He saw him on the day when he stood alone by the fireplace ... in the empty room ... and struck out his own name and Fru Adelheid’s from the document and went away and left the door open behind him....
He saw all this as it had happened. But they were not his father and mother. They were two attractive people of whom he had read in a book and grown fond, as a man loves art, palely and with no self-seeking in his desire.
Finn drew one of the big chairs over to the window and sat down and sat there for long.
He was sitting there when Fru Adelheid came.
She stood in the doorway, in her white gown, with her white hair, and nodded to him. Then she turned her face round to the room and looked at it.
And then that happened which was only the shadow of a dream that vanished then and there: everything came to life in the room.
The spinet sang, the queer faces on the old chairs raised themselves on their long necks; there was a whispering and a muttering in every corner....
Fru Adelheid shrank back against the door. She did not see Finn, did not remember that he was there.
But Finn saw her.
He rose from his chair and his eyes beamed: