Mysteries - Knut Hamsun [22]
“Yes, this is where I was born. My father was a parson here, and I’ve lived here for the last thirteen years, since I became an invalid.”
“Do you deliver coal to people?”
“Yes, I take coal around to the houses in town. It doesn’t bother me, if that’s why you’re asking. I’m used to it, and it doesn’t do me any harm as long as I’m careful on the stairs. But last winter I fell, and it got so bad I had to use a stick for quite a while.”
“You did, indeed? How did that happen?”
“Well, it was on the steps of the bank, they were a bit icy. I’m coming up with a rather heavy sack. About halfway, I see Consul Andresen coming down high up. I want to turn around and go back down so the Consul can get by. He didn’t tell me to, it just came naturally and I would’ve done it regardless. But at that very moment I was unlucky enough to slip on the step and fall. I landed on my right shoulder.2 ‘How are you doing?’ the Consul asks, ‘you didn’t scream, so you haven’t hurt yourself, have you?’ ‘No,’ I reply, ‘I guess I was lucky.’ But less than five minutes later I fainted twice in a row; besides, my abdomen swelled up because of my old ailment. By the way, the Consul remembered me generously afterward, though he was in no way to blame.”
“You didn’t suffer any other damage? You didn’t hurt your head?”
“Oh yes, I hurt my head a little. I was also spitting blood for a while.”
“And the Consul helped you during the time you were ill?”
“Yes, splendidly. He sent me all sorts of things, he didn’t forget me for a single day. But best of all, the day I was up and about again and went to the Consul’s to thank him, he had already hoisted the flag. He had expressly ordered the flag to be hoisted in my honor, though it was also Miss Fredrikke’s birthday.”
“Who is Miss Fredrikke?”
“She’s his daughter.”
“I see. Well, that was nice of him.... Oh say, you wouldn’t know why the flags were flying in town a few days ago, would you?”
“A few days ago? Let me see, was it a little over a week ago? Then it must’ve been because of Miss Kielland’s engagement, Dagny Kielland’s engagement. Sure, they get engaged, marry and leave town one after another. I’ve got friends and acquaintances all over the country practically by now, and there isn’t a single one among them I wouldn’t like to meet again. I’ve seen them play, go to school, get confirmed and grow up, all of them. Dagny is only twenty-three, and she’s the darling of the whole town. She’s handsome, too. She got engaged to Lieutenant Hansen, who once gave me this here cap. He’s also from here.”
“Is Miss Kielland a blonde?”
“Yes, she’s a blonde. She’s exceptionally beautiful and everyone’s fond of her.”
“I believe I saw her over by the parsonage. Does she usually carry a red parasol?”
“Exactly! And no one else here has a red parasol, as far as I know. If you saw a lady with a thick flaxen braid down her back, that was her. She’s like nobody else around here. But perhaps you haven’t talked to her yet?”
“Oh yes, I may have talked to her, too.” And Nagel adds pensively to himself, Was that Miss Kielland?
“Ah, but not properly; you didn’t have a long talk with her, did you? That’s something you can look forward to. She laughs out loud when she’s amused by something, and often she laughs at just about anything, she’s so lighthearted.3 If you get to talk with her, you’ll see how attentively she listens to what you’re saying, until you’ve finished, and then she’ll answer you. And when she answers, her cheeks often turn red. That’s how she is, it goes to her head; I’ve often noticed this when she’s been talking to someone, and then she becomes very beautiful.4 But with me it’s different; she chats with me when it so happens and doesn’t stand on ceremony. For example, if I walked up to her on the street, she would pause and give me her hand even if she was in a hurry. If you don’t believe me, just pay attention sometime.”
“I can well believe it. So Miss Kielland is a good friend of yours?”
“In the sense, simply, that she’s always patient