Anthon Bernhard Elias Nilsen

“ Rantzau was undeniably a splendid woman, and was at her best that evening.
"Get along up to the front with you, old fossil," said Vindt, with a friendly nudge, and Holm walked up, nodding genially to acquaintances all round.
"Fine figure of a woman, what?" whispered the Mayor, glancing towards Mrs. Rantzau.
"H'm," said Vindt. "Handsome enough to look at, but a bit of a handful to look after, if you ask me. Like the cakes in a cookshop window—I like 'em, but they don't agree with me!" ”

“ So much so, indeed, that Soren decided to give up his quarters in the wash-house, and drank his bottled beer on a settle in the kitchen, as if it were the most natural thing in the world; and Cilia made no protest, but set out glass and tray for him herself! Soren felt he was the happiest man in the world, and it was not many weeks before all was back in the old routine, Cilia devoting herself in earnest to the business of shipowning and chartering. Abrahamsen was transferred to the Apollo, and Soren went on board his old friend Birkebeineren, a skipper once more. ”

“ In a circle of men, old and young, stood Emilie Rantzau, smiling and alert. She was sought after at every dance, until Mrs. Thor Smith, née Tulla Prois, observed indignantly that one might think the men had never seen a woman from another town before—and Heaven only knew what sort of a creature this one was. Mrs. Jansen herself began to be rather uneasy, when she saw her husband lead out the widow as his partner for the lancers—or "lunchers" as Cilia Braaten called it. ”

“ While Holm and Bramsen were thus consoling each other down at the quay, Mrs. Rantzau and Betty were sitting quietly in the little parlour now that the pupils had gone.
Betty was crying, with her arms round her mother's neck, while her mother pressed the girl closely to her, patting her hair tenderly.
"Don't cry, Betty, my child; you know we've always had each other, good times and bad. Ah, my dear, it's a sad childhood you had, but I could do no more. You must do as your heart tells you, my child." ”

“ Andrine stopped crying and looked up sharply.
"Why, Johnsen's son."
"What's he got to do with it?"
"Why, he's a deal to do with it, now he and Amanda's fixed things up together."
"Amanda! That child! And you let them!" Andrine drew herself up impressively, and Bramsen cowered.
"Don't you forget, Andrine," he said, "we weren't so very old, you and I, when we got spliced together; and he's a first-rate lad. There isn't a knot or a twist he doesn't know, and you should see him up aloft—a cat's not in it. ”

“ Skipper Heil was there all day yesterday."
"Heil? Wasn't he skipper of Hermansen's Valkyrie?"
"That's it! And I'm pretty sure 'twas Hermansen sent him down to look."
"Bramsen, listen to me. Not a word to a soul of what you know about the ship; you've got to be dumb as a doorpost. If anyone asks, you can tell them in confidence that I sent you to look over her, and not a word more, you understand?"
"Right you are, Mr. Holm. But you're not thinking of going in for the business yourself?" ”

“ Holm could spare a few minutes.
Holm was somewhat surprised at the message; Malla Trap did not often come round like this of her own accord in the middle of the week.
"Well, my dear Miss Trap, is there anything special the matter since we have the pleasure of seeing you to-day? Or were you feeling lonely, perhaps?"
"Lonely enough I am at times, Knut Holm."
"Why, yes, I suppose—when one is all by oneself—er—one feels that way now and then. I know myself I often feel the want of company, someone to confide in——"
"Ah, but you've memories, Knut Holm, happy memories." ”

“ Meantime, Soren Braaten had stolen down to the cellar, where he had a carefully hoarded stock of English bottled stout, with which he was wont to refresh himself at odd moments. Seated on a barrel, he was enjoying the blessing of life and liquor in deep draughts, without a care in the world. True, he had seen through the skylight Malvina and the mate in what might be construed as a compromising position, but trusting in this as in all else to Cilia's management, he took it for granted that she was a party to the affair. ”

“ Skipper Abrahamsen jumped up on the table and made another for the Norwegian play, in the course of which he managed to empty his glass of punch over Warden Prois's new uniform, at which that worthy, very naturally incensed, cursed the patriot emphatically for behaving like a monkey on a tightrope.
Even aged Klementsen had come to life again, and found his way upstairs from the cells, somewhat pale but resolute still. His appearance was greeted with a burst of cheering, and a party of enthusiasts chaired him round the hall, singing patriotic songs the while. ”

