“Then let him take it, and that’ll be an end of the matter.”
“But then we shall lose all that we’ve paid!” she exclaimed quickly, drying her eyes.
Pelle shrugged his shoulders. “That can’t be helped.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to get the things sold little by little? We only owe a third on them.”
“We can’t do that; it’s punishable. We’ve got a contract for the hire of the furniture, and as long as we owe a farthing on it, it’s his. But we’re well and strong all of us; what does it matter?”
“That’s true enough,” answered Ellen, trying to smile, “but the stronger we are, the more food we need.”
A girl came running up with a pair of boots that were to be soled as quickly as possible. They were “Queen Theresa’s,” and she was going to wear them in the evening. “That’ll bring us in a few pence!” said Ellen, brightening. “I’ll help you to get them done quickly.”
They seated themselves one on each side of the counter, and set to work. It reminded them of the early days of their married life. Now and then they stopped to laugh, when Ellen had forgotten some knack. In an hour and a half the boots were ready, and Pelle went himself with them to make sure of the money.
“You’ll most likely find her in the tavern,” said Ellen. “The artistes generally have their dinner at this hour, and she’s probably there.”
It was a busy time in the artistes’ restaurant. At the small tables sat bony, close-cropped men of a peculiar rubicund type, having dinner with some girl or other from the neighborhood. They were acrobats, clowns, and wrestlers, people of a homogeneous type, dressed in loud checks, with enormous cuffs and boots with almost armor-plated toes. They chewed well and looked up stupidly at the call of the girls; they wore a hard, brutal mask for a face, and big diamond rings on their fingers. Some of them had such a powerful lower jaw that they looked as if they had developed it for the purpose of taking blows in a boxing-match. In the adjoining room some elegant young men were playing billiards while they secretly kept an eye on what was going on at the tables. They had curls on their forehead, and patent leather shoes.
“Queen Theresa” was not there, so Pelle went to Dannebrog Street, where she lived, but found she was not at home. He had to hand in the boots to a neighbor, and go back empty-handed.