CHAPTER V.
DISAGREEABLE NEWS.
The "skirmish"-- as Mrs.Gunilla called the little strift she had with the Candidate, about monads and nomads--appeared to have displeased neither of them, but rather, on the contrary, to have excited in them a desire for others of the same kind; and as Elise, who had no great inclination to spend her evenings alone with him, used frequently to invite Mrs.Gunilla to drink tea with them, it was not long before she and the Candidate were again in full disputation together.

If the Assessor happened also to come in, there was a terrible noise.

The Candidate screamed, and leapt about almost beside himself, but was fairly out-talked, because his voice was weak, and because Mrs.Gunilla and the Assessor, who between them two selves never were agreed, leagued themselves nevertheless against him.

Jacobi, notwithstanding this, had often the right side of an argument, and bore his overthrow with the best temper in the world.

Perhaps he might have lost his courage, however, as well as his voice in this unequal contest--he himself declared he should--had he not suddenly abandoned the field.