"They don't know me," said Mrs. Hanka, and sat down again. "I have asked them."
"Yes, I know you," said Johanna, and crawled up into her lap. Ida did the same.
Tidemand looked at them unsteadily.
"You mustn't crawl all over mamma, children," he said. "Don't bother mamma now."
They didn't hear him; they wanted to bother mamma. She had rings on her fingers and she had the strangest buttons on her dress; that was something to interest them! They began to chatter about these buttons; they caught sight of the mother's brooch and had many remarks to make about that.
"Put them down when you are tired of them," said Tidemand.
Tired? She? Let them be, let them be!
They spoke about Ole; they mentioned Aagot. Tidemand wanted to look her up some day. Ole had asked him to do it; he felt, in a way, responsible for her. But the nurse came and wanted to put the children to bed.
However, the children had no idea of going to bed; they refused pointblank. And Hanka had to come along, follow them into their bed-room, and get them settled for the night. She looked around. Everything was as it used to be. There were the two little beds, the coverlets, the tiny pillows, the picture-books, the toys. And when they were in bed she had to sing to them; they simply wouldn't keep still but crawled out of bed continually and chattered on.
Tidemand watched this awhile with blinking eyes; then he turned quickly away and went out.