“ He had often suggested to Andrine that the contents of the savings-bank book might be devoted to the purchase of a tug, but Andrine would cross herself piously, and urge him to combat all temptation and evil inspirations of the sort. Bramsen could not see anything desperately evil in the idea himself; he found it more depressing to think that he should spend the remainder of his days in the stuffy atmosphere of the warehouse on the quay. Was it reasonable, now, for a man like himself to be planted, like a geranium in a flower-pot, among sugar-boxes, flour-sacks, and store-keeping trash? ”

“ It was a fine, bright, sunny day when Sukkestad and Peter Oiland, as delegates from Strandvik to the meeting at Stavanger, stepped on board the coasting steamer, which was already half full of delegates with white neckerchiefs and broad-brimmed felt hats.
The smoke-room was thick with the fumes of cheap tobacco and a hum of quiet talk from decent folk in black Sunday coats and well-polished leg boots. A swarthy little commercial traveller, with a bright red tie and waxed moustache, sat squeezed up in a corner puffing at a "special" cigar with a coloured waistband. ”

“ Yes, it was I. I knew you were in desperate straits, that you would be ruined if you did not get help from somewhere."
"After I'd treated you so badly?"
"A woman's heart's a strange thing."
"But why did you never tell me before to-day?"
"I should never have told you at all, if it hadn't been for William's sake. I'm proud of the boy; he's been good to me, and a homeless old woman's grateful for a little kindness. Well, now you know it—and now I ask you again to give up Betty Rantzau; there'll be nothing but trouble come of it, if you go on. ”

“ When Holm walked into the big drawing-room upstairs he was greeted with acclamation. "Hurrah for Mæcenas! hurrah for the patron of Art! Hurrah!"
"Here, Frantz, you're a poet; get up and make a speech in honour of my noble sire."
Frantz Pettersen, a podgy little man with a big fair moustache, lifted his glass.
"Friends and brothers in Art, in the eternal realm of beauty! the halls wherein we live and move are bright and lofty, it is true, and our outlook is wide, unbounded. But let us not therefore forget the simple home of our youthful days, though it be never as poor and dry." ”

“ Nachmann was also a shareholder, but had only taken up his holding on condition that he should be purveyor of wines to the ship, "a smart, round vessel like that must get things from a decent firm." He had been busy to-day with a whole cart-load of various wines for the dinner, which the shareholders were to have on board during the trial trip.
Away in the harbour lay the Apollo, Eva Maria, and Birkebeineren; they had had no charters this year. The old craft looked heavy and stout as they lay in the sweltering sun, with pitch oozing from their seams like black tears. ”

“ Would you believe it, Miss Betty, he and those artist friends of his have turned Marie's head the same wry fashion, and make her believe she's cut out for an artistic career herself—a born opera singer, they say; and now she carols away up there till people think there's a dentist in the house. Oh, it's the deuce of a mess, I do assure you!"
Betty looked up from her book. "You must have the gift of good humour, Mr. Holm."
"Well, I hope so, I'm sure. Shouldn't like to be one of your doleful sort."
"A kind and hard-working man you've always been, I'm sure. A perfect model of a man." ”

“ Cilia, Malvina and Abrahamsen stood round examining the model with glee.
Soren was about to retire, but stumbled over an old trunk left outside, and fell head over heels into the room among the others. There was an awkward pause, until Cilia broke the silence by asking Soren: "What do you think of that—isn't she a beauty?" pointing to the model as she spoke.
"Why, yes, she's a handsome boat enough," said Soren, rubbing his shins.
"Oh, father, we must have a steamer of our own," said Malvina, coming up and clinging to his shoulder. ”

“ Vindt was an old bachelor, a dried-up, lanky figure of a man, with a broad-brimmed felt hat set on his smooth black wig and a little florid face with a sharp nose.
"Beg pardon, Holm," he began, "would you mind asking if the senior partner's disengaged for a moment?"
"Oh, go to the devil!"
"Well, I was thinking of taking a holiday somewhere—and I dare say he'd put me up. Better than nothing, as the parson said when he found a button in the offertory box. You might say the same, you know; be thankful he's keeping you on at all." ”

