Mysteries - Knut Hamsun [161]
He gave a look around the room. The place wasn’t very tidy, nor was it quite clean everywhere; but there were pleasant colors, light from three large windows, and many comfortable chairs around the tables. The chairs were rather worn, as was the rest of the furniture, yet everything looked quite nice. Moreover, there were three walls with paintings by Heyerdahl, Hjalmar Johnssen, and a German; the one by Hjalmar Johnssen was a seascape.
5 121/196. The P text reads: Dagny was sitting by herself, tapping the table with her fingers and turning the pages of an album from time to time.
6 121/196. In P, this sentence reads: She was tall and on the ample side, but had a light, curiously seductive walk.
7 121-22/196. Deleted in CW: As soon as she saw him, she said eagerly, “Will you forgive me for what I said? Please! This thing about Kristiania; surely, you remember.”
He was greatly surprised and replied that he hadn’t given it a second thought; he wasn’t even certain he had heard it. No, indeed; for he had been jabbering about music with that young man over there the whole time.
“Oh yes, you heard it,” she said, “I could tell from looking at you. But it was thoughtless of me to stick my nose into it; I’ve never been abroad, and consequently I can’t have any opinion of how great our own things are.”
“And on my part, I should never get involved in argument with people about anything, because we don’t agree. And besides, what’s the use? Nobody gets converted in an argument; it never happens.”
“Anyway, I hope you will forgive me. That’s all I wanted to ask of you.”
He looked at her.
8 123/196. In P, the lawyer says: “But it seems to me the Liberal press is coarse enough.” The doctor’s reply is extended as follows: “it is at all comparable? Whatever some may think of the cabinet—”
9 125/197. At this point P reads: “but Gladstone simply knocks down every objection. I really wonder how long Bismarck will go on with his useless battle. He must surely be venomously angry internally by now....”
10 125/197. From here until the next sentence, P reads: He even tried with Emperor Wilhelm, but everyone agreed with him that the Emperor was half mad.
11 127/198. The next two paragraphs, plus the first sentence of the third, were added in CW. The P text reads:
“No, I really don’t know,” Nagel said, still laughing, “which time Mr. Øien is talking about. It may well be that I said something of the sort, but ... Well, if I didn’t express myself too scandalously on that occasion, I still acknowledge my words, heh-heh-heh; but obviously, if they were too wild, I’ll deny them.” And turning serious, he added, “I really disagree with you a bit about Gladstone. I’m afraid I do. When I say this I don’t mean to annoy anyone, and I beg your pardon for bringing it up at this gathering. I’m not a fanatic, I could easily keep silent.
12 131/199. Up to this point in the paragraph, the P text reads: “No,” Nagel replied almost meekly, “it rather demoralizes me.”
13 133-35/201. A long passage deleted in CW:
With that he got up and began pacing the floor.
“Well,” the Doctor said, “whether you are one or the other, you cannot help recognizing Gladstone’s importance, his invaluable work for the liberation of Ireland, for example—”
“Oh sure, after he was overthrown as premier.”
“Also earlier. Whoever heard the like! Are you saying that ... Damn it all, man, have you gone out of your mind!”
“Ssh, ssh, Peter dear!” Mrs. Stenersen admonished him from the rocking chair.
“There has always been some difference between Gladstone in office and as a leader of the opposition,” Nagel said. “I remember a little incident, only something that happened at the time of the Coercion Acts. Gladstone once excluded twenty-five-twenty-five-Irish members of Parliament, in order to get the Coercion Acts passed.”
“I really can’t understand how you dare ... When was that?”
“It was in 1883, I believe. Yes, ’83. But goodness, why shouldn’t it be permissible for a Minister of the Crown to do so when the cause demanded it! Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not saying that—”
“Pardon!