“He is safe enough. The devil holds his own from water. Now, if he does come to see thee, thou shalt not speak with him. That is my command to thee.”
Margaret answered not, but there was a look upon her face, which he understood to mean rebellion.
“Bring me the Bible here.” Then as he turned to the place he wanted, he said: “Now, Margaret, if thou art thinking to disobey thy 106 father, I want thee to hear in what kind of company thou wilt do so;” and he slowly read aloud:
“‘Backbiters—haters of God—despiteful—proud—boasters—inventors of evil things—disobedient to parents;’ dost thou hear, Margaret? ‘disobedient to parents—without understanding—covenant breakers—without natural affection—implacable—unmerciful.’”
“Let me see him once, father? Let me see him for half an hour.”
“Not for one moment. Disobey me if thou dares.”
“He is my husband.”
“I am thy father. Thy obligation to me began with thy birth, twenty years before thou saw Jan Vedder. Between man and wife there may be a divorce, between father and daughter there can be no bill of separation. The tie of thy obedience is for life, unless thou wilt take the risk of disobeying thy God. Very well, then, I say to thee, thou shalt not speak to Jan Vedder again, until he has proved himself worthy to have the care of a good woman. That is all I say, but mind it! If thou disobey me, I will never speak to thee again. I will 107 send thee and thy child from my sight, I will leave every penny I have to my two nephews, Magnus and Thorkel. That is enough. Where is thy mother?”
“She is in pain, and has gone to bed.”
“It is a sick house, I think. First, thou wert like to die, and ever since thy mother hath been ill; that also is Jan Vedder’s doing, since thou must needs fret thyself into a fever for him.” Then he took his candle and went to his sick wife, for he thought it best not to weaken his commands by any discussion concerning them.