Did I disturb you , James ? Do you like your new work ? James ! Too bad you left college ! You had only one more year . I understand why you came back . You simply must live where things grow , must n't you , James ? So must I . Have you seen our orchids ? James : why do n't you try to please Uncle Peter Grimm ? Do n't be quite so blunt . Try to be like one of the family . Why not ? I 'm no relation at all ; and yet — Thank you , James . Thank you , Uncle Peter , thank you very much . And now you must have your cup of coffee . No , Uncle Peter , I have everything I need , thank you . You 're always speaking of weddings , Uncle Peter . I do n't know what 's come over you of late . Done for you ? I do you the great favour to let you do everything for me . That 's not much — youth . Ah , Uncle Peter , have I made you take a liking to all the rest of the ladies ? You promised not to — I 'll leave the room , Uncle . I should say not ! My home ? An offer ? Our gardens ? I should say not ! “ In the spring of 1709 there settled on Quassick Creek , New York State , Johann Grimm , aged twenty-two , husbandman and vine-dresser , also Johanna , his wife . ” “ To him Queen Anne furnished one square , one rule , one compass , two whipping saws and several small pieces . To him was born — ” Oh , yes — “ and two augurs . To him was born a son — ” Uncle Peter , I think you 're unfair to James . We used to have him to dinner very often before he went away . Now that he 's back , you treat him like a stranger . Ready for coffee ? What is it ? What is it , Uncle ?... Tell me ... tell me .... No .... Oh ...Why , Uncle Peter !... Uncle Peter !... whatever put this notion into your head ? I 've always known James .... We went to school together .... James has shown no interest he ought not to have shown , Uncle Peter ,— if that 's what you mean . He has always been very respectful in a perfectly friendly way . Would n't you like a cup , Doctor ? Were you speaking of — of ghosts , Doctor ? “ Are the Dead Alive ? ” Settle your worldly affairs ? What do you mean , Uncle Peter ? Please do n't interrupt , Uncle . I love to hear him tell of — Doctor ! Uncle , please . That 's wonderful , Doctor ! You really do believe , Doctor , that the dead can come back , do n't you ? Do you believe that you could come back here into this room and I could see you ? Could you talk to me ? And could I hear you ? “ The bird so free in the heavens ” — “ Is but the slave of the nest ; For all must toil as God wills it ,— Must laugh and toil and rest . ” “ The rose must blow in the garden ” — “ The bee must gather its store ; The cat must watch the mouse-hole ; The dog must guard the door . ” “ The cat must watch the mouse-hole ; The dog must guard the door . La la , La la , ” & c . At the close of the song , PETER puts down his pipe and beckons to CATHERINE . There 's nothing I would n't do to make you happy , Uncle , but — Uncle ... I could n't in ten days .... If you have set your heart on it , I will , Uncle Peter ... I will ... I promise . Uncle Peter ... Uncle ! What is it ? What 's the matter ?Doctor ! There he is — just going out .Come back . Come back , Doctor .I felt it . I felt something strange a minute ago . I felt it . Uncle Peter ! Answer me ! ... It 's Katie ! The DOCTOR enters hurriedly . Yes . ... I meant to speak to you — again . Yes .... Yes .... Just as he wished . Everything is just as he ....Frederik , I do n't want to go away . I do n't want to go to Europe . If only I could stay quietly here in —— in my dear home . I do n't want to leave this house .... I do n't want any home but this .Do n't take me away Frederik . I know you 've never really liked it at Grimm 's Manor . Are you sure you 'll want to come back to live here ? I — I 've always wanted to please ...Uncle Peter .... I felt that I owed everything to him .... If he had lived ... if I could see his happiness at our marriage — it would make me happy ;but he 's gone ... and ... I 'm afraid we 're making a mistake . I do n't feel towards you as I ought , Frederik . I 've told you again and again ; but I want to tell you once more : I 'm willing to marry you ... but I do n't love you — I never shall . I know ... I know .... It seems so disloyal to speak like this after I promised him ; but — Yes . Yes . That 's it . That 's what makes me try to live up to it .But you know how I feel .... You understand .... He 's to stay here , of course . Why do you dislike him ? Yes , you do . I can n't understand it . I remember how angry you were when you came back from college and found him living here . You never mention his mother 's name , yet you played together as children . When Uncle tried to find Annamarie and bring her back , you were the only one opposed to it . What question ? Nothing .... I was only thinking .... I was hoping that those we love ... and lose ... can n't see us here . I 'm beginning to believe there 's not much happiness in this world . Uncle Peter ! Uncle Peter ! Why did you do it ? Why did you ask it ? Oh , dear ! Oh , dear ! If you could see me now .There , there ... I must n't cry ... others have troubles , too , have n't they ? I had hoped , Marta , that Annamarie would have heard of Uncle 's loss and come back to us at this time .... She knows that our door is open .... The rain beats against the windows . A sharp double knock is heard at the door . CATHERINE starts as though suddenly brought to herself , hastily goes into the next room , taking the DOCTOR 'S book with her . MARTA has hurried towards the front door , when the REV . MR. BATHOLOMMEY and COLONEL LAWTON appear in the hall as though they had entered quickly , to escape the storm . MARTA , greeting them , passes of to tell FREDERIK of their presence . The REV . MR. BATHOLOMMEY wears a long , black cloth , rain-proof coat . COLONEL LAWTON wears a rubber poncho . COLONEL LAWTON is a tall man with a thin brown beard and moustache , about forty-eight . He is dressed in a Prince Albert coat , unpressed trousers , and a