第15章
JoeVavrika’ssaloonwasnotinthecountyseat，whereOlafandMrs。Ericsondidtheirtrading，butinacheerfullerplace，alittleBohemiansettlementwhichlayattheotherendofthecounty，tenlevelmilesnorthofOlaf’sfarm。Clararodeuptoseeherfatheralmosteveryday。Vavrika’shousewas，sotospeak，inthebackyardofhissaloon。Thegardenbetweenthetwobuildingswasinclosedbyahighboardfenceastightasapartition，andinsummerJoekeptbeertablesandwoodenbenchesamongthegooseberrybushesunderhislittlecherrytree。AtoneofthesetablesNilsEricsonwasseatedinthelateafternoon，threedaysafterhisreturnhome。Joehadgoneintoserveacustomer，andNilswasloungingonhiselbows，lookingrathermournfullyintohishalf-
emptiedpitcher，whenheheardalaughacrossthelittlegarden。
Clara，inherridinghabit，wasstandingatthebackdoorofthehouse，underthegrapevinetrellisthatoldJoehadgrowntherelongago。Nilsrose。
“Comeoutandkeepyourfatherandmecompany。We’vebeengossipingallafternoon。Nobodytobotherusbuttheflies。“
Sheshookherhead。“No，Inevercomeouthereanymore。Olafdoesn’tlikeit。Imustliveuptomyposition，youknow。“
“Youmeantotellmeyounevercomeoutandchatwiththeboys，asyouusedto？Hehastamedyou！Whokeepsuptheseflower-beds？“
“IcomeoutonSundays，whenfatherisalone，andreadtheBohemianpaperstohim。ButIamneverherewhenthebarisopen。
Whathaveyoutwobeendoing？“
“Talking，asItoldyou。I’vebeentellinghimaboutmytravels。IfindIcan’ttalkmuchathome，noteventoEric。“
Clarareachedupandpokedwithherriding-whipatawhitemoththatwasflutteringinthesunlightamongthevineleaves。“I
supposeyouwillnevertellmeaboutallthosethings。“
“WherecanItellthem？NotinOlaf’shouse，certainly。
What’sthematterwithourtalkinghere？“Hepointedpersuasivelywithhishattothebushesandthegreentable，wherethefliesweresinginglazilyabovetheemptybeerglasses。
Clarashookherheadweakly。“No，itwouldn’tdo。Besides，Iamgoingnow。“
“I’monEric’smare。WouldyoubeangryifIovertookyou？“
Claralookedbackandlaughed。“Youmighttryandsee。IcanleaveyouifIdon’twantyou。Eric’smarecan’tkeepupwithNorman。“
Nilswentintothebarandattemptedtopayhisscore。BigJoe，sixfeetfour，withcurlyyellowhairandmustache，clappedhimontheshoulder。“NotaGoddamnayourmoneygoinmydrawer，youhear？Onlynexttimeyoubringyourflute，te-te-te-te-te-ty。“
Joewaggedhisfingersinimitationofthefluteplayer’sposition。
“MyClara，shecomeall-a-timeSundaysan’playforme。ShenotliketoplayatEricson’splace。“Heshookhisyellowcurlsandlaughed。“NotaGoddamnafunatEricson’s。YoucomeaSunday。
Youlike-afun。Noforgetdeflute。“JoetalkedveryrapidlyandalwaystumbledoverhisEnglish。Heseldomspokeittohiscustomers，andhadneverlearnedmuch。
Nilsswunghimselfintothesaddleandtrottedtothewestofthevillage，wherethehousesandgardensscatteredintoprairielandandtheroadturnedsouth。Faraheadofhim，inthedeclininglight，hesawClaraVavrika’sslenderfigure，loiteringonhorseback。Hetouchedhismarewiththewhip，andshotalongthewhite，levelroad，underthereddeningsky。WhenheovertookOlaf’swifehesawthatshehadbeencrying。“What’sthematter，ClaraVavrika？“heaskedkindly。
“Oh，Igetbluesometimes。Itwasawfullyjollylivingtherewithfather。IwonderwhyIeverwentaway。“
Nilsspokeinalow，kindtonethathesometimesusedwithwomen:
“That’swhatI’vebeenwonderingthesemanyyears。YouwerethelastgirlinthecountryI’dhavepickedforawifeforOlaf。Whatmadeyoudoit，Clara？“
