Oh, but Fruen sat there irresponsible as ever, letting her eyes
play this way and that. Why could she not rid herself of this new habit of
hers? Her eyes were too earnest for such playing; it did not suit her. I
thought to myself, either she was trying to make up for her foolishness
towards Nils by favouring us in turn, or starting a new game altogether--
which would it be? I could not make it out, and as for Grindhusen, he saw
nothing in it at all, but only said, when Fruen had gone: "Eh, she's a
strange, kind-hearted soul, is Fruen. Almost like a mother. Only fancy
going and feeling if the water wasn't too cold for us!"
One day, when I was standing by the kitchen entrance, she said:
"Do you remember the old days here--when you first came?"
She had never once spoken of this till now, and I did not know what to
say. I stammered out: Yes, I remembered.
"You drove me down to the Vicarage once," she said.
Then I half fancied that perhaps she was not disinclined to talk to me and
occupy her mind a little; I felt I must help her, make it easier for her.
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