Should naturally come from Sweden. But, mark well, not so long as Gustav Vasa holds the helm; his reckoning with Denmark is not yet settled, and mayhap never will be. But a new king of Sweden, who had the people with him, and who owed his throne to the help of Denmark——. Well, you begin to understand me? _Then_ we could safely say to you Norwegians: “Take back your old ancestral rights; choose you a ruler after your own mind; be our friends in need, as we will be yours!”—Mark you well, Lady Inger, herein is our generosity less than it may seem; for you must see that, far from weakening, ’twill rather strengthen us. And now that I have opened my heart to you so fully, do you too cast away all mistrust. And therefore [_confidently_]—the knight from Sweden, who came hither an hour before me—— LADY INGER. Then you already know of his coming? NILS LYKKE. Most certainly. ’Tis he whom I seek. LADY INGER. [_To herself._] Strange! Then it must be as Olaf Skaktavl said. [_To_ NILS LYKKE.] I pray you wait here, Sir Councillor! I will go bring him to you. [_Goes out through the Banquet Hall._ NILS LYKKE. [_Looks after her a while in exultant astonishment._] She is bringing him! Ay, truly—she is bringing him! The battle is half won. I little thought it would go so smoothly.— She is deep in the counsels of the rebels; she started in terror when I named Sten Sture’s son.— And now? H’m! Since Lady Inger has been simple enough to walk into the snare, Nils Sture will not make many difficulties. A hot-blooded boy, thoughtless and rash——. With my promise of help he will set forth at once—unhappily Jens Bielke will snap him up by the way—and the whole rising will be nipped in the bud. And then? Then one further point to our advantage. It is spread abroad that the young Count Sture has been at Östråt,—that a Danish envoy has had audience of Lady Inger—that thereupon the young Count Nils has been snapped up by King Gustav’s men-at-arms a mile from the castle.——Let Inger Gyldenlöve’s name among the people stand never so high—’twill scarce recover from such a blow. [_Starts up in sudden uneasiness._ By all the devils—! What if she has scented mischief! It may be he is even now slipping through our fingers—[_Listens towards the hall, and says with relief._] Ah, there is no fear. Here they come. [LADY INGER GYLDENLÖVE _enters from the hall, accompanied by_ OLAF SKAKTAVI. LADY INGER.