Pan Part 15

"Tell me, do you never play whist now at Sirilund?"

"Yes, often," he answered.

Pause.

"I have not been there lately," I said.

I rowed out to my fishing grounds. The weather was mild, but oppressive.

The gnats gathered in swarms, and I had to smoke all the time to keep them off. The haddock were biting; I fished with two hooks and made a good haul. On the way back I shot a brace of guillemots.

When I came in to the quay the blacksmith was there at work. A thought occurred to me; I asked him:

"Going up my way?"

"No," said he, "Herr Mack's given me a bit of work to do here that'll keep me till midnight."

I nodded, and thought to myself that it was well.

I took my fish and went off, going round by way of the blacksmith's house. Eva was there alone.

"I have been longing for you with all my heart," I told her. And I was moved at the sight of her. She could hardly look me in the face for wonder. "I love your youth and your good eyes," I said. "Punish me to-day because I have thought more of another than of you. I tell you, I have come here only to see you; you make me happy, I am fond of you. Did you hear me calling for you last night?"

"No," she answered, frightened.

"I called Edwarda, but it was you I meant. I woke up and heard myself.

Yes, it was you I meant; it was only a mistake; I said 'Edwarda,' but it was only by accident. By Heaven, you are my dearest, Eva! Your lips are so red to-day. Your feet are prettier than Edwarda's--just look yourself and see."

Joy such as I had never seen in her lit up her face; she made as if to turn away, but hesitated, and put one arm round my neck.

We talked together, sitting all the time on a long bench, talking to each other of many things. I said:

"Would you believe it? Edwarda has not learnt to speak properly yet; she talks like a child, and says 'more happier.' I heard her myself. Would you say she had a lovely forehead? I do not think so. She has a devilish forehead. And she does not wash her hands."

"But we weren't going to talk of her any more."

"Quite right. I forgot."

A little pause. I was thinking of something, and fell silent.

"Why are your eyes wet?" asked Eva.

"She has a lovely forehead, though," I said, "and her hands are always clean. It was only an accident that they were dirty once. I did not mean to say what I did." But then I went on angrily, with clenched teeth: "I sit thinking of you all the time, Eva; but it occurs to me that perhaps you have not heard what I am going to tell you now. The first time Edwarda saw aesop, she said: 'aesop--that was the name of a wise man--a Phrygian, he was.' Now wasn't that simply silly? She had read it in a book the same day, I'm sure of it."

"Yes," says Eva; "but what of it?"

"And as far as I remember, she said, too, that aesop had Xanthus for his teacher. Hahaha!"

"Yes?"

"Well, what the devil is the sense of telling a crowd of people that aesop had Xanthus for his teacher? I ask you. Oh, you are not in the mood to-day, Eva, or you would laugh till your sides ached at that."

"Yes, I think it is funny," said Eva, and began laughing forcedly and in wonder. "But I don't understand it as well as you do."

I sit silent and thoughtful, silent and thoughtful.

"Do you like best to sit still and not talk?" asked Eva softly. Goodness shone in her eyes; she pa.s.sed her hand over my hair.

"You good, good soul," I broke out, and pressed her close to me. "I know for certain I am perishing for love of you; I love you more and more; the end of it will be that you must go with me when I go away. You shall see. Could you go with me?"

"Yes," she answered.

I hardly heard that yes, but I felt it in her breath and all through her. We held each other fiercely.

An hour later I kissed Eva good-bye and went away. At the door I meet Herr Mack.

Herr Mack himself.

He started--stared into the house--stopped there on the doorstep, staring in. "Ho!" said he, and could say no more; he seemed thrown altogether off his balance.

"You did not expect to find me here," I said, raising my cap.

Eva did not move.

Herr Mack regained his composure; a curious confidence appeared in his manner, and he answered:

"You are mistaken: I came on purpose to find you. I wish to point out to you that from the 1st of April it is forbidden to fire a shot within half a mile of the bird-cliffs. You shot two birds out at the island to-day; you were seen doing so."

"I shot two guillemots," I said helplessly. I saw at once that the man was in the right.

"Two guillemots or two eiderducks--it is all the same. You were within the prohibited limit."

"I admit it," I said. "It had not occurred to me before."

"But it ought to have occurred to you."

"I also fired off both barrels once in May, at very nearly the same spot. It was on a picnic one day. And it was done at your own request."

"That is another matter," answered Herr Mack shortly.

"Well, then, devil take it, you know what you have to do, I suppose?"

"Perfectly well," he answered.

Eva held herself in readiness; when I went out, she followed me; she had put on a kerchief, and walked away from the house; I saw her going down towards the quay. Herr Mack walked back home.

I thought it over. What a mind, to hit on that all at once, and save himself! And those piercing eyes of his. A shot, two shots, a brace of guillemots--a fine, a payment. And then everything, _everything_, would be settled with Herr Mack and his house. After all, it was going off so beautifully quickly and neatly...

The rain was coming down already, in great soft drops. The magpies flew low along the ground, and when I came home and turned aesop loose he began eating the gra.s.s. The wind was beginning to rustle.