terday, you will understand that my
whole life will be ruined if the truth comes to light.

Lona: I can understand that.

Bernick: Of course, it stands to reason that I was not guilty of the
crime there was so much talk about here.

Lona: That stands to reason. But who was the thief?

Bernick: There was no thief. There was no money stolen--not a penny.

Lona: How is that?

Bernick: Not a penny, I tell you.

Lona: But those rumours? How did that shameful rumour get about that
Johan--

Bernick: Lona, I think I can speak to you as I could to no one else. I
will conceal nothing from you. I was partly to blame for spreading the
rumour.

Lona: You? You could act in that way towards a man who for your sake--!

Bernick: Do not condemn me without bearing in mind how things stood at
that time. I told you about it yesterday. I came home and found my
mother involved in a mesh of injudicious undertakings; we had all
manner of bad luck--it seemed as if misfortunes were raining upon us,
and our house was on the verge of ruin. I was half reckless and half in
despair. Lona, I believe it was mainly to deaden my thoughts that I let
myself drift into that entanglement that ended in Johan's going away.

Lona: Hm--

Bernick: You can well imagine how every kind of rumour was set on foot
after you and he had gone. People began to say that it was not his
first piece of folly--that Dorf had received a large sum of money to
hold his tongue and go away; other people said that she had received
it. At the same time it was obvious that our house was finding it
difficult to meet its obligations. What was more natural than that
scandal-mongers should find some connection between these two rumours?
And as the woman remained here, living in poverty, people declared that
he had taken the money with him to America; and every time rumour
mentioned the sum, it grew larger.

Lona: And you, Karsten--?

Bernick: I grasped at the rumour like a drowning man at a straw.

Lona: You helped to spread it?

Bernick: I did not contradict it. Our creditors had begun to be
pressing, and I had the task of keeping them quiet. The result was the
dissipating of any suspicion as to the stability of the firm; people
said that we had been hit by a temporary piece of ill-luck--that all
that was necessary was that they should not press us--only give us time
and every creditor would be paid in full.

Lona: And every creditor was paid in full?

Bernick: Yes,