_The same. Enter_ ANDREW. ANDREW _at the door; when he sees the people he is going to withdraw_. FORESTER. Andrew, you come in. Before your superior! [_Seats himself as if preparing for trial_.] _The_ FORESTER, SOPHY, WEILER, WILLIAM _on the left. The_ PASTOR, WILKENS _on the right_. ANDREW, _who dares not look any one in the face, in the centre_. FORESTER. Come here, forester's assistant Andrew Ulrich. Where do you come from? ANDREW. From the nursery, father. FORESTER. Where is your rifle, Andrew Ulrich? [ANDREW _is silent_.] FORESTER. Who has it? ANDREW (_in a hollow voice_). Godfrey. [FORESTER _rises involuntarily_.] SOPHY (_in great alarm_). Ulrich! FORESTER (_sits down again_). Here no one has anything to say, except the forester's assistant Ulrich and his superior. Andrew-- ANDREW. Father-- FORESTER. Why do you not look at me? ANDREW. I no longer can look any one in the face. I want to go to America as cabin-boy. Let me go, father. FORESTER. Boy, it is your duty to answer when your superior asks. What is it that Godfrey has? Out with it! ANDREW. I was just at my task of taking out the maple trees in the nursery-- FORESTER. As I had ordered you. ANDREW. Then came-- FORESTER. Godfrey? Go on, Andrew Ulrich. ANDREW. With six woodcutters from the Brandsberg-- FORESTER. From--go on, Andrew Ulrich. ANDREW. He was intoxicated-- WEILER (_half audibly_). As usual-- [_When the forester casts a look at him, he pretends not to have said anything_.] ANDREW. And so were the woodcutters. He had them pass the bottle round. "Here we begin," he said. "Ulrich has made a fine mess of it," he said; "for that reason he is dismissed." When he had said that I stepped forward forward-- FORESTER. You stepped forward?-- [_Rises_.] ANDREW. And said he was a miserable slanderer. And that, moreover, he had no business to give orders in the forest. FORESTER (_straightens himself_). In the forest. ANDREW. And that he should go where he belonged. FORESTER (_emphatically_). Where he belonged. [_Sits down_.] And he-- ANDREW. Laughed. FORESTER (_rises and sits down again; whistles, and drums on the table_). Go on. ANDREW. And said: "What does that fellow want?" FORESTER (_in a loud voice_). Andrew! ANDREW. Father-- FORESTER. And you? Go on, go on. ANDREW. "Hasn't he plants from my forest in his hand?" [_Lowering his voice._] "Hold that thief who steals wood and plants." FORESTER (_short pause_). And they-- ANDREW. Held me. FORESTER. And you-- ANDREW. They were too many. My resistance was of no avail-- FORESTER (_acting as if he were present at the fight_). Was of no avail. They were six against one. ANDREW. I was furious when I saw what he intended to do. They took off my clothes. I told him to shoot me, otherwise I would shoot him if he let me escape with my life. At that he laughed. They--had--to hold--me. FORESTER (_jumps up_). And he-- ANDREW (_reluctantly, imploring_). Father--