CAPTAIN. Well, then!—[Bumptiously] You know that our quarantine system has been neglected during nearly a century—hm!
ALICE. [To CURT] That's the candidate for the Riksdag who speaks now.
CAPTAIN. But with the tremendous development witnessed by our own day in——
ALICE. [To CURT] The communications, of course!
CAPTAIN.—all kinds of ways the government has begun to consider improvements. And for this purpose the Board of Health has appointed inspectors—hm!
ALICE. [To CURT] He's giving dictation.
CAPTAIN. You may as well learn it now as later—I have been appointed an inspector of quarantines. [Silence.
CURT. I congratulate—and pay my respects to my superior at the same time.
CAPTAIN. On account of ties of kinship our personal relations will remain unchanged. However—to speak of other things—At my request your son Allan has been transferred to an infantry regiment in Norrland.
CURT. But I don't want it.