It wasn’t only that. What do you think, father——? DR. STOCKMANN. Well? PETRA. Mrs. Busk showed me no fewer than three letters she had received this morning—— DR. STOCKMANN. Anonymous, of course? PETRA. Yes. DR. STOCKMANN. They never dare give their names, Katrina! PETRA. And two of them stated that a gentleman who is often at our house said at the club last night that I held extremely advanced opinions upon various things—— DR. STOCKMANN. Of course you didn’t deny it. PETRA. Of course not. You know Mrs. Busk herself is pretty advanced in her opinions when we’re alone together; but now that this has come out about me, she dared not keep me on. MRS. STOCKMANN. Some one that is often at our house, too. There, you see, Thomas, what comes of all your hospitality. DR. STOCKMANN. We won’t live any longer in such a pig-sty! Pack up as quickly as you can, Katrina; let’s get away—the sooner the better. MRS. STOCKMANN. Hush! I think there is some one in the passage. See who it is, Petra. PETRA. [_Opening the door._] Oh, is it you, Captain Horster? Please come in. HORSTER. [_From the hall._] Good morning. I thought I might just look in and ask how you are. DR. STOCKMANN. [_Shaking his hand._] Thanks; that’s very good of you. MRS. STOCKMANN. And thank you for helping us through the crowd last night, Captain Horster. PETRA. How did you ever get home again? HORSTER. Oh, that was all right. I am tolerably able-bodied, you know; and those fellows' bark is worse than their bite. DR. STOCKMANN. Yes, isn’t it extraordinary, this piggish cowardice? Come here, and let me show you something! Look, here are all the stones they threw in at us. Only look at them? Upon my soul there aren’t more than two decent-sized lumps in the whole heap; the rest are nothing but pebbles—mere gravel. They stood down there, and yelled, and swore they’d half kill me;—but as for really doing it—no, there’s mighty little fear of _that_ in this town! HORSTER. You may thank your stars for that this time, Doctor. DR. STOCKMANN.