Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: May 22, 2025
Grindhusen lapsed into thought. A dull, rushing sound from the forest and the river, like millions of nothings flowing and flowing on. No birds here, no creatures hopping about, but if I turn up a stone, I may find some insect under it. "Wonder what these tiny things live on?" I say. "What tiny things?" says Grindhusen. "Those? That's only ants and things." "It's a sort of beetle," I tell him.
And that was enough; just that bit of a smile and saying I was right made me all glad and proud again within. Then Frokenen came up, and said a few words to Grindhusen; even jested with him, asking what that red cardinal was to be stuck up there for on the road. But to me she said nothing at all, and did not even look at me when I took off my hat.
"I'll not say, but it might be better not," said Grindhusen submissively. But the men were not to be put off. "And why shouldn't he tell? We're not going to let it go farther." "No, that we shan't," said another. "But you might be one of that sort yourself and go telling tales to the Inspector." Grindhusen took courage at this, and said: "I'll say what I like, so don't you trouble yourself!
We went up the hill, the priest, Harald, and I, and I let the priest look through my instrument, and showed him that there would be more than pressure enough. "I must talk to the other man about it," he said. But I cut out Grindhusen at once, and said: "Grindhusen? He's no idea of this work at all." The priest looked at me. "Really?" he said.
Now all the pipes were laid, and the taps fixed; the water spurted out in the sink in a fine, powerful jet. Grindhusen had borrowed the tools we needed from somewhere else, so we could plaster up a few holes left here and there; a couple of days more, and we had filled in the trench down the hillside, and our work at the vicarage was done.
Grindhusen sat in the general room at the lodging-house and told us all about it, adding that the Inspector was pretty mean in the matter of wages after all. At this, one of the men burst out laughing, and said: "No; did he, though? He didn't take them back, really?" "Nay," said Grindhusen. "He didn't dare take off more than the one."
So I was still bound to my idling occupation after all, and wandered up and down the river as before with my boat-hook and my rations. For my own satisfaction I cleared away bigger and bigger jams unaided, sang to myself as if I were a whole gang, and worked hard enough for many men; also I carried the new instructions to Grindhusen, and frightened him properly. But then came the rain.
You've got a good job here, with good pay and decent food. Think of that, and keep quiet while you're here." "Yes, yes, you're right," said Grindhusen meekly enough. "I don't say a word; only, that she's the very image of that cousin down there. And did I ever say more than that? I don't know what you've got to make such a fuss about, and as for that, maybe she's a bit fairer than the cousin.
Here's Grindhusen coming; won't you let me tell him you're not going after all?" She softened at this, and sat thinking for a little. Then she said: "You must be making a mistake altogether, I think. I am going to the station to meet the Captain. He didn't come the first day, or yesterday either, but he's sure to come some time. I'm driving over to meet him." "Oh!" "There you are. Now go.
Grindhusen came out again on Monday morning, and we fell to digging as before. The old priest came out to look, and asked if we couldn't fix a post for him on the road up to the church. He needed it badly, that post; it had stood there before, but had got blown down; he used it for nailing up notices and announcements.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking