en? What else happened?

Lyngstrand. Well, now the remarkable part is coming--that I shall never
forget as long as I live. For he added, and that quite quietly, too:
"But she is mine, and mine she shall remain. And she shall follow me, if
I should come home and fetch her, as a drowned man from the dark sea."

Ellida (pouring herself out a glass of water. Her hand trembles). Ah!
How close it is here today.

Lyngstrand. And he said this with such strength of will that I thought
he must be the man to do it.

Ellida. Don't you know anything about--what became of the man?

Lyngstrand. Oh! madam, he's certainly not living now.

Ellida (quickly). Why do you think that?

Lyngstrand. Why? Because we were shipwrecked afterwards in the Channel.
I had got into the longboat with the captain and five others. The mate
got into the stern-boat; and the American was in that too, and another
man.

Ellida. And nothing has been heard of them since?

Lyngstrand. Not a word. The friend who looks after me said so quite
recently in a letter. But it's just because of this I was so anxious to
make it into a work of art. I see the faithless sailor-wife so life-like
before me, and the avenger who is drowned, and who nevertheless comes
home from the sea. I can see them both so distinctly.

Ellida. I, too. (Rises.) Come; let us go in--or, rather, go down
to Wangel. I think it is so suffocatingly hot. (She goes out of the
arbour.)

Lyngstrand (who has also risen). I, for my part, must ask you to excuse
me. This was only to be a short visit because of the birthday.

Ellida. As you wish. (Holds out her hand to him.) Goodbye, and thank you
for the flowers.

(LYNGSTRAND bows, and goes off through the garden gate.)

Arnholm (rises, and goes up to ELLIDA). I see well enough that this has
gone to your heart, Mrs. Wangel.

Ellida. Yes; you may well say so. Although Arnholm. But still--after
all, it's no more than you were bound to expect.

Ellida (looks at him surprised). Expect!

Arnholm. Well, so it seems to me.

Ellida. Expect that anyone should come back again!--come to life again
like that!

Arnholm. But what on earth!--is it that mad sculptor's sea story, then?

Ellida. Oh, dear Arnholm, perhaps it isn't so mad after all!

Arnholm. Is it that nonsense about the dead man that has moved you so?
And I who thought that--

Ellida. What did you think?

Arnholm. I naturally thought that was only a make-believe of yours. And
that y