Sannaes (impetuously).--then nothing else will seem to matter; and that alone will be able to teach me all that I lack, in a very short time. Valborg. Look into my eyes! Sannaes (taking her hands). Yes! Valborg. Do you believe that nothing would ever make me ashamed of you! Sannaes. Yes, I believe that. Valborg (with emotion). Do you believe that I love you? Sannaes. Yes! (Falls on one knee.) Valborg. Deeply enough for my love to last all our lives-- Sannaes. Yes, yes! Valborg. Then stay with me; and we will look after the old folk--and replace them when, in God's good time, they are taken from us. (SANNAES bursts into tears. TJAELDE, who has come to the window to show BERENT his ledgers, happens to look up and sees VALBORG and SANNAES.) Tjaelde (leaning out of the window, and speaking gently:) Valborg, what has happened? Valborg (quietly). Only that Sannaes and I are engaged to be married. Tjaelde. Is it possible! (To BERENT, who is immersed in the accounts.) Excuse me! (Hurries away from the window.) Sannaes (who, in his emotion has heard nothing). Forgive me! It has been such a long, hard struggle--and I feel overwhelmed! Valborg. Let us go in to my mother. Sannws (shrinking back). I can't, Miss Valborg--you must wait a little-- Valborg. Here they come. (TJAELDE comes in wheeling MRS. TJAELDE in her chair. VALBORG runs to her mother and throws herself into her arms.) Mrs. Tjaelde (softly). God be praised and thanked! Tjaelde (going up to SANNAES and embracing him). My son! Mrs. Tjaelde. So that was why Sannaes wanted to go away! Oh, Sannaes! (TJAELDE brings SANNAES up to her. SANNAES kneels and kisses her hand, then gets up and goes into the background, to recover himself. SIGNE comes in.) Signe. Mother, everything is ready now! Mrs. Tjaelde. So are things out here! Signe (looking round). Not really? Valborg (to SIGNE). Forgive me for never having told you! Signe. You certainly kept your secret well! Valborg. I kept long years of suffering secret--that was all! (SIGNE kisses her and whispers to her; then turns to SANNAES.) Signe. Sannaes! (Shakes his hand.) So we are to be brother and sister-in-law? Sannaes (embarrassed). Oh, Miss Signe-- Signe. But you mustn't call me Miss Signe now, you know! Valborg. You must expect that! He calls me "Miss" Valborg still! Singe. Well, he won't be able to do that when you are married, anyway! Mrs. Tjaelde (to TJAELDE). But where are our friends? Tjaelde. Mr. Berent is in the office. There he is, at the window. Berent (at the window). Now I am coming straight out to congratulate you, with my friend Jakobsen. (Comes out.) Valborg (going to TJAELDE). Father! Tjaelde. My child! Valborg. If we had not known those bad days we should never have known this happy one! (He gives her a grip of the hand.) Tjaelde (to BERENT). Allow me to present to you my daughter Valborg's fiance--Mr. Sannaes.