“It does, indeed,” said Nils, with an air of conviction.
“And you’ll let us talk to your wife, and see if we can’t make her listen to reason,” the man urged.
“You are welcome to talk to her as much as you like,” Nils replied, knocking out his pipe on the heel of his boot; “but I warn you that she’s mighty cantankerous.”
He rose slowly, and tried to open the door. It was locked. “Open, Inga,” he said, a trifle impatiently; “there are some men here who want to see you.”
II.
Inga sat crouching on the hearth, hugging little Hans to her bosom. She shook and trembled with fear, let her eyes wander around the walls, and now and then moaned at the thought that now they would take little Hans away from her.
“Why don’t you open the door for papa?” asked little Hans, wonderingly.
Ah, he too was against her! All the world was against her! And her husband was in league with her enemies!
“Open, I say!” cried Nils, vehemently. “What do you mean by locking the door when decent people come to call upon us?”