMissEdith,\"andasHalfdansprangtohisfeetandbowedwithvisibleembarrassment,shecontinued:
\"Edith,thisisMr。DanielBirch,whomyourfatherhassentheretoknowifhewouldbeserviceableasamusicteacherforClara。Andnow,dear,youwillhavetodecideaboutthemeritsofMr。Birch。Idon’tknowenoughaboutmusictobeanythingofajudge。\"
\"IfMr。Birchwillbekindenoughtoplay,\"
saidMissEdithwithalanguidlymusicalintonation,\"Ishallbehappytolistentohim。\"
Halfdansilentlysignifiedhiswillingnessandfollowedtheladiestoasmallerapartmentwhichwasseparatedfromthedrawing—roombyfoldingdoors。Theapparitionofthebeautifulyounggirlwhowaswalkingathissidehadsuddenlyfilledhimwithastrangeburningandshudderinghappiness;hecouldnottearhiseyesawayfromher;sheheldhimasbyapowerfulspell。Andstill,allthewhilehehadapainfulsub—consciousnessofhisownunfortunateappearance,whichwasthrownintocruelreliefbyhersplendor。Thetall,lithemagnificenceofherform,theairyeleganceofhertoilet,whichseemedtheperfectionofself—concealingart,theelasticdeliberatenessofherstep——allwroughtlikeagentle,deliciouslysoothingopiateupontheNorseman’sfancyandliftedhimintohithertounknownregionsofmingledmiseryandbliss。Sheseemedacombinationofthemostdivinecontradictions,onemomentsupremelyconscious,andinthenextadorablychild—likeandsimple,nowfullofartsandcoquettishinnuendoes,thenagainnave,unthinkingandalmostboyishlybluntanddirect;inaword,oneofthosemiraculousNewYorkgirlswhomabstractlyonemaydisapproveof,butintheconcretemustabjectlyadore。Thiseasypredominanceofthemasculineheartoverthemas—
culinereasoninthepresenceofanimpressivewoman,hasbeenthemotifofathousandtragediesintimespast,andwillinspireathousandmoreintimestocome。
HalfdansatdownatthegrandpianoandplayedChopin’sNocturneinGmajor,flingingoutthatelaboratefiligreeofsoundwithanimpetuosityandsuperbABANDONwhichcausedtheladiestoexchangeastonishedglancesbehindhisback。Thetransitionsfromthelightandetherealtextureofmelodytothesimple,moreconcretetheme,whichherenderedwithdelicateshadingsofarticulation,weresufficientlystartlingtoimpressevenalesscultivatedearthanthatofEdithVanKirk,whohad,indeed,exhaustedwhatevermusicalresourcesNewYorkhastooffer。Andshewasmostprofoundlyimpressed。Asheglidedoverthelastpianissimonotestowardthetwoconcludingchords(anendingsocharacteristicofChopin)sheroseandhurriedtohissidewithaheedlesseagerness,whichwasmoreeloquentthanemphaticwordsofpraise。
\"Won’tyoupleaserepeatthispassage?\"shesaid,hummingtheairwithsoftmodulations;
\"Ihavealwaysregardedthemonotonousrepetitionofthisstrain\"(andsheindicateditlightlybyafewtouchesofthekeys)\"asratherablemishofanotherwiseperfectcomposition。
Butasyouplayit,itisanythingbutmonotonous。
YouputintothissinglephraseamoreintensemeaningandagreatervarietyofthoughtthanIeversuspecteditwascapableofexpressing。\"
\"Itismyfavoritecomposition,\"answeredhe,modestly。\"IhavebestowedmorethoughtuponitthanuponanythingIhaveeverplayed,unlessperhapsitbetheoneinGminor,which,withallitsdifferenceofmoodandphraseology,expressesanessentiallykindredthought。\"
