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A BIOGRAPHY
235
In this connection I cannot help mentioning the
absence of all artistic appreciation in a nature otherwise
so richly gifted. She had spent years of her life
in Paris, but had never visited the Louvre. Neither
pictures, sculptures, nor architecture ever attracted her
attention.
In spite of this, she was much pleased with Norway,
and liked the people we met. We had intended to
continue our trip in a carriole through the whole of
Telemark, over Hankeli Fjäll, and thence down to the
west coast, where we meant to visit Alexander
Kiel-land on the Jädern. But although Sönya had long
dreamed about this journey, pleased with the idea, and
though she had for some time desired to make
Kiel-land’s acquaintance, another voice was now so strong
within her that she could not resist it. So while we
were on a steamer in one of the long, narrow lakes
which run up into Telemark, and which resemble
fiords cut off from the sea, she suddenly decided to
go back to Christiania and Sweden, and settle down
quietly in the country to work. She left me, stepped
into another steamer, and was taken by it back to
Christiania by way of Skien.
I coidd not remonstrate with her, nor did I blame
her. I knew well that when once the spirit of
creation makes itself heard, its dictates must be obeyed.
Everything else, however otherwise attractive, becomes
indifferent and unimportant. One is deaf and blind to
one’s suiTOundings, and one listens only to the inner
voice—which calls more loudly than the roaring
waterfall, or the hurricane at sea. Sonya’s departure was,
of course, a great disappointment to me. I continued
the journey with a chance companion; visited
Kiel-land ; returned via Östland, and took part in a fete at
a peasant high school which would certainly have
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