Ragnar and Frida married solely because she was pregnant. Later he would have a passionate side-affair with Rut. Rut's sexual feelings were highly neurotic because she had been sexually abused by her stepfather. When the chimney sweep came she seduced him and afterward felt dirty and desperate. She found and seduced Ragnar. From the beginning she interspersed mean attacks. During the war he was drafted but deserted. He and Rut hired a room by the chimney sweep. Soon Rut seriously stabbed Ragnar's hand with a fork and they were thrown out. But whatever Rut did she could always "make it undone" by one word. Eventually they lived at the loft of an empty storehouse. On New Year's Eve Rut went to her mother and stepfather and demanded all cash the latter had. He gave her what was equal to four months salary for an unskilled worker. Ragnar believed she had got the money by prostitution. He left her and reported himself to the police. Rut promised to revenge herself. Ragnar was acquitted because a friend testified that he was mentally ill when he deserted. He and Rut reconciled but she did not forget her promise. She left him when it would hurt most. He tried to kill himself but was saved.