“Fruen went to meet Captain,” answered Ragnhild. “We thought she'd be coming back now as well.” The Captain's head bowed forward a little. Then cautiously he began questioning. “You mean she drove with Nils to the station? Stupid of me not to have looked about while I was there!” “No,” said Ragnhild; “it was Sunday Fruen went.” At this the Captain pulled himself together. “Sunday?” he said. “Then she must have been going to meet me in Kristiania. H'm! We've managed to miss each other somehow. I had to make another little journey yesterday, out to Drammen--no, Frederikstad, I mean. Get me something to eat, will you?” _“Værsaagod,_ it's already laid.” “It was the day before yesterday, by the way, I went out there. Well, well, she'll have had a little outing, anyhow. And how's everything going on? Are the men at work on the trench?” “They've finished it, I think.” The Captain went in, and Ragnhild came running at once to tell us what he had said, that we might know what to go by now, and not make things worse. Later in the day he came out to where we were at work, greeted us cheerily, in military fashion, and was surprised to find the pipes already laid; we had begun filling in now. “Splendid!” he said. “You fellows are quicker at your work than I am.” He went off by himself up to the reservoir. When he came back his eyes were not so keen; he looked a little weary. Maybe he had been sitting there alone and thinking of many things. He stood watching us now with one hand to his chin. After a little he said to Nils: “I've sold the timber now.” “Captain's got a good price for it, maybe?” “Yes, a good price. But I've been all this time about it. You've been quicker here.” “There are more of us here,” I said. “Four of us some times.” And at that he tried to jest. “Yes,” he said; “I know you're an expensive man to have about the place!” But there was no jest in his face; his smile was hardly a smile at all. The weakness had gripped him now in earnest. After a little, he sat down on a stone we had just got out, all over fresh clay as it was, and watched us. I took up my spade and went up, thinking of his clothes. “Hadn't I better scrape the stone a bit clean?” “No, it doesn't matter,” he said. But he got up all the same, and let me clean it a little. It was then that Ragnhild came running up to us, following the line of the trench. She had something in her hand--a paper. And she was running, running. The Captain sat watching her. “It's only a telegram!” she said breathlessly. “It came on by messenger.” The Captain got up and strode quickly a few paces forward toward this telegram that had come. Then he tore it open and read. We could see at once it must be something important. The Captain gave a great gasp. Then he began walking down, running down, towards the house. A little way off he turned round and called to Nils: “The carriage at once! I must go to the station!” Then he ran on again.