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Question
Why did the peddler decline the invitation?
Solution
The peddler was alarmed at the idea of spending the night at the manor of the ironmaster, of the Ramsjö Ironworks, who was an ex-army man. He had not made an attempt to correct the ironmaster when he was mistaken for an old acquaintance. Moreover, he was anxious about the fact that he had the stolen thirty kronor bills with him, and accepting the invitation “would be like throwing himself voluntarily into the lion’s den”. Therefore, the peddler thought it better to decline the invitation.
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