United States or Wallis and Futuna ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
There was much to do at home, while he was lingering about here, entering into silly games like a fool. If it had not been for Elsbeth but, indeed, what good was she to him? As she smiled at him so she smiled at them all, and if Cousin Leo began with his jokes how bold he was, how he flattered them all. Oh the world is bad, and they are all false all, all!"
But living emotion, we may be sure, went to the writing and the treasuring of this pledge to Elsbeth or himself; a pledge redeemed when she became his wife. Thus for the altar-piece of 1522 there would be this portrait of Elsbeth in her girlhood ready to his hand. But even so, see how he has idealised it, made a new creature of it, all compact of exquisite ideals!
The smiles froze on their faces, first one and then the other looked down upon the ground. "Go on," cried Elsbeth, nodding to him gently. But a feeling of shame came over him that he thus dared to show his innermost self to these strange people. "I can't go on," he said, and rose.
Then he ordered the servants to bring the old man's body into the house. He had already sent for a doctor; he himself would drive to the sisters and give them the news. The guests, horror-stricken, came rushing out to the cart, which stopped before the flower-decked veranda. "Elsbeth, how ill you look! Elsbeth, spare yourself," cried out her aunts, and tried to take possession of her.
Paul obeyed this order with hesitation, for he did not know how to word the invitation. When he stepped out onto the threshold his first glance fell on Elsbeth, who, in a mourning-dress, stood among the village women and carried a wreath of white roses. And when she saw him her eyes filled with tears.
"If I should meet Elsbeth I think I should sink into the ground with shame," he said to himself, and yet he looked about for her everywhere, and trembled with fear and joy when he saw a female figure coming towards him in the distance. He also began to neglect his night's rest.
The sisters were young, merry, inexperienced, nobody looked after them; if they should lower themselves in any way, if they an icy shudder passed through him. And he, who had vowed to be their faithful guardian, he was going after his own pleasure, he "Come to the wood," Elsbeth pleaded again. "I can't," he gasped. She looked at him wonderingly. "I must my sisters nobody is with them.
"He has too much to do with his machine just now," Greta's voice replied; "even his unpalatable sermons he spares us." "You have never heeded them, anyhow!" Greta giggled. "In spite of all his dignity he is only a stupid boy, and he understands nothing about love; as long as I can remember he has hung about Elsbeth Douglas; but do you suppose he has ever once dared raise his eyes to her?
He said not a word and silently swallowed his rising tears, hut he was very much grieved that all his hopes were over, since for the first time he had seen what wonderful things could be made out of a piece of wood. The next morning, the farmer on the Matten farm sent word to Elsbeth, to come up to see him towards evening, as he had something to talk with her about.
She had long, golden curls, which were drawn back from her forehead by a round comb, and a small, delicate little nose, which she carried rather high. "Do you wish to speak to mamma?" she asked in her gentle, soft voice, and smiled at the same time. "Are you called Elsbeth, my child?" inquired his mother, in return. "Yes; I am called Elsbeth."
Word Of The Day