rehension the storm he had raised, and which was now out of his power
to quell.

Mr. Johnsen made several attempts to join in the conversation, which
had, however, become so warm that no one could be got to listen to his
measured and carefully worded remarks. Rachel followed the arguments
with the greatest interest, but she could not help feeling annoyed. She
was annoyed when the others said anything stupid, and even still more so
when she was obliged to confess that Worse was in the right. Everything
seemed to irritate her. She could not bear to hear these men discussing
her and her position as if she were some strange animal, and without
ever having the grace to ask her opinion. The conversation had now gone
far beyond woman's position, although Jacob Worse tried in vain to keep
them to the point. Off they went through recent literature, foreign
politics, home politics, ever with increasing earnestness, and with the
same division of parties. Latterly the pastor had come more to the
front. Aalbom's voice began to fail him, and the magistrate was unable
any longer to get beyond the beginning of his sentences, and could do
little else than point to his decorations and say, "For God and the
King!" And before they knew where they were, they found themselves on
the subject of modern scepticism.

Jacob Worse protested against this digression; but Martens, whose voice
was just as calm as when he began, maintained that this lay at the
bottom of the whole question, and that modern unbelief formed, as it
were, a background to all the questions they had been discussing, and
that all the arguments that were adduced from a "certain point of view"
had their roots in this very principle.

The magistrate and Aalbom were agreed on this point, but Jacob Worse,
with a pale face and excited gestures, began, "Gentlemen--!"

The Consul here made a sign to Miss Cordsen, who opened the doors into
the dining-room, from whence the bright light shone suddenly into the
room. The disputants only now remarked that it had become quite dark as
they were talking. The company then adjourned to the dining-room,
thankful enough to have a little breathing-time, but the voices still
retained traces of the excitement.

"Where did you get those splendid lobsters, mother?" asked Morten, who
had suddenly turned up, no one knew from whence. He never missed his
meals.

"Uncle Richard brought them," answered Mrs. Garman. "I think he has a
fisherman at Brat