(_Anton and Louise come from the right_.)
ANTON (_half outside_)
No, Louise, you can’t go away like this. If I can’t make you stay, mother must try to. (_He pulls her, in spite of her opposition, into the room_.) Have you ever heard anything like it? Louise wants to go back to the city to-night.
LOUISE
Yes, I must, Anton. I didn’t have the courage to tell you before. But now--I feel that I know your parents--and....
ANTON
Know--know--one can’t learn to know anybody in an hour. Anyhow, it’s strange that your employer wants you to return at once. And just on this occasion! Before, you have always been able to get off whenever you wanted to be with me.
LOUISE
I have asked to be free too often, dear Anton. Now, you see, they must have grown tired of it in the store. I want to tell you right now that hereafter I am afraid we shall not be able to be together as often as before.
ANTON
Well, then we must get married. To think that you should be the slave of the yardstick! Now I’ll dictate a letter for you. I’ll say that you cannot be back until the day after to-morrow at the earliest.
LOUISE
No, it won’t do, Anton--you must not ask me to do it.
ANTON
But help me, then, father and mother. Can you look on quietly and silently while your daughter-in-law, who has hardly put her foot inside your door, wants to disappear again?
HAMMELEV
No, we want, of course, to--
MRS. HAMMELEV
I think you had best let Louise go, Anton. You mustn’t let her take the risk of losing her position.
ANTON
And you say that, mother! But don’t you know how I had looked forward to this day--when you would see her--and learn to love her and--
MRS. HAMMELEV
You must be sensible, Anton. It might influence your future if she--
ANTON
The future! Always the future, always to-morrow and again to-morrow, and please wait like a good child! But God have mercy, I am of course, unreasonable. Go, Louise, go! Hurry, that you will not be late for the train!
LOUISE (_sadly_)
Are you angry with me now, Anton?
ANTON (_softly_)
With you--no! I am a bit angry, I suppose. But not with you. I want to tell you this, however, that I will let you go only on one condition: that you soon take a long vacation. And then we’ll come out here again, both of us. Will you promise me that, Louise?
LOUISE (_softly patting his hand_)
There shall soon be happiness for both of us, Anton.
ANTON
Y-e-s--I couldn’t be angry with you now. So go upstairs to my room. At the very top of my traveling bag you’ll find a little package. Bring it down to me. There is something in it for you. It was my intention not to give it to you until to-night. But as long as you can’t wait--
LOUISE
You shouldn’t spend your money on buying presents for me.
ANTON
What! I don’t lose anything by it. I don’t ruin myself by it, do I?
LOUISE
But I would rather you didn’t give me anything.
ANTON
Is it your intention to make me real angry--seriously angry? I can’t understand what ails you to-day. My parents have seen an engaged couple before. Or do you think, perhaps, that they, in their peasant simplicity, may take offense?
LOUISE
No, but--
ANTON
Well, if you want to leave at once, then go. And take all the time you want while you are upstairs. Five minutes, if you like. There is something I want to speak to mother about in the meantime. Can you find your way to the room?
HAMMELEV
I’ll show Louise the way. At the same time I’ll show her the room where she was to have slept, if she had stayed over night.
ANTON
Five minutes, Louise. But no longer. We have yet a few hours till you have to leave for the train. And we will be very greedy of these two hours--we four.
LOUISE (_bends over him and kisses him_)
Anton, dear, you know I have always wished to do what was best for you. Whatever may happen or whatever I may do, you must always believe in me. Do you hear, Anton--always!
(_Louise and Hammelev go out, right_.)