DR. STOCKMANN. Good, good. Excuse me one moment—— [_He goes into the room on the right._ PETRA. What can it be, mother? MRS. STOCKMANN. I don’t know. For the last few days he has been continually on the look-out for the postman. BILLING. Probably a country patient—— PETRA. Poor father! He’ll soon have far too much to do. [_Mixes her toddy._] Ah, this will taste good! HOVSTAD. Have you been teaching in the night school as well to-day? PETRA. [_Sipping from her glass._] Two hours. BILLING. And four hours in the morning at the institute—— PETRA. [_Sitting down by the table._] Five hours. MRS. STOCKMANN. And I see you have exercises to correct this evening. PETRA. Yes, a heap of them. HORSTER. It seems to me you have plenty to do, too. PETRA. Yes; but I like it. You feel so delightfully tired after it. BILLING. Do you like that? PETRA. Yes, for then you sleep so well. MORTEN. I say, Petra, you must be a great sinner. PETRA. A sinner? MORTEN. Yes, if you work so hard. Mr. Rörlund[8] says work is a punishment for our sins. EILIF. [_Contemptuously._] Bosh! What a silly you are, to believe such stuff as that. MRS. STOCKMANN. Come come, Eilif. BILLING. [_Laughing._] Capital, capital! HOVSTAD. Should you not like to work so hard, Morten? MORTEN. No, I shouldn’t. HOVSTAD. Then what will you do with yourself in the world? MORTEN. I should like to be a Viking. EILIF. But then you’d have to be a heathen. MORTEN. Well, so I would. BILLING. There I agree with you, Morten! I say just the same thing. MRS. STOCKMANN. [_Making a sign to him._] No, no, Mr. Billing, I'm sure you don’t. BILLING. Strike me dead but I do, though. I am a heathen, and I'm proud of it. You’ll see we shall all be heathens soon. MORTEN. And shall we be able to do anything we like then? BILLING. Well, you see, Morten—— MRS. STOCKMANN.