Landolin Part 29

As he still wanted every one to consider him of great importance, he explained to the old waitress that he was going to a bathing place for his health pretty soon. There they wouldn't let a man drink anything but mineral water, and so he was going to take plenty of wine before he went.

The old waitress said that was wise, and then returned to the ill.u.s.trated paper which she had brought down from the Casino.

It was quiet in the cool room. Only a canary bird in his cage twittered awhile, and then began whistling half of the song "Who never on a spree did go."

Landolin frequently looked up at the bird and smiled; until, remembering Walderjorgli, he murmured, "Give my greeting to your wife."

CHAPTER LIII.

The mother slept in her chamber. Thoma sat at the table in the living-room before a large, handsomely-bound book, filled with beautiful pictures. It was an ill.u.s.trated history of the last war, which Anton had given her. Many book-marks lay between the leaves, at the places where the battles in which Anton had taken part were described. There were many soldiers in the pictures, but Anton's face was not distinguishable. She had heard that he was not at the celebration to-day. It was on her account. What could she do for him?

There seemed to be nothing that she could do. Thoma had intended to read, but she could not bring herself to it; and to-day it horrified her to see in the pictures the men murdering each other, and sh.e.l.l tearing them to pieces.

For a long time she stared before her into the empty air. She was weary after the harvest work. Her head sank forward on the open book, and she fell asleep.

A cry awoke her; for her mother was calling,

"Landolin! For G.o.d's sake! don't do it! Stop!"

Thoma hastened to her mother, who looked at her wildly, as though she scarcely knew who and where she was.

"Is it you?" she asked at length. "Where is your father?"

"At the celebration."

"He must come home. Has not Peter found him yet? Where is he staying so long? Oh, Thoma! The eye-gla.s.s on the little black ribbon! He kneeled down on t.i.tus, and tried to choke him! The farmer must come home, home!" she cried, weeping. She was in a fever. Thoma succeeded in quieting and undressing her. With chattering teeth she begged that a messenger should be sent for her husband, and Thoma obeyed her request.

Boys and girls rode past the house in the decorated wagons, singing,--the people on foot talked and laughed,--while in the house the farmer's wife lay in a fever. But at last, with burning cheeks, she fell asleep.

Thoma had ordered the messenger she sent for her father to go for the physician at the same time. The messenger found the doctor, but not the farmer.

It was late at night when Landolin crossed the bridge on his way home.

He hit against the railing, and cried, "Oho!" as though it were some one blocking his way.

"Are you drunk?" he said, laying his finger on his nose; then laughed and went on.

The meadow was empty; not a soul was there. Landolin crossed it with a steady step, and ascending the speaker's stand--

"All you people there together, may the devil catch you all! Hutadi!

Hutadi!" he cried, in a terribly strong voice. He seemed to expect that some one would come and fight with him; but no one came; so he descended from the stand, and went up the mountain road.

A sober Landolin struggled with a tipsy one.

"Fie! shame on you, Landolin!" he said to himself, "what a fellow you are--Fie upon you! A man like you drunk on the open road, before everybody--Let me alone, t.i.tus! I don't want anything to do with you--I'm not drunk. And if I am--no--. The cursed wine at the Sword--at that time--Go away--away!--If you don't go, Vetturi, you shall--There, there you lie--"

He bent over to pick up a stone, and fell down.

Getting up again, he said to himself, as he would to an unruly horse: "Keep quiet, quiet! So, so!" And then he cried angrily: "If I only had a horse! At home there are twelve, fourteen horses and one colt--Who's coming behind me? Who is it? If you have any courage, come on! 'Tisn't fair to hit from behind. Come in front of me! Come, and I'll fight with you!"

From the steep hillside a stone rolled into the road, loosened by who knows what animal's flying foot? Landolin clenched both hands in his hair, that rose on end with fright, and cried:

"Are you throwing stones? That's it, self-defense! self-defense! Just wait!"

He stopped and said, "Don't drive yourself crazy, or they'll put you in an asylum."

A railroad train rushed through the valley. The locomotive's red lights appeared like the flaming eyes of a snorting monster. Landolin stared at it, and in doing so he became calmer, for ghosts cannot haunt a locomotive's track. The sweat of fear ran down his face, and with loudly beating heart he hastened up the road. At length he breathed more freely; he took off his hat; a refreshing breeze blew over the plateau: he saw his house, and said:

"The light is still burning; they are waiting for me; supper is on the table. Control yourself; you are Landolin of Reutershofen. You have a wife called Johanna, a daughter called Thoma, and a son called Peter. I care nothing for the hammering in my temples. I am not drunk--tipsy: three times three are nine--and one more is ten. You lie when you say I am drunk. I can walk straight. So, there is the well. Oh well, you are happy; you can stay at home, and yet be full all the time. Ha! ha!

Hush! don't try to make jokes. Hush!"

Again he stood at the well, and cooled his hands and face, then went into the yard, and without stopping to speak to the dog, pa.s.sed up the steps and into the living-room, where he found the doctor sitting at the table, writing.

"What is it? There's nothing the matter?"

"Your wife is sick."

"It is not serious?"

"I don't know yet. At any rate you must keep quiet. You may go in; but don't talk much, and come right away again."

The walls, the tables, the chairs, seemed to reel; but his step was firm as he went to his wife's side and said:

"Walderjorgli sent his greeting to you; he charged me with it twice."

He had sufficient self-control to say all this with a steady voice, and his wife replied:

"I know it already; the doctor told me that Walderjorgli was there.

Where he is, everything goes right. Thank him. Good-night."

Landolin threw himself into the great chair out in the living-room, and cried:

"Oh, what misery it is to come home and find your wife sick, and no joy, no welcome, nothing!"

He looked at Thoma, who, without moving or making a sound, stood leaning against the bedroom door.

To what a pa.s.s has it come when, in the midst of such misery, the father thinks of himself alone!

Landolin arose wearily and whispered to Thoma:

"You've noticed that I'm tipsy? Yes, I am; and if you do not treat me affectionately, as you used to, I will be so every day,--then you'll see what will come of it!"

"I cannot keep you from doing what you choose, either to yourself or to us."

"Bring me something to drink. I'm very thirsty," ordered Landolin.

Thoma went, and returned with a bottle.