Josephine was surprised to hear that Karl Meek was the only person whom
her brother allowed to follow the coffin of his dead wife. Did that mean
that Edward did not suspect him? Or, more likely, that he had forgiven
him? Ah, if one could be as good as that!

"God's way with sinners," said Tuft, "may seem cruel, but it is really
kind and merciful. The death of that woman will work for Edward's good:
Of course, he feels it keenly now, but he will get over it. It is a
blessing in disguise."

As soon as Tuft uttered these words he felt the sheer brutality of them.
By a strange irony of fate, his own child had fallen ill about the time
that Ragni took to her bed, and the minister and his wife were now
talking over the couch of their suffering little boy. Something was
wrong with his chest, and Josephine would have liked to call in her
clever brother in place of the ordinary family doctor, but she would not
humble herself to beg his help. Perhaps it was the shock of her
husband's words that aroused her, but that night the springs of her
nature were strangely opened. She came downstairs in her nightdress to
Tuft's bed, and awoke him. Her eyes were fixed in a blank stare.

"I can't sleep, Ole," she whispered. "I want to warn you. That woman--
Edward's wife--is trying to take away our boy. We have been too hard on
her--too hard. Now she will make us pay for it."

"You are not yourself, Josephine," said Tuft, rising up, and dressing
himself hastily. "I will fetch the doctor."

"No, no!" she cried. "Ask Edward to come."