Oh, if only your eyes had been opened to that which gives life its value—if you possessed the true, joyous, fearless spirit of sacrifice, you would soon see _how_ he would come up to you.—But I believe in you still, Hedvig. [_He goes out by the passage door._ [HEDVIG _wanders about the room for a time; she is on the point of going into the kitchen when a knock is heard at the garret door._ HEDVIG _goes over and opens it a little; old_ EKDAL _comes out; she pushes the door to again._ EKDAL. H'm, it’s not much fun to take one’s morning walk alone. HEDVIG. Wouldn’t you like to go shooting, grandfather? EKDAL. It’s not the weather for it to-day. It’s so dark there, you can scarcely see where you’re going. HEDVIG. Do you never want to shoot anything besides the rabbits? EKDAL. Do you think the rabbits aren’t good enough? HEDVIG. Yes, but what about the wild duck? EKDAL. Ho-ho! are you afraid I shall shoot your wild duck? Never in the world. Never. HEDVIG. No, I suppose you couldn’t; they say it’s very difficult to shoot wild ducks. EKDAL. Couldn’t! Should rather think I could. HEDVIG. How would you set about it, grandfather?—I don’t mean with my wild duck, but with others? EKDAL. I should take care to shoot them in the breast, you know; that’s the surest place. And then you must shoot against the feathers, you see—not the way of the feathers. HEDVIG. Do they die then, grandfather? EKDAL. Yes, they die right enough—when you shoot properly. Well, I must go and brush up a bit. H'm—understand—h’m. _Goes into his room._ [HEDVIG _waits a little, glances towards the sitting-room door, goes over to the book-case, stands on tip-toe, takes the double-barrelled pistol down from the shelf, and looks at it._ GINA, _with brush and duster, comes from the sitting-room._ HEDVIG _hastily lays down the pistol, unobserved._ GINA. Don’t stand raking amongst father’s things, Hedvig. HEDVIG. [_Goes away from the bookcase._] I was only going to tidy up a little. GINA. You’d better go into the kitchen, and see if the coffee’s keeping hot; I'll take his breakfast on a tray, when I go down to him.