(_Exit by front door._ OSWALD _and_ SIGURD _watch from the window_.) RUSTER. (_Gaining consciousness and looking about with a sad, puzzled expression_) How did I come here again? It is strange, all strange to be in Liljekrona’s house--I thought---- (_Abruptly._) Why are you so kind to me? I am only an old broken-down instrument.... OLGA. We are glad to see you, Ruster! And I want you to think--you have never been away. Let me have your wet coat. (_Helps him out of it._) Halla will dry it in the kitchen. (_Exit_ HALLA _with coat_.) OLGA. (_Refilling his glass and putting it on the table by him_) Are you warmer now? RUSTER. Yes--quite warm, thank you. OSWALD. (_Offering the cookie he has been holding_) Here’s a cookie. (SIGURD, _who is about to eat the last fragment of his, stops and holds it out to_ RUSTER.) RUSTER. (_Starting up suddenly_) I can’t stay here! I am of no use--here--or anywhere! OLGA. (_Putting a hand on his arm_) You are mistaken, Ruster. You may help, if you will. I must attend to setting the table for dinner and the children will be quite forsaken. Will you look after them a little? RUSTER. (_Rising, alarmed_) I can’t do that!--Why, I--they---- (_Exit_ OLGA, _resolutely_. RUSTER _looks after her, then turns, and seeing his glass of punch on the table, starts to pick it up. He encounters the steady gaze of the children, restrains himself and fumbles in his pocket. He draws out his flute and blows a note on it. The boys come closer._) OSWALD. How do you do that? (RUSTER _does not answer, but blows again_.) SIGURD. Why do you lift your fingers? RUSTER. To make the notes. SIGURD. Let me try! (RUSTER _places his little fingers over two of the stops_. SIGURD _blows, but no sound comes_. OSWALD _laughs_.) OSWALD. Let _me_ try! (RUSTER _shows him also--but still no tone_.) How do you do it? (_He tries again._) RUSTER. I blow in here. (_Showing them._) And I keep the holes covered with my fingers. When I want to make a note, I lift up a finger, like this. (_He blows._) SIGURD. Blow another. RUSTER. (_Blows another. Then both over again_) This is A and this is B. OSWALD. A and B. You can’t play _them_. They’re letters. RUSTER. Yes, and in music they are the names of the notes. (_Takes out a score and with a crayon makes a few notes._) This is the way they look. SIGURD. Let me see. OSWALD. No! That’s not right! That’s not what’s in our storybook! See--I’ll show you. (_He runs to music cabinet, and from lower cupboard pulls out a battered cloth book._) RUSTER. (_To_ SIGURD) Can this boy spell his name? SIGURD. Yes--S I G U R D! OSWALD. See--look at _our_ book. There isn’t any A and B like that! That is A and that is B. (_Pointing._) RUSTER. Can you read that? OSWALD. Yes, I can read it. (_Enter_ OLGA _with tablecloth, glasses and silver. She smiles at the group and quietly begins to arrange the table._) OSWALD. (_Reading_) “Far away, in the deep forest there once grew----”