Absalom's Hair

the funeral mother an

by his earlier education, his mother had prepared him, and for

mpoverished, and burdened with mortga

imself the management of affairs; as money was needed the work of devas

, after many and great trials, for affectio

then twelve

hat they led in their new surroundings they became

ards they had their

n the language and to make friends, and

rominence by this. This prominence must be maintained, and nothing answered so well as boasting about Norway and his father's exploits. His statements were somewhat exaggerated, but that was not altogether his fault, He knew English fairly well, but had

d, as his father had done, to shoot white b

something more was wanted, for it was impossible to foretell from day to day w

s, with some of his schoolfellows, and, without more ado, requested him

e hated it. Besides, ever since the story of Absalom's rebellion and punishment, it had r

and the hairdresser looked on i

him courage They should see what he dare do. The hairdresser hesitated to a

must go through with it now. "Off with it,"

said the hairdresser diffidently, taki

he tiptoe of expectation. "Off with it,"

hair into his hand and l

issors with their eyes, Rafael with hi

d Rafael. He dusted his elbows and knees a little, paid, and left the shop, followed by his companions. They, however, exhibi

as not much), he would have endured any imaginable

ression; his misery pursued him, his vanity mocked him. The end of it

r him, and some one suggested that he mi

his head beneath the bedclothes. She dragged them back; and at the first sight of her disma

first that some one had done it maliciously; but when she cou

n, an excuse, a prayer for forgiveness, but he

t now he began to cry violently. He huddled himself together, cl

up again his

ughly shamefaced. His mother was not up; she was unwell, for she had not slept a wink. He heard t

ite silk handkerchief, was h

and beg her pardon a thousand times. But he had a strong feeling that he had better not do so, or was he afraid to? She was in the clo

ly from the room and

trouble she always behaved thus, and that he should cross her in this way was the greatest trial that she had ever known. It

ld not see that incessant artistic fuss and too much intellectua

cropped head, which grew more and more like h

lked she hardly looked at him; till at last he burst into tears. For he suffered as one can suffer but once, when th

htened by the loss of his hair. He, too, stood still, looking forlorn and abject, with disconsolate eyes. Then hers filled; she stretched out her arm

d words and kissed each other over and over again. "How could this have happened, Rafael?" she

"it is worse to cut dow

ene, than

She had taken off her hat and gloves,

we go for a walk together in the

his retort to

n's schoolfellows, became distasteful to her, and she constantly

r his studies with him, at others they visited a

herself and awakened

e able to see almost all that they wished. It was a less congenial task to use her influence to turn his thoughts to higher things, but it was rarely, nevertheless, that she failed

but to a boy of thirteen, who was thus kept from his

s than she took active steps. They

ook like him-to be a. boy like him. She bought a smart new hat, she composed a jaunty costume, new from top to toe, for EVERYTHING must be altered with the hair. But when she stood before him, looking like a girl of twenty-five, merry, almo

e said, "wh

e-about red hair not looking well when it began to lose its colour-and went into

She might have answered

dsome, stylishly dressed people are always certain to

ays spoke French; he begged her to talk No

enever she wished to gain access to a steam bakery and particular as she generally was about her toilette, she would come away again sooty and grimy if thereby she cou

methods are its shadow;" or "Seeing for yourself, Ra

which he was daily dragged away, was the richest banquet that he had yet enjoy

ge and had herself helped him; now she was jealous of it and could

ning to feel himself at home, when there arrived at the pension a widow

ce of words at times was even elegant! The girl taught him it without a trace of grammar, by charm, sprightliness, a little nonsense; a pair of confiding eyes and a youthful voice were sufficient. It was from her that he got, by stealth, one novel after another. By stealth it had to

oyed. But the novel reading which the young people carried on secretly had resulted in conversations of a "grown up" type. They talked of love with the deep experience which is proper to their age, they talked with still greater discretion as to when their wedding should take place; on this point they indirectly said much which caused them many a

it was possible for any rose to attain to; at the same time she saw the languishing loo

aught them kissing one another, a thing they h

w rooms, a long way from the q

down from his high horse and had put himself on a par with his companions, but

hen he had finished his lessons. Lucie had now become his sole romance; he gave all his leisure time to her, and not only that (for it no longer sufficed to see her at her mother's), they met on the quay! At times a maid-servant walked with them for appearance sake, at others she kept in the background. Sometimes they would go on boar

tais roi je don

on septre, et mon

ran to

d." And she never went further than to look at him, walk with him, laugh with him, and say to him, "You are not like the others." W

from another's bill, or as one who looks at h

tory school of mechanics at Rouen," she said, "so I wrote to inquire about it, and here is the answer. I approve

ft her without answering. At last, just as he was going to meet Lucie on the quay, she said, and this time with determination, that they were to leave in the course of an hou

keenly. It could not nave been worse, he thought, if his mother had sta

to him, nor ask a single question. He had adopted her own tactics;

