She put her arms right round him. She hugged him, warmed him against herself, while she sat upon his knees:
"I'm not frightened, Gerrit. Why should I be frightened of you? Because you've been ill, because you've grown thin? Aren't you still my husband, whom I love, whom I have always loved? Sha'n't I nurse you till you are yourself again, till you're quite well . . . and strong? . . . Oh, Gerrit, even if it should take weeks . . . months . . . a year! Gerrit, what is a year? In a year's time, you will be yourself again and well . . . and strong . . . and then we shall be happy once more . . . and then our children will grow up. . . ."
"Yes, dear . . . if only it doesn't get dark . . ."
"Gerrit . . ."
"If only it doesn't get so dark! . . . Do you know that it got very dark around Ernst? It's getting lighter around him now . . . but there's some twilight around him still . . . even now. . . . Do you know that it is getting dark around Mamma . . . and that it will get darker and darker? . . . Do you know that the twilight is closing around Bertha . . . and that there's twilight around the others? . . . Line, darling, I'm frightened. I'm frightened . . . when it gets dark. As a child, I remember, I used to be frightened . . . when it grew dark. . . . You've lit the gas now, you see, Line. . . .Is there only one light burning? The
