When the ball was over, he was too happy to think about it. He
needed to come home to be able to think over quietly what had
happened to him that evening.

Halfvorson was not married, but he had in his house a niece who
worked in the office. She was poor and dependent on Halfvorson, but
she was quite haughty towards both him and Petter Nord. She had
many friends among the more important people of the town and was
invited to families where Halfvorson could never come. She and
Petter Nord went home from the ball together.

"Do you know, Nord," asked Edith Halfvorson, "that a suit is soon
to be brought against Halfvorson for illicit trading in brandy? You
might tell me how it really is."

"There is nothing worth making a fuss about," said Petter Nord.

Edith sighed. "Of course there is nothing. But there will be a
lawsuit and fines and shame without end. I wish that I really knew
how it is."

"Perhaps it is best not to know anything," said Petter Nord.

"I wish to rise in the world, do you see," continued Edith, "and I
wish to drag Halfvorson up with me, but he always drops back again.
And then he does something so that I become impossible too. He is
scheming something now. Do you not know what it is? It would be
good to know."

"No," said Petter Nord, and not another word would he say. It was