should be so difficult to make
one's self understood by women!

MRS. HALL. Contented? H'm!

DR. OeSTERMARK. Well, you were never contented. But when one is young,
one always demands the first class, and then one gets the third class
when one is old. Now, I understand that you told Mrs. Alberg here that
your girls are my children!

MRS. HALL. I did? That is a lie.

DR. OeSTERMARK. Still untruthful, eh? In the old days, when I was
foolish, I looked upon lying as a vice; but now I know it to be
a natural defect. You actually believe in your lies, and that is
dangerous. But never mind about that now. Are you leaving, or do you
wish me to leave?

MRS. HALL [Rising]. I will go.

[She falls back into the chair and gropes about.]

DR. OeSTERMARK. What, drunk too?--I really pity you. Oh, this is most
unpleasant! Dear me, I believe I'm ready to cry!--Carolina! No, I can't
bear this!

MRS. HALL. I am ill.

DR. OeSTERMARK. Yes, that's what happens when one drinks too much. But
this is more bitter than I ever thought it could be. I have killed
little unborn children to be able to save the mother, and I have felt
them tremble in their fight against death. I have cut living muscles,
and have seen the marrow flow like butter from healthy bones, but never
has anything hurt me so much as this since the day you left me. Then it
was as if you had gone away with one of my lungs, so I could only gasp
with the other!--Oh, I feel as if I were suffocating now!

MRS. HALL. Help me out of here. It's too noisy. I don't know why we came
here, anyway. Give me your hand.

DR. OeSTERMARK [Leading her to door]. Before it was I who asked for your
hand; and it rested so heavily on me, the little delicate hand! Once
it struck my face, the little delicate hand, but I kissed it
nevertheless.--Oh, now it is withered, and will never strike again.--Ah,
dolce Napoli! Joy of life, what became of it? You who were the bride of
my youth!

MRS. HALL [In the hall door]. Where is my wrap?

DR. OeSTERMARK [Closing door]. In the hall, probably. This is horrible!
[Lights a cigar]. Oh, dolce Napoli! I wonder if it is as delightful as
it's said to be in that cholera breeding fishing harbor. _Blague_, no
doubt! _Blague! Blague_! Naples--bridal couples, love, joy of life,
antiquities, modernity, liberalism, conservatism, idealism, realism,
naturalism,--_blague, blague_, the whole thing!

[Axel, Abel, Willmer, Mrs. Starck and Bertha come in from orchard.]