Fru Ingeborg labors and slaves--I'm afraid she works too hard. She seldom sits down, though her pregnancy is far advanced now and she needs rest. She makes beds, cooks, sees to the animals, sews, mends, and washes. Often a lock of gray hair falls down on either side of her face, and she is so busy that she lets it hang; it's too short to be fastened back with a pin. But she looks charming and motherly, with her fine skin and her well-shaped mouth; she and the child together are sheer beauty. Of course I help to carry wood and water, but I make more work for her just the same. When I think of that, I grow hot about the ears. But how could I have imagined that anyone would want to keep me for my own sake? I should not have had all these years too many then, and these ardors too few. A good thing I've found it out at last. In a way the discovery made it easier for me to leave them, and this--time when I packed my knapsack, I meant it. But at least the child, her boy, had some love for me, and liked to sit on my arm because I showed him so much that was strange. It was the child's instinct for the peerless grandfather. At about this time, a sister of Fru Ingeborg's came to the farm to help with the housework. I began to pack then; overcome with grief, I packed. To spare Nikolai and the mare, I decided to make my way down to the steamship landing on foot. I shall also arrange to relieve all of us of the need for farewells and handshakes and _au revoirs_, believe me! But in spite of my resolution, I could not, after all, avoid taking them both by the hand and thanking them for their hospitality. That was all that was necessary. I stood in the doorway with my knapsack already on my back, smiling a little, and behaving splendidly. "Yes, indeed," I said, "I must begin to move about again." "Are you really going?" said Fru Ingeborg. "Why not?" "But so suddenly?" "Didn't I tell you yesterday?" "Yes, of course, but--would you like Nikolai to drive you?" "No, thank you." The boy was interested now, for I had a knapsack on my back and a coat with entirely unfamiliar buttons; he wanted me to carry him. Very well, then--just for a moment. But it was for more than a moment, more than a few moments, too. The knapsack had to be opened and investigated, of course. Then Nikolai entered the room. Fru Ingeborg said to me: "I'm afraid you think that just because my sister's here now--but we've got another room. And besides, now that it's summer, she could easily sleep in the loft." "But, my dear child, I must leave _some_ time--I have work to do, too, you know." "Well, of course," said Fru Ingeborg, giving it up. Nikolai offered to drive me, but did not press me when I thanked him and refused. They came to the gate with me, and watched me walk away, the boy sitting on his mother's arm. At the bend of the road, I turned round to wave--to the child, of course, not to anyone else--only to the child. But there was no longer anyone there. XXXVIII