LONA. Do you say “Ugh!” to that? HILMAR. No, I said “H’m”—— LONA. Oh, was that all, poor fellow? But you are quite alone here to-day! MRS. BERNICK. Yes, to-day we are quite alone. LONA. By-the-bye, we met one or two of the Moral Regenerators up in the market-place; they seemed to be very busy. But we have never had a proper talk yet; yesterday we had the three pioneers of progress here, and the Pastor too—— HILMAR. The Doctor. LONA. I call him the Pastor. But now—what do you think of my work for these fifteen years? Hasn’t he grown a fine boy? Who would recognise him now for the scapegrace that ran away from home? HILMAR. H’m—— JOHAN. Oh, Lona, don’t boast too much. LONA. I don’t care, I’m really proud of it. Well, well, it’s the only thing I have done in the world, but it gives me a sort of right to exist. Yes, Johan, when I think how we two began life over there with only our four bare paws—— HILMAR. Hands. LONA. _I_ say paws, they were so dirty—— HILMAR. Ugh! LONA. ——and empty too. HILMAR. Empty! Well, I must say! LONA. What must you say? BERNICK. H’m! HILMAR. I must say—ugh! [_Goes out upon the verandah._ LONA. Why, what’s wrong with the man? BERNICK. Oh, never mind him; he’s rather nervous just now. Should you like to take a look round the garden? You haven’t been down there yet, and I happen to have an hour to spare. LONA. Yes, I should like it very much; you may be sure my thoughts have often been with you all, here in the garden. MRS. BERNICK. There have been great changes there too, as you’ll see. [CONSUL BERNICK, MRS. BERNICK, _and_ LONA _go down the garden, where they are now and then visible during the following scene._ OLAF. [_At the garden door._] Uncle Hilmar, do you know what Uncle Johan asked me? He asked if I’d like to go with him to America. HILMAR. _You_, you little muff, that go about tied to your mother’s apron-strings—— OLAF. Yes, but I won’t be so any more. You shall see when I’m big—— HILMAR. Oh, rubbish; you have no real craving for the discipline of danger——