Leonarda (taking up her gloves). If I were a man, so that there should be nothing "doubtful" about my reply, I would strike you across the face with my gloves. Hagbart. But you are a woman, so you will not. [Enter HANS.] Hans. Here is Miss Aagot, ma'am. Aagot (from without). Aunt! Leonarda. Aagot! [Enter AAGOT. HANS goes out.] Aagot. Aunt!--That wretched Hans! I was signalling to him--I wanted to surprise you. (Throws herself into LEONARDA'S arms.) Leonarda. Child, have you deceived me? Aagot. Deceived you? I? Leonarda. I knew it! (Embraces her.) Forgive me! I had a moment's horrible doubt--but as soon as I looked at you it was gone!--Welcome, welcome! How pretty you look! Welcome! Aagot. Oh, aunt! Leonarda. What is it? Aagot. You know. Leonarda. His shameless persecution of you? Yes! (Meanwhile HAGBART has slipped out.) Aagot. Hush!--Oh, he has gone!--Have you been cross with him? Leonarda. Not as cross as he deserved-- Aagot. Didn't I tell him so? Leonarda (laughing). What did you tell him? Aagot. How hasty you could be!--Were you really cruel to him? Leonarda. Do you mean to say you have any sympathy--with him? Aagot. Have I any--? But, good heavens, hasn't he told you? Leonarda. What? Aagot. That he--that I--that we--oh, aunt, don't look so dreadfully at me!--You don't know, then? Leonarda. No! Aagot. Heaven help me! Aunt--! Leonarda. You don't mean to say that you--? Aagot. Yes, aunt. Leonarda. With him, who--. In spite of that, you--Get away from me! Aagot. Dear, darling aunt, listen to me! Leonarda. Go away to him! Away with you! Aagot. Have you looked at him, aunt? Have you seen how handsome he is? Leonarda. Handsome? He! Aagot. No, not a bit handsome, of course! Really, you are going too far! Leonarda. To me he is the man who made a laughingstock of me in a censorious little town by calling me "a woman of doubtful reputation." And one day he presents himself here as my adopted daughter's lover, and you expect me to think him handsome! You ungrateful child! Aagot. Aunt! Leonarda. I have sacrificed eight years of my life--eight years--in this little hole, stinting myself in every possible way; and you, for whom I have done this, are hardly grown up before you fly into the arms of a man who has covered me with shame. And I am supposed to put up with it as something quite natural!--and to say nothing except that I think he is handsome! I--I won't look at you! Go away! Aagot (in tears). Don't you suppose I have said all that to myself, a thousand times? That was why I didn't write. I have been most dreadfully distressed to know what to do. Leonarda. At the very first hint of such a thing you might to have taken refuge here--with me--if you had had a scrap of loyalty in you. Aagot. Aunt! (Goes on her knees.) Oh, aunt! Leonarda. To think you could behave so contemptibly! Aagot. Aunt!--It was just because he was so sorry for the way he had behaved to you, that I first--