Katri answered. “What is important is being honest and not cheating, not even on the pennies. The only justification for taking another person’s money is if you can make it grow and then give them a fair return.”
“My dear, you suddenly have a great deal to say,” said Anna, her thoughts elsewhere.
Katri grew careless. Irritated by the conversation, she said, “While we’re on the subject, how much do you pay Fru Sundblom?”
Anna drew herself up and said, very stiffly, in the same tone of voice her father had used when he occasionally spoke to a domestic, “My dear Miss Kling, that is a detail that I really cannot recall.”
Chapter Nine
M ATS K LING AND L ILJEBERG MET on the village street.
“So you’re out walking the dog,” said Liljeberg.
“Yes. I’m going up to visit old Miss Aemelin and talk about her attic window.”
“I heard you were going to fix it. It’s snowing in, they say.”
“And the sink is blocked.”
“Right. Your sister is in charge, but it’s just as well. Now we’ve got a thaw, we were thinking we’d get back to work in the boat shed. We’ve got some little jobs for you. By the way, I’ve noticed you let yourself in from the water side.”
“But you didn’t tell the others.”
“No, why should I? I see the township’s finally ploughed the roads.”
Mats nodded.
“And Fru Sundblom is going to stop cleaning for Miss Aemelin,” Liljeberg went on. “They say the hill is too steep for her old legs, but some people have other ideas.”
Mats nodded again without listening.
They said goodbye and continued their separate ways.
The fir trees stood so close to the rabbit house that the back yard was always in shadow. It’s lonely here, Mats thought. It’s a very lonely house, maybe because it’s so big. The dog lay down in his usual place by the kitchen steps with his nose between his paws.
“So this is Mats,” said Anna Aemelin. “It was nice of you to come. And you brought your tools, I see. But the window isn’t so urgent… Take off your boots and come in for a bit.” She looked at the dog. “Why can’t he come in and get warm? Your sister never lets him come in.”
Mats answered that the dog was probably better off outdoors.
“But maybe he’s thirsty. Or does he eat snow?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Nice dog,” Anna called to him. “What’s his name?”
“Please don’t worry about him. He’s fine.” Mats took off his boots.
They had coffee in the parlour. Mats did not try to talk to his hostess, but he smiled at her occasionally and looked around with an appreciation that pleased her.
“It’s the snowlight,” she said. “Everything’s pretty in snowlight.” Anna liked Mats Kling. The moment he came in, she felt comfortable with him. What different temperaments siblings can have. Though neither of them was very talkative.
“You know,” said Anna, “in the beginning I was almost a little frightened of your sister. So silly of me.”
“Very silly,” Mats agreed and smiled again.
“Yes. The same way you can be anxious about a big strange dog, although it just stands perfectly still. Now I’m so glad that Katri has promised to come and help me with the cleaning.”
Fru Sundblom’s formidable shade glided past for one angry moment. Anna shook her off and sighed and the room was silent again.
Mats said, “Miss, I see you’re reading Jimmy’s Adventures in Africa . That’s a good book.”
“It is good.”
“Yes. But Jimmy’s Adventures in Australia is even better.”
“You don’t say. Is Jack still with him?”
“No. Jack stayed in South America.”
“Really,” Anna said. “That’s too bad. I mean, if two friends begin an adventure they should go on together, or it’s just not fair.” She stood up. “Come and have a look at my books,” she said. “Have you read Forester’s sea stories?”
“No.”
“And Jack London?”
“Someone had taken it out.”
“My dear young friend,” Anna
“My dear, you suddenly have a great deal to say,” said Anna, her thoughts elsewhere.
Katri grew careless. Irritated by the conversation, she said, “While we’re on the subject, how much do you pay Fru Sundblom?”
Anna drew herself up and said, very stiffly, in the same tone of voice her father had used when he occasionally spoke to a domestic, “My dear Miss Kling, that is a detail that I really cannot recall.”
Chapter Nine
M ATS K LING AND L ILJEBERG MET on the village street.
“So you’re out walking the dog,” said Liljeberg.
“Yes. I’m going up to visit old Miss Aemelin and talk about her attic window.”
“I heard you were going to fix it. It’s snowing in, they say.”
“And the sink is blocked.”
“Right. Your sister is in charge, but it’s just as well. Now we’ve got a thaw, we were thinking we’d get back to work in the boat shed. We’ve got some little jobs for you. By the way, I’ve noticed you let yourself in from the water side.”
“But you didn’t tell the others.”
“No, why should I? I see the township’s finally ploughed the roads.”
Mats nodded.
“And Fru Sundblom is going to stop cleaning for Miss Aemelin,” Liljeberg went on. “They say the hill is too steep for her old legs, but some people have other ideas.”
Mats nodded again without listening.
They said goodbye and continued their separate ways.
The fir trees stood so close to the rabbit house that the back yard was always in shadow. It’s lonely here, Mats thought. It’s a very lonely house, maybe because it’s so big. The dog lay down in his usual place by the kitchen steps with his nose between his paws.
“So this is Mats,” said Anna Aemelin. “It was nice of you to come. And you brought your tools, I see. But the window isn’t so urgent… Take off your boots and come in for a bit.” She looked at the dog. “Why can’t he come in and get warm? Your sister never lets him come in.”
Mats answered that the dog was probably better off outdoors.
“But maybe he’s thirsty. Or does he eat snow?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Nice dog,” Anna called to him. “What’s his name?”
“Please don’t worry about him. He’s fine.” Mats took off his boots.
They had coffee in the parlour. Mats did not try to talk to his hostess, but he smiled at her occasionally and looked around with an appreciation that pleased her.
“It’s the snowlight,” she said. “Everything’s pretty in snowlight.” Anna liked Mats Kling. The moment he came in, she felt comfortable with him. What different temperaments siblings can have. Though neither of them was very talkative.
“You know,” said Anna, “in the beginning I was almost a little frightened of your sister. So silly of me.”
“Very silly,” Mats agreed and smiled again.
“Yes. The same way you can be anxious about a big strange dog, although it just stands perfectly still. Now I’m so glad that Katri has promised to come and help me with the cleaning.”
Fru Sundblom’s formidable shade glided past for one angry moment. Anna shook her off and sighed and the room was silent again.
Mats said, “Miss, I see you’re reading Jimmy’s Adventures in Africa . That’s a good book.”
“It is good.”
“Yes. But Jimmy’s Adventures in Australia is even better.”
“You don’t say. Is Jack still with him?”
“No. Jack stayed in South America.”
“Really,” Anna said. “That’s too bad. I mean, if two friends begin an adventure they should go on together, or it’s just not fair.” She stood up. “Come and have a look at my books,” she said. “Have you read Forester’s sea stories?”
“No.”
“And Jack London?”
“Someone had taken it out.”
“My dear young friend,” Anna
Similar Books
