When his wife had left the house he was once more standing and looking after an action that was set in motion and could not be overtaken. The thing was done now; he had put his name to a false declaration. The name Knut O. Norby would henceforth not be so well esteemed as formerly.
“No, I must find some work to do,” he thought, shaking himself. “Perhaps that’ll cheer me up.”
But feeling rather tired, for he had not slept much the night before, he lay down upon the leather sofa and closed his eyes for a moment, feeling as though he should not be able to get up for ever so long.
What made him uncomfortable was that he now always had a vision of Wangen before him. Ever since the day when he had set Wangen in an ugly light in order to have an excuse for not going to the bailiff, the man seemed burnt into his consciousness. He began to meet him everywhere, and to see him in every one he talked to. He saw him now, and sprang up and out, harnessed a horse, and drove to the forest to look at the timber-driving.
He heard the crash of the logs far in among the hills, and was not long in getting there. Some great trunks had been driven out to the road, and a load was just coming to the top of the steep hill where a slide had been cut through the trees. But what was that? The horse sat down upon its haunches, and down the long steep incline went horse and load hidden in a cloud of snow. This was madness, and the old man’s anger rose. But when the load reached the road the horse was unhurt, and Norby saw, to his great surprise, that the driver was Wangen.
Norby went up with his whip. Words failed him. Then Wangen, beginning to unload, said: “You’re trying to tax me with a forgery, Norby, but how about your own affairs?” Norby raised his whip and would have struck him, but another load appeared at the top of the hill, and again the horse sat down upon its haunches and away it went. And that was the way they used Norby’s horses, was it? He’d give them a lesson, he would! But when the driver came out down at the pile of logs, it was Wangen again! How the d——? And now he unloaded and said with a mocking smile: “You’re trying to tax me with forgery, Norby, but—ha!—ha!—what about yourself?” Norby again raised his whip and would have struck him, but suddenly caught sight of another horse at the top of the hill. It was the young brood-mare, and it would injure its feet in the slide. But it was Wangen again, and his lips were parted with the same smile: “I say, Norby, have you a good conscience? It’s true the witness is dead, but just you wait!” And then another load came, and another; the hill was one cloud of snow enveloping a string of loads, and there were more coming; and Wangen drove every load, always that cursed Wangen!
The old man cried out and sprang up from the sofa, rubbing his eyes. Thank goodness!
“I must get something to do,” he said, and put on his things and went out. It was too late to look at the timber-felling that day. He sauntered along to the pig-stye: but the twelve fat, yellow animals that had hitherto been his pride now seemed to him to be utter failures. “Things are beginning to go wrong with me,” he thought. “And now in addition I’m to have this! That’s the thanks I get for my kindness!” He sighed, and was passing on; but a pig put its snout between the palings and wanted to be scratched. The old man stretched out his hand, but suddenly drew back a step, for this pig too was——
A shudder ran through him, and he hastened out, and from a kind of curiosity he also went through the cow-shed. The cows turned in their stalls and lowed gently one after another; and he gazed, half in curiosity, half in terror, at each head, and saw that the first, the second, the third—ugh, what did it mean! He turned quickly and fled. He was beginning to see that hated face in innocent animals too. He slammed the heavy cow-shed door after him, and the lowing of two or three cows at the same moment added to his feeling of uncanniness.
“You great idiot!” he said at last to himself when he was fairly out. “To go and imagine things like that!” He was going in the direction of the stables, but turned round suddenly. He did not dare.