Source Text: FATHER1.4Captain: What do you want, my dear? Is anything the matter?
Nurse: Now, Master Adolf, just you listen to me.
Captain: Yes, old Margret -- talk away. You're the only one I can listen to without getting in a rage.
Nurse: Now, just listen, Mr Adolf -- don't you think you ought to meet the mistress half-way in all this bother over the child? Think how a mother feels --
Captain: Think how a father feels, Margret.
Nurse: Now, now, now! A father has other things to think of, but a mother has only her child.
Captain: Exactly, old lady! She has only one anxiety, while I have three -- as well as all hers. Don't you think I should have been something more in the world than a poor soldier, if I hadn't had her and her child?
Nurse: Yes, but that isn't what I meant.
Captain: No, I'm sure it wasn't; you wanted me to admit that I'm in the wrong.
Nurse: Now, Mr Adolf, you believe I want to help, don't you?
Captain: Yes, my dear, I do, but you don't know what is best for me. You see, it's not enough for me just to have given the child life, I want to give her my intellect, too.
Nurse: Oh, I don't understand anything about that. But I do think you ought to be able to agree.
Captain: You're not my friend, Margret.
Nurse: Me? Goodness, Mr Adolf, how can you say such a thing? Do you think I can forget how you were my baby when you were little?
Captain: Do you imagine I've forgotten it, dear? You've been like a mother to me. Up to now, you've always stood by me when they were all against me; but now, when I really need you, you desert me and go over to the enemy.
Nurse: The enemy?
Captain: Yes, the enemy! You know well enough how things stand in this house. You've seen it all from the very beginning.
Nurse: Yes, I've seen, all right. But, my goodness, why must two people plague the life out of each other? Two people who are so good and kind to everyone else. The mistress is never like that with me -- or with anyone else --
Captain: Yes, I know -- only with me. Listen to me, Margret; if you desert me now, you'd be doing me a great wrong. You see they're plotting against me now -- and that Doctor's no friend of mine.
Nurse: Now then, Mr Adolf, you always think the worst of everyone. It's because you haven't the true Faith, you see, that's what it is.
Captain: And you and the Baptists have found the only real faith. Happy people!
Nurse: Anyway, I'm not as unhappy as you, Mr Adolf. Humble your heart, and you'll see how God will make you happy, and loving towards your neighbour.
Captain: It's wonderful how, the moment you talk about God and love, your voice becomes hard, an your eyes fill with hatred. No, Margret, you certainly haven't the true faith.
Nurse: Yes, it's your learning makes you proud and hard, but it won't help you much in the hour of tribulation!
Captain: You talk very proudly for a humble heart! I know how little learning means to people like you.
Nurse: You ought to be ashamed of yourself. But, in spite of everything, old Margret loves her great big boy best; and when he's in trouble, he'll come back to her again, like a good little child.
Captain: I'm sorry, Margret; but, believe me, you're the only one in this house who's on my side. I want you to help me, because I feel that something's going to happen here -- I don't know what, but whatever it is, it'll be evil. What's that? Who screamed?
Bertha: Help! Papa, papa! Save me!
Captain: What's the matter, darling? Tell me.
Bertha: Help me! She'll hurt me. I know she will.
Captain: Who's going to hurt you? Tell me -- quickly.
Bertha: Grandmama! It was my fault, though; I played a trick on her.
Captain: Go on.
Bertha: All right, but you mustn't say anything. You won't, will you? Please!
Captain: Suppose you tell me what it is.
Bertha: Well, in the evenings, she likes to turn the lamp down, and then I have to sit at the table and hold a pen over a sheet of paper. And then she commands the spirit to write.
Captain: Good heavens! Why didn't you tell me?
Bertha: I'm sorry, but I didn't dare. Grandmama says the spirits take their revenge if anyone talks about them. And then the pen writes but I don't know if it's me doing it. Sometimes it works beautifully, but sometimes it won't go at all. When I'm tired, it doesn't, but I have to make something come. This evening I thought I was doing it beautifully, but Grandmama said it was all out of Stagnelius, and that I'd been cheating her, and she go terrible angry.
Captain: Do you believe that there are such things as spirits?
Bertha: I don't know.
Captain: Well, I know there aren't.
Bertha: But Grandmama says you don't understand, and she says you have things that are far worse -- things that can see to other planets.
Captain: Does she? Does she indeed? What else does she say?
Bertha: She says you can't do magic.
Captain: I've never said I could. Do you know what meteors are? They're stones that fall from other heavenly bodies. What I do is to examine then, and say whether they're made of the same elements as our earth. That's all I see.
Bertha: But Grandmama says there are things that she can see and you can't.
Captain: Then I tell you she's lying.
Bertha: Grandmama doesn't tell lies.
Captain: Why not?
Bertha: Because then Mama tells lies too.
Captain: Ah.
Bertha: If you say Mama tells lies, then I'll never believe you again.
Captain: I didn't say so. That's why you must believe me when I tell you for your own good, for the sake of your whole future, you must leave this house. Will you do that? Would you like to go to the town and learn something useful?
Bertha: Oh yes! I'd love to go to the town -- anywhere, to get away from here. So long as I can see you sometimes -- often. Oh, it's so horrid and dull in there all the time -- just like a winter night; but when you come, Papa, it's like the spring morning when they take down the double windows.
