"And you're pleased with it?"

"Everything has become dearer," said Pelle slowly, "and unemployment
seems on the way to become permanent."

Morten nodded. "That's the answer capital gives," he said. "It
multiplies every rise in wages by two, and puts it back on the workmen
again. The poor man can't stand very many victories of that kind."

"Almost the worst thing about it is the development of snobbery. It
seems to me that our good working classes are being split up into two--
the higher professions, which will be taken up into the upper classes;
and the proletariat, which will be left behind. The whole thing has been
planned on too small a scale for it to get very far."

"You've been out and seen something of the world, Pelle," said Morten
significantly. "You must teach others now."

"I don't understand myself," answered Pelle evasively, "and I've been in
prison. But what about you?"

"I'm no good as a rallier; you've seen that yourself. They don't care
about me. I'm too far in advance of the great body of them, and have no
actual connection--you know I'm really terribly lonely! Perhaps, though,
I'm destined to reach the heights before you others, and if I do I'll
try to light a beacon up there for you."

Morten sat silent for a little while, and then suddenly lifted his head.