United States or Mexico ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Ravn put his hands on to his friend's shoulders. "Are you not happy, Rafael?" "Not quite so happy as you, Hans " He left him to speak to some one else, then returned again. "You say, Hans, that I have often lent you money." "Are you pressed? Do you want some, Rafael? My dear fellow, how much?" "Can you spare me two thousand kroner?" "Here they are." "No, no; not in here, come outside."
One thing which greatly helped to bring him to the right pitch was the family temperament, for it was so like his own. He was a Ravn through and through, with perhaps a little grain of Kaas added. He was what they called pure Ravn, quite unalloyed. He seemed to them to have come straight from the fountain-head of their race, endowed with its primitive strength.
"Do you remember," said Hans Ravn, "how often you have lent me money, Rafael?" and he drew him on one side. "Now I am at the top of the tree, now I am married to an heiress, and the most charming girl too; ah, you must know her better." "She is pretty as well," said Rafael. "And pretty as well and good tempered; in fact, you see before you the happiest man in Norway." Rafael's eyes filled.
This patent was also taken out, which again cost money, and 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.
"Look how the water glitters between the limes." When once she had hit upon a plan, Kristen Ravn never relinquished it, and when she bad suggested it some four or five times, he promised that it should be done. But on the heels of this scheme came another.
Finally we sent a messenger to the other side of the house where, as I happened to know, was a new skeleton which the young student Ravn had recently received from the janitor of the hospital. Ravn had gone out and taken the key with him.
This strong physical attribute had perhaps made his abilities more fertile, but the family claimed the abilities, too, as their own. Through Hans Ravn, Rafael had learned to value the companionship of his relations; now he had it in perfection. For every word that he said appreciative laughter was ready it really sparkled round him.
She persuaded me to take them for you. I got them for next to nothing." "That was odd; you have been out, then, too?" "Yes, and I saw YOU; you were walking with Emma Ravn." He understood at once, by the tone of her voice, that this was not permitted, but all the same he said, "Yes; how sweet she is! so fresh and candid." "She! Why, she had a child before she was married." "Emma? Emma Ravn?" "Yes!
The last day of May was the date fixed on, and this Hans was to tell every one, for it would make Rafael bestir himself, his mother thought, if this were known everywhere. Hans Ravn spread this news far and near, partly because it was his province to do so, partly because he hoped it would be the occasion of a farewell entertainment such as had never been seen.
Word Of The Day