ands against the left-hand wall, well forward. On the
top of it stand a variety of objects. Beyond it, a stove. At the back of
the room, a sideboard. In the middle of the room a small round folding
table, laid for four persons. There is an armchair by the stove; a sofa
on the right; chairs, etc. A door at the back of the room, and another
in the left-hand wall. There are paintings on the walls, and the general
impression of the room is one of snug comfort. EVJE, MRS. EVJE, and
GERTRUD are seated at the table. INGEBORG is standing by the sideboard.
Breakfast is proceeding in silence as the curtain rises. INGEBORG takes
away EVJE'S cup and re-fills it. As she brings it back to him, a ring is
heard at the bell. GERTRUD gets up.)

Evje. Sit still; John will go to the door. (GERTRUD sits down again.
Directly afterwards, another ring is heard.)

Mrs. Evje. What can John be doing?

Ingeborg. I will go. (Goes out. She comes back, showing in HARALD REJN,
who hangs up his hat and coat in the hall before coming in.)

Harald. Good morning!

Evje and Mrs. Evje. Good morning! (HARALD shakes hands with them.)

Harald (to GERTRUD, who is sitting on the right). Good morning, Gertrud!
Am I a bit late to-day? (GERTRUD, who has taken his hand, looks lovingly
at him but says nothing.)

Mrs. Evje. Yes, I suppose you have been for a long constitutional,
although the weather is none of the best.

Harald. It is not; I expect we shall have a thick fog by the afternoon.

Evje. Did you have breakfast before you went out?

Harald. I did, thanks. (To INGEBORG, who has come forward with a cup of
coffee.) No, thank you. I will sit down here while you are finishing.
(Sits down on the sofa behind GERTRUD.)

Mrs. Evje. How is your brother Halvdan?

Harald. A little better to-day, thanks--but of course we cannot build on
that.

Evje. Is your eldest brother coming to see him?

Harald. Yes, we expect him every day. Probably his wife has come with
him, and that has been the reason of the delay; she finds it difficult
to get away.

Mrs. Evje. Halvdan so often talks of her.

Harald. Yes, I believe she is the best friend he has.

Evje. No wonder, then, that she wants to come and say good-bye to him.
By the way, have you seen how the paper bids him good-bye to-day?

Harald. Yes, I have seen it.

Mrs. Evje (hurriedly). I hope Halvdan has not seen it?

Harald (smiling). No, it is a long time now since Halvdan read a
newspaper. (A pause.)