“Remember, Einar, whatever you do, don’t take any family considerations!”
[CHAPTER V]
WHEN Norby drove off the next morning, his wife sat by his side. He always wanted her with him when anything serious was going on.
It was a grey winter’s day, and the snow was falling fast. As they turned out of the yard, the old man’s thought was: “I wonder how things will be when we drive in here again.”
At last the day was come of which he had once stood in such fear, but which had gone on inexorably approaching. He was not afraid now; he was only impatient to begin, like the excited gambler, who only thinks of winning. A slight suspicion that some enemy or other had had something to do with Einar’s behaviour the day before, only increased his inward excitement. They didn’t know what shame was, those people! They bought witnesses like that Sören Kvikne. They tried to make the son rise against his father. But just let them wait!
The court-house lay near the sound, which is the centre of the parish, and near which the magistrates lived upon their farms. Along the narrow lines that ran across the stretches of snow and represented roads, people could be seen like black dots moving in the direction of the court-house. The body of the court would be full enough to-day.
The first person Norby saw when he got there was Herlufsen, in his great wolf-skin coat; and the first thing he did when he got out of the sledge was to go up and shake hands with him. Herlufsen also advanced to meet him, drawn like steel to magnet. The handshake was warm, and the two smiling faces shone with pleasure at meeting one another. Both were thinking: “I wouldn’t be in your shoes to-day for something!” So Herlufsen invited Norby to take a cup of coffee with him at the hotel, but Norby protested that on this occasion he would stand treat.
The doors were almost too narrow to admit the big, fur-clad men. At the coffee-table they were soon warmly united in speaking evil of one and another whom they both hated. The great case they only ventured to mention very carefully, for fear that the one should see through the other.
Outside there was a bitter east wind blowing, which swept the smoke from the neighbouring factories through the driving snow. People walked about beating their hands together to warm them; and some went into the baker’s shop and bought bread as an excuse to warm themselves. At length the magistrate arrived, the court was opened, and the people streamed in, stamping the snow from their boots as they went up the stairs.