ticism was extended to all that she said or did, the spirit of accusatio

, malodorous and dirty, rose up before him, in vivid contrast

o evade his orders. At that time he had laid the blame on the people on the estate; now he put it all down to his mother's account. His father had certainly adored her once, a

r him over the whole quay, farther and farther every time, standing still at la

d as lessons had now begun and his mother was always with him, this feeling wore off, but the mutual restra

eep up with him, and this was an advantage to him, on account of her almost too minute accuracy, but still more from her intelligent questions. Apart f

ciated the best side of her character, the self-sacrificing life which she led for him. When they were not friends it was exactly the opposite. When they were friends, he, as a rule, did whatever she wished. He tried to atone for the past. He was in the land o

d wished him to gues

Some one has mixed their atmosphere with y

h way to look. But if he attempted to speak she became as stiff as a pok

rm of words for such an occasion. It came at last to this pass, that she, who had at one time wished to control his whole life and every thought i

t. It may, indeed, have contributed to form their mutual life. It was more equitable and caused fewer collisions. At

is rapid growth and the studies, to which she kep

the owner who had brought him there was a fellow-student. To him he confided his discovery. They worked it out together with feverish excitement to the most minute details. It was very complex, for it was the working of the f

ed when, the owner being called, they heard his expressions of boundless delight. Champagne flowed for them, accompanied by the warmest thanks. The mother received a beautiful bouquet. Excited by the wine and the congratulations, proud of his recognition as a genius, Rafael left the place with his mother on his arm. It seemed to him as thoug

peck on the sky,

ted; for there had been a great many on

ack to the town again as from Elysium. All the passers-by looked at them: people quickly detect happiness. Besides Rafael was a head taller than mos

one feels oneself a dif

ne receives so much," she

Sketches of the machinery which they had just seen lay about, as w

lf up, half laughing, half trembli

m unnatural to

roll of paper approach his head; but ther

had acquired so much information; it was no discovery that he had made. What was it, then? He was certainly not a genius; that must be an exaggeration. Could one imagine a genius without a victor's confidence, or had

n was so original that they begged him to show it to the professor, and this encouraged him greatly. It was the professor, too, who had his first article printed. A Norwegian technical periodical accepted a subsequent one, and this was the external influence which turned his thoughts once more towards Norway. Norway

h she had saved up for his education bad been spent long ago. Hellebergene had had its share. The estate did

d was handed over to the agent to be sold. Could he not start now? Well, yes, he thought he could. But Fru Kaas soon realised that he was not serious, so she sought the help of a young relative, Hans Ravn, an engineer, like most of the Ravns. Rafael liked Hans, for he was himself a Ravn in temperament, a thing that he had not realised before; it was quite a revelation to him. He had believed that the Ravns were like his mother, but now found that she greatly differed from them. To Hans Ravn Fru Kaas said plainly that now they must start. The last day of May was the date fixed on, and this Hans was to tell every one, for it w

ertainments and the collision between t

e more visit the prettiest parts of Munich and its vicinity. She felt flattered, and accepted the invitation. As they drove along they talked of nothing but Rafael: partly about his person, for he was the darling of every lady, partly about the future which lay before him.

ed together, and drove

hem some compliment. Indeed, the maid said that the bell had been ringing the whole morning. A little later Rafael and Hans Ravn came in with one or two friends. They p

e and fell in the twilight. When the lamps were lighted, they had on one side the glare of a large town, on the other the semi-darkness was o

short distance they stood still and waited, but did not attract his attention. Then they came slowly back again, passing close behind his chair

hich had also been brought the day before. It was from a well-known wine merchant; this, too, was not a small one. Another ring; this time it was a bill for flowers and by no means a trifle. This, too, had been brought the day before. Fru Kaas read it twice, three times, four times: she could not realise that Rafael owed money for flowers-what did he want them for? Another ring; now it was a bill from a jeweller. Fru Kaas became so nervous at the ringing and the bills that she took to fligh

Kaas sympathetically, resolved to pay the

ad in the paper that the young Von Kas was leaving, and both she and her daughter were in such des

want from me?" asked Fr

was cruel to her. Herr von Kas had met her at the artists' fete-"Und so wissen Sie zwei so junge, reizende Leute." She looked up at Fru Kaas through her tears-looked up as though from

t her daughter might go with them to Norway, Norway was su

this?" said Fru Kaas,

ead in the paper that the young Von Kas was going away. "Herr Gott in Himmel!" if her daughter could thus be rid at

had vanished faster than her hopes. On the other side of the waystood a pretty young flower-girl who was waiting for the elegant lady hurrying in her direction. "Bitte, gnadige Frau." Here is another, thought the hunted creatu

?" asked

d to consider, but neve

Bav

Fru Kaas's turn to go up soon came; but just as she had reached the head of the giantess and was going to look out, she heard a lady whisper close behind her, "That is his

sitting in the farthest corner of the sofa, with her big binocular glass in her hand. When he spoke to her she di