Lasse Frederik had to take his bicycle and ride to the chemist’s, and immediately after the doctor drove away.
They sat outside the garden door, so that they could hear any sound from the sick girl, and talked together in low tones. It was sad to see Morten; Johanna’s flight from him had wounded him deeply.
“I wonder why she did it?” said Pelle.
“She’s been strange ever since you came up and proposed that she should come out to you,” said Morten sadly. “She got it into her head that she was a burden to me and that I would like to get rid of her. Two or three days ago she got up while I was out, and began working in the house—I suppose as a return for my keeping her. She’s morbidly sensitive. When I distinctly forbade her she declared that she wouldn’t owe me anything and meant to go away. I knew that she might very likely do it in spite of her being ill, so I stayed at home. At midday to-day I just went down to fetch milk, and when I came up she was gone. It was a good thing she came out here; I think she’d do anything when once the idea’s taken her that she’s a burden.”
“She must be very fond of you,” said Ellen, looking at him.
“I don’t think so,” answered Morten, with a sad smile. “At any rate, she’s hidden it well. My impression is that she’s hated me ever since the day we spoke of her coming out here.—May I stay here for the night?”
“If you can put up with what we have,” answered Ellen. “It won’t be a luxurious bed, but it’ll be something to lie down on.”
Morten did not want a bed, however. “I’ll sit up and watch over Johanna,” he said.
XIV
The house was thus transformed into a nursing home. It was a hard hit at their careless happiness, but they took it as it came. Neither of them demanded more of life than it was capable of.