[STEIN _is getting more and more excited. He shows plainly that the presence of other persons increases his sensitiveness, and he makes an evident effort to control his temper. The_ FORESTER _treats the matter lightly, as an every-day affair_. SOPHY _with increasing anxiety looks from one to the other_. WILKENS _does not move a muscle of his face_. MÖLLER _exhibits his sympathy by accompanying his master's words with appropriate gestures. The entire pantomimic by-play is very rapid_.] STEIN. You are my servant, and I command: The forest shall be cleared. If not, you are no longer my servant. The forest shall be cleared. FORESTER. Old hot-head! STEIN. Either you obey, or you are no longer forester. FORESTER. Stuff and nonsense! STEIN. And I shall put Godfrey in your place. FORESTER. Quite right. Congratulations. STEIN (_buttons his coat_). The forest shall be cleared. FORESTER. The forest shall not be cleared. SOPHY (_stepping between the two_). But-- STEIN. I regret this exceedingly.--Mr. Möller!--I bid everybody good-day. [_Exit_.] MÖLLER. Bravo! At last he has spoken his mind in a manner worthy of Stein and Son. Yours truly. [_Follows_ STEIN.] FORESTER. I deal-- [_He looks up while shuffling the cards_.] But--well, let him go. If he can't sit for an hour without exploding, the old powder-bag-- SCENE VIII _The_ FORESTER _remains seated imperturbably_. SOPHY _stands beside his chair_. WILKENS _steps up to the_ FORESTER. SOPHY. But what in the world is going to come of this? WILKENS. He should have gone after him. FORESTER. The old hot-head! SOPHY. I am absolutely dumbfounded. On the very day of betrothal! WILKENS. But for the sake of a few miserable trees he surely is not going to-- FORESTER. Miserable trees? Thunder! In my forest there is no miserable tree!--Nonsense. There is no cause for lamentation. WILKENS. But Mr. Stein-- FORESTER. Is not going to run far. When his anger has subsided, he will be the first one to--he is better than I. WILKENS. But-- FORESTER. Hang it! You always have a "But." That's the way he goes on every day. For twenty years-- WILKENS. But today he is your master. FORESTER. Master or not. The forest shall not be cleared. WILKENS. But you will lose your place. FORESTER. To Godfrey? Idle talk! Stein himself can't bear Godfrey, and he knows what I am worth to him. I need not sing my own praise. Show me a forest anywhere in the whole district that can be compared to mine.--Do you hear? Why, there he is back again. Sit down. And if he comes in, act as if nothing had happened. SCENE IX _The same. Enter_ MÖLLER _rapidly; later_, ANDREW. FORESTER (_not looking up_). Well, I deal. [_Takes the cards, notices his mistake_.] Is that you, Mr. Möller? MÖLLER (_pompously_). At your service. FORESTER. Well, sit down. Has he cooled down again, the old hot-head? Why doesn't he come in? I suppose he expects me to fetch him? [_Is about to go_.] MÖLLER.