"And what about his father?" Ferdinand let fall casually.
Klaus flushed uncomfortably at this. "Nobody--no--nobody knows much
about him," he stammered. "I'd tell you if I knew, hanged if I wouldn't.
No one has an idea who it was. He--he's very likely in America."
"You're always mighty mysterious when you get on the subject of his
family, I've noticed," said Ferdinand with a laugh. But Klaus thought
his companion looked a little pale.
A few days later Peer was sitting alone in his room above the stables,
when he heard a step on the stairs, the door opened, and Ferdinand Holm
walked in.
Peer rose involuntarily and grasped at the back of his chair as if to
steady himself. If this young coxcomb had come--from the schoolmaster,
for instance--or to take away his name--why, he'd just throw him
downstairs, that was all.
"I thought I'd like to look you up, and see where you lived," began
the visitor, laying down his hat and taking a seat. "I've taken you
unawares, I see. Sorry to disturb you. But the fact is there's something
I wanted to speak to you about."
"Oh, is there?" and Peer sat down as far as conveniently possible from
the other.
"I've noticed, even in the few times we've happened to meet, that you
don't like me. Well, you know, that's a thing I'm not going to put up
with."
"What do you mean?" asked Peer, hardly knowing whether to laugh or not.
"I want to be friends with you, that's all. You probably know a good
deal more about me than I do about you, but that need not matter.
Pages:
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93