Valborg (from the window). Every word! (SANNAES bows to her.) I must go in and tell Signe! (Moves away from the window.) Mrs. Tjaelde. What did Jakobsen say?--honest old Jakobsen? Sannaes. He was very much affected, as you would expect. He will certainly be coming out here to-day. Tjaelde (looking up from the papers). And Mr. Berent? Sannaes. He is coming hard on my heels. I was to give you his kind regards and tell you so. Tjaelde. Splendid! We owe him so much. Mrs. Tjaelde. Yes, he has been a true friend to us. But, talking of true friends, I have something particular to ask _you_, Sannaes. Sannaes. Me, Mrs. Tjaelde? Mrs. Tjaelde. The maid told me that yesterday, when you went into town, you took the greater part of your belongings with you. Is that so? Sannaes. Yes, Mrs. Tjaelde. Tjaelde. What does that mean? (To his wife.) You said nothing about it to me, my dear. Mrs. Tjaelde. Because I thought it might be a misunderstanding. But now I must ask what was the meaning of it. Are you going away? Sannaes (fingering a chair, in evident confusion). Yes, Mrs. Tjaelde. Tjaelde. Where to? You never said anything about it. Sannaes. No; but I have always considered that I should have finished my task here as soon as the estate was finally wound up. Tjaelde and Mrs. Tjaelde. You mean to leave us? Sannaes. Yes. Tjaelde. But why? Mrs. Tjaelde. Where do you mean to go? Sannaes. To my relations in America. I can now, without doing you any harm, withdraw my capital from the business by degrees and transfer it abroad. Tjaelde. And dissolve our partnership? Sannaes. You know that at any rate you had decided now to resume the old style of the firm's name. Tjaelde. That is true; but, Sannaes, what does it all mean? What is your reason? Mrs. Tjaelde. Are you not happy here, where we are all so attached to you? Tjaelde. You have quite as good a prospect for the future here as in America. Mrs. Tjaelde. We held together in evil days; are we not to hold together now that good days have come? Sannaes. I owe you both so much. Mrs. Tjaelde. Good heavens, it is we that owe you-- Tjaelde.--more than we can ever repay. (Reproachfully.) Sannaes! (SIGNE comes in, having taken off her cooking apron.) Signe. Congratulations! Congratulations! Father mother! (Kisses them both.) Welcome, Sannaes!--But aren't you pleased?--now? (A pause. VALBORG comes in.) Valborg. What has happened? Mrs. Tjaelde. Sannaes wants to leave us, my children (A pause.) Signe. But, Sannaes--! Tjaelde. Even if you want to go away, why have you never said a single word to us about it before? (To the others.) Or has he spoken to any of you? (MRS. TJAELDE shakes her head.) Signe. No. Sannaes. It was because--because--I wanted to be able to go as soon as I had told you. Otherwise it would be too hard to go. Tjaelde. You must have very serious grounds for it, then! Has anything happened to you to--to make it necessary? (SANNAES does not answer.)