Mrs. Helseth. G.o.d forgive you, miss--don"t talk of such a dreadful thing!
Rebecca. Oh, come, come!
Mrs. Helseth (lowering her voice). Do you really think, miss, that some one here is to go soon?
Rebecca. Not a bit of it. But there are so many sorts of white horses in this world, Mrs. Helseth--Well, good-night. I shall go to my room now.
Mrs. Helseth. Good-night, miss. (Rebecca takes her work and goes out to the right. MRS. HELSETH shakes her head, as she turns down the lamp, and mutters to herself): Lord--Lord!--how queer Miss West does talk sometimes!
ACT II
(SCENE. ROSMER"S study. The door into it is in the left-hand wall. At the back of the room is a doorway with a curtain drawn back from it, leading to his bedroom. On the right, a window, in front of which is a writing-table strewn with books and papers. Bookshelves and cupboards on the walls. Homely furniture. On the left, an old-fashioned sofa with a table in front of it. ROSMER, wearing a smoking-jacket, is sitting at the writing-table on a high-backed chair. He is cutting and turning over the leaves of a magazine, and dipping into it here and there. A knock is heard at the door on the left.)
Rosmer (without turning round). Come in.
(REBECCA comes in, wearing a morning wrapper.)
Rebecca. Good morning.
Rosmer (still turning over the leaves of his book). Good morning, dear.
Do you want anything?
Rebecca. Only to ask if you have slept well?
Rosmer. I went to sleep feeling so secure and happy. I did not even dream. (Turns round.) And you?
Rebecca. Thanks, I got to sleep in the early morning.
Rosmer. I do not think I have felt so light-hearted for a long time as I do to-day. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to say what I did.
Rebecca. Yes, you should not have been silent so long, John.
Rosmer. I cannot understand how I came to be such a coward.
Rebecca. I am sure it was not really from cowardice.
Rosmer. Yes, indeed. I can see that at bottom there was some cowardice about it.
Rebecca. So much the braver of you to face it as you did. (Sits down beside him on a chair by the writing-table.) But now I want to confess something that I have done--something that you must not be vexed with me about.
Rosmer. Vexed? My dear girl, how can you think--?
Rebecca. Yes, because I dare say it was a little presumptuous of me, but--
Rosmer. Well, let me hear what it was.
Rebecca. Last night, when that Ulrick Brendel was going, I wrote him a line or two to take to Mortensgaard.
Rosmer (a little doubtfully). But, my dear Rebecca--What did you write, then?
Rebecca. I wrote that he would be doing you a service if he would interest himself a little in that unfortunate man, and help him in any way he could.
Rosmer. My dear, you should not have done that. You have only done Brendel harm by doing so. And besides, Mortensgaard is a man I particularly wish to have nothing to do with. You know I have been at loggerheads once with him already.
Rebecca. But do you not think that now it might be a very good thing if you got on to good terms with him again?
Rosmer. I? With Mortensgaard? For what reason, do you mean?
Rebecca. Well, because you cannot feel altogether secure now--since this has come between you and your friends.
Rosmer (looking at her and shaking his head). Is it possible that you think either Kroll or any of the others would take a revenge on me--that they could be capable of--
Rebecca. In their first heat of indignation dear. No one can be certain of that. I think, after the way Mr. Kroll took it--
Rosmer. Oh, you ought to know him better than that. Kroll is an honourable man, through and through. I will go into town this afternoon, and have a talk with him. I will have a talk with them all.
Oh, you will see how smoothly everything will go. (MRS. HELSETH comes in by the door on the left.)
Rebecca (getting up). What is it, Mrs. Helseth?
Mrs. Helseth. Mr. Kroll is downstairs in the hall, miss.
Rosmer (getting up quickly). Kroll!
Rebecca. Mr. Kroll! What a surprise!
Mrs. Helseth. He asks if he may come up and speak to Mr. Rosmer.
Rosmer (to REBECCA). What did I say! (To MRS. HELSETH). Of course he may. (Goes to the door and calls down the stairs.) Come up, my dear fellow! I am delighted to see you! (He stands holding the door open.
MRS. HELSETH goes out. REBECCA draws the curtain over the doorway at the back, and then begins to tidy the room. KROLL comes in with his hat in his hand.)
Rosmer (quietly, and with some emotion). I knew quite well it would not be the last time--
Kroll. To-day I see the matter in quite a different light from yesterday.
Rosmer. Of course you do, Kroll! Of course you do! You have been thinking things over--
Kroll. You misunderstand me altogether. (Puts his hat down on the table.) It is important that I should speak to you alone.
Rosmer. Why may not Miss West--?
Rebecca. No, no, Mr. Rosmer. I will go.
Kroll (looking meaningly at her). And I see I ought to apologise to you, Miss West, for coming here so early in the morning. I see I have taken you by surprise, before you have had time to--
Rebecca (with a start). Why so? Do you find anything out of place in the fact of my wearing a morning wrapper at home here?