him for the first time in Dröbak at a hotel, where we ended

up sharing a room, – he asked me then if I

read any literature – "yes I read almost only Kinck",

I said "for he is the only one today who is genuine;" – it

was very tritely put, – but Trygve came over to

me, took off his glasses and looked at me with his peculiar

eyes and said: "yes it is true, he is the only one who is genuine".

Since then we have been friends, – and he often said to me:

"Be truthful!", be genuine, "Like Kinck!" – I cannot but

believe that he was perhaps destroyed in Bergen; –

– your illegitimate son – as he calls himself – in other words, Korsvold – did

not have a very good influence on him, – that man,

I have since discovered, is an "imposter" through and through; –

I have suffered considerable unpleasantness because of him; – he

conducted [fraudulent] traffic during working hours, by "selling"

pictures to wealthy men in Bergen – under the pretence of

having them "on hand" at my studio; – one of his buyers, who

had given 2,000 kroner for such a "fictitious" picture by

me, – pestered me at length with demands, and it made

no difference when I explained to him that I did not paint "pictures" at

present – but only made "studies" for the sake of my own progress, etc. –

Well, I must stop here – now that I have begun with out-and-out

gossip. – Everyone – absolutely everyone is false – only you are genuine.

Live well and best regards from Engel and your devoted Astrup

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