Page:Pontoppidan - Emanuel, or Children of the Soil (1896).djvu/312

 fully hoarded little capital—a sum of six hundred kroner; it had always been destined for the purchase of a threshing machine, which he had wanted for ten years. He tried to get her to see how unreasonable it was, for the sake of a single day, to waste a sum which would serve to thresh their grain to the end of their days. Emanuel knew well enough, he said, how fond they were of him, and perhaps he would not care to see so much money thrown out of the window. Else was almost on the point of yielding when she received support from an unexpected quarter.

On Sunday afternoon, Villing and his wife paid a solemn visit of congratulation; the banns had been called for the first time that day, so it was now officially known. The lady was in a silk dress and crepe shawl, and her gentle, nun-like face wore a benignant smile; Villing was in a tall hat and frock coat, well padded on the shoulders, a white waistcoat with glass buttons, and white cuffs coming well down over his swollen hands, which were encased in dog-skin gloves.

Since co-operative stores had been started in Skibberup, under the leadership of the weaver, they had not set foot in the place; but recent events had considerably softened their feelings. They now saw that they had judged the people harshly, and as it was against their nature to live at enmity with anyone, they took this opportunity of atoning for their injustice.