Elisabet is standing by the flagstaff, and Captain Falkenberg comes out. They talk a little, and are occupied with their own affairs. The Captain glances round every time he speaks; possibly he is not talking of trifles, but of something he must needs be careful with. Then comes the other Captain, the fat and jovial one; we can hear his laugh right over in the servants' quarters. He calls out to Captain Falkenberg to come along, but gets back only a curt answer. A few stone steps lead down to the lilac shrubbery; the Captain goes down there now, a maid following after with wine and glasses. Last of all comes the engineer. Nils bursts out laughing: “Oh, that Captain! look at him!” “What's his name?” “They all call him Bror; [Footnote: Brother. Not so much a nickname as a general term of jovial familiarity.] it was the same last year as well. I don't know his proper name.” “And the Engineer?” “His name's Lassen, so I've heard. He's only been here once before in my time.” Then came Fru Falkenberg out on the steps; she stopped for a moment and glanced over at the two by the flagstaff. Her figure is slight and pretty as ever; but her face seems looser, as if she had been stouter once and since grown thin. She goes down to the shrubbery after the others, and I recognize her walk again--light and firm as of old. But little wonder if time has taken something of her looks in all those years. More people come out from the house--an elderly lady wearing a shawl, and two gentlemen with her. Nils tells me it is not always there are so many guests in the house at once; but it was the Captain's birthday two days ago, and two carriage loads of people had come dashing up; the four strange horses were in the stables now. Now voices are calling again for the couple by the flagstaff; the Captain throws out an impatient “Yes!” but does not move. Now he brushes a speck of dust from Elisabet's shoulder; now, looking round carefully, he lays one hand on her arm and tells her something earnestly. Says Nils: “They've always such a lot to talk about, those two. She never comes here but they go off for long walks together.” “And what does Fru Falkenberg say to that?” “I've never heard she troubled about it any way.” “And Elisabet, hasn't she any children either?” “Ay, she's many.” “But how can she get away so often with that big place and the children to look after?” “It's all right as long as Erik's mother's alive. She can get away all she wants.” He went out as he spoke, leaving me alone. In this room I had sat once working out the construction of an improved timber saw. How earnest I was about it all! Petter, the farm-hand, lay sick in the room next door, and I would hurry out eagerly whenever I'd any hammering to do, and get it done outside. Now that patent saw's just literature to me, no more. So the years deal with us all. Nils comes in again.