hat do you mean? (Shuts the door and comes nearer
to the two men.) Have you told him--?

Rosmer. He knows now.

Kroll. We shall not let you slip out of our hands, Rosmer. We shall
compel you to come back to us again.

Rosmer. I shall never find myself there any more.

Kroll. We shall see. You are not the man to endure standing alone.

Rosmer. I am not so entirely alone, even now. There are two of us to
bear the solitude together here.

Kroll. Ah! (A suspicion appears to cross his mind.) That too! Beata's
words!

Rosmer. Beata's?

Kroll (dismissing the thought from his mind). No, no--that was odious
of me. Forgive me.

Rosmer. What? What do you mean?

Kroll. Think no more about it. I am ashamed of it. Forgive me--and
good-bye. (Goes out by the door to the hall.)

Rosmer (following him). Kroll! We cannot end everything between us like
this. I will come and see you to-morrow.

Kroll (turning round in the hall). You shall not set your foot in my
house. (Takes his stick and goes.)

(ROSMER stands for a while at the open door; then shuts it and comes
back into the room.)

Rosmer. That does not matter, Rebecca. We shall be able to go through
with it, for all that--we two trusty friends--you and I.

Rebecca. What do you suppose he meant just now when he said he was
ashamed of himself?

Rosmer. My dear girl, don't bother your head about that. He didn't even
believe what he meant, himself. But I will go and see him tomorrow.
Goodnight!

Rebecca. Are you going up so early to-night--after this?

Rosmer. As early to-night as I usually do. I feel such a sense of
relief now that it is over. You see, my dear Rebecca, I am perfectly
calm--so you take it calmly, too. Good-night.

Rebecca. Good-night, dear friend--and sleep well! (ROSMER goes out by
the door to the lobby; then his footsteps are heard as he goes
upstairs. REBECCA goes to the wall and rings a bell, which is answered
by MRS. HELSETH.) You can clear the table again, Mrs. Helseth. Mr.
Rosmer does not want anything, and Mr. Kroll has gone home.

Mrs. Helseth. Gone home? What was wrong with him, miss?

Rebecca (taking up her crochet-work). He prophesied that there was a
heavy storm brewing--

Mrs. Helseth. That is very strange, miss, because there isn't a scrap
of cloud in the sky.

Rebecca. Let us hope he doesn't meet the White Horse. Because I am
afraid it will not be long before we hear something of the family ghost.

Mrs. Helseth. God forgive