o you propose to do?

Rebecca. I do not know. I only want to make an end of it.

Rosmer. Make an end of what?

Rebecca. Rosmersholm has broken me.

Rosmer (more attentively). What is that?

Rebecca. Broken me utterly. I had a will of my own, and some courage,
when I came here. Now I am crushed under the law of strangers. I do not
think I shall have the courage to begin anything else in the world
after this.

Rosmer. Why not? What do you mean by being crushed under a law--?

Rebecca. Dear friend, do not let us talk about that now--Tell me what
passed between you and Mr. Kroll.

Rosmer. We have made our peace.

Rebecca. Quite so. So it came to that.

Rosmer. He got together all our old circle of friends at his house.
They convinced me that the work of ennobling men's souls was not in my
line at all. Besides, it is such a hopeless task, any way. I shall let
it alone.

Rebecca. Well, perhaps it is better so.

Rosmer. Do you say THAT now? Is that what your opinion is now?

Rebecca. I have come to that opinion--in the last day or two.

Rosmer. You are lying, Rebecca.

Rebecca. Lying--?

Rosmer. Yes, lying. You have never believed in me. You have never
believed me to be the man to lead the cause to victory.

Rebecca. I have believed that we two together would be equal to it.

Rosmer. That is not true. You have believed that you could accomplish
something big in life yourself--that you could use me to further your
plans--that I might be useful to you in the pursuit of your object.
That is what you have believed.

Rebecca. Listen to me, John

Rosmer (sitting down wearily on the couch). Oh, let me be! I see the
whole thing clearly now. I have been like a glove in your hands.

Rebecca. Listen to me, John. Let us talk this thing over. It will be
for the last time. (Sits down in a chair by the couch.) I had intended
to write to you about it all--when I had gone back north. But it is
much better that you should hear it at once.

Rosmer. Have you something more to tell, then?

Rebecca. The most important part of it all.

Rosmer. What do you mean?

Rebecca. Something that you have never suspected. Something that puts
all the rest in its true light.

Rosmer (shaking his head). I do not understand, at all.

Rebecca. It is quite true that at one time I did play my cards so as to
secure admission to Rosmersholm. My idea was that I should succeed in
doing well for myself here--either in one way or in anoth