The Doctor. Good morning! (Lays down his hat and stick.) Well, so I hear John has been up to his pranks again? The rascal is in bed. Evje and Mrs. Evje. In bed? The Doctor. Came home at four o'clock in the morning, drunk. Ill to-day, naturally. Ingeborg asked me to go in and see him. Evje. Well!--I am determined to put an end to it! Mrs. Evje. Yes, I have never been able to understand why you were so lenient with John. Evje. He has been with us five years; and, besides, it makes people talk so, if you have to send your servants away. Mrs. Evje. But surely this sort of thing makes them talk much worse! Evje. Well--he shall leave this very day. The Doctor (to HARALD). How are you, Rejn?--Oho! I understand. I have come at an inopportune moment with my complaints of John? You have all got something more serious on your minds? Mrs. Evje. Yes, we have had it out, as we agreed yesterday. The Doctor. You must forgive me, my dear Rejn, for having told my old friends the whole truth yesterday. She (pointing to MRS. EVJE) was an old playfellow of mine, and her husband and I have been friends from boyhood; so we have no secrets from each other. And Gertrud's condition makes me very uneasy. Harald. Why have you never told me that before? The Doctor. Goodness knows I have often enough given her parents hints that she was not well; but they have only made up their minds that her happiness in her engagement would quite cure her. They are a considerate couple, these two dear people, you know; they didn't want to seem interfering. Harald. Their consideration--which I appreciate and have lately had constant reason to be grateful for--has all at once become a more powerful weapon than open opposition. It makes a duty of what I should otherwise have felt to be unfair coercion. But now the situation is such that I can neither go forward nor back. After what I have gone through, you must see that I cannot withdraw on the very eve of the election--and after the election it will be too late. On the other hand--(with emotion)--I cannot, I dare not, go on with it if it is to cost me--. (Breaks off.) Evje (standing in front of the fire). There, there! Take time to think it over, my dear boy; talk it over with her and with your brother.