at him.] How can you sit there and say such things?

SOLNESS.

Well, then, you talk to me about it.

HILDA.

When the tower was finished, we had grand doings in the town.

SOLNESS.

Yes, I shall not easily forget that day.

HILDA.

[Smiles.] Will you not? That comes well from you.

SOLNESS.

Comes well?

HILDA.

There was music in the churchyard--and many, many hundreds of people. We
school-girls were dressed in white; and we all carried flags.

SOLNESS.

Ah yes, those flags--I can tell you I remember them!

HILDA.

Then you climbed right up the scaffolding, straight to the very top; and
you had a great wreath with you; and you hung that wreath right away up
on the weather-vane.

SOLNESS.

[Curtly interrupting.] I always did that in those days. It is an old
custom.

HILDA.

It was so wonderfully thrilling to stand below and look up at you.
Fancy, if he should fall over! He--the master builder himself!

SOLNESS.

[As if to divert her from the subject.] Yes, yes, yes, that might
very will have happened, too. For one of those white-frocked little
devils,--she went on in such a way, and screamed up at me so--

HILDA.

[Sparkling with pleasure.] "Hurrah for Master Builder Solness!" Yes!

SOLNESS. --and waved and flourished with her flag, so that I--so that it
almost made me giddy to look at it.

HILDA.

[In a lower voice, seriously.] That little devil--that was _I_.

SOLNESS.

[Fixes his eyes steadily upon her.] I am sure of that now. It must have
been you.

HILDA.

[Lively again.] Oh, it was so gloriously thrilling! I could not have
believed there was a builder in the whole world that could build such a
tremendously high tower. And then, that you yourself should stand at the
very top of it, as large as life! And that you should not be the least
bit dizzy! It was that above everything that made one--made one dizzy to
think of.

SOLNESS.

How could you be so certain that I was not?

HILDA.

[Scouting the idea.] No indeed! Oh no! I knew that instinctively. For if
you had been, you could never have stood up there and sung.

SOLNESS.

[Looks at her in astonishment.] Sung? Did _I_ sing?

HILDA.

Yes, I should think you did.

SOLNESS.

[Shakes his head.] I have never sung a note in my life.

HILDA.

Yes, indeed, you sang then. It sounded like harps in the air.

SOLNESS.

[Thoughtfully.] This is very strange--all this