HILMAR. Oh, nothing, nothing. Only here he escapes safe and sound from railway accidents, and fights with Californian bears and Blackfoot Indians; why, he’s not even scalped——Ugh! here they are. BERNICK. [_Looks down the street._] Olaf with them too. HILMAR. Yes, of course; catch them letting people forget that they belong to the first family in the town. Look, look, there come all the loafers out of the drug-store to stare at them and make remarks. Really, this is too much for my nerves; how a man under such circumstances is to hold high the banner of the ideal—— BERNICK. They are coming straight here. Listen, Betty: it is my decided wish that you should be as friendly as possible to them. MRS. BERNICK. May I, Karsten? BERNICK. Of course, of course; and you too, Hilmar. I daresay they won’t remain very long; and when we are alone with them—let us have no allusions to the past—we must on no account hurt their feelings. MRS. BERNICK. Oh, Karsten, how noble you are. BERNICK. No, no, nothing of the sort. MRS. BERNICK. Oh, but you must let me thank you; and forgive me for being so hasty. You had every reason to—— BERNICK. Don’t talk of it, don’t talk of it, I say. HILMAR. Ugh! JOHAN TÖNNESEN _and_ DINA, _followed by_ LONA _and_ OLAF, _come through the garden._ LONA. Good-morning, good-morning, my dear people. JOHAN. We have been out looking all round the old place, Karsten. BERNICK. Yes, so I hear. Greatly changed, is it not? LONA. Consul Bernick’s great and good works on every hand. We’ve been up in the gardens you have presented to the town—— BERNICK. Oh, there! LONA. “Karsten Bernick’s Gift,” as the inscription over the entrance says. Yes; everything here seems to be your work. JOHAN. And you have splendid ships too. I met my old school-fellow, the captain of the _Palm Tree_—— LONA. Yes, and you’ve built a new school-house; and they owe both the gas- and the water-works to you, I hear. BERNICK. Oh, one must work for the community one lives in. LONA. Well, you’ve done your part finely, brother-in-law; but it’s a pleasure, too, to see how people appreciate you. I don’t think I’m vain, but I couldn’t help reminding one or two of the people we talked to that we belong to the family. HILMAR. Ugh——!