The Editor (to himself). She is not very polite. (Aloud.) No; but what does that matter? The Housekeeper. This much--that it is you that have killed him. The Editor. I--? She is mad. The Housekeeper. The man lying there is Halvdan Rejn. And he had been reading about himself in your paper.--Come, now, and carry him in. (She goes into the bedroom with the lamp. Her voice is heard from inside the room.) Now, take hold of him and lift him. You can think afterwards. The Editor (stoops to lift the body, but gets up again). I don't think he is dead yet. The Housekeeper. All the more reason to make haste. The Editor (stoops down again, but gets up once more.) Let me take his head. The Housekeeper. Why? The Editor. So that--if he should open his eyes The Housekeeper.--he won't see you. (Comes out of the bedroom). Go in there, then, and take his head. (He goes in.) What was that? The Editor (from inside the room). I slipped. There is something wet here. The Housekeeper. Yes, he has had a hemorrhage. Carefully, now. (They carry him in. The stage remains empty for a moment. Then the EDITOR comes back, wiping his forehead. He walks backwards and forwards, treading on the paper as he goes, but without noticing it.) The Editor. What a horrible thing to happen!--Newspapers are not meant for dying people.--It is not my fault.--Is this blood on my hand? It is! (Wipes it with his handkerchief.) And now it is on my handkerchief! (Throws it away.) No, it has my name on it. (Picks it up again.) No one can say it is my fault. (Sits down, then gets up, wiping his forehead with his handkerchief without noticing what he is doing.) Ah, I hope I haven't put blood on my forehead? I seem to feel it there! (Feels with his hand to see if his brow is wet.) No. (Sits down, then gets up again.) Let me get away from here. (Stops.) To think that I should be the one to come up! that it should just happen to-night that I did not receive my paper, and so went out! It almost seems more than accident. Indeed, I often had a foreboding that it would happen. (Stands opposite the bedroom door.) But is he dead? I think I will go and fetch the Doctor. Oh no, of course the maid has gone for him. He hasn't long to live, anyway; I could see that. (Walks forward, pointing with his finger.) "There goes the man that killed Halvdan Rejn! And his punishment was that he had to lift up his bloodstained body himself." That is what they will say; and they will look at me as if--. (Sits down.) No, let me get away! (Takes a few steps, then stops suddenly.) That article in to-morrow's paper! It is worse than the others! (Pulls out his watch.) Too late--the post has gone! I would have given--. (Checks himself.) I have nothing worth giving. In the morning It will be known all over the town just as everyone is reading my fresh article. There will be a riot; I shall be hunted like a wild beast. What shall I do? I might sneak out of the town? Then they will gloat over me! I won't