You were telling me that you owed so many things to my father; and so I thought perhaps—— GINA. But we didn’t get the duck from Mr. Werle himself—— EKDAL. It’s Håkon Werle we have to thank for her, all the same, Gina. [_To GREGERS._] He was shooting from a boat, you see, and he brought her down. But your father’s sight is not very good now. H'm; she was only wounded. GREGERS. Ah! She got a couple of slugs in her body, I suppose. HIALMAR. Yes, two or three. HEDVIG. She was hit under the wing, so that she couldn’t fly. GREGERS. And I suppose she dived to the bottom, eh? EKDAL. [_Sleepily, in a thick voice._] Of course. Always do that, wild ducks do. They shoot to the bottom as deep as they can get, sir—and bite themselves fast in the tangle and seaweed—and all the devil’s own mess that grows down there. And they never come up again. GREGERS. But _your_ wild duck came up again, Lieutenant Ekdal. EKDAL. He had such an amazingly clever dog, your father had. And that dog—he dived in after the duck and fetched her up again. GREGERS. [_Who has turned to HIALMAR._] And then she was sent to you here? HIALMAR. Not at once; at first your father took her home. But she wouldn’t thrive there; so Pettersen was told to put an end to her—— EKDAL. [_Half asleep._] H'm—yes—Pettersen—that ass—— HIALMAR. [_Speaking more softly._] That was how we got her, you see; for father knows Pettersen a little; and when he heard about the wild duck he got him to hand her over to us. GREGERS. And now she thrives as well as possible in the garret there? HIALMAR. Yes, wonderfully well. She has got fat. You see, she has lived in there so long now that she has forgotten her natural wild life; and it all depends on _that_. GREGERS. You are right there, Hialmar. Be sure you never let her get a glimpse of the sky and the sea——. But I mustn’t stay any longer; I think your father is asleep. HIALMAR. Oh, as for that—— GREGERS. But, by-the-bye—you said you had a room to let—a spare room? HIALMAR. Yes; what then? Do you know of anybody——? GREGERS. Can _I_ have that room? HIALMAR. You? GINA. Oh no, Mr. Werle, _you_—— GREGERS. May I have the room? If so, I'll take possession first thing to-morrow morning.