Dialogue following No. 11

ERLING. Cruel, cold calculating girl! What on earth am I to do? Ruin and desolation stare me in the face!

Enter TORTENSSEN in great excitement with an open letter in his hand

TORTENSSEN. Erling! I am tricked, swindled, undone! I have just received a letter from the King’s secretary to say that my appointment is a hoax! I’ve sold my local practice, let my house, and Thora repudiates me with indignation and contempt!

ERLING. Again the Governor’s doing! I, also, have just learnt that the commission for the Regent’s statue is a heartless fabrication, and I, too, am ruined — utterly and completely ruined!

TORTENSSEN. My poor Erling!

ERLING. But this is no time for idle regrets. A term must be put to this scoundrel’s practices. We will call the people together, tell them of the infamous trick that has been played upon us, and then away to Copenhagen to lay the whole matter before the Regent himself!

TORTENSSEN. We will, we will!