HIALMAR. Not beyond the threshold, Gina! [MRS. SÖRBY _goes;_ GINA _shuts the door after her._ HIALMAR. There now, Gregers; I have got that burden of debt off my mind. GREGERS. You soon will, at all events. HIALMAR. I think my attitude may be called correct. GREGERS. You are the man I have always taken you for. HIALMAR. In certain cases, it is impossible to disregard the claim of the ideal. Yet, as the breadwinner of a family, I cannot but writhe and groan under it. I can tell you it is no joke for a man without capital to attempt the repayment of a long-standing obligation, over which, so to speak, the dust of oblivion had gathered. But it cannot be helped: the Man in me demands his rights. GREGERS. [_Laying his hand on HIALMAR’S shoulder._] My dear Hialmar—was it not a good thing I came? HIALMAR. Yes. GREGERS. Are you not glad to have had your true position made clear to you? HIALMAR. [_Somewhat impatiently._] Yes, of course I am. But there is one thing that is revolting to my sense of justice. GREGERS. And what is that? HIALMAR. It is that—but I don’t know whether I ought to express myself so unreservedly about your father. GREGERS. Say what you please, so far as I am concerned. HIALMAR. Well then, is it not exasperating to think that it is not I, but he, who will realise the true marriage? GREGERS. How can you say such a thing? HIALMAR. Because it is clearly the case. Isn’t the marriage between your father and Mrs. Sörby founded upon complete confidence, upon entire and unreserved candour on both sides? They hide nothing from each other, they keep no secrets in the background; their relation is based, if I may put it so, on mutual confession and absolution. GREGERS. Well, what then? HIALMAR. Well, is not that the whole thing? Did you not yourself say that this was precisely the difficulty that had to be overcome in order to found a true marriage? GREGERS. But this is a totally different matter, Hialmar. You surely don’t compare either yourself or your wife with those two——? Oh, you understand me well enough. HIALMAR. Say what you like, there is something in all this that hurts and offends my sense of justice. It really looks as if there were no just providence to rule the world. GINA.