the bohemian girl-第4部分

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her　aunt；　Johanna　Vavrika；　a　superstitious；　doting　woman　of　fifty。　



When　Clara　was　a　little　girl　her　mother　died；　and　Johanna's　life



had　been　spent　in　ungrudging　service　to　her　niece。　　Clara；



like　many　self…willed　and　discontented　persons；　was　really　very



apt；　without　knowing　it；　to　do　as　other　people　told　her；　and　to　let



her　destiny　be　decided　for　her　by　intelligences　much　below　her　own。　



It　was　her　Aunt　Johanna　who　had　humoured　and　spoiled　her　in　her



girlhood；　who　had　got　her　off　to　Chicago　to　study　piano；　and　who



had　finally　persuaded　her　to　marry　Olaf　Ericson　as　the　best　match



she　would　be　likely　to　make　in　that　part　of　the　country。　　Johanna



Vavrika　had　been　deeply　scarred　by　smallpox　in　the　old　country。　



She　was　short　and　fat；　homely　and　jolly　and　sentimental。　　She　was



so　broad；　and　took　such　short　steps　when　she　walked；　that　her



brother；　Joe　Vavrika；　always　called　her　his　duck。　　She　adored　her



niece　because　of　her　talent；　because　of　her　good　looks　and



masterful　ways；　but　most　of　all　because　of　her　selfishness。







Clara's　marriage　with　Olaf　Ericson　was　Johanna's　particular



triumph。　　She　was　inordinately　proud　of　Olaf's　position；　and　she



found　a　sufficiently　exciting　career　in　managing　Clara's　house；　in



keeping　it　above　the　criticism　of　the　Ericsons；　in　pampering　Olaf



to　keep　him　from　finding　fault　with　his　wife；　and　in　concealing



from　every　one　Clara's　domestic　infelicities。　　While　Clara　slept　of



a　morning；　Johanna　Vavrika　was　bustling　about；　seeing　that　Olaf　and



the　men　had　their　breakfast；　and　that　the　cleaning　or　the　butter…



making　or　the　washing　was　properly　begun　by　the　two　girls　in　the



kitchen。　　Then；　at　about　eight　o'clock；　she　would　take　Clara's



coffee　up　to　her；　and　chat　with　her　while　she　drank　it；　telling　her



what　was　going　on　in　the　house。　　Old　Mrs。　Ericson　frequently　said



that　her　daughter…in…law　would　not　know　what　day　of　the　week　it　was



if　Johanna　did　not　tell　her　every　morning。　　Mrs。　Ericson　despised



and　pitied　Johanna；　but　did　not　wholly　dislike　her。　　The　one　thing



she　hated　in　her　daughter…in…law　above　everything　else　was　the　way



in　which　Clara　could　come　it　over　people。　　It　enraged　her　that　the



affairs　of　her　son's　big；　barnlike　house　went　on　as　well　as　they



did；　and　she　used　to　feel　that　in　this　world　we　have　to　wait



overlong　to　see　the　guilty　punished。　　〃Suppose　Johanna　Vavrika　died



or　got　sick？〃　the　old　lady　used　to　say　to　Olaf。　　〃Your　wife



wouldn't　know　where　to　look　for　her　own　dish…cloth。〃　　Olaf



only　shrugged　his　shoulders。　The　fact　remained　that　Johanna　did



not　die；　and；　although　Mrs。　Ericson　often　told　her　she　was



looking　poorly；　she　was　never　ill。　　She　seldom　left　the　house；



and　she　slept　in　a　little　room　off　the　kitchen。　　No　Ericson；　by



night　or　day；　could　come　prying　about　there　to　find　fault　without



her　knowing　it。　　Her　one　weakness　was　that　she　was　an　incurable



talker；　and　she　sometimes　made　trouble　without　meaning　to。







This　morning　Clara　was　tying　a　wine…coloured　ribbon　about



her　throat　when　Johanna　appeared　with　her　coffee。　　After　putting