“ Bramsen grew suddenly thoughtful. What if the child were to go getting ideas into her head, like Miss Holm, and want to go about singing with a hat—h'm, perhaps after all it might be as well to take her to the meeting with Andrine.
But the mere suggestion sent Amanda off into a fresh burst of tears.
"There, there, child, I'll take you to the theatre, then, but on one condition."
Amanda looked up expectantly. "Yes?"
"You're never to think of singing for money yourself, or going on the stage, or anything like that. You understand?" ”

“ Holm, of course, was always the one to open conversation; he talked, indeed, at times to such an extent that Betty was obliged to beg him to stop, as she could not get on with her work. This generally led to a pause of a quarter of an hour or so, during which Holm would sit watching her over his glasses while she entered up from daybook to ledger with a certain careless ease. Wonderful, thought Holm to himself, how attractive a fair-haired girl can look when she's dark eyebrows and eyelashes, and those blue eyes. Pity she always keeps her mouth tight shut, and hides her lovely teeth. ”

“ Failure and crisis had raged about him, and many a time public opinion had given him but a short while to keep above water himself, but he always managed to get through somehow, though there were times when he had not credit for five shillings, when the commercial travellers gave his corner premises the stealthy go-by, in the confident belief that he would put his shutters up next day. But he never did. And at last it grew to a proverb, that Knut G. Holm was like a cat; you might throw him out of a top-floor window, but he would always land on his feet in the end! ”

“ Old Klementsen, delighted to feel himself a shipowner, sat in a corner with a magnum of champagne before him, delivered an oration on the subject of time-charter on the China coast; he had read an article on the subject in a paper, and was greatly impressed by the same.
"Beautifully steady, isn't she?" said Cilia to her husband. Hardly had she spoken, however, when, "Brrr—drrrrum—drrrum—drrrum"—the passengers were thrown headlong in all directions, and Cilia herself was flung into the arms of Justice Heidt, the two striking their heads together with a force that made both dizzy for the moment. ”

“ The lad rose hurriedly to his feet and made as if to run away.
"No, here, wait a bit, son; there's nothing to be afraid of." Holm took the boy's hand, and looked into a pale childish face with deep dark eyes, and framed in a tangle of fair hair.
"I was only listening," he sobbed.... "The music upstairs there...."
"You're fond of music, then?"
"Yes; I always go out in the evening, when nobody can see, and sit outside where I know there's somebody that plays. And Holm's up there, they've got the loveliest piano."
"Would you like to learn to play yourself?" ”

“ See?"
"Oho! Women again, Bramsen, what?"
"Ay, they do us every time, and that's the truth. But we can't get on without them all the same. Like pepper in the soup—gets you in the throat now and again, but it gives you an appetite."
Bramsen had by now almost forgotten the telegram; he grew serious again, however, as it caught his eye.
"'Drink dock yesterday—drink dock....'" he scratched his whiskers and muttered curses at Johnsen and his telegram.
Holm sat looking at the thing.
"Bramsen," he said at last, "I've got it. Don't you see what it is?" ”

“ The end of it was that Soren went in to Christiania and got a broker he knew there to take over the business, and glad he was to get rid of it. The week after, he went on board Birkebeineren, rigged her up, and sailed with a cargo of planks to Amsterdam. Even though he made little out of it beyond his keep, it was nicer than sitting at home in a state of eternal worry about the steamer.
"It pays better than the savings bank, anyway," said Cilia, when he grumbled. ”

“ That was Emilie Rantzau's farewell to Strandvik. As for Old Nick, she did not even grant him so much as a nod.
On the way home he encountered a procession of urchins, ragged, bare-legged and boisterous, waving Japanese fans and Chinese parasols—properties which he seemed to recognise.
"Here, you boys, where did you get those things from?"
"Mr. Nachmann gave us them. He threw them out of Nickelsen's window," cried the youngsters in chorus.
"H'm," grunted Old Nick. "Very funny...." and he stalked on his way. ”