t confiding in me.

Ellida. But I could not; not till it became necessary for your own sake.
If I had confided in you I should also have had to confide to you the
unutterable.

Wangel. Unutterable?

Ellida. No, no, no! Do not ask. Only one thing, nothing more. Wangel,
when shall we understand that mystery of the boy's eyes?

Wangel. My dear love, Ellida, I assure you it was only your own fancy.
The child had exactly the same eyes as other normal children have.

Ellida. No, he had not. And you could not see it! The child's eyes
changed colour with the sea. When the fjord lay bathed in sunshine, so
were his eyes. And so in storm. Oh, I saw it, if you did not!

Wangel (humouring her). Maybe. But even if it were true, what then?

Ellida (in lower voice, and coming nearer). I have seen such eyes
before.

Wangel. Well? Where?

Ellida. Out at Bratthammeren, ten years ago.

Wangel (stepping back). What does it mean?

Ellida (whispers, trembling). The child had the strange man's eyes.

Wangel (cries out reluctantly). Ellida!

Ellida (clasps her hands despairingly about her head). Now you
understand why I would not, why I dared not, live with you as your wife.
(She turns suddenly and rushes off over the heights.)

Wangel (hurrying after her and calling). Ellida, Ellida! My poor unhappy
Ellida!

ACT III

(SCENE.--A more remote part of DOCTOR WANGEL'S garden. It is boggy and
overshadowed by large old trees. To the right is seen the margin of a
dank pond. A low, open fence separates the garden from the footpath, and
the fjord in the background. Beyond is the range of mountains, with its
peaks. It is afternoon, almost evening. BOLETTE sits on a stone seat,
and on the seat lie some books and a work-basket. HILDE and LYNGSTRAND,
both with fishing-tackle, walk along the bank of the pond.)

Hilde (making a sign to LYNGSTRAND). I can see a large one.

Lyngstrand (looking). Where?

Hilde (pointing). Can't you see? He's down there. Good gracious! There's
another! (Looks through the trees.) Out there. Now he's coming to
frighten him away!

Bolette (looking up). Who's coming?

Hilde. Your tutor, Miss!

Bolette. Mine?

Hilde. Yes. Goodness knows he never was mine.

(ARNHOLM enters from between the trees.)

Arnholm. Are there fish in the pond now?

Hilde. There are some very ancient carp.

Arnholm. No! Are the old carp still alive?

Hilde. Yes; they're pretty tough. But now we're going to try and get r