ty!

The whole crowd: Bernick! Pillars of Society! Hurrah-hurrah-hurrah!

Lona: I congratulate you, brother-in-law.

(An expectant hush follows.)

Bernick (speaking seriously and slowly): Fellow citizens--your
spokesman said just now that tonight we are standing on the threshold
of a new era. I hope that will prove to be the case. But before that
can come to pass, we must lay fast hold of truth--truth which, till
tonight, has been altogether and in all circumstances a stranger to
this community of ours. (Astonishment among the audience.) To that end,
I must begin by deprecating the praises with which you, Mr. Rorlund,
according to custom on such occasions, have overwhelmed me. I do not
deserve them; because, until today, my actions have by no means been
disinterested. Even though I may not always have aimed at pecuniary
profit, I at all events recognise now that a craving for power,
influence and position has been the moving spirit of most of my actions.

Rummel (half aloud): What next!

Bernick: Standing before my fellow citizens, I do not reproach myself
for that; because I still think I am entitled to a place in the front
rank of our capable men of affairs.

Voices: Yes, yes, yes!

Bernick: But what I charge myself with is that I have so often been
weak enough to resort to deceitfulness, because I knew and feared the
tendency of the community to espy unclean motives behind everything a
prominent man here undertakes. And now I am coming to a point which
will illustrate that.

Rummel (uneasily): Hm-hm!

Bernick: There have been rumours of extensive purchases of property
outside the town. These purchases have been made by me--by me alone,
and by no one else. (Murmurs are heard: "What does he
say?--He?--Bernick?") The properties are, for the time being, in my
hands. Naturally I have confided in my fellow-workers, Mr. Rummel, Mr.
Vigeland and Mr. Sandstad, and we are all agreed that--

Rummel: It is not true! Prove it--prove it!

Vigeland: We are not all agreed about anything!

Sandstad: Well, really I must say--!

Bernick: That is quite true--we are not yet agreed upon the matter I
was going to mention. But I confidently hope that these three gentlemen
will agree with me when I announce to you that I have tonight come to
the decision that these properties shall be exploited as a company of
which the shares shall be offered for public subscription; any one that
wishes can take shares.

Voices: Hurrah!