REGINA [Open-mouthed.]

  You want me——? What are you talking about?

  ENGSTRAND

  I want you to come home with me, I say.

  REGINA [Scornfully.]

  Never in this world shall you get me home with you.

  ENGSTRAND

  Oh, we’ll see about that.

  REGINA

  Yes, you may be sure we’ll see about it! Me, that have been brought up by a lady like Mrs. Alving! Me, that am treated almost as a daughter here! Is it me you want to go home with you?—to a house like yours? For shame!

  ENGSTRAND

  What the devil do you mean? Do you set yourself up against your father, you hussy?

  REGINA [Mutters without looking at him.]

  You’ve said often enough I was no concern of yours.

  ENGSTRAND

  Pooh! Why should you bother about that——

  REGINA

  Haven’t you many a time sworn at me and called me a——? Fi donc!128

  ENGSTRAND

  Curse me, now, if ever I used such an ugly word.

  REGINA

  Oh, I remember very well what word you used.

  ENGSTRAND

  Well, but that was only when I was a bit on, don’t you know? Temptations are manifold in this world, Regina.

  REGINA

  Ugh!

  ENGSTRAND

  And besides, it was when your mother was that aggravating—I

  had to find something to twit her with, my child. She was always

  setting up for a fine lady.

  [Mimics.]

  “Let me go, Engstrand; let me be. Remember I was three years

  in Chamberlain Alving’s family at Rosenvold.”

  [Laughs.]

  Mercy on us! She could never forget that the Captain was made a

  Chamberlain while she was in service here.

  REGINA

  Poor mother! you very soon tormented her into her grave.

  ENGSTRAND [With a twist of his shoulders.]

  Oh, of course! I’m to have the blame for everything.

  REGINA [Turns away; half aloud.]

  Ugh——! And that leg too!

  ENGSTRAND

  What do you say, my child?

  REGINA

  Pied de mouton.129

  ENGSTRAND

  Is that English, eh?

  REGINA

  Yes.

  ENGSTRAND

  Ay, ay; you’ve picked up some learning out here; and that may come in useful now, Regina.

  REGINA [After a short silence.]

  What do you want with me in town?

  ENGSTRAND

  Can you ask what a father wants with his only child? Ain’tIa lonely, forlorn widower?

  REGINA

  Oh, don’t try on any nonsense like that with me! Why do you want me?

  ENGSTRAND

  Well, let me tell you, I’ve been thinking of setting up in a new line of business.

  REGINA [Contemptuously.]

  You’ve tried that often enough, and much good you’ve done with it.

  ENGSTRAND

  Yes, but this time you shall see, Regina! Devil take me——

  REGINA [Stamps.]

  Stop your swearing!

  ENGSTRAND

  Hush, hush; you’re right enough there, my girl. What I wanted to say was just this—I’ve laid by a very tidy pile from this Orphanage job.

  REGINA

  Have you? That’s a good thing for you.

  ENGSTRAND

  What can a man spend his ha’pence on here in this country hole?

  REGINA

  Well, what then?

  ENGSTRAND

  Why, you see, I thought of putting the money into some paying speculation. I thought of a sort of a sailor’s tavern——

  REGINA

  Pah!

  ENGSTRAND

  A regular high-class affair, of course; not any sort of pig-sty for common sailors. No! damn it! it would be for captains and mates, and—and—regular swells, you know.

  REGINA

  And I was to——?

  ENGSTRAND

  You were to help, to be sure. Only for the look of the thing, you understand. Devil a bit of hard work shall you have, my girl. You shall do exactly what you like.

  REGINA

  Oh, indeed!

  ENGSTRAND

  But there must be a petticoat in the house; that’s as clear as day

  light. For I want to have it a bit lively-like in the evenings, with

  singing and dancing, and so on. You must remember they’re

  weary wanderers on the ocean of life.

  [Nearer.]

  Now don’t be a fool and stand in your own light, Regina. What’s

  to become of you out here? Your mistress has given you a lot of

  learning; but what good is that to you? You’re to look after the

  children at the new Orphanage, I hear. Is that the sort of thing

  for you, eh? Are you so dead set on wearing your life out for a

  pack of dirty brats?

  REGINA

  No; if things go as I want them to——Well there’s no saying—there’s no saying.

  ENGSTRAND

  What do you mean by “there’s no saying”?

  REGINA

  Never you mind.—How much money have you saved?

  ENGSTRAND

  What with one thing and another, a matter of seven or eight hundred crowns.

  REGINA

  That’s not so bad.

  ENGSTRAND

  It’s enough to make a start with, my girl.

  REGINA

  Aren’t you thinking of giving me any?

  ENGSTRAND

  No, I’m blest if I am!

