Riis. They were a great success. Do you remember them, you bad girl?
Svava. Rule number one: Never make a fool of yourself.
Riis. Rule number two: Never be a burden to any one.
Svava. Rule number three: Always be in the fashion. They are not very hard to remember, because they art neither obscure nor profound.
Riis. But all the harder to put into practice! And thus is a great virtue in all rules of life.--I congratulate you on your new morning frock. Under the circumstances it is really charming.
Svava. "Under the circumstances" means, I suppose, considering that you have had no hand in it.
Riis. Yes, because I should never have chosen that trimming. However, the "under the circumstances" is not so bad. A good cut, too--yes. Aha! Just you wail till my portmanteau comes!
Riis. Big ones!--By the way, I have something here. (Goes into his room.)
Svava. Do you know, mother, he seems to me more restless than ever.
Svava. And yet father's restlessness has always something a little sad about it. He is--. (RIIS comes out of his room again.) Do you know what I heard a cabinet minister say about you yesterday?
Riis. A man of that stamp is sure to say something worth hearing.
Svava. "We all always look upon your father, Miss Riis, as our Well-dressed man par excellence."
Riis. Ah, a bien dit son excellence! But I can tell you something better than that. You are getting your father a knighthood.
Riis. Yes, who else? Of course the Government has once or twice made use of me to some small degree in connection with various commercial treaties; but now, as our great man's brother-in-law, I am going to be made a Knight of St. Olaf!
Riis. Well, when it rains on the parson it drips on the clerk, you know.
Svava. You are really most unexpectedly modest in your new position.
Riis. Am I not!--And now you shall see me as a modest showman of beautiful dresses--that is to say, of drawings of dresses--still more modest than the showman, from the latest play at the Français.
Mrs. Riis. We won't start on that till the afternoon.
Riis. One would really think I were the only woman of the lot! However, as you please. You rule the world! Well, then, I have another proposition to make, in two parts. Part one, that we sit down!