Page:Willa Cather - The Song of the Lark.djvu/26

 to the fact that he habitually expressed himself in a book-learned language, wholly remote from anything personal, native, or homely. Mrs. Kronborg spoke Swedish to her own sisters and to her sister-in-law Tillie, and colloquial English to her neighbors. Thea, who had a rather sensitive ear, until she went to school never spoke at all, except in monosyllables, and her mother was convinced that she was tongue-tied. She was still inept in speech for a child so intelligent. Her ideas were usually clear, but she seldom attempted to explain them, even at school, where she excelled in "written work" and never did more than mutter a reply.

"Your music professor stopped me on the street to-day and asked me how you were," said the doctor, rising. "He 'll be sick himself, trotting around in this slush with no overcoat or overshoes."

"He 's poor," said Thea simply.

The doctor sighed. "I 'm afraid he 's worse than that. Is he always all right when you take your lessons? Never acts as if he 'd been drinking?"

Thea looked angry and spoke excitedly. "He knows a lot. More than anybody. I don't care if he does drink; he 's old and poor." Her voice shook a little.

Mrs. Kronborg spoke up from the next room. "He 's a good teacher, doctor. It 's good for us he does drink. He 'd never be in a little place like this if he did n't have some weakness. These women that teach music around here don't know nothing. I would n't have my child wasting time with them. If Professor Wunsch goes away, Thea 'll have nobody to take from. He 's careful with his scholars; he don't use bad language. Mrs. Kohler is always present when Thea takes her lesson. It 's all right." Mrs. Kronborg spoke calmly and judicially. One could see that she had thought the matter out before.

"I 'm glad to hear that, Mrs. Kronborg. I wish we could get the old man off his bottle and keep him tidy. Do you