第16章

OnSundayafternoonJoeVavrika，inhisshirtsleevesaridcarpetslippers，wassittinginhisgarden，smokingalong-tasseledporcelainpipewithahuntingscenepaintedonthebowl。Clarasatunderthecherrytree，readingaloudtohimfromthe，weeklyBohemianpapers。Shehadwornawhitemuslindressunderherridinghabit，andtheleavesofthecherrytreethrewapatternofsharpshadowsoverherskirt。Theblackcatwasdozinginthesunlightatherfeet，andJoe’sdachshundwasscratchingaholeunderthescarletgeraniumsanddreamingofbadgers。Joewasfillinghispipeforthethirdtimesincedinner，whenheheardaknockingonthefence。Hebrokeintoaloudguffawandunlatchedthelittledoorthatledintothestreet。HedidnotcallNilsbyname，butcaughthimbythehandanddraggedhimin。Clarastiffenedandthecolourdeepenedunderherdarkskin。Nils，too，feltalittleawkward。Hehadnotseenhersincethenightwhensherodeawayfromhimandlefthimaloneonthelevelroadbetweenthefields。Joedraggedhimtothewoodenbenchbesidethegreentable。

“Youbringdeflute，“hecried，tappingtheleathercaseunderNils’arm。“Ah，das-agood’Nowwehavesomeliddlefunlikeoldtimes。Igotsomet’inggoodforyou。“JoeshookhisfingeratNilsandwinkedhisblueeye，abrightcleareye，fulloffire，thoughthetinybloodvesselsontheballwerealwaysalittledistended。“Igotsomet’ingforyoufrom“——hepausedandwavedhishand——“Hongarie。YouknowHongarie？Youwait！“HepushedNilsdownonthebench，andwentthroughthebackdoorofhissaloon。

NilslookedatClara，whosatfrigidlywithherwhiteskirtsdrawntightabouther。“Hedidn’ttellyouhehadaskedmetocome，didhe？Hewantedapartyandproceededtoarrangeit。

Isn’thefun？Don’tbecross；let’sgivehimagoodtime。“

Clarasmiledandshookoutherskirt。“Isn’tthatlikeFather？Andhehassatheresomeeklyallday。Well，Iwon’tpout。I’mgladyoucame。Hedoesn’thaveverymanygoodtimesnowanymore。Therearesofewofhiskindleft。Thesecondgenerationareatamelot。“

Joecamebackwithaflaskinonehandandthreewineglassescaughtbythestemsbetweenthefingersoftheother。Theseheplacedonthetablewithanairofceremony，and，goingbehindNils，heldtheflaskbetweenhimandthesun，squintingintoitadmiringly。“Youknowdis，Tokai？Agreatfriendofmine，hebringdistome，apresentoutofHongarie。Youknowhowmuchitcost，diswine？Chustsomuchwhatitweighingold。NobodybutdenoblesdrinkhiminBohemie。Many，manyyearsIsavehimup，disTokai。“Joewhippedouthisofficialcorkscrewanddelicatelyremovedthecork。“Deoldmandiewhatbringhimtome，an’diswinehelayonhisbellyinmycellaran’sleep。An’now，“

carefullypouringouttheheavyyellowwine，“an’nowhewakeup；

andmaybehewakeusup，too！“Hecarriedoneoftheglassestohisdaughterandpresenteditwithgreatgallantry。

Clarashookherhead，but，seeingherfather’sdisappointment，relented。“Youtasteitfirst。Idon’twantsomuch。“

Joesampleditwithabeatificexpression，andturnedtoNils。

“Youdrinkhimslow，diswine。Heverysoft，buthegodownhot。

Yousee！“

AfterasecondglassNilsdeclaredthathecouldn’ttakeanymorewithoutgettingsleepy。“Nowgetyourfiddle，Vavrika，“hesaidasheopenedhisflutecase。

