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I took the letter, and, without opening it, asked about the train. "Train left at 4.45," says the porter, looking at his watch. "It's five now." I had thrown away half an hour keeping watch outside. I sit down on one of the steps, staring at the floor. The porter keeps on talking. He must be well aware it was not my sister. "I said to Fruen there was a gentleman had just rung up.
I did not even see him myself, being out at work. Ragnhild asked if he had seen Fruen alive. He looked at her and frowned. But the girl would not give up; she begged him, for Heaven's sake, to say. And the two other maids stood just behind, as desperate as she. Then the Captain answered, but in a low voice as if to himself: "She had been dead some days when I got there.
I didn't quite know what I was doing. Still, the Captain said nothing for a while; then at last he said: 'Yes, I ought not to have gone off like that. 'No, but you did, said Fruen, and started crying again. 'You wouldn't hear a word.
Neither the Captain nor Fruen raised their voices, but the words came slow and strong. And in their bitterness the pair of them agreed to go each their own way from now on. "Oh, you don't say so!" cried all in the kitchen, clasping their hands. Ragnhild drew herself up and began mimicking: "'You've been breaking into the summer-house again with some one? said the Captain. 'Yes, said Fruen.
No, Fruen had not left. Thank Heaven then, it seemed she did not wish to run away from me; she must have had my letter long since. No; I had called at an awkward hour the evening before, that was all. I had something to eat, lay down, and slept again. When I woke it was past noon. I stumble in to the telephone again and ring up as before. No, Fruen had not left yet. But her things were packed.
I have been staying here a couple of days; Petter has come home, but had nothing to tell. "Is all well at Ovrebo?" "Ay, there's nothing wrong that I know of." "Did you see them all before you left? The Captain, Fruen?" "Yes." "Nobody ill?" "No. Why, who should there be?" "Well, Falkenberg said something about he'd hurt his hand. But I suppose it's all right now, then."
'I've finished now, said I. 'Have you? said Fruen, getting up. 'Let me see. And she took the box and dropped them again all over the floor. Oh, they went rolling all over the place, under the table, under the bed and the stove! 'There, now, did you ever see such a mess? said Fruen.
"Yes, but I dare not go far because of Fruen. You may be sure it wasn't nice for her when I was out of the room, so I had to be somewhere at hand. And if the Captain had come and found me and said anything, I'd have told him straight out I wasn't going farther away with Fruen in the state she was. As it happened, he didn't come at all, but they began again in there.
'Oh, that toothache won't be better for a long time to come! she said; 'you know that well enough. 'No, indeed, I don't. 'You don't know? 'No. 'But, heavens! can't you see what's the matter with me? said Fruen. The Captain only looked at her and did not answer. 'I'm oh, you said today I might have a daughter after all, don't you remember? I happened to look up at the Captain just then...."
Then Fruen turns full-face towards me calmly, and says with down-cast eyes: "There is room here." I can hear my own heart beating and I murmur something: "Thanks; it's quite all right. I'd rather...." No doubt but that she is uneasy; she is afraid lest I should say something. She sits once more looking away, but I can see she is breathing heavily.
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