“How can you imagine I would do such a great wrong, and sin against God?”
“You mean because you don’t love me? But I tell you it does not matter, because I know my love is such that you will end by returning it, when you have lived wrapped in it for a time.”
He seized her in his arms, covering her face with kisses. She made no resistance, but whispered:
“Don’t, Gunnar, please.”
He released her reluctantly:
“Why may I not?”
“Because it is you. I don’t know if I should have minded if it had been anybody else for whom I did not care at all.”
Gunnar held her hand and they walked up and down in the moonlight.
“I understand. When you had the little boy you thought your life had some aim and purpose again after all these aimless years, because you loved him and you needed him. When he died you became indifferent to everything and considered yourself superfluous in the world.”