“IsupposeIreallydidittoobligetheneighbours“——Claratossedherhead。“Peoplewerebeginningtowonder。“
“Towonder？“
“Yes——whyIdidn’tgetmarried。IsupposeIdidn’tliketokeeptheminsuspense。I’vediscoveredthatmostgirlsmarryoutofconsiderationfortheneighbourhood。“
Nilsbenthisheadtowardherandhiswhiteteethflashed。
“I’dhavegambledthatonegirlIknewwouldsay，’Lettheneighbourhoodbedamned。’“
Clarashookherheadmournfully。“Yousee，theyhaveitonyou，Nils；thatis，ifyou’reawoman。Theysayyou’rebeginningtogooff。That’swhatmakesusgetmarried:wecan’tstandthelaugh。“
Nilslookedsidewiseather。Hehadneverseenherheaddroopbefore。Resignationwasthelastthinghewouldhaveexpectedofher。“Inyourcase，therewasn’tsomethingelse？“
“Somethingelse？“
“Imean，youdidn’tdoittospitesomebody？Somebodywhodidn’tcomeback？“
Claradrewherselfup。“Oh，Ineverthoughtyou’dcomeback。
NotafterIstoppedwritingtoyou，atleast。Thatwasallover，longbeforeImarriedOlaf。“
“Itneveroccurredtoyou，then，thatthemeanestthingyoucoulddotomewastomarryOlaf？“
Claralaughed。“No；Ididn’tknowyouweresofondofOlaf。“
Nilssmoothedhishorse’smanewithhisglove。“Youknow，ClaraVavrika，youarenevergoingtostickitout。You’llcutawaysomeday，andI’vebeenthinkingyoumightaswellcutawaywithme。“
Clarathrewupherchin。“Oh，youdon’tknowmeaswellasyouthink。Iwon’tcutaway。Sometimes，whenI’mwithfather，I
feellikeit。ButIcanholdoutaslongastheEricsonscan。
They’venevergotthebestofmeyet，andonecanlive，solongasoneisn’tbeaten。IfIgobacktofather，it’sallupwithOlafinpolitics。Heknowsthat，andhenevergoesmuchbeyondsulking。I’veasmuchwitastheEricsons。I’llneverleavethemunlessIcanshowthemathingortwo。“
“Youmeanunlessyoucancomeitoverthem？“
“Yes——unlessIgoawaywithamanwhoisclevererthantheyare，andwhohasmoremoney。“
Nilswhistled。“Dearme，youaredemandingagooddeal。TheEricsons，takethelotofthem，areabunchtobeat。ButIshouldthinktheexcitementoftormentingthemwouldhavewornoffbythistime。“
“Ithas，I’mafraid，“Claraadmittedmournfully。
“Thenwhydon’tyoucutaway？Therearemoreamusinggamesthanthisintheworld。WhenIcamehomeIthoughtitmightamusemetobullyafewquartersectionsoutoftheEricsons；butI’vealmostdecidedIcangetmorefunformymoneysomewhereelse。“
Claratookinherbreathsharply。“Ah，youhavegottheotherwill！Thatwaswhyyoucamehome！“
“No，itwasn’t。IcamehometoseehowyouweregettingonwithOlaf。“
Clarastruckherhorsewiththewhip，andinaboundshewasfaraheadofhim。Nilsdroppedoneword，“Damn！“andwhippedafterher；butsheleanedforwardinhersaddleandfairlycutthewind。
Herlongridingskirtrippledinthestillairbehindher。Thesunwasjustsinkingbehindthestubbleinavast，clearsky，andtheshadowsdrewacrossthefieldssorapidlythatNilscouldscarcelykeepinsightthedarkfigureontheroad。Whenheovertookherhecaughtherhorsebythebridle。Normanreared，andNilswasfrightenedforher；butClarakeptherseat。
“Letmego，NilsEricson！“shecried。“Ihateyoumorethananyofthem。Youwerecreatedtotortureme，thewholetribeofyou——tomakemesufferineverypossibleway。“
Shestruckherhorseagainandgallopedawayfromhim。Nilssethisteethandlookedthoughtful。Herodeslowlyhomealongthedesertedroad，watchingthestarscomeoutintheclearvioletsky。
Theyflashedsoftlyintothelimpidheavens，likejewelsletfallintoclearwater。Theywereareproach，hefelt，toasordidworld。Asheturnedacrossthesandcreek，helookedupattheNorthStarandsmiled，asiftherewereanunderstandingbetweenthem。Hismotherscoldedhimforbeinglateforsupper。