  REGINA

  Not even of sending me a scrap of stuff for a new dress?

  ENGSTRAND

  Come to town with me, my lass, and you’ll soon get dresses enough.

  REGINA

  Pooh! I can do that on my own account, if I want to.

  ENGSTRAND

  No, a father’s guiding hand is what you want, Regina. Now, I’ve got my eye on a capital house in Little Harbour Street. They don’t want much ready-money; and it could be a sort of a Sailors’ Home, you know.

  REGINA

  But I will not live with you! I have nothing whatever to do with you. Be off!

  ENGSTRAND

  You wouldn’t stop long with me, my girl. No such luck! If you knew how to play your cards, such a fine figure of a girl as you’ve grown in the last year or two——

  REGINA

  Well?

  ENGSTRAND

  You’d soon get hold of some mate—or maybe even a captain——

  REGINA

  I won’t marry any one of that sort. Sailors have no savoir vivre.130

  ENGSTRAND

  What’s that they haven’t got?

  REGINA

  I know what sailors are, I tell you. They’re not the sort of people to marry.

  ENGSTRAND

  Then never mind about marrying them. You can make it pay all

  the same.

  [More confidentially.]

  He—the Englishman—the man with the yacht—he came down

  with three hundred dollars, he did; and she wasn’t a bit

  handsomer than you.

  REGINA [Making for him.]

  Out you go!

  ENGSTRAND [Falling back.]

  Come, come! You’re not going to hit me, I hope.

  REGINA

  Yes, if you begin talking about mother I shall hit you. Get away

  with you, I say!

  [Drives him back towards the garden door.]

  And don’t slam the doors. Young Mr. Alving——

  ENGSTRAND

  He’s asleep; I know. You’re mightily taken up about young Mr.

  Alving——

  [More softly.]

  Oho! you don’t mean to say it’s him as——?

  REGINA

  Be off this minute! You’re crazy, I tell you! No, not that way.

  There comes Pastor Manders. Down the kitchen stairs with you.

  ENGSTRAND [Towards the right.]

  Yes, yes, I’m going. But just you talk to him as is coming there.

  He’s the man to tell you what a child owes its father. For I am

  your father all the same, you know. I can prove it from the

  church register.

  [He goes out through the second door to the right, which REGINA has opened, and closes again after him. REGINA glances hastily at herself in the mirror, dusts herself with her pocket handkerchief and settles her necktie; then she busies herself with the flowers.]

  PASTOR MANDERS, wearing an overcoat, carrying an umbrella, and with a small travelling-bag on a strap over his shoulder, comes through the garden door into the conservatory.

  MANDERS

  Good-morning, Miss Engstrand.

  REGINA [Turning round, surprised and pleased.]

  No, really! Good-morning, Pastor Manders. Is the steamer in already?

  MANDERS

  It is just in.

  [Enters the sitting-room.]

  Terrible weather we have been having lately.

  REGINA [Follows him.]

  It’s such blessed weather for the country, sir.

  MANDERS

  No doubt; you are quite right. We townspeople give too little

  thought to that.

  [He begins to take off his overcoat.]

  REGINA

  Oh, mayn’t I help you?—There! Why, how wet it is! I’ll just

  hang it up in the hall. And your umbrella, too—I’ll open it and

  let it dry.

  [She goes out with the things through the second door on the right. PAS

  TOR MANDERS takes off his travelling-bag and lays it and his hat on

  a chair. Meanwhile REGINA comes in again.]

  MANDERS

  Ah, it’s a comfort to get safe under cover. I hope everything is going on well here?

  REGINA

  Yes, thank you, sir.

  MANDERS

  You have your hands full, I suppose, in preparation for to-morrow?

  REGINA

  Yes, there’s plenty to do, of course.

  MANDERS

  And Mrs. Alving is at home, I trust?

  REGINA

  Oh dear, yes. She’s just upstairs, looking after the young master’s chocolate.

  MANDERS

  Yes, by-the-bye—I heard down at the pier that Oswald had arrived.

  REGINA

  Yes, he came the day before yesterday. We didn’t expect him before to-day.

  MANDERS

  Quite strong and well, I hope?

  REGINA

  Yes, thank you, quite; but dreadfully tired with the journey. He has made one rush right through from Paris—the whole way in one train, I believe. He’s sleeping a little now, I think; so perhaps we’d better talk a little quietly.

  MANDERS

  Sh!—as quietly as you please.

  REGINA [Arranging an arm-chair beside the table.]

  Now, do sit down, Pastor Manders, and make yourself

  comfortable.

  [He sits down; she places a footstool under his feet.]

  There! Are you comfortable now, sir?

  MANDERS

  Thanks, thanks, extremely so.

