Jan Vedder's Wife

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Barr Amelia E.. Jan Vedder's Wife

CHAPTER I. JAN’S WEDDING

CHAPTER II. A LITTLE CLOUD IN THE SKY

CHAPTER III. JAN’S OPPORTUNITY

CHAPTER IV. THE DESOLATED HOME

CHAPTER V. SHIPWRECK

CHAPTER VI. MARGARET’S HEART

CHAPTER VII. THE MAN AT DEATH’S DOOR

CHAPTER VIII. DEATH AND CHANGE

CHAPTER IX. JAN AT HIS POST

CHAPTER X. SWEET HOME

CHAPTER XI. SNORRO IS WANTED

CHAPTER XII. SNORRO AND JAN

CHAPTER XIII. LITTLE JAN’S TRIUMPH

CHAPTER XIV. JAN’S RETURN

CHAPTER XV. LABOR AND REST

Отрывок из книги

As it happened that year the peerie, or Indian summer, was of unusual length and beauty. The fine weather lingered until the end of October. These weeks were full of joy to Margaret and to Jan, and in them Jan showed himself in many a charming light. He played well upon the violin, and as long as love was his theme Margaret understood him. He recited to her stirring stories from the Sagas, and she thought only how handsome he looked with his flashing eyes, and flushing face. She never reflected, that the soul which could put life into these old tales was very likely to be a soul akin to the restless adventurous men of which they told. Her home and her love were sufficient for her happiness, and she expected that Jan would measure his desires by the same rule.

But in a few weeks Jan began to weary a little of a life all love-making. Many things, laid aside for a time, renewed their influence over him. He wished to let the romance and exaggeration of his married position sink into that better tenderness which is the repose of passion, and which springs from the depths of a man’s best nature. But Margaret was not capable of renunciation, and Jan got to be continually afraid of wounding her sensibilities by forgetting some outward token of affection. He tried to talk to her of his projects, of his desire to go to sea again, of his weariness of the store. She could understand none of these things. Why should he want to leave her? Had he ceased to love her? Her father was happy in the store. It offended her to hear a word against it. Yet she thought she loved Jan perfectly, and would have deeply resented Michael Snorro’s private verdict against her – that she was a selfish woman.

.....

Margaret could bear it no longer, and, white and stern, she turned away from the window. Then she saw Michael Snorro standing beside her. Even in the darkness she knew that his eyes were scintillating with anger. He took her by the arm and led her to the end of the close. Then he said:

“Much of a woman art thou! If I was Jan Vedder, never again would I see thy face! No, never!”

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