Mysteries by Knut Hamsun Read Free Book Online

you saw all those flags. By the way, it was June 12, and the flags were flying in honor of Miss Kielland’s engagement. And two days later I met her in person.
    Why did I have to meet her just that evening, when I was in such a distraught state of mind and didn’t care what I did? Whenever I think back over the whole thing, I feel thoroughly ashamed of myself:
    “Good evening, miss! Forgive me, I’m a stranger here going for a walk, and I have no idea where I’ve ended up.”
    Miniman is right, she immediately blushes, and when she answers she blushes even more.
    “Well, where do you want to go?” she says, giving me the once-over.
    I take off my cap and, standing there bareheaded, I come up with an answer, all the while holding the cap in my hand. “Would you, please, tell me how far it is to town, the exact distance.”
    “That I don’t know,” she says, “not from here. But the first house you come to is the parsonage, and from there it’s a mile and a half to town.” With that she wants to go, without further ado.
    “Thank you very much,” I say, “but if the parsonage is at the other end of the woods, permit me to walk with you if that’s where you’re going, or even farther. There’s no sun anymore, so let me carry your parasol. I won’t bother you, I won’t even talk if you like, as long as I may walk beside you and listen to the birds chirping. No, don’t go, not this minute! Why are you running away?”
    But since she took to her heels anyway, refusing to listen to me, I ran after her so she could hear my excuse: “I’ll be damned if your lovely face hasn’t made a most powerful impression on me!”
    But now she was rushing off at such a frantic pace that I lost sight of her in a couple of minutes. As for that heavy blond braid of hers, she simply held it in her hand as she ran. I never saw anything like it.
    This is what happened. I wasn’t going to annoy her, I intended no harm; I bet she loves her lieutenant, it never occurred to me to force myself on her. But it’s okay, it’s quite okay; maybe her lieutenant will challenge me, heh-heh, he will join forces with the deputy, the deputy judge, and challenge me....
    By the way, I wonder if that deputy will give Miniman a new coat. We can wait a day, maybe even two days, but if he hasn’t done it within two days we’ll give him a reminder. 4 Period. Nagel. 5
    I know of a poor woman here, she has looked at me so sheepishly, as if she wanted to ask for something but hasn’t yet dared to. I’m quite obsessed by her eyes, although her hair is white; I’ve gone out of my way four times to avoid meeting her. She’s not old, it’s not from age that she’s white; her eyelashes are still startlingly black, fearfully so, giving her eyes a smoldering look. She almost always carries a basket under her apron, which is probably what makes her feel so sheepish. When I turn around once she has passed me, I notice that she walks to the market, takes a few eggs out of her basket and sells those two or three eggs to the first comer, whereupon she returns home the way she came, the basket under her apron. She lives in a tiny little house by the quayside; it’s a one-story house and unpainted. I once saw her through the window—there are no curtains, only a few white flowers to be seen on the windowsill; she was standing far back in the room staring at me as I walked by. God only knows what sort of woman she is; but her hands are quite small. I could always give you a handout, my white maiden, but I would rather give you some assistance.
    Incidentally, I know very well why I’m so obsessed by your eyes, I knew that right away. Strange how a youthful infatuation can linger for so long and crop up again every once in a while. But her lovely face is not yours, and you’re much older than she, alas. And yet she married a telegraph operator and moved to Kabelvag! Well, there is no accounting for tastes; I couldn’t expect to have her love, nor did I get