\"MydearMr。Birch,\"exclaimedMrs。VanKirk,whomhisskillfulemploymentoftechnicalterms(inspiteofhisindifferentaccent)hadimpressedevenmorethanhisrenderingofthemusic,——\"youareacomsummate{sic}artist,andweshalldeemitagreatprivilegeifyouwillundertaketoinstructourchild。Ihavelistenedtoyouwithprofoundsatisfaction。\"
Halfdanacknowledgedthecomplimentbyabowandablush,andrepeatedthelatterpartofthenocturneaccordingtoEdith’srequest。
\"Andnow,\"resumedEdith,\"mayItroubleyoutoplaytheGminor,whichhasevenpuzzledmemorethantheoneyouhavejustplayed。\"
\"Itoughtreallytohavebeenplayedfirst,\"
repliedHalfdan。\"Itisfarintenserinitscoloringandhasamorepassionatering,butitsconclusiondoesnotseemtobefinal。Thereisnorestinit,anditseemsoddlyenoughtobeameretransitionintothemajor,whichisitspropersupplementandcompletesthefragmentarythought。\"
Motheranddaughteroncemoretelegraphedwonderinglooksateachother,whileHalfdanplungedintotheimpetuousmovementsoftheminornocturne,whichheplayedtotheendwithever—increasingfervorandanimation。
\"Mr。Birch,\"saidEdith,ashearosefromthepianowithaflushedface,andtheagitationofthemusicstilltinglingthroughhisnerves。
\"Youareafargreatermusicianthanyouseemtobeawareof。Ihavenotbeentakinglessonsforsometime,butyouhavearousedallmymusicalambition,andifyouwillacceptmetoo,asapupil,Ishalldeemitafavor。\"
\"IhardlyknowifIcanteachyouanything,\"
answeredhe,whilehiseyesdweltwithkeendelightonherbeautifulform。\"ButinmypresentpositionIcanhardlyaffordtodeclinesoflatteringanoffer。\"
\"Youmeantosaythatyouwoulddeclineitifyouwereinapositiontodoso,\"saidshe,smiling。
\"No,onlythatIshouldquestionmyconveniencemoreclosely。\"
\"Ah,nevermind。Itakealltheresponsibility。
Ishallcheerfullyconsenttobeingimposeduponbyyou。\"
Mrs。VanKirkinthemeanwhilehadbeenexaminingthecontentsofafragrantRussia—leatherpocket—book,andshenowdrewouttwocrispten—dollarnotes,andheldthemouttowardhim。
\"Iprefertomakesureofyoubypayingyouinadvance,\"saidshe,withacheerfullyfamiliarnod,andacriticalglanceathisattire,themeaningofwhichhedidnotfailtodetect。\"Somebodyelsemightmakethesamediscoverythatwehavemadeto—day,andoutbidus。Andwedonotwanttobecheatedoutofourgoodfortuneinhavingbeenthefirsttosecuresovaluableaprize。\"
\"Youneedhavenofearonthatscore,madam,\"retortedHalfdan,withavividblush,andpurposelymisinterpretingthepolitesubterfuge。
\"Youmayrelyuponmypromise。Ishallbehereagain,assoonasyouwishmetoreturn。\"
\"Then,ifyouplease,weshalllookforyouto—morrowmorningatteno’clock。\"
AndMrs。VanKirkhesitatinglyfoldeduphernotesandreplacedtheminherpocket—book。
Toouridealisttherewassomethingextremelyodiousinthissuddenofferofmoney。Itwasthefirsttimeanyonehadofferedtopayhim,anditseemedtoputhimonalevelwithacommonday—laborer。Hisfirstimpulsewastoresentitasagratuitoushumiliation,butaglanceatMrs。VanKirk’scountenance,whichwasallaglowwithofficiousbenevolence,re—assuredhim,andhisindignationdiedaway。
ThatsameafternoonOlson,havingbeeninformedofhisfriend’sgoodfortune,volunteeredaloanofahundreddollars,andaccompaniedhimtoafashionabletailor,whereheunderwentapleasingmetamorphosis。
V。
