安徒生童话-第53章

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　befound。　Towards　midnight　Palle　Dyre　came　home；　but　Dame　Dyre　cameneither　at　midnight；　nor　next　morning。　She　had　turned　her　back　uponNorrebak；　and　had　ridden　away　without　saying　good…bye。

It　was　gray；　wet　weather；　the　wind　grew　cold；　and　a　flight　ofblack　screaming　birds　flew　over　her　head。　They　were　not　so　homeless　asshe。

First　she　journeyed　southward；　quite　down　into　the　German　land。A　couple　of　golden　rings　with　costly　stones　were　turned　into　money；and　then　she　turned　to　the　east；　and　then　she　turned　again　and　wenttowards　the　west。　She　had　no　food　before　her　eyes；　and　murmuredagainst　everything；　even　against　the　good　God　himself；　so　wretched　washer　soul。　Soon　her　body　became　wretched　too；　and　she　was　scarcely　ableto　move　a　foot。　The　peewit　flew　up　as　she　stumbled　over　the　mound　ofearth　where　it　had　built　its　nest。　The　bird　cried；　as　it　always　cried；〃You　thief！　you　thief！〃　She　had　never　stolen　her　neighbor's　goods；　butas　a　little　girl　she　had　caused　eggs　and　young　birds　to　be　takenfrom　the　trees；　and　she　thought　of　that　now。

From　where　she　lay　she　could　see　the　sand…dunes。　By　the　seashorelived　fishermen；　but　she　could　not　get　so　far；　she　was　so　ill。　Thegreat　white　sea…mews　flew　over　her　head；　and　screamed　as　the　crows　anddaws　screamed　at　home　in　the　garden　of　the　manor　house。　The　birds　flewquite　close　to　her；　and　at　last　it　seemed　to　her　as　if　they　becameblack　as　crows；　and　then　all　was　night　before　her　eyes。

When　she　opened　her　eyes　again；　she　was　being　lifted　andcarried。　A　great　strong　man　had　taken　her　up　in　his　arms；　and　shewas　looking　straight　into　his　bearded　face。　He　had　a　scar　over　oneeye；　which　seemed　to　divide　the　eyebrow　into　two　parts。　Weak　as　shewas；　he　carried　her　to　the　ship；　where　he　got　a　rating　for　it　from　thecaptain。

The　next　day　the　ship　sailed　away。　Madame　Grubbe　had　not　beenput　ashore；　so　she　sailed　away　with　it。　But　she　will　return；　willshe　not？　Yes；　but　where；　and　when？

The　clerk　could　tell　about　this　too；　and　it　was　not　a　storywhich　he　patched　together　himself。　He　had　the　whole　strange　historyout　of　an　old　authentic　book；　which　we　ourselves　can　take　out　andread。　The　Danish　historian；　Ludwig　Holberg；　who　has　written　so　manyuseful　books　and　merry　edies；　from　which　we　can　get　such　a　goodidea　of　his　times　and　their　people；　tells　in　his　letters　of　MarieGrubbe；　where　and　how　he　met　her。　It　is　well　worth　hearing；　but　forall　that；　we　don't　at　all　forget　Poultry　Meg；　who　is　sittingcheerful　and　fortable　in　the　charming　fowl…house。

The　ship　sailed　away　with　Marie　Grubbe。　That's　where　we　left　off。

Long　years　went　by。

The　plague　was　raging　at　Copenhagen；　it　was　in　the　year　1711。The　Queen　of　Denmark　went　away　to　her　German　home；　the　King　quittedthe　capital；　and　everybody　who　could　do　so　hurried　away。　The　students；even　those　who　had　board　and　lodging　gratis；　left　the　city。　One　ofthese　students；　the　last　who　had　remained　in　the　free　college；　at　lastwent　away　too。　It　was　two　o'clock　in　the　morning。　He　was　carryinghis　knapsack；　which　was　better　stacked　with　books　and　writings　thanwith　clothes。　A　damp　mist　hung　over　the　town；　not　a　person　was　to　beseen　in　the　streets；　the　street…doors　around　were　marked　with　crosses；as　a　sign　that　the　plague　was　within；　or　that　all　the　inmates　weredead。　A　great　wagon　rattled　past　him；　the　coachman　brandished　hiswhip；　and　the　horses　flew　by　at　a　gallop。　The　wagon　was　filled　withcorpses。　The　young　student　kept　his　hand　before　his　face；　and　smelt　atsome　strong　spirits　that　he　had　with　him　on　a　sponge　in　a　little　brassscent…case。　Out　of　a　small　tavern　in　one　of　the　streets　there　weresounds　of　singing　and　of　unhallowed　laughter；　from　people　who　drankthe　night　through　to　forget　that　the　plague　was　at　their　doors；　andthat　they　might　be　put　into　the　wagon　as　the　others　had　been。　Thestudent　turned　his　steps　towards　the　canal　at　the　castle　bridge；　wherea　couple　of　small　ships　were　lying；　one　of　these　was　weighinganchor；　to　get　away　from　the　plague…stricken　city。

