Presently the ground was
bare again, but the nights were cold, and the water froze. And all the
grass and all the insects died.
A secret stillness fell upon people; they pondered and were silent;
their eyes awaited the winter. No more calling from the drying grounds:
the harbour lay quiet. Everything was moving towards the eternal winter
of the northern lights, when the sun sleeps in the sea. Dull came the
sound of the oars from a lonely boat.
A girl came rowing.
"Where have you been, my girl?"
"Nowhere."
"Nowhere? Look, I recognize you: I met you last summer."
She brought the boat in, stepped ashore, made fast.
"You were herding goats. You stopped to fasten your stocking. I met you
one night."
A little flush rose to her cheeks, and she laughed shyly.
"Little goat-girl, come into the hut and let me look at you. I knew your
name, too--it is Henriette."
But she walked past me without speaking. The autumn, the winter, had
laid hold of her too; her senses drowsed.
Already the sun had gone to sea.
XXXIV
And I put on my uniform for the first time, and went down to Sirilund.
My heart was beating.
I remembered everything from the day when Edwarda had come hurrying to
me and embraced me before them all. Now she had thrown me hither and
thither for many months, and made my hair turn grey.
Pages:
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154