ButJoesettledbackinhiswoodenrockerandwaggedhisbigcarpetslipper。“No-no-no-no-no-no-no！Noplayfiddlenowanymore:toomuchacheindefinger，“wavingthem，“all-a-timerheumatic。Youplaydeflute，te-tety-tetety-te。Bohemiesongs。“

“I’veforgottenalltheBohemiansongsIusedtoplaywithyouandJohanna。Buthere’sonethatwillmakeClarapout。YourememberhowhereyesusedtosnapwhenwecalledhertheBohemianGirl？“Nilsliftedhisfluteandbegan“WhenOtherLipsandOtherHearts，“andJoehummedtheairinahuskybaritone，wavinghiscarpetslipper。“Oh-h-h，das-afinemusic，“hecried，clappinghishandsasNilsfinished。“Now’MarbleHalls，MarbleHalls’！

Clara，yousinghim。“

Clarasmiledandleanedbackinherchair，beginningsoftly:

IdreamtthatIdweltinma-a-arblehalls，Withvassalsandserfsatmyknee，“

andJoehummedlikeabigbumblebee。

“There’sonemoreyoualwaysplayed，“Clarasaidquietly，“I

rememberthatbest。“Shelockedherhandsoverherkneeandbegan“TheHeartBowedDown，“andsangitthroughwithoutgropingforthewords。Shewassingingwithagooddealofwarmthwhenshecametotheendoftheoldsong:

“FormemoryistheonlyfriendThatgriefcancallitsown。“

Joeflashedouthisredsilkhandkerchiefandblewhisnose，shakinghishead。“No-no-no-no-no-no-no！Toosad，toosad！Inotlike-adat。Playquicksomet’inggaynow。“

Nilsputhislipstotheinstrument，andJoelaybackinhischair，laughingandsinging，“Oh，Evelina，SweetEvelina！“Claralaughed，too。Longago，whensheandNilswenttohighschool，themodelstudentoftheirclasswasaveryhomelygirlinthickspectacles。HernamewasEvelinaOleson；shehadalong，swingingwalkwhichsomehowsuggestedthemeasureofthatsong，andtheyusedmercilesslytosingitather。

“DatuglyOlesongirl，sheteachindeschool，“Joegasped，“an’shestillwalkschustlikedat，yup-a，yup-a，yup-a，chustlikeacamelshego！Now，Nils，wehavesomemoreli’ldrink。Oh，yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes！Distimeyouhaftodrink，andClarashehafto，sosheshowshenotjealous。So，wealldrinktoyourgirl。Younottellhername，eh？No-no-no，Inomakeyoutell。Shepretty，eh？Shemakegoodsweetheart？Ibet！“Joewinkedandliftedhisglass。“Howsoonyougetmarried？“

Nilsscreweduphiseyes。“ThatIdon’tknow。Whenshesays。“

Joethrewouthischest。“Das-awayboystalks。Nowayformans。Manssay，’Youcometodechurch，an’getahurryonyou。’

Das-awaymanstalks。“

“MaybeNilshasn’tgotenoughtokeepawife，“putinClaraironically。“Howaboutthat，Nils？“sheaskedhimfrankly，asifshewantedtoknow。

Nilslookedathercoolly，raisingoneeyebrow。“oh，Icankeepher，allright。“

“Thewayshewantstobekept？“

“Withmywife，I’lldecidethat，“repliedNilscalmly。“I’llgiveherwhat’sgoodforher。“

Claramadeawryface。“You’llgiveherthestrap，Iexpect，likeoldPeterOlesongavehiswife。“

“Whensheneedsit，“saidNilslazily，lockinghishandsbehindhisheadandsquintingupthroughtheleavesofthecherrytree。“DoyourememberthetimeIsqueezedthecherriesalloveryourcleandress，andAuntJohannaboxedmyearsforme？Mygracious，weren’tyoumad！Youhadbothhandsfullofcherries，andIsqueezed’emandmadethejuiceflyalloveryou。Ilikedtohavefunwithyou；you’dgetsomad。“

