sappointed! (HAMAR comes back.)

Hamar. There--that's done!

Tjaelde. Good Lord, what about a salute from our cannon? We must give
him a salute!

Hamar. We have powder.

Tjaelde. Then send word up at once to Ole to see about it! (They hurry
out. The curtain falls.)

ACT II

SCENE I

(SCENE.--The same room. The table, which has been drawn to one side, is
covered with bottles of champagne aged dishes of fruit. MRS. TJAELDE and
SIGNE, with a man-servant and a maid, are busy preparing it. Through
the door on the right a lively conversation can be heard, and occasional
bursts of laughter.)

Mrs. Tjaelde (in a tired voice). Now I think it is all ready.

Signe. They are talking a long time over their dinner.

Mrs. Tjaelde (looking at her watch). Yes, they will only have half an
hour for their dessert, because Mr. Lind has to leave at five o'clock.

Signe. Ah, they have finished at last! Listen, they are getting up from
the table. (Amidst the loud noise of conversation the noise of chairs
being pushed back is audible.) Here they come!

Mrs. Tjaelde. Yes; let us retreat. (The maid goes out by the farther
door; SIGNE helps MRS. TJAELDE out after her. The man-servant begins
opening the champagne. The guests come in from the dining-room, headed
by LIND escorted by TJAELDE, whom he is assuring that the dinner was
excellent, to which TJAELDE replies that it is impossible to do much in
a small country town. Both look at their watches, and observe that there
is only half an hour left. TJAELDE vainly endeavours to persuade LIND
to stay longer. Close behind them come HOLM and RING, engaged in an
animated dispute about timber prices, the former maintaining that they
will fall still lower, the latter that they will rise speedily owing
to the fall in the prices of coal and iron, a point of view which the
former vigorously controverts. Immediately behind them comes the VICAR,
escorted by HAMAR, who is a little tipsy. The VICAR is assuring him that
he has no objection to parishioners repudiating the obligation to attend
the services of their own priest, so long as they are compelled to pay
him for those services whether they avail themselves of them or not;
because order, which is an essential characteristic of the Heavenly
Kingdom, must be maintained. HAMAR tries to get in a word or two about
the bay horse, but without success. At the same time KNUTZON and FALBE
are deep in a discussion about a dancer whom FALBE has seen