nd the town. A little
in the background, a beacon and a vane. Great stones arranged as seats
around the beacon, and in the foreground. Farther back the outer fjord
is seen, with islands and outstanding headlands. The open sea is not
visible. It is a summer's evening, and twilight. A golden-red shimmer is
in the air and over the mountain-tops in the far distance. A quartette is
faintly heard singing below in the background. Young townsfolk,
ladies and gentlemen, come up in pairs, from the right, and, talking
familiarly, pass out beyond the beacon. A little after, BALLESTED
enters, as guide to a party of foreign tourists with their ladies. He is
laden with shawls and travelling bags.)

Ballested (pointing upwards with a stick). Sehen Sie, meine
Herrschaften, dort, out there, liegt eine andere mountain, That wollen
wir also besteigen, and so herunter. (He goes on with the conversation
in French, and leads the party off to the left. HILDE comes quickly
along the uphill path, stands still, and looks back. Soon after BOLETTE
comes up the same way.)

Bolette. But, dear, why should we run away from Lyngstrand?

Hilde. Because I can't bear going uphill so slowly. Look--look at him
crawling up!

Bolette. Ah! But you know how delicate he is.

Hilde. Do you think it's very--dangerous?

Bolette. I certainly do.

Hilde. He went to consult father this afternoon. I should like to know
what father thinks about him.

Bolette. Father told me it was a thickening of the lungs, or something
of the sort. He won't live to be old, father says.

Hilde. No! Did he say it? Fancy--that's exactly what I thought.

Bolette. For heaven's sake don't show it!

Hilde. How can you imagine such a thing? (In an undertone.) Look, here
comes Hans crawling up. Don't you think you can see by the look of him
that he's called Hans?

Bolette (whispering). Now do behave! You'd better!

(LYNGSTRAND comes in from the right, a parasol in his hand.)

Lyngstrand. I must beg the young ladies to excuse me for not getting
along as quickly as they did.

Hilde. Have you got a parasol too, now?

Lyngstrand. It's your mother's. She said I was to use it as a stick. I
hadn't mine with me.

Bolette. Are they down there still--father and the others?

Lyngstrand. Yes; your father looked in at the restaurant for a moment,
and the others are sitting out there listening to the music. But they
were coming up here presently, your mother said.

Hilde (stands looki