Мартин Иден

Chapter 44

           Itcausedquiteastirintheneighborhood,andgoodhousewiveswereproudtohavetheacquaintancesofthegreatwriter’ssister,whilethosewhohadnotmadehastetocultivateit. HermannvonSchmidtchuckledinhislittlerepairshopanddecidedtoorderanewlathe. "Betterthanadvertising,"hetoldMarian,"anditcostsnothing." 

           "We’dbetterhavehimtodinner,"shesuggested. 

           AndtodinnerMartincame,makinghimselfagreeablewiththefatwholesalebutcherandhisfatterwifeimportantfolk,they,likelytobeofusetoarisingyoungmanlikeHermannVonSchmidt. Nolessabait,however,hadbeenrequiredtodrawthemtohishousethanhisgreatbrother-in-law. AnothermanattablewhohadswallowedthesamebaitwasthesuperintendentofthePacificCoastagenciesfortheAsaBicycleCompany. HimVonSchmidtdesiredtopleaseandpropitiatebecausefromhimcouldbeobtainedtheOaklandagencyforthebicycle. SoHermannvonSchmidtfounditagoodlyassettohaveMartinforabrother-in-law,butinhisheartofheartshecouldn’tunderstandwhereitallcamein. Inthesilentwatchesofthenight,whilehiswifeslept,hehadflounderedthroughMartin’sbooksandpoems,anddecidedthattheworldwasafooltobuythem. 

           AndinhisheartofheartsMartinunderstoodthesituationonlytoowell,asheleanedbackandgloatedatVonSchmidt’shead,infancypunchingitwell-nighoffofhim,sendingblowafterblowhomejustrightthechuckle-headedDutchman! Onethinghedidlikeabouthim,however. 

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