with emotion, he pressed it against his cheek with
infinite tenderness, with an expression of helplessness in every line of
his face.

"Oh, but mother, dearest mother, what have we done to you, have we not
always loved you, have we not always, both when we were with you
and when we were away from from you, wanted you as the best thing we
possessed in the world? We have never known father except through you;
it was you who taught us to love him, and if Elinor and I are so close
to each other, is it not because day after day you always pointed out
to each of us what was best in the other? And has it not been thus with
every other person to whom we became attached, do we not owe everything
to you? We owe everything to you, and we worship you, mother, if you
only knew.... Oh, you cannot imagine, how much we want your love, want
you beyond all bounds and limits, but there again you have taught us to
restrain our love, and we never dare to come as close to your heart as
we should like. And now you say that you are going to leave us entirely,
and put us to one side. But that is impossible. Only one who wanted to
do us the greatest harm in the world could do anything as frightful as
that, and you don't want to do us the greatest harm, you want only what
is best for us--how can it then be possible? Say quickly that it is not
true; say it is not true, Tage, it is not true, Elinor."

"Tage, Tage, don't be so distressed, and don't make it so hard, both for
yourself and us others."

Tage rose.

"Hard," he said, "hard, hard, oh were it nothing but that, but it is
horrible--unnatural; it is enough to drive one insane, merely to think
of it. Have you any idea of the things you make me think of? My mother
loved by a strange man, my mother desired, held in the arms of another
and holding him in hers. Nice thoughts for a son, worse than the worst
insult--but it is impossible, must be impossible, must be! Are the
prayers of a son to be as powerless as that! Elinor, don't sit there and
cry, come and help me beg mother to have pity on us."

Mrs. Fonss made a restraining gesture with her hand and said: "Let
Elinor alone, she is probably tired enough, and besides I have told you
that nothing can be changed."

"I wish I were dead," said Elinor, "but, mother, everything that Tage
has said is true, and it never can be right that at our age you should
give us a step-father."

"Step-father," cried Tage, "I hope that he does not for one mome