the　tray　on　a　sewing　table；　she　began　to　make　Clara's　bed；



chattering　the　while　in　Bohemian。







〃Well；　Olaf　got　off　early；　and　the　girls　are　baking。　　I'm



going　down　presently　to　make　some　poppy…seed　bread　for　Olaf。　　He



asked　for　prune　preserves　at　breakfast；　and　I　told　him　I　was　out



of　them；　and　to　bring　some　prunes　and　honey　and　cloves　from



town。〃







Clara　poured　her　coffee。　　〃Ugh！　　I　don't　see　how　men　can　eat



so　much　sweet　stuff。　　In　the　morning；　too！〃







Her　aunt　chuckled　knowingly。　　〃Bait　a　bear　with　honey；　as　we



say　in　the　old　country。〃







〃Was　he　cross？〃　her　niece　asked　indifferently。







〃Olaf？　　Oh；　no！　　He　was　in　fine　spirits。　　He's　never　cross　if



you　know　how　to　take　him。　　I　never　knew　a　man　to　make　so　little



fuss　about　bills。　　I　gave　him　a　list　of　things　to　get　a　yard



long；　and　he　didn't　say　a　word；　just　folded　it　up　and　put　it　in



his　pocket。〃







〃I　can　well　believe　he　didn't　say　a　word；〃　Clara　remarked



with　a　shrug。　　〃Some　day　he'll　forget　how　to　talk。〃







〃Oh；　but　they　say　he's　a　grand　speaker　in　the　Legislature。　



He　knows　when　to　keep　quiet。　　That's　why　he's　got　such　influence



in　politics。　　The　people　have　confidence　in　him。〃　　Johanna　beat　up



a　pillow　and　held　it　under　her　fat　chin　while　she　slipped　on　the



case。　　Her　niece　laughed。







〃Maybe　we　could　make　people　believe　we　were　wise；　Aunty；　if



we　held　our　tongues。　　Why　did　you　tell　Mrs。　Ericson　that　Norman



threw　me　again　last　Saturday　and　turned　my　foot？　　She's　been



talking　to　Olaf。〃







Johanna　fell　into　great　confusion。　　〃Oh；　but；　my　precious；



the　old　lady　asked　for　you；　and　she's　always　so　angry　if　I　can't



give　an　excuse。　　Anyhow；　she　needn't　talk；　she's　always　tearing



up　something　with　that　motor　of　hers。〃







When　her　aunt　clattered　down　to　the　kitchen；　Clara　went　to



dust　the　parlour。　　Since　there　was　not　much　there　to　dust；　this　did



not　take　very　long。　　Olaf　had　built　the　house　new　for　her　before



their　marriage；　but　her　interest　in　furnishing　it　had　been　short…



lived。　　It　went；　indeed；　little　beyond　a　bathtub　and　her　piano。　



They　had　disagreed　about　almost　even；　other　article　of　furniture；



and　Clara　had　said　she　would　rather　have　her　house　empty　than　full



of　things　she　didn't　want。　　The　house　was　set　in　a　hillside；　and



the　west　windows　of　the　parlour　looked　out　above　the　kitchen　yard



thirty　feet　below。　　The　east　windows　opened　directly　into　the　front



yard。　　At　one　of　the　latter；　Clara；　while　she　was　dusting；　heard　a



low　whistle。　　She　did　not　turn　at　once；　but　listened　intently　as



she　drew　her　cloth　slowly　along　the　round　of　a　chair。　　Yes；　there



it　was：







I　dreamt　that　I　dwelt　in　ma…a…arble　halls。







She　turned　and　saw　Nils　Ericson　laughing　in　the　sunlight；　his



hat　in　his　hand；　just　outside　the　window。　　As　she　crossed　the　room



he　leaned　against　the　wire　screen。　　〃Aren't　you　at　all　surprised　to



see　me；　Clara　Vavrika？〃







〃No；　I　was　expecting　to　see　you。　　Mother　Ericson　telephoned



Olaf　last　night　that　you　were　here。〃







Nils　squinted　and　gave　a　long　whistle。　　〃Telephoned？　　That　must