“Wedidhavefun，didn’twe？Noneoftheotherkidseverhadsomuchfun。Weknewhowtoplay。“

Nilsdroppedhiselbowsonthetableandlookedsteadilyacrossather。“I’veplayedwithlotsofgirlssince，butI

haven’tfoundonewhowassuchgoodfun。“

Claralaughed。Thelateafternoonsunwasshiningfullinherface，anddeepinthebackofhereyesthereshonesomethingfiery，liketheyellowdropsofTokaiinthebrownglassbottle。“Canyoustillplay，orareyouonlypretending？“

“IcanplaybetterthanIusedto，andharder。“

“Don’tyoueverwork，then？“Shehadnotintendedtosayit。

Itslippedoutbecauseshewasconfusedenoughtosayjustthewrongthing。

“Iworkbetweentimes。“Nils’steadygazestillbeatuponher。

“Don’tyouworryaboutmyworking，Mrs。Ericson。You’regettinglikealltherestofthem。“Hereachedhisbrown，warmhandacrossthetableanddroppeditonClara’s，whichwascoldasanicicle。“Lastcallforplay，Mrs。Ericson！“Clarashivered，andsuddenlyherhandsandcheeksgrewwarm。Herfingerslingeredinhisamoment，andtheylookedateachotherearnestly。JoeVavrikahadputthemouthofthebottletohislipsandwasswallowingthelastdropsoftheTokai，standing。Thesun，justabouttosinkbehindhisshop，glistenedonthebrightglass，onhisflushedfaceandcurlyyellowhair。“Look，“Clarawhispered，“that’sthewayI

wanttogrowold。“

OnthedayofOlafEricson’sbarn-raising，hiswife，foronceinaway，roseearly。JohannaVavrikahadbeenbakingcakesandfryingandboilingandspicingmeatsforaweekbeforehand，butitwasnotuntilthedaybeforethepartywastotakeplacethatClarashowedanyinterestinit。Thenshewasseizedwithoneofherfitfulspasmsofenergy，andtookthewagonandlittleEricandspentthedayonPlumCreek，gatheringvinesandswampgoldenrodtodecoratethebarn。

Byfouro’clockintheafternoonbuggiesandwagonsbegantoarriveatthebigunpaintedbuildinginfrontofOlaf’shouse。

WhenNilsandhismothercameatfive，thereweremorethanfiftypeopleinthebarn，andagreatdroveofchildren。Onthegroundfloorstoodsixlongtables，setwiththecrockeryofsevenflourishingEricsonfamilies，lentfortheoccasion。Inthemiddleofeachtablewasabigyellowpumpkin，hollowedoutandfilledwithwoodbine。Inonecornerofthebarn，behindapileofgreen-

and-whitestripedwatermelons，wasacircleofchairsfortheoldpeople；theyoungerguestssatonbushelmeasuresorbarbed-wirespools，andthechildrentumbledaboutinthehaymow。TheboxstallsClarahadconvertedintobooths。Theframeworkwashiddenbygoldenrodandsheavesofwheat，andthepartitionswerecovered’Withwildgrapevinesfulloffruit。AtoneoftheseJohannaVavrikawatchedoverhercookedmeats，enoughtoprovisionanarmy；

andatthenextherkitchengirlshadrangedtheice-creamfreezers，andClarawasalreadycuttingpiesandcakesagainstthehourofserving。Atthethirdstall，littleHilda，inabrightpinklawndress，dispensedlemonadethroughouttheafternoon。Olaf，asapublicman，hadthoughtitinadvisabletoservebeerinhisbarn；butJoeVavrikahadcomeoverwithtwodemijohnsconcealedinhisbuggy，andafterhisarrivalthewagonshedwasmuchfrequentedbythemen。