Veronica And Other Friends | Page 3

violence. The doctor silently shook
his head. He took a small mortar that stood on the office table, and
shook into it some stuff which he ground with the marble pestle. His
eyes fell on the child who stood by Gertrude's side, gazing earnestly at
the doctors's occupation. The little creature had something unusual
about her, and attracted attention at once. Under her thick black hair
and heavy brows, her big eyes looked forth with a solemn gaze, as if
everything she saw gave her food for thought.

"He had no one but himself to blame for it, I fancy," said the doctor, as
he filled some small square papers with his powders.
"No, no! he was not the least of a brawler; he was a quiet industrious
fellow. They had rented some of our rooms, and lived there peaceably
and happily for three whole years, and never was an unkind word
exchanged between them. But he was a stranger in these parts; he was
never called anything but the Bergamasker, and the other fellows could
never forgive him for having won the prettiest and most courted girl in
the whole village. They never ceased to tease and irritate him, and on
this especial evening at the Rehbock they must have been unusually
offensive. Apparently they were all somewhat excited, for they could
afterwards give no clear account of the affair, but the end was that the
Bergamasker came home fatally wounded, and died the next day.
Everything has been different among us since the Rehbock was built.
Our village used to be quiet and orderly; every one was contented to
work all the week and rest on Sunday. Nobody ever heard of such a
thing as noisy drinking and rowdyism. But I have another errand with
you now, doctor. Lene charged me on her death bed to attend to it. She
did not leave any money, but she had an excellent outfit. She bade me
sell her bedstead and her bureau, and bring you the proceeds, to settle
what she owed you. She was very anxious that I should see to it, for she
felt that you had done a great deal for her; and she spoke of how often
you had climbed the hill both by day and night, to visit her. So, please
give me the bill, doctor, so that I may settle it at once, as I promised
her."
"What relatives has the child?" asked the doctor shortly.
"She has none at all in these parts," replied Gertrude. "She has been
with me all through her mother's illness, and now she is mine. Her
mother's family are all gone. She might perhaps be sent to her father's
parish in Bergamaskische, but I shall not do that; she belongs now to
us."
"I would not go there," said the child firmly in a low tone, clinging to
Gertrude's dress with both hands.

The doctor opened a big book, tore out a leaf, and drew his pen twice
across the closely written page.
"There," he said, handing the cancelled sheet to Gertrude, "that is all
the bill I shall give you."
"Oh, doctor, may God reward you," said Gertrude. "Go, child, and
thank the doctor, for you owe him a great deal."
The child obeyed after her own fashion. She planted herself before the
big man, looked steadily at him with her great black eyes and said
somewhat hoarsely,
"Thank you." It sounded more like a command than anything else.
The doctor laughed.
"She is rather alarming," he said, "she is evidently not accustomed to
say anything she does not really mean. I like that. But come, I must be
off," and handing the medicine to Gertrude he left the room quickly so
as to avoid her repeated thanks.
The little boy was standing where his mother had left him, still staring
at the restless horse. The doctor looked kindly at the little fellow.
"Would you like to take care of a horse?" he asked, as he got into his
wagon.
"No, I should like to drive one of my own," replied the child without
hesitation.
"Well, you are quite right there: stick to that, my boy," said the doctor,
and drove away.
As Gertrude, holding a child by each hand, climbed the hillside, the
boy said gaily,
"Say, mother, I can have one, can't I?"

"Do you mean to be a gentleman like the doctor, and own a horse,
Dietrich?" asked the mother.
The boy nodded.
"So you can, if you will work hard for it, and stick to your work well.
You see the doctor had to do that for a long time, and has to do it still,
and if you stick to your work as he has, and never stop nor get tired till
it is done,