Invisible Links

rather something inspiring, something exciting; but now when Downie is to leave, when "it" realizes that the end h

om. She stretches out a heavy, cold hand of stone when she says good-morning; she spe

everything is arranged according

; but as the aforesaid young man, continued Uncle, with a strained attempt to return to his usual manner, is not much at home in practical occupations, he may

e. She knows that he wishes to have a gl

ne-Marie, why do you not thank Uncle? You must kiss Uncle Theodore, Anne-Mari

nnot understand; he insists upon going with an uncovered light into the powder magazine. Then she turns to Uncle Theodore; but not

oo good to us,"

matter. He has not robbed her of her faith in him whom she loves. She has not betrayed herself. She is faithful

ught up, the trunks be corded

ned to him with that tearful glance he is out of his senses. He is quite mad, ready to throw hi

Through the clenched fists cra

t on her hat, to say g

onorably and manfully step forward and say: "I am your rival, Maurits. Your betrothed must choose between us. You

and she would know what a

ld uncle when he stepped forward and explained that! And what would be the good of it?

say good-bye to him? He almost screams to her

on-basket. Will they never be ready to go? He has already lived it through a thousand times. He has taken her

e happy with Maurits? She has not looked happy this m

to Anne-Marie: "What a dunce I am! I am quite for

you did not," Downie answer

now. But who knows if they will not be better some day? And

lmost anxiously. "I beg of you, Maurits,

I were a tyrant over you. No, do you see. I cannot;

n polite phrases. I think it is not well of you to wi

le manner is now irritatingly calm and superior. He looks at her as a schoolm

ll understand what is

out despairingly

e, to show him that there is no question of any deceit. You behave s

s instantly that his brother has made a bad speculation and wishes to protect himself from loss. But what of it, what of it? He is accustomed to render to the whole family con

gins to rise up before him. He stands and stares at it like a man who is sleeping in a haunted r

Maurits," he says; "you shal

see if the ghost can be prevailed upon to spe

he desk in his room when the do

very firmly and decidedly,

d seen you three days ago, when you sat at Maurits's side in the c

courage, for Maurits

roars to make himself heard by Uncle Theodore

y. Do you think Uncle will let himself be cheated by one like me? Uncle surely understands those things better than any of us. Has it

othing; he only hands

s if this will mak

no one can be more intractable than those soft, delicate creature when they are in the rig

ou make me out

s off him bit by bit everything in which she had clothed him; and when at last she sees him in al

else a

e-Ma

ter which has tortured her conscience ever since she has begun to realize that this rich man who owned this big estate had a heart

ht only of ingratiating ourselves. We wished to have much and we wished to give nothing except hypocrisy. It was not our intention to say: 'Help us, because we are poor and care for one another,' but we were to flatter and fawn until Uncle w

is passing with his heart swelling with hope. His heart flies wide open to receive her as she now screams and runs into

e will st

ses close, c

h way in Uncle's presence. But Uncle must also understand that you are only a child. Still I grant that not even the most jus

does not turn, only

him take you?" whis

a shudder, which qui

no longer sees his perfect nephew as before in the bri

reak with her instantly. Your honor, Maurits, think of your honor! Nothing in the world can permit a woman to insult a man. Place yo

s big hands about her head and bends i

bandoned creatu

ees the light in Uncle Theodore's eyes and how

Anne-

st obey. And she lets go of Uncle Theodore so suddenly that he cannot stop her, but she ca

dore sharply. "This young lady is guest in my house as y

ut only to lift her up, dry her t

acy! I am tricked! This is a comedy! You have stolen my betrothed from me and you mock me! Y

ams the door, he calls

as if to go after him and chasti

last word. Maurits is always right. Fortune-h

ust now she was weeping and now she is laughing; just now she was going to marry one man and now she is car

with his gruffest voice: "You

whisper: "Had

d of you. Such a foolish, deceitful, hypocritical Dow

*

the garden is shaded by big beeches and the birch tree trunks stand there white and spotless from the root upwards. To this day the snake suns himself in peace on the slope, and in the pond in the park swims

E CLIMBI

heir glance fall on these lines. Now when the cold, dark nights have come

foliage of the clematis, which in the sunlight as well as in the moonlight was drawn in dark gray shadows on the light g

The bright, delicate buds, that could resist neither wind nor rain, the light, waving, pale-green shoots, the soft, bending stems, the exuberant richness of b

lides from my memory, and it seems to me as if I had sat day in and day out on the veranda behind t

n an old tree stump. There it burrowed down through dark passage-ways and mysterious galleries, until at last it reached the bottom of a perpendicular shaft. In its unknown depths, where neither ant nor centipede ever had ventured, it spread out the green leaf roll and covered the uneven floor with the most beautif

full-blown roses, sucked and drank all it could in those beautiful larders, and when it had got its

ked cross on its back, and it had eight long, red-and-white striped legs, all equally well marked. You ought to have seen it spin! Every thread was drawn out with the greatest precision from the first ones that were only

ffair with the same unfailing tact. The bee who took his way close by him caught time and time again in his net. Instantly it began to buzz and tear; it dragged at

d in the web. When the bee had again buzzed and raged itself tired, it received another gentle shove, and then another and yet another, until it spun round like a top and did not know what it was doing in its fury, and became so confused that

ushes. Never could the little bee learn to look out for the spider-web, and never did the spider show ange

too shut in to be able to heave in real waves, but at every little ripple on the gray surface thousands of small sparkles that glistened and played on the waves flew up; it seemed as if its depths h

make us merry for several hours, not to speak of the upholsterer

e and had been very tamed and subdued when it had flown away. I bent forward to see if the spider-web had suffered much damage. Fortunately it had not; but on the other ha

ide. And did I not know their hateful skill just when the little cell-builder has filled a room with honey and on its surface laid the egg from which the rightful owner of the cell and the honey will come forth, just then to creep down on the egg and with careful balancing sit on it as on a boat; for if they s

me a fat, black beetle comes out of the bee-cell. It is certain that this is not what the little bee wished to effect by its work, and

the spider had spun round with it, the larva had loosened and fallen down on the spider-web, and now the big,

me again, its humming

ppy work among roses and sunshine has fallen to my lot. I

al, but happy work is mine, and brave freedom from ca