A Danish Parsonage Part 29

"No, no!" cried Helga, who was doubtful how far the maternal authority might extend amongst the English.

"Then we will both of us forgive him this time?" said Mrs. Hardy.

"Yes, I will, Mrs. Hardy," said Helga, with an earnestness that left no doubt.

"Now then," said John, "as I have been condemned and pardoned, let us have breakfast. I was afraid to go to sleep last night, so went fis.h.i.+ng, to catch some fish for breakfast, and here they are."

"Why, John, were you afraid to go to sleep?" asked Helga, anxiously.

"Because I knew I should dream of you, Helga," replied Hardy, "and have not been in bed all night because of that, and because I went fis.h.i.+ng. Moreover, I suspect you of being a 'Mare,' your eyebrows grow together, and I dread the nightmare."

"My eyebrows do not grow together," replied Helga, firmly.

"Let me see," said John; and he took her face between his hands, and added, "I am not certain, I must look closer;" and kissed her between the eyes.

"It is time for me to interfere," said John's mother; and she rang a small handbell in the deckhouse.

"Oh, don't, mother!" said John, with a piteous look.

"Oh, Mrs. Hardy! what are you going to do with Him?" asked Helga, with concern.

"First, he shall have no more breakfast, because he has finished,"

said Mrs. Hardy; "and then I will condemn him to----"

"No, no!" said Helga, beseechingly.

"I must," said Mrs. Hardy.

The great black-bearded steward came in to take away the breakfast things.

"Do go away; you are not wanted!" said Helga; and she pushed him out, and shut the door of the deck-house.

Mrs. Hardy got up and embraced her affectionately.

"Why," said she, "I was only going to condemn him to love you always, all his life, and with all his heart. You must not mind if he teases a little, all men do; but he is as good as gold, and as true as yourself."

"Now, Helga," said John, "let the steward clear away, and have a walk on deck. I will not tease you any more until next time. But where is that boy Axel?"

Axel had become a favourite with the men, for English sailors like a quick lad. He had an undying interest in knots and the contrivances on board the yacht, and the men liked the little Dane, as they called him. John Hardy sent a man to find him.

"He is down in the fok'sle, sir, learning knots off the men," said the man, touching his cap.

"Axel is trying to learn our English way of tieing knots, Helga," said Hardy, "and my men have taken him in charge. They will be kind to him, and would teach a lad no harm."

"When you were with us last year, you were so thoughtful of every one, and you were so kind; but when you tease me, I think you love me less," said Helga, slowly; "and I see you are thoughtful still. But why do you tease me?"

"Because I love you so; I do not know how to behave wisely," replied John. "You called me a cool and calculating Englishman; but if you knew how it hurt me when you said so, you would not have said what you did."

Mrs. Hardy had come on deck, and Helga went to her. Mrs. Hardy saw she was agitated, and was alarmed, but waited for Helga to speak.

"I know now he loved me from the first time we went to Rosendal," said Helga, "and I have been so bad to him. What I have said and did was hard."

"He understands it all, Helga, and there is no need for grief when you are so happy in the certainty of John's truth," said Mrs. Hardy.

"Thank you; thank you!" said Helga. "I feel so weak against his strength."

"Go and tell him so," said Mrs. Hardy, "if you feel so, and enjoy the beautiful scenes he is taking you through."

"There is not the weirdness in the scenery here, Helga, as further north, on the west coast of Norway. The hills here are rounder in form, as if by the action of ice ages ago," said Hardy. "Your father has often explained to you the action of glaciers, and how the large stones or boulders found in Jutland were conveyed by the ice and left where the ice grounded."

"It is lovely to pa.s.s a fresh prospect every minute," said Helga, "and to sail so easily through the still waters. The sun is hotter here than I think with us; it scalds more."

"Pa.s.s the word to get the awning up," said Hardy to one of his men; and presently half a dozen willing hands had done it.

"How pleasant!" said Helga. "The draught of air under the awning makes it feel so delightfully fresh. The colour of the foliage, the gra.s.s, the rocks, and sea appear distinct in effect of colour, John; how is that?"

"It is one of the many phases of nature," replied John. "The air is very clear here, and it may be that the summer being so short, nature paints in fresher colours."

"When shall we reach Christiania?" asked Helga.

"About three, as the yacht is going; the order I have given is, to run forty revolutions, that is a little more than half speed," replied Hardy. "If you wish to reach Christiania earlier, I will give the order for full speed."

"You must do what your mother wishes, John," said Helga.

"I am," replied John; "her wishes are that I should consult yours.

Now, for instance, we shall get to Christiania at three; what would you like to see this afternoon?"

"Oscarshall," said Helga, "and Tidemand's pictures is what I long to see; but we had best go there to-morrow. We can take a walk this afternoon."

"And come back to dinner and go to the theatre?" added John.

The New Palace came in view about two, and then Akershuus Castle, and the yacht was put in her berth by the pilot.

Mrs. Hardy declined to go ash.o.r.e, as she said she should be too fatigued to go to the theatre, and John had a walk with his princess.

He tried to inveigle her into saying that she wanted something, that he might get it for her; but his sly ways were detected.

At the theatre a French Vaudeville was acted, which John thought his mother was greatly tired of and would have left, but Helga's interest at being in a foreign theatre, and seeing so many strange faces, was so apparent that Mrs. Hardy would not leave. The night when they came out of the theatre was beautiful, and John, at his mother's wish, steered the yacht's gig a little out of the harbour before they joined the yacht.

The next day was Helga's birthday, her twenty-first, and at eight o'clock, Norsk time, the yacht was dressed with bunting.

Before Helga had finished dressing, Mrs. Hardy's maid came into her state-room, with a small packet, containing a handsome turquoise ring from Mrs. Hardy, and a leather case from John Hardy, with the initials "H. H." There was a slight blush on her cheek as she remarked this.

Her name was to be Helga Hardy.

"Mr. Hardy has directed me to show you the contents of the dressing-case, as you may not understand how to open the secret drawer," said Mrs. Hardy's maid. "This is a little gold key, and opens the dressing-case; there is scent, tooth-powder, and soap, and the whole is ready for use. And this is the way the jewel drawer opens; you press this k.n.o.b, and it flies open, and is filled with the jewellery Mr. Hardy thought you might like. When you wish to shut the drawer, you push it so, and it closes with a spring."

Mrs. Hardy's maid opened the jewel drawer again, and left it for Helga to examine its contents. The initials were engraved as a monogram on different articles, even the ivory brushes had them. Mrs. Hardy had told her that light blue suited her, and there was a turquoise bracelet in good taste, and several rings, some of which did not fit her, as John Hardy when he bought her betrothal ring in Copenhagen had not been able to get them altered, as his stay in Copenhagen was short. Her first impulse was to decline such a costly present, next she thought, "He cannot have told his mother." The breakfast bell rang, and she went into the saloon where breakfast was served, and kissed Mrs. Hardy, whose present she wore and thanked her warmly. John Hardy wished her many happy returns of the day in a kindly Danish phrase.

"But how do you like John's present, my child?" said Mrs. Hardy.