〃If　God　spares　our　lives　and　grants　us　a　fair　wind；　we　are　goingto　Gronmud；　near　Falster；〃　said　the　captain；　and　he　asked　the　nameof　the　student　who　wished　to　go　with　him。

〃Ludwig　Holberg；〃　answered　the　student；　and　the　name　soundedlike　any　other。　But　now　there　sounds　in　it　one　of　the　proudest　namesof　Denmark；　then　it　was　the　name　of　a　young；　unknown　student。

The　ship　glided　past　the　castle。　It　was　not　yet　bright　day　when　itwas　in　the　open　sea。　A　light　wind　filled　the　sails；　and　the　youngstudent　sat　down　with　his　face　turned　towards　the　fresh　wind；　and　wentto　sleep；　which　was　not　exactly　the　most　prudent　thing　he　could　havedone。

Already　on　the　third　day　the　ship　lay　by　the　island　of　Falster。

〃Do　you　know　any　one　here　with　whom　I　could　lodge　cheaply？〃Holberg　asked　the　captain。

〃I　should　think　you　would　do　well　to　go　to　the　ferry…woman　inBorrehaus；〃　answered　the　captain。　〃If　you　want　to　be　very　civil　toher；　her　name　is　Mother　Soren　Sorensen　Muller。　But　it　may　happenthat　she　may　fly　into　a　fury　if　you　are　too　polite　to　her。　The　manis　in　custody　for　a　crime；　and　that's　why　she　manages　the　ferry…boatherself…　she　has　fists　of　her　own。〃

The　student　took　his　knapsack　and　betook　himself　to　theferry…house。　The　house　door　was　not　locked…　it　opened；　and　he　wentinto　a　room　with　a　brick　floor；　where　a　bench；　with　a　great　coverletof　leather；　formed　the　chief　article　of　furniture。　A　white　hen；　whohad　a　brood　of　chickens；　was　fastened　to　the　bench；　and　had　overturnedthe　pipkin　of　water；　so　that　the　wet　ran　across　the　floor。　Therewere　no　people　either　here　or　in　the　adjoining　room；　only　a　cradlestood　there；　in　which　was　a　child。　The　ferry…boat　came　back　withonly　one　person　in　it。　Whether　that　person　was　a　man　or　a　woman　wasnot　an　easy　matter　to　determine。　The　person　in　question　was　wrapped　ina　great　cloak；　and　wore　a　kind　of　hood。　Presently　the　boat　lay　to。

It　was　a　woman　who　got　out　of　it　and　came　into　the　room。　Shelooked　very　stately　when　she　straightened　her　back；　two　proud　eyeslooked　forth　from　beneath　her　black　eyebrows。　It　was　Mother　Soren；　theferry…wife。　The　crows　and　daws　might　have　called　out　another　namefor　her；　which　we　know　better。

She　looked　morose；　and　did　not　seem　to　care　to　talk；　but　this　muchwas　settled；　that　the　student　should　board　in　her　house　for　anindefinite　time；　while　things　looked　so　bad　in　Copenhagen。

This　or　that　honest　citizen　would　often　e　to　the　ferry…housefrom　the　neighboring　little　town。　There　came　Frank　the　cutler；　andSivert　the　exciseman。　They　drank　a　mug　of　beer　in　the　ferry…house；　andused　to　converse　with　the　student；　for　he　was　a　clever　young　man；who　knew　his　〃Practica；〃　as　they　called　it；　he　could　read　Greek　andLatin；　and　was　well　up　in　learned　subjects。

〃The　less　one　knows；　the　less　it　presses　upon　one；〃　said　MotherSoren。

〃You　have　to　work　hard；〃　said　Holberg　one　day；　when　she　wasdipping　clothes　in　the　strong　soapy　water；　and　was　obliged　herselfto　split　the　logs　for　the　fire。

〃That's　my　affair；〃　she　replied。

〃Have　you　been　obliged　to　toil　in　this　way　from　your　childhood？〃

〃You　can　read　that　from　my　hands；〃　she　replied；　and　held　out　herhands；　that　were　small　indeed；　but　hard　and　strong；　with　bitten　nails。〃You　are　learned；　and　can　read。〃

At　Christmas