, let me tell you, was
written here--at Rosmersholm.

Rebecca. Really, Mrs. Helseth?

Mrs. Helseth. I give you my word it was, miss. And it was written on
good note-paper--and sealed with beautiful red sealing-wax.

Rebecca. And you were entrusted with the delivery of it? Dear Mrs.
Helseth, it is not very difficult to guess whom it was from.

Mrs. Helseth. Who, then?

Rebecca. Naturally, it was something that poor Mrs. Rosmer in her
invalid state--

Mrs. Helseth. Well, you have mentioned her name, miss--not I.

Rebecca. But what was in the letter?--No, of course, you cannot know
that.

Mrs. Helseth. Hm!--it is just possible I may know, all the same.

Rebecca. Did she tell you what she was writing about, then?

Mrs. Helseth. No, she did not do that. But when Mortensgaard had read
it, he set to work and cross-questioned me, so that I got a very good
idea of what was in it.

Rebecca. What do you think was in it, then? Oh, dear, good Mrs.
Helseth, do tell me!

Mrs. Helseth. Certainly not, miss. Not for worlds.

Rebecca. Oh, you can tell me. You and I are such friends, you know.

Mrs. Helseth. Heaven forbid I should tell you anything about that,
miss. I shall not tell you anything, except that it was some dreadful
idea that they had gone and put into my poor sick mistress's head.

Rebecca. Who had put it into her head?

Mrs. Helseth. Wicked people, miss. Wicked people.

Rebecca. Wicked--?

Mrs. Helseth. Yes, I say it again--very wicked people, they must have
been.

Rebecca. And what do you think it could be?

Mrs. Helseth. Oh, I know what I think--but, please Heaven, I'll keep my
mouth shut. At the same time, there is a certain lady in the town--hm!

Rebecca. I can see you mean Mrs. Kroll.

Mrs. Helseth. Yes, she is a queer one, she is. She has always been very
much on the high horse with me. And she has never looked with any
friendly eye on you, either, miss.

Rebecca. Do you think Mrs. Rosmer was quite in her right mind when she
wrote that letter to Mortensgaard?

Mrs. Helseth. It is so difficult to tell, miss. I certainly don't think
she was quite out of her mind.

Rebecca. But you know she seemed to go quite distracted when she learnt
that she would never be able to have a child. That was when her madness
first showed itself.

Mrs. Helseth. Yes, that had a terrible effect on her, poor lady.

Rebecca (taking up her work, and sitting down on a chair by the
window). But, in other respects