He dressed himself and hurried out into the street. Where to? He would
go to Ole Tuft; the confounded croaker meddling in his affairs! He was
both spy and detective! What the devil did he want? What was his
object? Was that walking in "the ways of God," that too? Peeping
through key-holes and listening at doors? It was all in "the ways of
God" that this fellow had stolen his handsome sister from him; was he
now to rob him of his love? Why had he not gone direct to him? Why
first tell the aunt?
He felt the greatest desire to go and maltreat him, to nearly half kill
him. By heavens, he deserved it! He turned round really intending to go
there; but then he seemed to see his sister's great eyes gazing
steadfastly at him. It was no fancy; turn about as he would, on every
side he was met by those clear eyes. He seemed even to feel her cheek
resting against his like that last evening they were together. The end
of it was that he walked past. But that brought him in the
neighbourhood of his old lodgings, and he thought of Rendalen. He would
go to him! He would not keep one item of the truth from him; it would
be such happiness to unburden one's self. At a little distance from the
door he saw someone coming out. Was it----? Ole Tuft! The scoundrel
himself! ... Kallem's blood boiled; but Tuft went the other way and
never saw his brother-in-law.
Kallem did not know Tuft at all as he was now. Had he done so, he would
have understood that for him it was a question of saving two souls from
perdition. He lived in a state of feverish sleeplessness for the sake
of these two precious souls, and sought help; and allowed himself no
peace or rest till he had accomplished his aim. He might have gone
himself to Kallem, but it might have been dangerous, and certainly was
useless. Other steps must be taken in this matter. If Kallem had had
any inkling of this, instead of going to Rendalen, he would have
followed Tuft home and have beaten him till he could not stand.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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