InNorwaytheladiesdresswiththeinnocentpurposeofprotectingthemselvesagainsttheweather;ifthispurposeisstillremotelypresentinthetoiletsofAmericanwomenofto—day,itis,atallevents,sufficientlydisguisedtochallengedetection,verymuchlikeaprimitiveSanscritrootinitsFrenchandEnglishderivatives。
ThiswasthereflectionwhichwasuppermostinHalfdan’smindasEdith,ravishingtobeholdintheairygraceofherfragrantmorningtoilet,attheappointedtimetookherseatathissidebeforethepiano。Herpresenceseemedsointense,soall—absorbing,thatitleftnothoughtforthemusic。Awoman,withallthespiritualmysterieswhichthatnameimplies,hadalwaysappearedtohimratheracompositephenomenon,evenapartfromthosevariedaccessoriesofdress,inwhichasbyaninevitableanalogy,sheseesfittoexpresstheinnermultiformityofherbeing。Nevertheless,thisformerconceptionofhis,whencomparedtothatwonderfulcomplexityofethereallines,colors,tintsandhalf—
tintswhichgotomakeupthemodernNewYorkgirl,seemedinexpressiblysimple,almostwhatplainarithmeticmustappeartoamanwhohasmasteredcalculus。
Edithhadopenedoneofthosesmallred—
coveredvolumesofChopinwheretherich,wondrousmelodiesliepeacefullyfoldeduplikestrangeexoticflowersinanherbarium。Shebegantoplaythefantasiaimpromtu,whichoughttobedashedoffatasingle\"heat,\"whosepassionateimpulsehurriesitonbreathlesslytowarditsabruptfinale。ButEdithtoiledconsiderablywithherfingering,andblurredthekeenedgesofeachswiftphrasebyherindistinctar—
ticulation。Andstilltherewasasufficientlyardentintentioninherplaytosaveitfrombeingafailure。Shemadeagestureofdisgustwhenshehadfinished,shutthebook,andletherhandsdropcrosswiseinherlap。
\"Ionlywantedtogiveyouaproofofmyincapacity,\"
shesaid,turningherlargeluminousgazeuponherinstructor,\"inordertomakeyoudulyappreciatewhatyouhaveundertaken。
Now,tellmetrulyandhonestly,areyounotdiscouraged?\"
\"Notbyanymeans,\"repliedhe,whiletheraptureofherpresencerippledthroughhisnerves,\"youhavefireenoughinyoutomakeanadmirablemusician。Butyourfingers,asyet,refusetocarryoutyourfineintentions。
Theyonlyneeddiscipline。\"
\"Anddoyousupposeyoucandisciplinethem?Theyareafearfullyobstinateset,andcausemeinfinitemortification。\"
\"Wouldyouallowmetolookatyourhand?\"
Sheraisedherrighthand,andwithasortofimpulsiveheedlessnessletitdropintohis。Anexclamationofsurpriseescapedhim。
`{`}Ifyouwillpardonme,\"hesaid,\"itisasuperbhand——ahandcapableofperformingmira—
cles——musicalmiraclesImean。Onlylookhere\"
——(andhedrewtheforeandsecondfingersapart)
——\"sofirmlysetinthejointandstillsoflexible。
IdoubtifLiszthimselfcanboastafinerrowoffingers。YourhandswillsurelynotpreventyoufrombecomingasecondVonBulow,whichtomymindmeansagooddealmorethanasecondLiszt。\"
\"Thankyou,thatisquiteenough,\"sheexclaimed,withanincredulouslaugh;\"youhavedonebravely。Thatatalleventsthrowsthewholeburdenofresponsibilityuponmyself,ifIdonotbecomeasecondsomebody。Ishallbeperfectlysatisfied,however,ifyoucanonlymakemeasgoodamusicianasyouareyourself,sothatIcanrenderanottoodifficultpiecewithoutfeelingallthewhilethatIamcommittingsacrilegeinmutilatingthefinethoughtsofsomegreatcomposer。\"
\"Youaretoomodest;youdonot——\"
\"No,no,Iamnotmodest,\"sheinterruptedhimwithanimpetuositywhichstartledhim。