Mrs. Tjaelde. Clever girl! (Tastes the soup.) Perhaps it would stand a little--. No, it is very good as it is. You are clever! Signe. Am I not! Will Sannaes be back soon? Mrs. Tjaelde. Your father says we may expect him any moment. Tjaelde (at the window, to VALBORG). No, wait a moment. I will come in. (Goes into the house, and is seen within the window beside VALBORG.) Mrs. Tjaelde. My little Signe, I want to ask you something? Signe. Do you? Mrs. Tjaelde. What was in the letter you had yesterday evening? Signe. Aha, I might have guessed that was it! Nothing, mother. Mrs. Tjaelde. Nothing that pained you, then? Signe. I slept like a top all night--so you can judge for yourself. Mrs. Tjaelde. I am so glad. But, you know, there seems to me something a little forced in the gay way you say that? Signe. Does there? Well, it was something that I shall always be ashamed of; that is all. Mrs. Tjaelde. I am thankful to hear it, for-- Signe (interrupting her). That must be Sannaes. I hear wheels. Yes, here he is! He has come too soon; dinner won't be ready for half an hour yet. Mrs. Tjaelde. That doesn't matter. Signe. Father, here is Sannaes! Tjaelde (from within). Good! I will come out! (SIGNE goes into the house as TJAELDE comes out. SANNAES comes in a moment later.) Tjaelde and Mrs. Tjaelde. Welcome! Sannaes. Thank you! (Lays down his dust-coat and driving gloves on a chair, and comes forward.) Tjaelde. Well? Sannaes. Yes--your bankruptcy is discharged! Mrs. Tjaelde. And the result was--? Sannaes. Just about what we expected. Tjaelde. And, I suppose, just about what Mr. Berent wrote? Sannaes. Just about, except for one or two inconsiderable trifles. You can see for yourself. (Gives him a bundle of papers.) The high prices that have ruled of late, and good management, have altered the whole situation. Tjaelde (who has opened the papers and glanced at the totals). A deficit of L12,000. Sannaes. I made a declaration on your behalf, that you intended to try and repay that sum, but that you should be at liberty to do it in whatever way you found best. And so-- Tjaelde. And so--? Sannaes.--I proferred on the spot rather more than half the amount you still owed Jakobsen. Mrs. Tjaelde. Not really? (TJAELDE takes out a pencil and begins making calculations on the margins of the papers.) Sannaes. There was general satisfaction--and they all sent you their cordial congratulations. Mrs. Tjaelde. So that, if all goes well-- Tjaelde. Yes, if things go as well with the business as they promise to, Sannaes, in twelve or fourteen years I shall have paid every one in full. Mrs. Tjaelde. We haven't much longer than that left to live, dear! Tjaelde. Then we shall die poor. And I shall not complain! Mrs. Tjaelde. No, indeed! The honourable name you will leave to your children will be well worth it. Tjaelde. And they will inherit a sound business, which they can go on with if they choose. Mrs. Tjaelde. Did you hear that, Valborg?