Signe. Here you are, father. Here are—
Tjaelde. What? Who?
Signe (astonished). The newspapers.
Tjaelde. Ah, yes. Give them to me.(Opens them hurriedly. They are mostly foreign papers, in which he scans the money articles one after another.)
Signe (after a whispered conversation with HAMAR). Father!
Tjaelde (without looking up from the papers).Well? (To himself, gloomily.) Down again, always down!
Signe. Hamar and I want so much to go into town again to Aunt Ulla's.
Tjaelde. But you know you were there only a fortnight ago. I received your bills yesterday. Have you seen them?
Signe. No need for that, father, if you have seen them! Why do you sigh?
Tjaelde. Oh—because I see that stocks keep falling.