Jan Vedder's Wife

by Amelia E. Barr

“He may not desire to live with thee any more.”

“If he will only listen to me while I say, ‘I am sorry with all my heart, Jan;’ if he will only forgive my unkindness to him, I shall count the journey well made, though I go to the ends of the earth to see him.”

“God go with thee, and make all thy plans to prosper. Here is the table of the mail boats. One leaves next Saturday morning at six o’clock. My advice is to take it. I will send on Thursday afternoon for thy trunk, and Friday night I will find some stranger fisher-boy to take it to the boat. Come thou to my house when all is quiet, and I will see thee safely on 264 board. At six in the morning, when she sails, the quay will be crowded.”

“I will do all this. Speak not of the matter, I ask thee.”

“Thou may fully trust me.”

Then Margaret went home with a light heart. Her way had been made very plain to her; it only now remained to bind Elga to her interest. This was not hard to do. Elga promised to remain for two years in charge of the house if Margaret did not return before. She felt rich with an allowance of five shillings a week, and the knowledge that Banker Tulloch had authority to prevent either Peter or Suneva from troubling her during that time. So that it was Elga’s interest, even if it had not been her will, to give no information which might lead to the breaking up of the comfort dependent on Margaret’s absence.

Nothing interfered with Margaret’s plans. During the three intervening days, she went as usual to Dr. Balloch’s. Twice she tried to introduce the subject of Snorro’s singular journey, and each time she contrived to let the minister see that she connected it in her own mind with Jan. She noticed that on one of 265 these occasions, the doctor gave her a long, searching look, and that the expression of his own face was that of extreme indecision. She almost thought that he was going to tell her something, but he suddenly rose and changed the subject of their conversation, in a very decided manner. His reticence pained and silenced her, for she almost longed to open her heart to him. Yet, as he gave her no encouragement, she was too shy, and perhaps too proud to force upon him an evidently undesired confidence. She determined, however, to leave letters for him, and for her father, stating the object of her voyage, but entering into no particulars about it. These letters she would put in Elga’s care, with orders not to deliver them until Saturday night. By that time Margaret Vedder hoped to be more than a hundred miles beyond Lerwick.

In the meantime Snorro had reached Portsmouth, his journey thither having been uneventful. “The Retribution” had arrived two days before, and was lying in dock. At the dock office a letter which Lord Lynne had given him, procured an admission to visit the ship, and her tall tapering masts were politely 266 pointed out to him. Snorro went with rapid strides toward her, for it was near sunset and he knew that after the gun had been fired, there would be difficulty in getting on board. He soon came to the ship of his desire. Her crew were at their evening mess, only two or three sailors were to be seen.

Snorro paused a moment, for he was trembling with emotion, and as he stood he saw three officers come from the cabin. They grouped themselves on the quarter-deck, and one of them, taller, and more splendidly dressed than the others, turned, and seemed to look directly at Snorro. The poor fellow stretched out his arms, but his tongue was heavy, like that of a man in a dream, and though he knew it was Jan, he could not call him. He had received at the office, however, a permit to board “The Retribution” in order to speak with her commander, and he found no difficulty in reaching him.

Jan was still standing near the wheel talking to his officers as Snorro approached. Now that the moment so long watched and waited for, had come, poor Snorro could hardly believe it, and beside, he had seen in the first 267 glance at his friend, that this was a different Jan somehow from the old one. It was not alone his fine uniform, his sash and sword and cocked hat; Jan had acquired an air of command, an indisputable nobility and ease of manner, and for a moment, Snorro doubted if he had done well to come into his presence unannounced.