have　been　while　Eric　and　I　were　out　walking。　　Isn't　she



enterprising？　　Lift　this　screen；　won't　you？〃







Clara　lifted　the　screen；　and　Nils　swung　his　leg　across　the



window…sill。　　As　he　stepped　into　the　room　she　said：　〃You　didn't



think　you　were　going　to　get　ahead　of　your　mother；　did　you？〃







He　threw　his　hat　on　the　piano。　　〃Oh；　I　do　sometimes。　　You　see；



I'm　ahead　of　her　now。　　I'm　supposed　to　be　in　Anders'　wheat…field。　



But；　as　we　were　leaving；　Mother　ran　her　car　into　a　soft　place



beside　the　road　and　sank　up　to　the　hubs。　　While　they　were　going　for



the　horses　to　pull　her　out；　I　cut　away　behind　the　stacks　and



escaped。〃　　Nils　chuckled。　　Clara's　dull　eyes　lit　up　as　she　looked



at　him　admiringly。







〃You've　got　them　guessing　already。　1　don't　know　what　your



mother　said　to　Olaf　over　the　telephone；　but　be　came　back　looking　as



if　he'd　seen　a　ghost；　and　he　didn't　go　to　bed　until　a　dreadful



hourten　o'clock；　I　should　think。　　He　sat　out　on　the　porch　in　the



dark　like　a　graven　image。　　It　had　been　one　of　his　talkative　days；



too。〃　　They　both　laughed；　easily　and　lightly；　like　people　who　have



laughed　a　great　deal　together；　but　they　remained　standing。







〃Anders　and　Otto　and　Peter　looked　as　if　they　had　seen　ghosts；



too；　over　in　the　threshing　field。　　What's　the　matter　with　them



all？〃







Clara　gave　him　a　quick；　searching　look。　　〃Well；　for　one　thing；



they've　always　been　afraid　you　have　the　other　will。〃







Nils　looked　interested。　　〃The　other　will？〃







〃Yes。　　A　later　one。　　They　knew　your　father　made　another；　but



they　never　knew　what　he　did　with　it。　　They　almost　tore　the　old



house　to　pieces　looking　for　it。　　They　always　suspected　that　he



carried　on　a　clandestine　correspondence　with　you；　for　the　one　thing



he　would　do　was　to　get　his　own　mail　himself。　　So　they　thought　he



might　have　sent　the　new　will　to　you　for　safekeeping。　　The　old　one；



leaving　everything　to　your　mother；　was　made　long　before　you　went



away；　and　it's　understood　among　them　that　it　cuts　you　outthat　she



will　leave　all　the　property　to　the　others。　　Your　father　made　the



second　will　to　prevent　that。　　I've　been　hoping　you　had　it。　　It



would　be　such　fun　to　spring　it　on　them。〃　　Clara　laughed　mirthfully；



a　thing　she　did　not　often　do　now。







Nils　shook　his　head　reprovingly。　　〃Come；　now；　you're　malicious。〃







〃No；　I'm　not。　　But　I'd　like　something　to　happen　to　stir　them



all　up；　just　for　once。　　There　never　was　such　a　family　for　having



nothing　ever　happen　to　them　but　dinner　and　threshing。　　I'd　almost



be　willing　to　die；　just　to　have　a　funeral。　　You　wouldn't



stand　it　for　three　weeks。〃







Nils　bent　over　the　piano　and　began　pecking　at　the　keys　with



the　finger　of　one　hand。　　〃I　wouldn't？　　My　dear　young　lady；　how　do



you　know　what　I　can　stand？　　You　wouldn't　wait　to　find　out。〃







Clara　flushed　darkly　and　frowned。　　〃I　didn't　believe　you　would



ever　come　back〃　she　said　defiantly。







〃Eric　believed　I　would；　and　he　was　only　a　baby　when　I　went



away。　　However；　all's　well　that　ends　well；　and　I　haven't　come　back



to　be　a　skeleton　at　the　feast。　　We　mustn't　quarrel。　　Mother　mill　be



here　with　a　search　warrant　pretty　soon。〃　　He　swung