PASTOR.

But—­

SCENE IX

The same.  Enter WILLIAM.

WILLIAM.

Father, Andrew is outside, and refuses to come in.  I told him that you had called him.

SOPHY.

Come, William, let us go out to Andrew.

FORESTER.

Keep quiet, woman.  Are you going to make him completely crazy with your lamentations?  Either you keep quiet, or you go in there, and I shall lock you in.

[Goes solemnly to the rear door.]

Andrew!  Come in at once!  Do you hear?

SCENE X

The same.  Enter ANDREW.  ANDREW at the door; when he sees the people he is going to withdraw.

FORESTER.

Andrew, you come in.  Before your superior!

[Seats himself as if preparing for trial.]

The FORESTER, SOPHY, WEILER, WILLIAM on the left.  The PASTOR, WILKENS on the right.  ANDREW, who dares not look any one in the face, in the centre.

FORESTER.

Come here, forester’s assistant Andrew Ulrich.  Where do you come from?

ANDREW.  From the nursery, father.

FORESTER.

Where is your rifle, Andrew Ulrich?

[ANDREW is silent.]

FORESTER.

Who has it?

ANDREW (in a hollow voice).

Godfrey.

[FORESTER rises involuntarily.]

SOPHY (in great alarm).

Ulrich!

FORESTER (sits down again).

Here no one has anything to say, except the forester’s assistant Ulrich and his superior.  Andrew—­

ANDREW.

Father—­

FORESTER.

Why do you not look at me?

ANDREW.

I no longer can look any one in the face.  I want to go to America as cabin-boy.  Let me go, father.

FORESTER.

Boy, it is your duty to answer when your superior asks.  What is it that
Godfrey has?  Out with it!

ANDREW.

I was just at my task of taking out the maple trees in the nursery—­

FORESTER.

As I had ordered you.

ANDREW.

Then came—­

FORESTER.

Godfrey?  Go on, Andrew Ulrich.

ANDREW.

With six woodcutters from the Brandsberg—­

FORESTER.

From—­go on, Andrew Ulrich.

ANDREW.

He was intoxicated—­

WEILER (half audibly).

As usual—­

[When the forester casts a look at him, he pretends not to have said anything.]

ANDREW.

And so were the woodcutters.  He had them pass the bottle round.  “Here we begin,” he said.  “Ulrich has made a fine mess of it,” he said; “for that reason he is dismissed.”  When he had said that I stepped forward forward—­