er step with you. Do you hear?--not a single
step!

ULFHEIM.

Ho, ho! How can you get away from me, here, on the wild mountain-side?

MAIA.

I will jump over the precipice yonder, if need be--

ULFHEIM.

And mangle and mash yourself up into dogs'-meat! A juicy morsel! [Lets
go his hold.] As you please. Jump over the precipice if you want to.
It's a dizzy drop. There's only one narrow footpath down it, and that's
almost impassable.

MAIA.

[Dusts her skirt with her hand, and looks at him with angry eyes.] Well,
you are a nice one to go hunting with!

ULFHEIM.

Say rather, sporting.

MAIA.

Oh! So you call this sport, do you?

ULFHEIM.

Yes, I venture to take that liberty. It is the sort of sport I like best
of all.

MAIA.

[Tossing her head.] Well--I must say! [After a pause; looks searchingly
at him.] Why did you let the dogs loose up there?

ULFHEIM.

[Blinking his eyes and smiling.] So that they too might do a little
hunting on their own account, don't you see?

MAIA.

There's not a word of truth in that! It wasn't for the dogs' sake that
you let them go.

ULFHEIM.

[Still smiling.] Well, why did I let them go then? Let us hear.

MAIA.

You let them go because you wanted to get rid of Lars. He was to run
after them and bring them in again, you said. And in the meant-time--.
Oh, it was a pretty way to behave!

ULFHEIM.

In the meantime?

MAIA.

[Curtly breaking off.] No matter!

ULFHEIM.

[In a confidential tone.] Lars won't find them. You may safely swear to
that. He won't come with them before the time's up.

MAIA.

[Looking angrily at him.] No, I daresay not.

ULFHEIM.

[Catching at her arm.] For Lars--he knows my--my methods of sport, you
see.

MAIA.

[Eludes him, and measures him with a glance.] Do you know what you look
like, Mr. Ulfheim?

ULFHEIM.

I should think I'm probably most like myself.

MAIA.

Yes, there you're exactly right. For you're the living image of a faun.

ULFHEIM.

A faun?

MAIA.

Yes, precisely; a faun.

ULFHEIM.

A faun! Isn't that a sort of monster? Or a kind of a wood demon, as you
might call it?

MAIA.

Yes, just the sort of creature you are. A thing with a goat's beard and
goat-legs. Yes, and the faun has horns too!

ULFHEIM.

So, so!--has he horns too?

MAIA.

A pair of ugly horns, just like yours, yes.

ULFHEIM.

Can you see the poor little horns _