He drifted about from one wall to the other like an outlaw. Camilla talked to him, asked a question and he did not hear it and made no answer. Again she said something, touched his arm even and asked another question in vain. "Oh, now he's lost in thought," she cried with a laugh. "He's thinking, he's thinking!" Victoria heard and answered: "He wants to be alone. He sent me away too." But suddenly she came right up to him and said aloud: "I expect you're thinking out some apology to me. You need not trouble about that. On the contrary, I owe you an apology for sending you the invitation so late. It was very neglectful of me. I forgot you till the very last, I nearly forgot you altogether. But I hope you'll forgive me, for I had so much to think about." He stared at her speechless; even Camilla looked from one to the other and seemed astonished. Victoria stood right in front of them with her cold, pale face and looked satisfied. She had had her revenge. "Now you can see our young men," she said to Camilla. "We mustn't expect too much of them. Over there sits my fiancé talking about elk-shooting and here is the poet deep in thought.... Say something, poet!" He gave a start; the veins in his temples swelled. "Very well. You want me to say something? Very well." "Oh, not if it's such an effort." She was going already. "To come straight to the point," he said slowly, smiling, but with a quiver in his voice; "to begin right in the middle--have you been in love lately, Miss Victoria?" For a few seconds there was dead silence; all three could hear their hearts beating. Camilla put in timidly: "Of course Victoria is in love with her fiancé. She is just engaged, don't you know that?" The doors to the dining-room were thrown open. * * * * * Johannes found his place and was standing by it. The whole table heaved up and down before his eyes, he saw a crowd of people and heard a buzz of voices. "Yes, that's right, that is your place," said the hostess kindly. "If only everybody would sit down." "Excuse me!" said Victoria suddenly, just behind him. He stepped aside. She took his card and moved it several places down, seven places down, beside an old man who had once been tutor at the Castle and who was supposed to drink. She brought back another card and sat down. The hostess, much upset, found something to do on the other side of the table and avoided looking at him. His confusion became even worse than before and he withdrew bewildered to his new place; his first seat was occupied by one of Ditlef's friends from town, a young man with diamond studs in his shirt-front. On his left sat Victoria, on his right Camilla. And the dinner began.