“No; there you are. Oh, but of course it did matter in a way, but still....”
He leaned up against the fence, and began to work it out:
“From your mother.... I see. A letter from your mother came and interrupted us. Do you know what I think? You've been cheating. You've been fooling me all along. I can see it all now.”
She tried again.
“It was an important letter. Mama is coming—she's coming here to stay very soon. And I was waiting to hear.”
“You were cheating all the time, weren't you?” he said again. “Let them bring in the letter just at the right moment, when we'd put out the light. Yes, that's it. You were just leading me on, to see how far I'd go, and kept your maid close at hand to protect you.”
“Oh, do be sensible! It's ever so late; we must go in.”
“Ugh! I had too much to drink up there, I think. Can't talk straight now.”
He could think of nothing but the letter, and went on about it again:
“For there was no need to have all that mystery about a letter from home. No; I see it all now. Want to go in, you say? Well then, go in, Fru, by all means. Godnat, Frue. My dutiful respects, as from a son.”