SOLNESS: Oh, not in the least! You'd better go now, all the same, Kaia. And mind you get that matter about Ragnar settled for me. Please give me Ragnar's drawings before you go. I might glance over them. KAIA _(happy):_ Oh, yes, please do! [MRS. SOLNESS _and_ DR. HERDAL _enter_. MRS. SOLNESS: Halvard, I cannot keep the doctor any longer. SOLNESS: Well, then, come in here. KAIA: Good-night, Mrs. Solness. [KAIA _goes out_. MRS. SOLNESS: She must be quite an acquisition to you, Halvard, this Miss Fosli. SOLNESS: Yes, indeed. She's useful in all sorts of ways. MRS. SOLNESS: So it seems. [MRS. SOLNESS _goes out_. SOLNESS: Tell me, doctor, did you notice anything odd about Aline? DR. HERDAL _(smiling_): Well, one couldn't help noticing that your wife--h'm------ SOLNESS: Well? DR. HERDAL: That your wife isn't particularly fond of this Miss Fosli. There's nothing of any sort in the case, is there? SOLNESS: Not on _my_ side. DR. HERDAL: On hers, then? SOLNESS: Hardly a fair question! Still, you know she's engaged to Ragnar; but since she came here she seemed to drift quite away from _him_. DR. HERDAL: She drifted over to you, then? SOLNESS: Yes, entirely. She quivers when she comes near me. DR. HERDAL: Why on earth don't you tell your wife the rights of it? SOLNESS: Because I seem to find a sort of--of salutary self-sacrifice in allowing Aline to do me an injustice. It's like paying off a little bit of a huge, immeasurable debt I owe her. Oh, I know she thinks I'm ill--crazy. And, I think, so do you. DR. HERDAL: And what then? SOLNESS: Then I dare say you fancy I'm an extremely happy man--Solness, the master builder! DR. HERDAL: You've certainly had luck on your side. First of all, the home of your wife's family was burnt down for you. A great grief to her--but _you_ rose on the ruins. Yes, you've had luck. SOLNESS: But luck must turn. The younger generation will come knocking at my door. Then there's an end of Halvard Solness, the master builder. (_A knock at the door. Starts_.) What's that? DR. HERDAL: Someone is knocking at the door. SOLNESS (_loudly_): Come in! [HILDA WANGEL _enters. She is dressed in a tourist costume, skirt caught up for walking, and carries a knapsack and alpenstock_. HILDA: You don't recognise me? SOLNESS (_doubtfully_): No. I must admit that--just for the moment. DR. HERDAL: But I recognise you, Miss Wangel. SOLNESS: Wangel? You must be the doctor's daughter up at Lysanger? HILDA: Yes. Who else's daughter should I be?