Captain: My dear, darling child!
Bertha: But Papa, you must be kind to Mama, you know. She does cry such a lot.
Captain: Ah. So you want to go and live in the town?
Bertha: Oh yes, please!
Captain: But suppose Mama doesn't want you to.
Bertha: Oh, she must.
Captain: But suppose she doesn't?
Bertha: Oh well then I don't know what will happen. But she must -- she simply must!
Captain: Will you ask her?
Bertha: No, you must ask her -- very nicely. She never takes any notice of me.
Captain: Hm. Well, suppose you want it and I want it, but she doesn't want it -- what shall we do then?
Bertha: Oh then everything'll be tiresome again. Why can't you two --
Laura: Ah, Bertha's in here! Then perhaps we can hear what she thinks, since it's her future that's to be decided.
Captain: The child can hardly have any considered opinion about how a young girl's life may develop. We, on the other hand, have seen plenty of girls grow up, so it's easier for us to arrive at some sort of an answer.
Laura: But since we have different ideas, surely Bertha might have the casting vote.
Captain: No, I'll have no one -- woman or child -- encroaching on my rights. Leave us, Bertha.
Laura: You were afraid to let her speak, because you thought she'd be on my side.
Captain: I know that what she wants is to leave home, but I also know that you have the power to make her change her mind when you like.
Laura: Oh, am I as powerful as that?
Captain: Yes, when it come to getting your own way you have the power of the devil, but so has everyone who's unscrupulous enough. For example, how did you get rid of Dr Nordling, and how did you get the new man here?
Laura: Well? How did I?
Captain: You insulted Nordling till he left; and then you got your brother to scrape up votes for this man.
Laura: Well, that was very simple, and quite legitimate. So Bertha's to go away?
Captain: Yes, she's to leave in a fortnight's time.
Laura: Is that your last word?
Captain: Yes.
Laura: Have you told Bertha?
Captain: Yes.
Laura: Then I must try to stop it.
Captain: You can't.
Laura: Can't I? Do you really think that a mother is going to send her child among wicked people who'll say that all her mother has taught her is stupid? Why, the daughter would despise her for the rest of her life.
Captain: Do you think a father would let ignorant and conceited women teach his daughter that he is a charlatan?
Laura: It's less important to a father.
Captain: Oh? Why?
Laura: Because a mother's nearer to the child -- since it's been discovered that no one can tell for certain who is a child's father.
Captain: What has that got to do with it?
Laura: Simply that you don't know that you are Bertha's father.
Captain: Of course I know!
Laura: "No one can tell", so you certainly can't.
Captain: Is this a joke?
Laura: No, I'm simply applying your own doctrine. Besides, how do you know that I haven't been unfaithful to you?
Captain: I can believe a lot about you, but not that. Nor do I believe that you'd talk about it if it were true.
Laura: Suppose I were ready to put up with anything, to lose my home and my good name, for the sake of keeping my child and bringing her up. Suppose I was telling the truth just now when I said Bertha was my child and not yours. Suppose --
Captain: Stop!
Laura: Suppose it were true, you'd have no more rights.
Captain: If you could prove that I were not the father.
Laura: That wouldn't be difficult. Would you like me to?
Captain: Stop it!
Laura: You see, I should only need to give the name of the real father, with details of the time and place; for instance -- when was Bertha born? We'd been married three years --
Captain: Stop this, or --
Laura: Or what? All right then, we'll stop. But think very carefully before you decide to do anything. Above all, don't make yourself look ridiculous.
Captain: I think this is all very unfortunate.
Laura: That makes you even more ridiculous.
Captain: But not you?
Laura: No, we women manage these things more cleverly.
Captain: That's why we can't fight you.
Laura: Then why get involved in fights with a superior enemy?
Captain: Superior?
Laura: Yes. It's odd, but I've never been able to look at a man without feeling that I'm his superior.
Captain: Well, one day you'll meet your match -- and you'll never forget it.
Laura: That will be interesting.
Nurse: Supper's ready. Won't you please come out and have it.
Laura: Thank you. Are you coming to supper?
Captain: No, thank you, I don't want any.
Laura: Oh? Is something the matter?
Captain: No, I'm not hungry.
Laura: Come along, or they'll be. . . asking tiresome questions. Don't be difficult. All right, if you won't, then stay where you are.
Nurse: Oh, Mr Adolf, what is all this about?
Captain: I don't know. Can you explain how you women manage to treat a grown man as if he were a child?
Nurse: I don't understand it, but I suppose it's because you are all women's children, every one of you, great of small. . .
Captain: While no woman is born of man. But then I am Bertha's father. Tell me, Margret, you do believe that, don't you?
Nurse: Lord, what a baby you are! Of course you're the father of your own child. Come and have supper, now, and don't sit there sulking. There, there; come along now!
Captain: Get out of here, woman! Go to hell, you witches! Svard! Svard!
Orderly: Yes, sir?
Captain: Have the fast sleigh harnessed at once.
Nurse: Captain, only listen --
Captain: Get out, woman -- at once.
Nurse: Lord preserve us, what's going to happen now?
Captain: Don't expect me back before midnight!
Nurse: God help us! What will be the end of this?