More speeches were made, the Lieutenant made one, the neighbour Laird gave the toast of the ladies, the Lady of the house. Suddenly the young man with the diamond studs got up and spoke Johannes' name. He had received permission for what he was doing, he wanted to hail the young poet in the name of the young. His words were most friendly, a kindly expression of thanks from contemporaries, full of appreciation and admiration. Johannes hardly believed his own ears. He whispered to the Tutor: "Is it me he's talking about?" The Tutor answered: "Yes. He's forestalled me. I was going to do it myself; Victoria asked me to some hours ago." "Who asked you to, did you say?" The Tutor stared at him. "Nobody," he said. During the speech the eyes of all were turned upon Johannes; even the Master nodded to him, and the Chamberlain's Lady put up her glasses and looked at him. When the speech was finished they all drank. "Give it him back now," said the Tutor. "He stood up and made you that speech. It ought to have fallen to one who is your senior in the craft. Besides, I didn't agree with him at all. Not at all." Johannes looked along the table to Victoria. It was she who had got the young man with the diamond studs to speak; why had she done it? First she had applied to another about it, quite early in the day she had had it in her thoughts; why had she? Now she sat looking down and not a muscle of her face betrayed her. Suddenly his eyes were bedewed with a deep and violent emotion, he could have thrown himself at her feet and thanked her, thanked her. He would do it later, after dinner. Camilla sat talking to right and left and smiling all over her face. She was pleased, her seventeen years had brought her nothing but happiness. She nodded again and again to Johannes and made signs to him to get up. He got up. He spoke briefly, his voice sounded deep and stirred: On this occasion, when the House was celebrating a joyful event, he too--who was entirely outside the circle--was drawn from his obscurity. He wished to thank the originator of this amiable suggestion and the speaker who had addressed to him so many agreeable words. But at the same time he could not fail to appreciate the kindness with which the whole company had listened to his--the outsider's--praise. The only claim he had to be present on this occasion was that he was the son of the Castle's neighbour.... "Yes!" Victoria cried suddenly, with flaming eyes. Everybody looked at her, her cheeks were red and her breast heaved up and down. Johannes broke off. A painful silence ensued. "Victoria?" said her father in surprise. "Go on!" she cried again. "That is your only claim; but go on!" The light in her eyes went out abruptly, she began to smile helplessly and shake her head. Then she turned to her father and said: "I only meant to exaggerate things. You see, he's exaggerating himself. No, I won't interrupt...."