Manders. Oh, certainly--but--hm!--

Engstrand. I have made a practice of saying a few prayers there myself
each evening.

Mrs. Alving. Have you?

Engstrand. Yes, ma'am, now--and then--just as a little edification, so
to speak. But I am only a poor common man, and haven't rightly the
gift, alas--and so I thought that as Mr. Manders happened to be here,
perhaps--

Manders. Look here, Engstrand! First of all I must ask you a question.
Are you in a proper frame of mind for such a thing? Is your conscience
free and untroubled?

Engstrand. Heaven have mercy on me a sinner! My conscience isn't worth
our speaking about, Mr. Manders.

Manders. But it is just what we must speak about. What do you say to my
question?

Engstrand. My conscience? Well--it's uneasy sometimes, of course.

Manders. Ah, you admit that at all events. Now will you tell me,
without any concealment--what is your relationship to Regina?

Mrs. Alving (hastily). Mr. Manders!

Manders (calming her).--Leave it to me!

Engstrand. With Regina? Good Lord, how you frightened me! (Looks at MRS
ALVING.) There is nothing wrong with Regina, is there?

Manders. Let us hope not. What I want to know is, what is your
relationship to her? You pass as her father, don't you?

Engstrand (unsteadily): Well--hm!--you know, sir, what happened between
me and my poor Joanna.

Manders. No more distortion of the truth! Your late wife made a full
confession to Mrs. Alving, before she left her service...

Engstrand. What!--do you mean to say--? Did she do that after all?

Manders. You see it has all come out, Engstrand.

Engstrand. Do you mean to say that she, who gave me her promise and
solemn oath--

Manders. Did she take an oath?

Engstrand. Well, no--she only gave me her word, but as seriously as a
woman could.

Manders. And all these years you have been hiding the truth from
me--from me, who have had such complete and absolute faith in you.

Engstrand. I am sorry to say I have, sir.

Manders. Did I deserve that from you, Engstrand? Haven't I been always
ready to help you in word and deed as far as lay in my power? Answer
me! Is it not so?

Engstrand. Indeed there's many a time I should have been very badly off
without you, sir.

Manders. And this is the way you repay me--by causing me to make false
entries in the church registers, and afterwards keeping back from me
for years the information which you owed it both to me and to your
sense of the trut