"Well,--I am glad of that!" said the Landed Proprietor. "On my estate, Oestanvik, there is an immense quantity of throstles. I often go out with my gun, and shoot them for my dinner. Piff, paff! with two shots I have directly a whole dishful."
Petrea, who was asked by no one "Do you like birds, cousin?" and who wished to occupy the Candidate, did not let herself be deterred by his evident confusion, but for the second time put the following question:--"Do you think, Magister, that people before the Flood were really worse than they are nowadays?"
"Oh, much, much better," answered the Candidate.
"Are you fond of roasted hare, Cousin Louise?" asked the Landed Proprietor.
"Are you fond of roasted hare, Magister?" whispered Petrea waggishly to Jacobi.
"Brava, Petrea!" whispered her brother to her.
"Are you fond of cold meat, Cousin Louise?" asked the Landed Proprietor, as he was handing Louise to the supper-table.
"Are you fond of Landed Proprietor?" whispered Henrik to her as she left it.
Louise answered just as a cathedral would have answered: she looked very solemn and was silent.
After supper Petrea was quite excited, and left nobody alone who by any possibility could answer her. "Is reason sufficient for mankind? What is the ground of morals? What is properly the meaning of 'revelation'? Why is everything so badly arranged in the State? Why must there be rich and poor?" etc., etc.