anage buildings be insured or not?

MRS. ALVING. Of course they must be insured.

MANDERS. Well, wait a moment, Mrs. Alving. Let us look into the matter a
little more closely.

MRS. ALVING. I have everything insured; buildings and movables and stock
and crops.

MANDERS. Of course you have--on your own estate. And so have I--of
course. But here, you see, it is quite another matter. The Orphanage is
to be consecrated, as it were, to a higher purpose.

MRS. ALVING. Yes, but that's no reason--

MANDERS. For my own part, I should certainly not see the smallest
impropriety in guarding against all contingencies--

MRS. ALVING. No, I should think not.

MANDERS. But what is the general feeling in the neighbourhood? You, of
course, know better than I.

MRS. ALVING. Well--the general feeling--

MANDERS. Is there any considerable number of people--really responsible
people--who might be scandalised?

MRS. ALVING. What do you mean by "really responsible people"?

MANDERS. Well, I mean people in such independent and influential
positions that one cannot help attaching some weight to their opinions.

MRS. ALVING. There are several people of that sort here, who would very
likely be shocked if--

MANDERS. There, you see! In town we have many such people. Think of all
my colleague's adherents! People would be only too ready to interpret
our action as a sign that neither you nor I had the right faith in a
Higher Providence.

MRS. ALVING. But for your own part, my dear Pastor, you can at least
tell yourself that--

MANDERS. Yes, I know--I know; my conscience would be quite easy, that
is true enough. But nevertheless we should not escape grave
misinterpretation; and that might very likely react unfavourably upon
the Orphanage.

MRS. ALVING. Well, in that case--

MANDERS. Nor can I entirely lose sight of the difficult--I may even say
painful--position in which _I_ might perhaps be placed. In the leading
circles of the town, people take a lively interest in this Orphanage. It
is, of course, founded partly for the benefit of the town, as well;
and it is to be hoped it will, to a considerable extent, result in
lightening our Poor Rates. Now, as I have been your adviser, and have
had the business arrangements in my hands, I cannot but fear that I may
have to bear the brunt of fanaticism--

MRS. ALVING. Oh, you mustn't run the risk of that.

MANDERS. To say nothing of the attacks that would assuredly be made upon
me in