On the fire! Lövborg's wonderful new book that he read to me at Brack's party, when we had that wild revelry last night! Fancy _that_! But, I say, Hedda--isn't that _rather_--eh? _Too_ bad, you know--really. A great work like that. How on earth did you come to think of it? HEDDA. [_Suppressing an almost imperceptible smile._] Well, dear George, you gave me a tolerably strong hint. GEORGE. Me? Well, to be sure--that _is_ a joke! Why, I only said that I envied him for writing such a book, and it would put me entirely in the shade if it came out, and if anything was to happen to it, I should never forgive myself, as poor Lövborg couldn't write it all over again, and so we must take the greatest care of it! And then I left it on a chair and went away--that was all! And you went and burnt the book all up! Bless me, who _would_ have expected it? HEDDA. Nobody, you dear simple old soul! But I did it for your sake--it was _love_, George! GEORGE. [_In an outburst between doubt and joy._] Hedda, you don't mean that! Your love takes such queer forms sometimes. Yes, but yes--[_laughing in excess of joy_]--why, you _must_ be fond of me! Just think of that now! Well, you _are_ fun, Hedda! Look here, I must just run and tell the housemaid that--she will enjoy the joke so, eh? HEDDA. [_Coldly, in self-command._] It is surely not necessary even for a clever Norwegian man of letters in a realistic social drama, to make quite such a fool of himself as all that. GEORGE. No, that's true too. Perhaps we'd better keep it quiet--though I _must_ tell Aunt Julie--it will make her so happy to hear that you burnt a manuscript on my account! And, besides, I should like to ask her whether that's a usual thing with young wives. [_Looks uneasy and pensive again._] But poor old Ejlert's manuscript! Oh Lor', you know! Well, well! [MRS. ELVSTED _comes in._ MRS. ELVSTED. Oh, please, I'm so uneasy about dear Mr. Lövborg. Something has happened to him, I'm sure! [JUDGE BRACK _comes in from the hall, with a new hat in his hand._ BRACK. You have guessed it, first time. Something _has_! MRS. ELVSTED. Oh, dear, good gracious! What is it? Something distressing, I'm certain of it! [_Shrieks aloud._ BRACK. [_Pleasantly._] That depends on how one takes it. He has shot himself, and is in a hospital now, that's all! GEORGE. [_Sympathetically._] That's sad, eh? poor old Lövborg! Well, I _am_ cut up to hear that. Fancy, though, eh? HEDDA. Was it through the temple, or through the breast? The breast? Well, one can do it beautifully through the breast, too. Do you know, as an advanced woman, I like an act of that sort--it's so positive to have the courage to settle the account with himself--it's beautiful, really! MRS. ELVSTED.