He gave the bill to Ringdal!

The bill that was useless as a weapon of offence.

He shams magnanimity! Makes a fool of me a second time! Gains admission to my house, and makes me welcome him and thank him—this—this——! And this is the fellow——

Why, what are you going on about, my dear sir?

I’ll tell you all about it afterwards. [Takes Lundestad apart.] And this is the fellow you protect, push forward, help to rise!

Well, he took you in, too!

Oh, I should like to——!

[Pointing to Stensgård, who is speaking to Thora.] Look there! What will people be fancying!

I shall soon put a stop to these fancies.

Too late, Chamberlain; he’ll worm himself forward by dint of promises and general plausibility——

I, too, can manœuvre, Mr. Lundestad.

What will you do?

Just watch. [Goes over to Fieldbo.] Doctor Fieldbo, will you do me a service?

With pleasure.

Then turn that fellow out of my house.

Stensgård?

Yes, the adventurer; I hate his very name; turn him out!

But how can I——?

That is your affair; I give you a free hand.

A free hand! Do you mean it? Entirely free?

Yes, yes, by all means.

Your hand on it, Chamberlain!

Here it is.

So be it, then; now or never! [Loudly.] May I request the attention of the company for a moment?

Silence for Doctor Fieldbo!

With Chamberlain Bratsberg’s consent, I have the pleasure of announcing my engagement to his daughter.

Engagement! Your engagement——

With the Chamberlain’s——? With your——What does it mean?

Is the Doctor out of his mind?

But, Chamberlain——?

What can I do? I am a Liberal. I join the League of Youth!

Thanks, thanks—and forgive me!

Associations are the order of the day, Mr. Stensgård. There is nothing like free competition!

Oh, my dear father!

Yes, and engagements are the order of the day.day. I have another to announce.

A mere invention!

No, not a bit of it; Miss Monsen is engaged to——

False, false, I say!

No, father, it’s true; they are both here.

Who? Where?

Ragna and Mr. Helle. They are in here——

Mr. Helle! Then it’s he——!

Here? In my house? [Goes towards the door.] Come in, my dear child.

[Shrinking back shyly.] Oh, no, no; there are so many people.

Don’t be bashful; you couldn’t help what has happened.

She is homeless now, Chamberlain.

Oh, you must help us!

I will, indeed; and thank you for giving me the opportunity.

You may well say engagements are the order of the day. I have one to add to the list.

What? You? At your age?—How rash of you!

Oh—! I say no more.

The game is up, Mr. Stensgård.

Indeed? [Loudly.] I have one to add to the list, Mr. Heire! An announcement, gentlemen: I too have cast anchor for life.

What?

One is now and then forced to play a double game, to conceal one’s true intentions. I regard this as permissible when the general weal is at stake. My life-work lies clear before me, and is all in all to me. I consecrate my whole energies to this district; I find here a ferment of ideas which I must strive to clarify. But this task cannot be accomplished by a mere adventurer. The men of the district must gather round one of themselves. Therefore I have determined to unite my interests indissolubly with yours—to unite them by a bond of affection. If I have awakened any false hopes, I must plead for forgiveness. I too am engaged.

You?

Engaged?

I can bear witness.

But how——?

Engaged? To whom?

It surely can’t be——?

It is a union both of the heart and of the understanding. Yes, my fellow citizens, I am engaged to Madam Rundholmen.

To Madam Rundholmen!

The storekeeper’s widow!

H’m. Indeed!

Why, my head’s going round! How could you——?

A manœuvre, Mr. Bratsberg!

He has rare abilities!

[Looks in at the door, back.] I humbly beg pardon——

Oh, come in, Aslaksen! A visit of congratulation, eh?

Oh, not at all; I wouldn’t presume——But I have something very important to say to Mr. Stensgård.

Another time; you can wait outside.

No, confound it; I must tell you——

Hold your tongue! What intrusivenessintrusiveness is this?—Yes, gentlemen, strange are the ways of destiny. The district and I required a bond that should bind us firmly together; and I found on my path a woman of ripened character who could make a home for me. I have put off the adventurer, gentlemen, and here I stand in your midst, as one of yourselves. Take me; I am ready to stand or fall in any post your confidence may assign me.

You have won.

Well, really, I must say——[To the Maid, who has entered from the back.] Well, what is it? What are you giggling about?

Madam Rundholmen——?

Madam Rundholmen?

What about her?

Madam Rundholmen is waiting outside with her young man——

[To each other.] Her young man? Madam Rundholmen! How’s this?

What nonsense!

Yes, I was just telling you——

[At the door.] Come along, come along!

I hope I’m not intruding, sir——

Not at all, not at all.

But I couldn’t resist bringing up my young man to show him to you and Miss Bratsberg.

Yes, I hear you are engaged; but——

We didn’t know——

[To Aslaksen.] How is all this——?

I had so much in my head yesterday; so much to think about, I mean——

But I gave her my letter, and——

No, you gave her Bastian Monsen’s; here is yours.

Bastian’s? And here——? [Glances at the address, crumples the letter together, and crams it into his pocket.] Oh, curse you for a blunderer!

