Shallow Soil

large warehouse on the wharf where he kn

brown and had a listless expression. When he was sitting still and silent, blinking slowly, these heavy lids of his would rise and sink almo

that his wife had managed to tolerate him so long. He had been a bachelor too long, had travelled too much, lived too much in hotels; he admitted it himself. He liked to ring whenever he wanted anything; he preferred his meals served at all hours, whenever he took a

or bachelor dens; nobody could resist her. No, she did not greatly care for home life or house drudgery. She could not help that; unfortunately she had not inherited these tastes. And this unbearable blessing, of a child every year two years running, drove he

of cinnamon sewn in bast, fruits, rice, spices, mountains of flour-sacks-everything had its designated place, from floor to roof. In one of the corners a stairway

he floor, and peeped through the pane into the little off

n immediately and ros

now, when they were competitors, they continued to visit each other as often as their work would permit. They did not envy each other; the business spirit h

was known that the Tidemand firm had suffered heavy losses in a fish exportation. The yacht lay anchored just out

mand

ful little dream I have

sen answer

d get a thousand for her

a thousand," of

Ole s

?" he

pen to have

t his pocketbook and

house. The clerks laughed

went over to Tidema

would take two thou

ot the mone

st happens

t," said

t was Ole's

. The two friends were no longer children; they treated each other

hich he put away, at the same time pointin

offer you?

Tidemand. "I have jus

an

ox with Havanas befor

e glass?

mind; it is too much trouble; y

no troubl

he bottle appeared to be made of some coarse cloth, so deeply covered with dust

e; drink hea

k. A paus

," said Tidemand. "I have never yet mad

ntitled him to any credit; it was just a bit of luck. And if there was any credit to bestow, then it belon

ir was a

Bathurst for a deck-load of hides, ran into the December gales on the north coast of Normandy, and

-water and hides had spoiled it. The owner tried all sorts of doctorings: he used colouring matter-indigo, kurkuma, chrome, copper vitriol

d the entire cargo roasted and packed in hermetically sealed zinc boxes. These boxes were brought to Norway after a month of storing; they we

mand

iculars a couple of days

proud

of roasting the coffee- making it sweat out t

little anxious until

dmit I was a l

did your f

over. I was afraid to tell him; he might have d

d looke

he firm, half the credit, then you should not at the same time tell me

a slate; he bowed, placed the slate on t

s; it is probably o

er, rang for a clerk,

and. "Let me take one of the sla

ou think I will let you wor

nd figures in the many columns, and made out the account on a sheet of paper. They s

orget the glass

ou are

able day I have had in

the Grand-By the way, I have an invitation for you; we are both goi

Where is it

udio. You are

will b

ack to thei

ogether?" said Tidemand. "None of us sported a beard then. It seems as

pen. The accoun

offended, Andreas-No; take another glass, old fellow, do! I'll

out; he looked

ter with him?" t

e, downy as velvet, with traili

the glass. "Try it, anyhow; it is really-I am sure you'll

ped, put down his gla

half bad

t is not. You should no

e silly-a bo

us

o speak to me about som

you cannot possibly know anything about it, I had perhaps better tell you that people are talking ab

ening me? What

a home of your own; that you leave her to herself while you enjoy life single-handed. You are above such insinuations, of course. But, anyway, why do you eat a

and sharp. He got up, made a few turns a

t only too well. But I have ceased to care about anything any more." Tidemand shrugged his shoulders and got up again. Driftin

need not pay the slightest attention to

we have ceased to keep house. Do you understand now why I am often seen in restaurants? I am not wanted; I keep to my office and go to the Grand, I meet friends of whom she is one, we sit at a table and have a good time. What should I do at home? Hanka is more likely to be at the Grand; we sit at the same table, perhaps opposite each other; we hand each other a glass, a carafe. 'Andreas,' she says, 'please order a glass for Milde, too.' And, of course, I order a glass for Milde. I like to do it; don't believe anything else! 'I have hardly seen you to-day,' she sometimes says; 'you left very early this morning. Oh, he is a fine husband!' she tells the other

with open mouth. H

ad no idea it was that way with

ke to be with them ourselves. Bad, you say? No, understand me rightly, it is not at all bad. It is a good arrangement. I couldn't always get home on time from the office, and so I went to a restaurant, natural

emand leaned his head

ted this? Who

f I were to tell you that she does not even regard herself as being married? Of course, you cannot realise that. I reasoned with her, said this and that, a married woman, house and home, and she answered: 'Married, did you say? That is rather an exaggeration, don't yo

gine-Does she think you are an old glove she can throw away wh

e time; it will come later. She is right about the divorce; it is I who am against it; she is justified in blaming me for that. Why haven't I played the part of a man, showed

while in silence.

mean, do you think she is i

Such things are bound to happen;

o not know

I have a little sense left; not much, perhaps, but a little. In short, she is not in love with anybody else, as people suspect; it is simply a whim, a fancy. In a little while she will probably come and propose that we shall begin housekeeping again and live togethe

rtain

mean at home, now that she is so very fond of the children again. I cannot describe her. She wears a black velvet gown-Be sure and come over some time.

d their glasses and st

will come out all

you, Ole; you have been a good friend to me. I haven'

ed here remains between us, eh? Not a hint on Thursday; everything is as

emand d