Tell me, Fieldbo—how do you explain all this? FIELDBO. There are other things still more difficult to explain. How come _you_ to be here? STENSGÅRD. I? Like the rest, of course—by invitation. FIELDBO. I hear you were invited yesterday evening—after your speech—— STENSGÅRD. What then? FIELDBO. How could you accept the invitation? STENSGÅRD. What the deuce was I to do? I couldn’t insult these good people. FIELDBO. Indeed! You couldn’t? What about your speech then? STENSGÅRD. Nonsense! It was principles I attacked in my speech, not persons. FIELDBO. And how do you account for the Chamberlain’s invitation? STENSGÅRD. Why, my dear friend, there can only be one way of accounting for it. FIELDBO. Namely, that the Chamberlain is afraid of you? STENSGÅRD. By heaven, he shall have no reason to be! He is a gentleman. FIELDBO. That he is. STENSGÅRD. Isn’t it touching the way the old man has taken this affair? And how lovely Miss Bratsberg looked when she brought me the letter! FIELDBO. But look here—they haven’t mentioned the scene of yesterday, have they? STENSGÅRD. Not a word; they have far too much tact for that. But I am filled with remorse; I must find an opportunity of apologising—— FIELDBO. I strongly advise you not to! You don’t know the Chamberlain—— STENSGÅRD. Very well; then my acts shall speak for me. FIELDBO. You won’t break with the Stonelee party? STENSGÅRD. I shall bring about a reconciliation. I have my League; it’s a power already, you see. FIELDBO. By-the-bye, while I remember—we were speaking of Miss Monsen—I advised you to go in and win—— STENSGÅRD. Oh, there’s no hurry—— FIELDBO. But listen; I have been thinking it over: you had better put all that out of your head. STENSGÅRD. I believe you are right. If you marry into an underbred family, you marry the whole tribe of them. FIELDBO. Yes, and there are other reasons—— STENSGÅRD. Monsen is an underbred fellow; I see that now. FIELDBO. Well, polish is not his strong point. STENSGÅRD.