ts--have I for a moment
regarded you as anything but the wife of another.

Mrs. Alving. Do you believe what you say?

Manders. Helen--!

Mrs. Alving. One so easily forgets one's own feelings. Manders. Not I.
I am the same as I always was.

Mrs. Alving. Yes, yes--don't let us talk any more about the old days.
You are buried up to your eyes now in committees and all sorts of
business; and I am here, fighting with ghosts both without and within
me.

Manders. I can at all events help you to get the better of those
without you. After all that I have been horrified to hear you from
today, I cannot conscientiously allow a young defenceless girl to
remain in your house.

Mrs. Alving. Don't you think it would be best if we could get her
settled?--by some suitable marriage, I mean.

Manders. Undoubtedly. I think, in any case, it would have been
desirable for her. Regina is at an age now that--well, I don't know
much about these things, but--

Mrs. Alving. Regina developed very early.

Manders. Yes, didn't she. I fancy I remember thinking she was
remarkably well developed, bodily, at the time I prepared her for
Confirmation. But, for the time being, she must in any case go home.
Under her father's care--no, but of course Engstrand is not. To think
that he, of all men, could so conceal the truth from me! (A knock is
heard at the hall door.)

Mrs. Alving. Who can that be? Come in!

(ENGSTRAND, dressed in his Sunday clothes, appears in the doorway.)

Engstrand. I humbly beg pardon, but--

Manders. Aha! Hm!

Mrs. Alving. Oh, it's you, Engstrand!

Engstrand. There were none of the maids about, so I took the great
liberty of knocking.

Mrs. Alving. That's all right. Come in. Do you want to speak to me?

Engstrand (coming in). No, thank you very much, ma'am. It was Mr.
Menders I wanted to speak to for a moment.

Manders (walking up and down). Hm!--do you. You want to speak to me, do
you?

Engstrand. Yes, sir, I wanted so very much to--

Manders (stopping in front of him). Well, may I ask what it is you want?

Engstrand. It's this way, Mr. Manders. We are being paid off now. And
many thanks to you, Mrs. Alving. And now the work is quite finished, I
thought it would be so nice and suitable if all of us, who have worked
so honestly together all this time, were to finish up with a few
prayers this evening.

Manders. Prayers? Up at the Orphanage?

Engstrand. Yes, sir, but if it isn't agreeable to you, then--