STENSGÅRD. Yes, Mr. Heire was good enough to give his own account of some of these transactions, yesterday evening. THE CHAMBERLAIN. H’m! STENSGÅRD. Had it not been for him, I certainly should not have let myself boil over as I did. But he has a way of speaking of people and things, that—in short, he has a vile tongue in his head. THE CHAMBERLAIN. My dear young friend—Mr. Heire is my guest; you must not forget that. My house is liberty hall, with only one reservation: my guests must not be discussed to their disadvantage. STENSGÅRD. I beg your pardon, I’m sure——! THE CHAMBERLAIN. Oh, never mind; you belong to the younger generation, that’s not so punctilious. As for Mr. Heire, I don’t think you really know him. I, at any rate, owe Mr. Heire a great deal. STENSGÅRD. Yes, so he gave one to understand; but I didn’t think—— THE CHAMBERLAIN. I owe him the best part of our domestic happiness, Mr. Stensgård! I owe him my daughter-in-law. Yes, that is really so. Daniel Heire was kind to her in her childhood. She was a youthful prodigy; she gave concerts when she was only ten years old. I daresay you have heard her spoken of—Selma Sjöblom.[15] STENSGÅRD. Sjöblom? Yes, of course; her father was Swedish? THE CHAMBERLAIN. Yes, a music-teacher. He came here many years ago. Musicians, you know, are seldom millionaires; and their habits are not always calculated to——; in short, Mr. Heire has always had an eye for talent; he was struck with the child, and had her sent to Berlin; and then, when her father was dead and Heire’s fortunes were on the wane, she returned to Christiania, where she was of course taken up by the best people. That was how my son happened to fall in with her. STENSGÅRD. Then in that way old Daniel Heire has indeed been an instrument for good—— THE CHAMBERLAIN. That is how one thing leads to another in this life, you see. We are all instruments, Mr. Stensgård; you, like the rest of us; an instrument of wrath, I suppose—— STENSGÅRD. Oh, don’t speak of it, Chamberlain. I am utterly ashamed—— THE CHAMBERLAIN. Ashamed? STENSGÅRD. It was most unbecoming—— THE CHAMBERLAIN. The form was perhaps open to criticism, but the intention was excellent. And now I want to ask you, in future, when you are contemplating any move of the sort, just to come to me and tell me of it openly, and without reserve. You know we all want to act for the best; and it is my duty—— STENSGÅRD. You will permit me to speak frankly to you?