CHAPTER X

ketheastuteTrudi.Sohemerelywroteremindingherthatshehadnotstayedwithhimsincetheprevioussummer,andsuggestedthatsheshouldcomeforafewdayswithherchildren,nowthatthespringwascomingandthesnowhadgone."Thewoodswillsoonbebluewithanemones,"hewrote,thoughhewellknewthatTrudi'sattitudetowardsanemoneswascold.Perhapsherlittleboyswouldliketopickthemanyhow,somesortofaninducementhadtobeheldout. Outsidehiswindowwasaduck-pond,thinsheetsoficestillfloatinginbrokenpiecesonitssurfacebehindtheduck-pondwasthedairyandoneithersideoftheyardwerecow-shedsandpig-styes.ThefarmcartsstoodinapeacefulSundayrowdownoneside,andattheotherendoftheyard,shuttingoutthesameviewoftheseaandislandthatAnnasawfromherbedroomwindow,wasamountainousrangeofmanure.WhenTrudicame,sheneverenteredtheroomsonthissideofthehouse,because,assheexplained,itwasoneofherpeculiaritiesnottolikemanureandshesleptandateandairedheropinionsonthewestside,wherethegardenlaybetweenthehouseandtheroad.SheneverwouldhavecometoLohmatall,notbeingburdenedwithanyunduesentimentinregardtotiesofblood,ifithadnotbeennecessarytogosomewhereinthesummer,andiftheotherplaceshadnotbeenbeyondtheresourcesofthefamilypurse,alwaysatitsemptiestwhentheracingseasonwasoverandthecard-playingatanend.Asitwas,thiswasacheapandconvenienthaven,andherbrotherAxelwaskindtothelittleboys,andnottooangrywhentheyplunderedhisapple-trees,damagedthekneesofhisponies,anddidtheirbesttotwistoffthetailsofhisdisconcertedsucking-pigs. Hewastheeldestofthreebrothers,andshecamelast.Shewastwenty-six,andhewastenyearsolder.Whenthefatherdied,thelandoughtproperlytohavebeendividedbetweenthefourchildren,butsuchaproceedingwouldhavebeenextremelyinconvenient,andthetwoyoungerbrothers,andthesisterjustmarried,agreedtoaccepttheirshareinmoney,andtoleavetheestateentirelytoAxel.Itwasthebestcoursetotake,butitthrewAxelintodifficultiesthatcontinuedforyears.Hisfather,withfourtimesthemoney,hadlivedverycomfortablyatLohm,andthechildrenhadbeenbroughtupinprosperity.Foreightyearshiseldestsonhadfarmedtheestatewithaquarterthemeans,andhadfounditsofarfromsimplethathishairhadturnedgreyintheprocess.ItneededconsiderableskillandvigilancetoenableamantoextractadecentlivingfromthesoilofLohm.Partofitwastooboggy,andpartofittoosandy,andthetreeshadallbeencutdownthirtyyearsbeforebyablandgrandfather,serenelyindifferenttotheopinionofposterity.Axel'sfirstworkhadbeentomakeplantationsofyoungfirsandpineswhereverthesoilwaspoorest,andwhenherodethroughthebeautifulKleinwaldeforestheendeavouredtoextractwhatpleasurehecouldfromthethoughtthatinahundredyearsLohmtoowouldhaveaforest.Butthepleasuretobeextractedfromthisthoughtwasofasurprisinglysubduedquality.Allhispleasureswereofasubduedquality.Hisdaysweremadeupofhardwork,ofthatefforttoinducebothendstomeetwhichknocksthesavouroutoflifewithsuchasingularcompleteness.Hewasbornwithanuncomfortablyexactconceptionofdutyandnowattheendofthebesthalfofhislife,afteryearsofstrugglingonthatpoorsoilagainsttheoddsofthatsternclimate,thisconceptionhadshapeditselfintoafixedbeliefthattheonethingentirelybeautiful,theonethingwhollyworthyofaman'sambition,istherightdoingofhisduty.So,hethought,shallamanhavepeaceatthelast. Itisawayofthinkingcommontotheeducateddwellersinsolitaryplaces,whohavenotbeenverysuccessful.Trudiscornedit."Peace,"shesaid,"atthelast,isnogoodatall.Whatonewantsispeaceatthebeginningandinthemiddle.Butyouonlythinkstufflikethatbecauseyouhaven'tgotenoughmoney.Poorpeoplealwaystalkaboutthebeautyofdutyandpeaceatthelast.Ifsomebodyleftyouafortuneyou'dnevermentioneitherofthemagain.Orifyoumarriedagirlwithmoney,now.Iwish,Idowish,thatthatdutywouldstrikeyouastheonethingwhollyworthdoing." Butamanwhoisalldayandeverydayinhisfields,whofarmsnotforpleasurebutforhisbareexistence,hasnotimetosetoutinsearchofgirlswithmoney,andnonecameuphisway.Besides,hehadbeenengagedafewyearsbefore,andthegirlhaddied,andhehadnotsincehadtheleastinclinationtowardsmatrimony.Afterthathehadworkedharderthaneverandtheyearsflewby,filledwithmonotonouslabour.Sometimestheyweregoodyears,andtheendsnotonlymetbutlappedoveralittlebutgenerallythebaremeetingoftheendswasallthatheachieved.HiswishwasthathisbrotherGustavwhocameafterhimshouldfindtheplaceingoodorderifpossibleinbetterorderthanbefore.ButtheworkingupofanestateforabrotherGustav,withwhateverdeterminationitmaybecarriedon,isnotalabourthatevokesanunflaggingenthusiasminthelabourerandAxel,howeverbeautifulalifeofdutymightbetohimintheory,foundit,inpractice,ofanaltogetherremarkablegreyness.Two-thirdsofhishousewereshutup.Intheeveningshisservantsstoleouttocourtandbecourted,andlefttheplacetohimselfandechoesandmemories.Itwasahousebuiltforalargefamily,fortroopsofchildren,andfrequentfriends.Axelsatinitalonewhentheduskdrovehimindoors,defendinghimselfagainsthisremembrancesbyprolongedinterviewswithhishe