Ghosts

with ghosts, both within me and without. Manders Those without I shall help you to lay. After all the terrible things I have heard from you today, I cannot in conscience permit an unprotected girl to remain in your house. Mrs. Alving Don’t you think the best plan would be to get her provided for?⁠—I mean, by a good marriage. Manders No doubt. I think it would be desirable for her in every respect. Regina is now at the age when⁠—Of course I don’t know much about these things, but⁠— Mrs. Alving Regina matured very early. Manders Yes, I thought so. I have an impression that she was remarkably well developed, physically, when I prepared her for confirmation. But in the meantime, she ought to be at home, under her father’s eye⁠—Ah! but Engstrand is not⁠—That he⁠—that he⁠—could so hide the truth from me! A knock at the door into the hall. Mrs. Alving Who can this be? Come in! Engstrand In his Sunday clothes, in the doorway. I humbly beg your pardon, but⁠— Manders Aha! H’m⁠— Mrs. Alving Is that you, Engstrand? Engstrand —there was none of the servants about, so I took the great liberty of just knocking. Mrs. Alving Oh, very well. Come in. Do you want to speak to me? Engstrand Comes in. No, I’m obliged to you, ma’am; it was with his Reverence I wanted to have a word or two. Manders Walking up and down the room. Ah⁠—indeed! You want to speak to me, do you? Engstrand Yes, I’d like so terrible much to⁠— Manders Stops in front of him. Well; may I ask what you want? Engstrand Well, it was just this, your Reverence: we’ve been paid off down yonder⁠—my grateful thanks to you, ma’am⁠—and now everything’s finished, I’ve been thinking it would be but right and proper if we, that have been working so honestly together all this time⁠—well, I was thinking we ought to end up with a little prayer-meeting tonight. Manders A prayer-meeting? Down at the Orphanage? Engstrand Oh, if your Reverence doesn’t think it proper⁠— Manders Oh yes, I do; but⁠—h’m⁠— Engstrand I’ve been in the habit of offering up a little prayer in the evenings, myself⁠— Mrs. Alving Have you? Engstrand Yes, every now and then just a little edification, in a manner of speaking. But I’m a poor, common man, and have little enough gift, God help me!⁠—and so I thought, as the Reverend Mr. Manders happened to be here, I’d⁠— Manders Well, you see, Engstrand, I have a question to put to you first. Are you in the right frame of mind for such a meeting! Do you feel your conscience clear and at ease? Engstrand Oh, God help us, your Reverence! we’d better not talk about conscience. Manders Yes, that is just what we must talk about. What have you to answer? Engstrand Why⁠—a man’s conscience⁠—it can be bad enough now and then. Manders Ah, you admit that. Then perhaps you will make a clean breast of it, and tell me⁠—the real truth about Regina? Mrs. Alving Quickly. Mr. Manders! Manders Reassuringly. Please allow me⁠— Engstrand About Regina! Lord, what a turn you gave me! Looks at Mrs. Alving. There’s nothing wrong about Regina, is there? Manders We will hope not. But I mean, what is the truth about you and Regina? You pass for her father, eh! Engstrand Uncertain. Well⁠—h’m⁠—your Reverence knows all about me and poor Johanna. Manders Come now, no more prevarication! Your wife told Mrs. Alving the whole story before quitting her service. Engstrand Well, then, may⁠—! Now, did she really? Manders You see we know you now, Engstrand. Engstrand And she swore and took her Bible oath⁠— Manders Did she take her Bible oath? Engstrand No; she only swore; but she did it that solemn-like. Manders And you have hidden the truth from me all these years? Hidden it from me, who have trusted you without reserve, in everything. Engstrand Well, I can’t deny it. Manders Have I deserved this of you, Engstrand? Have I not always been ready to help you in word and deed, so far as it lay in my power? Answer me. Have I not? Engstrand It would have been a poor lookout for me many a time but for the Reverend Mr. Manders. Manders And this is how you reward me! You cause me to enter falsehoods in the Church Register, and you withhold from me, year after year, the explanations you owed alike to me and to the truth. Your conduct has been wholly inexcusable, Engstrand; and from this time forward I have done with you! Engstrand With a sigh. Yes! I suppose there’s no help for it. Manders How can you possibly justify yourself? Engstrand Who could ever have thought she’d have gone and made bad worse by talking about it? Will your Reverence just fancy yourself in the same trouble as poor Johanna⁠— Manders I! Engstrand Lord bless you, I don’t mean just exactly the same. But I mean, if your Reverence had anything to be ashamed of in the eyes of the world, as the saying goes. We menfolk oughtn’t to judge a poor woman too hardly, your Reverence. Manders I am not doing so. It is you I am reproaching. Engstrand Might I make so bold as to ask your Reverence a bit of a question? Manders Yes, if you want to. Engstrand Isn’t it right and proper for a man to raise up the fallen? Manders Most certainly it is. Engstrand And isn’t a man bound to keep his sacred word? Manders Why, of course he is; but⁠— Engstrand When Johanna had got into trouble through that Englishman⁠—or it might have been an American or a Russian, as they call them⁠—well, you see, she came down into the town. Poor thing, she’d sent me about my business once or twice before: for she couldn’t bear the sight of anything as wasn’t handsome; and I’d got this damaged leg of mine. Your Reverence recollects how I ventured up into a dancing saloon, where seafaring men was carrying on with drink and devilry, as the saying goes. And then, when I was for giving them a bit of an admonition to lead a new life⁠— Mrs. Alving At the window. H’m⁠— Manders I know all about that, Engstrand; the ruffians