negligée shirt . He wears spectacles and has a way of throwing back his head and peering at people before answering them . The REV . MR. BATHOLOMMEY sets his umbrella in the hall and the COLONEL hangs his broad-brimmed hat on the handle — as though to let it drip . Did someone call me ? Without pausing , she sets the lamp on the table down right — opposite the group of characters . She turns up the wick and PETER GRIMM is seen standing in the room — half in shadow . He is as he was in life . The clothes he wears appear to be those he wore about his house in the first act . He carries his hat in his hand . He has the same kind smile , the same deferential manner , but his face is more spiritual and years younger . The lamp , which CATHERINE has placed on the table , brightens the room . I 'm so accustomed to hear Uncle Peter 's voice in this room , that sometimes I forget he 's not here ... I can n't get over it ! I was almost sure I heard him speak ... but , of course , as soon as I came in — I remembered .... But some one must have called me . Is n't it curious ... to hear your name and turn and ...no one there ? Perhaps it was the book I was reading that made me think I heard .... The Doctor lent it to me . If he does know , if he can see , he 'll be comforted by the thought that I 'm going to do everything he wanted . Crying does n't help matters . Oh , I 'm so alone . That I should sit here singing — at a time like this ! How is he , Doctor ? Yes , I — I am happier — for some reason .... For the last few minutes I — I 've had such a strange feeling . What do you mean , Doctor ? Everything 's arranged : I shall be married as Uncle Peter wished . I sha'n ' t change my mind . Good-night . James ... I 'm very glad to see you again , James .Why did you go away ? And without saying a word . Oh ... Where are you going ? What do you intend to do ? It will seem very strange when I come back home .... Uncle gone ... and you , James . James , Uncle died smiling at me — thinking of me ... and just before he went , he gave me his mother 's wedding ring and asked me to marry Frederik . I shall never forget how happy he was when I promised . That was all he wanted . His last smile was for me ... and there he sat — still smiling after he was gone ... the smile of a man leaving the world perfectly satisfied — at peace . It 's like a hand on my heart — hurting it — when I question anything he wanted . I could n't meet him in the hereafter if I did n't do everything he wished ; I could n't say my prayers at night ; I could n't speak his name in them .... He trusted me ; depended upon me ; did everything for me ; so I must do this for him .... I wanted you to know this , James , because ... I have . You mus n't say that , James . James ! No !... Do n't touch me , James — you must n't ! Do n't !... Do n't ! PETER pushes her into JAMES ’ arms , without touching her . She exclaims “ Oh , James ! ” and fairly runs towards JAMES as though violently propelled . In reality , she thinks that she is yielding to an impulse . As she reaches him , she exclaims “ No , ” and turns back , but JAMES , with outstretched arms , catches her . Do n't make me say that , James . No matter if I do , that wo n't alter matters . No , no , do n't say any more .... I wo n't hear it .Good-bye , Jim . Please do n't .... Please do n't .... No . No ! No ! No !Please !... Not now .... Do n't — please . I sha'n ' t forget . Why , William ! What are you doing here ? No , dear — come upstairs ; there 's a good boy . You must n't play down there . Come to bed . A sensitive ? William , ... are you sure he ... Do you think he could have seen Uncle Peter ? It 's his mother — Annamarie . We have n't . I never saw it before . It 's very strange .... We 've all been waiting for news of her . Even her mother does n't know where she is , or — could Marta have received this since I — If not , who had the picture ?... And why were n't we all told ?... Who tore it up ? Did you , William ?Who has been at the desk ? No one save Frederik ... Frederik ... and surely he — I wonder if there was any message with it . Annamarie wrote to my uncle ... Who was he ? So you do remember the time when you lived with Annamarie ; ... you always told me that you did n't ...I must know more of this —Think , William , who came to the house ? Why does he always look towards that door ? You 're not afraid now , William ? What , William ? What of to-morrow ? Why are you afraid of him ? Was Frederik the man that came to see Annamarie ? Was he ? Was it Frederik Grimm ? Tell me , William . I 've thought of a great many things to-day ... little things ... little things I 'd never noticed before .... I 'm putting them together just as he put that picture together .... I must know the truth . Frederik , you 've heard from Annamarie ....You 've had a letter from her . You tried to destroy it . Why did you tell Marta that you 'd had no message — no news ? You went to see her , too . Why did you tell me that you 'd never seen her since she went away ? Why did you lie to me ? Why do you hate that child ? I 'm going to find out . I 'm going to find out where she is , before I marry you . That child may be right or wrong ; but I 'm going to know what his mother was to you . I want the truth . Yes , it is true . I believe Uncle Peter Grimm was in this room to-night . I do n't care what anyone else may think — people have the right to think for themselves ; but I believe he has been here — he is here . Uncle Peter , if you can hear me now , give me back my promise — or — or I 'll take it back ! I wonder , James , if he can see us now . Yes ... yes ....now reveals the old windmill . From outside the door the voices of JAMES and CATHERINE are heard as they both say :] Good-night . Good-night !Oh , I 'm so happy ! I 'm so happy ! Dear Uncle Peter .... MARTA enters — pausing to hear if all is quiet in WILLIAM 'S room . CATHERINE , lifting her face , sees MARTA and rapturously hugs her , to MARTA 'S amazement — then goes up the stairs .