Shallow Soil

Paulsberg; later on Attorney Grande appeared, dragging with him Coldevin, who followed unwillingly and protestin

reserves. It had unfortunately turned out that Paulsberg's article in the Gazette failed to have the desired effect on Parliament. With sixty-five votes to forty-four it had d

g Paulsberg?" object

an finish that picture

e Exhibition. Paulsberg had expressly demanded it. He did not want to be exhibited in mixed company; he d

could finish the picture in a couple

o sit for you at pre

settl

o her: "Come here, you with the dimple, here by me!" And

pring seemed to affect her; she looked a little played out. Her lips were cracked, and wh

see her there. They were going to eat currants and rake hay and loll in

it, can you let

dly. He winked, jested happily, and was delighted. "Don't ma

bill to his wife

for?" he asked

nd turned to Aagot in order to avoi

and Coldevin e

d anything like it! I want you to join me in a little drink.

e present he wrenched himself

ording to his promise, but he had vanished s

torney

d pity on the poor man, he seem

e caught up with Coldevin on the stairs. They talke

to ask me to come with him, but I did not know that there were

orney l

ink, and be m

seemed somewhat changed since his arrival; he answered boldly when he was addressed, and was not backward in expressing his opinions. Journalist Grege

d fact?" asked Paulsberg. "Simply tak

ey now ask

ve been in Parlia

es

at took place. What

to say on the sp

lowed matters very close

said Mrs. Pau

has; don't you worry about that!" cried the

he cabinet; others expressed their opinion about the Swedish opera they had just attended; it ap

ldevin?" asked Paulsberg in order to be friendly, too. "I am asha

answered

aulsberg asked if you

harply acros

in mur

d when such things happen. But the climax to-day was hardl

are a p

u are mistaken.

those present; he met Aagot's eyes looking at him very gently, and this

derstood: "To me it appears to be entirely in harmony with conditions otherwise prevailing.-People are saying to themselves: 'We have our liberty;

ight not be entirely impossible, after all. But he would say no more; he preser

nsisted that it was wrong ever to forget, e

ofs into the asphalt. The driver got down; he turned his whip around and used the handle; he beat the horses across their backs; they tried again, stumbled and fell, got up and made another effort. The driver became more and more enraged as people gathered around and witnessed his dilemma; he went forward and beat the horses across the eyes; he went back and struck them on the tender spots beneath the flanks, and the horses squirmed and stumbled, and fell to their knees again, as if they begged for mercy-Three times I tried to get a

ighted t

urn out? The devil you say

ogical consequence of the conditions that have developed among us. We forgive and forget treason in our leaders and excuse their vacillation and weakness in every crisis. Now the youthful element should step forward, the young Norway, invincible in its indignation and irresistible in its strength. But the young Norway does not step forward; indeed no, we have mollycoddled it with hymns and rot about peace

and his hands trembled as he awkwardly bent back his fingers until they cracked. He did not lift his voice above the normal. Otherwise he did not look well; he wore

dded and remarked

ad! He is alm

aid jestingly, a

urse all day, so I guess I have contributed

He told Milde once more how it had happened: "I thought it would not be very lively here, and just then I

spok

ou mean that we are entirely surrounded by weakness and su

I do not mean

ng with talent and genius, is weak and of no account. Good God, man! th

even Norem, who had been sitting quietly at a

know," said Coldevin quietly. "But do you really think th

n?" Milde laughed contemptuously and turned to Irgens, who had kept aloof from the

tanding; Mr. Coldevin would surely explain himself satisfactorily. Couldn't they list

are supposed to have a little talent,

I am thinking of. We have begun a slow retrogression; in plain words, we are lowering our standards, we are tapering down to a general zero. The young do not demand much from themselves or from

o you think of our youn

lushed and angry. "Our

, for instance, ever

the name

e that this man, who invariably used to yield when he was contradicted, now sa

. It would seem they lack the ability. Of course, that is no fault of theirs; but then they have no right to pose as being greater than they are. It is a pity that we lose sight of the greater and make mediocrity take its place. Look at our youth; look at our authors; they are very clever, but-Yes, they are both clever and industrious; they labour and toil, but they lack the spark. Good God, how far they are from squandering their treasures! They are saving and calculating and prudent. They write a few verses and they print these few verses. They squeeze out a book now a

that he was no poet. She nodded to Coldevin and wished the poets all they got. Coldevin was grateful for her smile; she was the only one who smiled at him, and he did not mind the violent interruptions, the shouts and rude

ed at his watch to make everybody understand how this bored him. Glancin

r one may call it. I noticed that he put his cigar-holder in his vest-pocket a moment ago wi

le, quietly indifferent, Coldevin listened to the exclamations from the gentlemen o

aulsberg. "I don't see wh

uth, nothing only a 'general condition.' He, he! God only knows how it will all end! And

seized

irable. There are probably very few countries in which the intellectual life is dominated by authors to the degree it is here. As you probably will admit, we have no statesmen; but our authors direct our politics, and they do it well. It may have struck you that there are barren spots in our scientific attainments; however, with true intuition, our auth

ds and ended up with saying that he had the greatest hope and faith in the country's practical youth, in its young commercial talents, then a loud laugh greeted him, and both the Journal

ontinued undisturbed. "And I would advise you to pay a little attention to them. They are building sh

men present they endeavoured to change the subject. Ole Henriksen and Tidemand had listened in silence; they were e

usiness matter? I would like to come early, abou

Musigny. Milde understood the subject thoroughly and contradicted the Attorney violently, although

your assertiveness

glanced at hi

ainter will also presum

lde asserted that Ojen was the worthiest applicant. It was exceedingly generous in Milde to express such

irled. Mrs. Hanka addressed a couple of questions to him in order to be polite, but after answering them he was entirely silent. It

ke his leave. Before h

to a corner a

I have about half completed my new book. I

they got him on his legs with difficulty. He began to speak; he had not quite heard the last, the very last of the d

nally led

Coldevin's foolish remarks about the poets and the youth of the country had amused her inordinately; what could that mean? Altogether it had been an unpleasant evening. Mrs. Hanka had sat there with her cracked

he clique because of the indifference it

rted. Mrs. Hanka and Aagot wa