Page:Pontoppidan - Emanuel, or Children of the Soil (1896).djvu/149

 from the abomination of culture for ever—now found that here he had only fallen into the arms of a ludicrous caricature of this same culture. Or was not this the same frivolity? The same arrogance? The same hypocrisy? They rose from table, and the company dispersed themselves in the various rooms. The ladies took possession of the drawing-room, while the gentlemen settled themselves in the study to smoke.

Miss Ragnhild met Emanuel at the dining-room door. "Velbekomme," she exclaimed merrily, giving him her hand. "All the same, I think you might have said, 'Tak for mad.' Or do you not consider my table worthy of praise? And why were you so wanting in gallantry as never even to look at me? I wanted to drink a glass of wine with you."

"Oh, I saw you very well. I thought Mr Johansen was very much taken up with you, and I could not find it in my heart to take you away from him."

"Poor Johansen," she laughed, "you are always down upon him. I admit he is very ludicrous, but, good heavens, he's a man after all, and he does not always talk about cattle and the price of corn. He is even a man of taste. I noticed to-day that he uses a scent which is not at all bad; and then he talked to me both about Wagner and Beethoven. What more can one want?"

"I daresay you are right, and in my opinion you and Mr Johansen suit each other admirably."