At length a conducted party arrived. Many tongues, both sexes, huntsmen,
fishermen, dogs, mountaineers, porters. There was a tremendous commotion
at the farm; the flag was run up, Paul bent double under all the orders he
received, and Josephine ran, flew at every call. Mrs. Brede had to give up
her sitting room to three English ladies, and the rest of us were crowded
together as close as possible. I, for my part, was to be allowed to keep
my bed because of my settled age; but I said, "By no means, let this
English solicitor or whatever he is have my bed; what does it matter for a
night!"

Then I went out.

If one keeps one's eyes open, one may see a great deal at such a resort in
the daytime. And one may see much at night, too. What is the meaning of
all this bleating of goats in the shed? Why are the animals not at rest?
The door is closed; none of the visiting dogs has got in. Or--_have_
some of the visiting dogs got in? Vice, like virtue, walks in rings and
circles; nothing is new, all returns to its beginnings and repeats itself.
The Romans ruled the world, yes. They were so mighty, the Romans, so
invincible, that they could permit themselves a vice or two, they could
afford to live at the arena, they had their fun with young boys and
animals. Then one day retribution overtook them, their children's children
lost battles everywhere, and their children's children again only sat--sat
and looked backward. The ring was closed; none were less rulers of the
world than the Romans.

They paid no attention to me, the two Englishmen in the goats' shed; I was
merely one of the natives, a Norwegian, who had but to accept the ways of
the mighty tourists. But they themselves belonged to that nation of
gamblers, coachmen, and vice which one day the wholesome Gothic soul will