time. Please sit down.
(She sits down in an easy-chair by the window. KROLL takes a chair
beside her.)

Kroll. Miss West, you can scarcely have any idea how deeply pained and
unhappy I am over this revolution that has taken place in John Rosmer's
ideas.

Rebecca. We were prepared for that being so--at first.

Kroll. Only at first?

Rosmer. Mr. Rosmer hoped confidently that sooner or later you would
take your place beside him.

Kroll. I?

Rebecca. You and all his other friends.

Kroll. That should convince you how feeble his judgment is on any
matter concerning his fellow-creatures and the affairs of real life.

Rebecca. In any case, now that he feels the absolute necessity of
cutting himself free on all sides--

Kroll. Yes; but, let me tell you, that is exactly what I do not believe.

Rebecca. What do you believe, then?

Kroll. I believe it is you that are at the bottom of the whole thing.

Rebecca. Your wife put that into your head, Mr. Kroll.

Kroll. It does not matter who put it into my head. The point is this,
that I feel grave doubts--exceedingly grave doubts--when I recall and
think over the whole of your behaviour since you came here.

Rebecca (looking at him). I have a notion that there was a time when
you had an exceedingly strong BELIEF in me, dear Mr. Kroll--I might
almost say, a warm belief.

Kroll (in a subdued voice). I believe you could bewitch any one--if you
set yourself to do it.

Rebecca. And you say I set myself to do it!

Kroll. Yes, you did. I am no longer such a simpleton as to suppose that
sentiment entered into your little game at all. You simply wanted to
secure yourself admission to Rosmersholm--to establish yourself here.
That was what I was to help you to. I see it now.

Rebecca. Then you have completely forgotten that it was Beata that
begged and entreated me to come and live here.

Kroll. Yes, because you had bewitched her too. Are you going to pretend
that friendship is the name for what she came to feel towards you? It
was idolatry--adoration. It degenerated into a--what shall I call,
it?--a sort of desperate passion. Yes, that is just the word for it.

Rebecca. Have the goodness to remember the condition your sister was
in. As far as I am concerned I do not think I can be said to be
particularly emotional in any way.

Kroll. No, you certainly are not. But that makes you all the more
dangerous to those whom you wish to get into your power. It comes easy
to yo