Of course I was willing enough. There’s no trusting the men-folk, I know; but when you have it in black and white that their intentions are honourable——Why, there’s Mr. Stensgård, I declare. Well, Mr. Stensgård, won’t you congratulate me?

[To Lundestad.] How hungrily she glares at him.

Of course he will, Madam Rundholmen; but won’t you congratulate your sister-in-law to be?

Who?

Ragna; she is engaged too.

Are you, Ragna?

Indeed? Yes, Bastian told me there was something in the wind. I wish you both joy; and welcome into the family, Mr. Stensgård!

No, no; not Stensgård!

No, it’s Mr. Helle; an excellent choice. And, by-the-bye, you may congratulate my daughter too.

Miss Bratsberg! Ah, so Lundestad was right, after all. I congratulate you, Miss Thora; and you too, Mr. Stensgård.

You mean Doctor Fieldbo.

What?

I am the happy man.

Well, now, I don’t in the least know where I am.

And we have just found out where we are.

Excuse me; I have an appointment——

[Aside.] Lundestad, what was the other word?

What other?

Not adventurer, but the other——?

Demagogue.

I take my leave.

One word—only one word, Mr. Stensgård—a word which has long been on the tip of my tongue.

[At the door.] Excuse me; I’m in a hurry.

[Following him.] Demagogue!

Good-bye; good-bye! [Goes out by the back.

[Coming forward again.] Now the air is pure again, my friends.

I hope you don’t blame me, sir, for what has happened at home?

Every one must bear his own burden.

I had really no part in it.

[Who, during the preceding scene, has been listening at the second door on the right.] Father! Now you are happy;—may he come now?

Selma! You! You plead for him? After what happened two days ago——

Oh, two days are a long time. All is well now. I know now that he can go astray——

And that pleases you?

Yes, that he can; but in future I won’t let him.

Bring him in then.

[Enters by the foremost door on the right.] Here is your resignation.

Thanks; but you can tear it up.

Tear it up?

Yes, Ringdal; I have found another way. I can make atonement without that; I shall set to work in earnest——

[Enters with Selma from the right.] Can you forgive me?

[Hands him the bill.] I cannot be less merciful than fate.

Father! I shall retire this very day from the business you dislike so much.

No, indeed; you must stick to it. No cowardice! No running away from temptation! But I will stand at your side. [Loudly.] News for you, gentlemen! I have entered into partnership with my son.

What? You, Chamberlain?

You, my dear sir?

Yes; it is a useful and honourable calling; or at any rate it can be made so. And now I have no reason to hold aloof any longer.

Well, I’ll tell you what, Chamberlain—since you are going to set to work for the good of the district, it would be a shame and disgrace if an old soldier like me were to sulk in his tent.

Ah, what is this?

I cannot, in fact. After the disappointments in love that have befallen Mr. Stensgård to-day, Heaven forbid we should force the poor fellow into the political mill. He must rest and recover; a change of air is what he wants, and I shall see that he gets it. So if my constituents want me, why, they can have me.

[Shaking hands with him enthusiastically.] Thanks, Lundestad! That’s a good fellow! You won’t fail us?

Now, this is as it should be; things are settling down again. But whom have we to thank for all this?

Come, Aslaksen, you can explain——?

[Alarmed.] I, Doctor? I’m as innocent as the babe unborn!

What about that letter, then——?

It wasn’t my fault, I tell you! It was the election and Bastian Monsen, and chance, and destiny, and Madam Rundholmen’s punch—there was no lemon in it—and there was I, with the whole responsibility of the press upon me——

[Approaching.] What? What’s that?

The press, sir!

The press! That’s just it! Haven’t I always said that the press has marvellous influence in these days?

Oh, Chamberlain——

No false modesty, Mr. Aslaksen! I haven’t hitherto been in the habit of reading your paper, but henceforth I will. I shall subscribe for ten copies.

Oh, you can have twenty, Chamberlain!

Very well, then; let me have twenty. And if you need money, come to me; I mean to support the press; but I tell you once for all—I won’t write for it.

What’s this I hear? Your daughter engaged?

Yes; what do you say to that?

I am delighted! But when was it arranged?

[Quickly.] I’ll tell you afterwards——

Why, it was arranged on the Seventeenth of May.

What?

The day little Miss Ragna was here,

Father, father; did you know——?

Yes, my dear; I have known all along.

Oh, Chamberlain——!

Who can have——?

Another time, I should advise you young ladies not to talk so loud when I am taking my siesta in the bay window.

Oh! so you were behind the curtains?

Now I understand!

Yes, you are the one to keep your own counsel——

Would it have been of any use for me to speak earlier?

You are right, Fieldbo. These days have taught me a lesson.

[Aside to Fieldbo.] Yes, you can keep your own counsel. All this about Mr. Stensgård—why did you tell me nothing?

When a hawk is hovering over the dove-cote, one watches and shields his little dove—one does not alarm her.

[To the Chamberlain.] I’m sorry to tell you, Chamberlain, that the settlement of our little legal differences will have to be adjourned indefinitely.

Indeed! Why so?

You must know I’ve accepted a post as society reporter on Aslaksen’s paper.

I am glad to hear it.

And of course you’ll understand—with so much business on hand——