  [Looks at her.]

  Do you know, Miss Engstrand, I positively believe you have

  grown since I last saw you.

  REGINA

  Do you think so, sir? Mrs. Alving says I’ve filled out too.

  MANDERS

  Filled out? Well, perhaps a little; just enough. [Short pause.]

  REGINA

  Shall I tell Mrs. Alving you are here?

  MANDERS

  Thanks, thanks, there is no hurry, my dear child.—By-the-bye, Regina, my good girl, tell me: how is your father getting on out here?

  REGINA

  Oh, thank you, sir, he’s getting on well enough.

  MANDERS He called upon me last time he was in town.

  REGINA

  Did he, indeed? He’s always so glad of a chance of talking to you, sir.

  MANDERS

  And you often look in upon him at his work, I daresay?

  REGINA

  I? Oh, of course, when I have time, I——

  MANDERS

  Your father is not a man of strong character, Miss Engstrand. He stands terribly in need of a guiding hand.

  REGINA

  Oh, yes; I daresay he does.

  MANDERS

  He requires some one near him whom he cares for, and whose judgment he respects. He frankly admitted as much when he last came to see me.

  REGINA

  Yes, he mentioned something of the sort to me. But I don’t know whether Mrs. Alving can spare me; especially now that we’ve got the new Orphanage to attend to. And then I should be so sorry to leave Mrs. Alving; she has always been so kind to me.

  MANDERS

  But a daughter’s duty, my good girl——Of course, we should first have to get your mistress’s consent.

  REGINA

  But I don’t know whether it would be quite proper for me, at my age, to keep house for a single man.

  MANDERS

  What! My dear Miss Engstrand! When the man is your own father!

  REGINA

  Yes, that may be; but all the same——Now, if it were in a thoroughly nice house, and with a real gentleman——

  MANDERS Why, my dear Regina——

  REGINA

  ——one I could love and respect, and be a daughter to——

  MANDERS

  Yes, but my dear, good child——

  REGINA

  Then I should be glad to go to town. It’s very lonely out here; you know yourself, sir, what it is to be alone in the world. And I can assure you I’m both quick and willing. Don’t you know of any such place for me, sir?

  MANDERS

  I? No, certainly not.

  REGINA

  But, dear, dear sir, do remember me if——

  MANDERS [Rising.]

  Yes, yes, certainly, Miss Engstrand.

  REGINA

  For if I——

  MANDERS

  Will you be so good as to tell your mistress I am here?

  REGINA

  I will, at once, sir.

  [She goes out to the left.]

  MANDERS [Paces the room two or three times, stands a moment in the background with his hands behind his back, and looks out over the garden.

  Then he returns to the table, takes up a book, and looks at the title-page; starts, and looks at several books.] Ha—indeed!

  MRS. ALVING enters by the door on the left; she is followed by REGINA, who immediately goes out by the first door on the right.

  MRS. ALVING [Holds out her hand.]

  Welcome, my dear Pastor.

  MANDERS

  How do you do, Mrs. Alving? Here I am as I promised.

  MRS. ALVING

  Always punctual to the minute.

  MANDERS

  You may believe it was not so easy for me to get away. With all the Boards and Committees I belong to——

  MRS. ALVING

  That makes it all the kinder of you to come so early. Now we can get through our business before dinner. But where is your portmanteau?131

  MANDERS [Quickly.]

  I left it down at the inn. I shall sleep there to-night.

  MRS. ALVING [Suppressing a smile.]

  Are you really not to be persuaded, even now, to pass the night under my roof?

  MANDERS

  No, no, Mrs. Alving; many thanks. I shall stay at the inn, as usual. It is so conveniently near the landing-stage.

  MRS. ALVING

  Well, you must have your own way. But I really should have thought we two old people——

  MANDERS

  Now you are making fun of me. Ah, you’re naturally in great spirits to-day—what with to-morrow’s festival and Oswald’s return.

  MRS. ALVING

  Yes; you can think what a delight it is to me! It’s more than two years since he was home last. And now he has promised to stay with me all the winter.

  MANDERS

  Has he really? That is very nice and dutiful of him. For I can well believe that life in Rome and Paris has very different attractions from any we can offer here.

  MRS. ALVING

  Ah, but here he has his mother, you see. My own darling boy—he hasn’t forgotten his old mother!

  MANDERS

  It would be grievous indeed, if absence and absorption in art and that sort of thing were to blunt his natural feelings.

  MRS. ALVING

  Yes, you may well say so. But there’s nothing of that sort to fear with him. I’m quite curious to see whether you know him again. He’ll be down presently; he’s upstairs just now, resting a little on the sofa. But do sit down, my dear Pastor.