A Master Builder Page #10

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- It's not mine now.

It's not the way it was

in my mother's and father's time.

They've gotten rid of so much

of the garden, it's pitiable, really.

Imagine what they've done.

They've parceled it all out...

and they've built houses

for... for strangers...

houses for people

that I don't even know...

and these strangers, you see...

can sit in their windows and stare at me.

I mean, isn't that something?

Mrs. Solness?

Would it be all right

if I sat with you here for a short while?

It would be very nice

if you feel you'd like to.

A perfect spot to just sit

and sun yourself like a cat.

It's so kind of you

to want to sit with me.

I thought you'd be going in

to be with my husband now.

What would you think

I'd be doing with him?

- Helping him, I suppose.

- No. Please.

Anyway, he isn't in there.

He's gone over to see the men

who are working on the new house.

The expression he had on his face,

he looked so fierce and dangerous...

I really didn't have

the courage to speak to him.

Is that so?

But did you know that

my husband really has...

the most gentle disposition in the world?

He does?

You see, you don't know him

properly yet, Miss Wangel.

So are you happy to be moving over

into the new house?

I ought to be because he so much

wants me to be happy about it.

I'm sure that's not

the only reason to be happy, is it?

Yes, it is, yes.

That's my simple obligation in life,

Miss Wangel... to do what he wants.

Simply to yield.

But there are many occasions

when it's terribly hard...

to beat one's spirit

into the necessary submission.

Um, yes, that must be hard.

Yes, it is hard, if one isn't

a better person than I am, at any rate.

Mrs. Solness...

I mean, when someone has been through

really hard times the way that you have...

How do you know

I've been through hard times?

Your husband said that you had.

He says so little about those things

to me. But yes, it's true.

I've been through quite a bit

in the course of my life, yes, I have.

Dear Mrs. Solness,

first everything burned up in the fire.

Yes, everything I had.

And then...

so much worse.

Worse?

What happened which was worse.

What do you mean?

I meant...

losing the boys.

That.

Well...

that was sort of a...

a decision by a higher power...

and one has to submit oneself

to something like that...

and... and even give thanks for it.

- Do you do that?

- Not always, I'm afraid.

But I know that that's my obligation.

That's what I ought to do.

But, um, sometimes I just can't.

I think that's so understandable.

Again, I have to say to myself,

it was a just punishment.

I don't understand.

Quite honestly, Miss Wangel,

please, please stop talking...

about the two little boys.

We should only be happy for them now...

because things are so good for them.

Very, very good.

And, um...

I-it's the little things in life

that really break your heart...

when... when you...

when you lose certain little things...

that... that most people

might consider almost worthless.

Dear, sweet Mrs. Solness...

will you tell me, please...

Just... I don't know.

Unimportant things.

All the, um... the portraits

that were on the walls...

they all burned and...

all of the...

silk dresses...

You know, the ones that had been

in the family for such a long, long time.

Well... they just burned.

And all the lacework that had been done

by the mothers and the grandmothers...

all of it just... burned.

And can...

Can you imagine the jewelry?

And...

And all the dolls.

The dolls?

I had nine beautiful dolls.

- And they burned?

- Yes, every one of them.

And that was painful for me.

That was very painful.

So...

So you'd always kept the dolls

you had as a young girl?

No, I didn't just keep them.

I would take them out

and I would hold them...

and play with them and look at them.

- Even after you were grown up?

- Long after.

- Even after you were married?

- Yes.

I played with them

when he couldn't see me.

But then, they burnt.

Poor little things just burnt.

And no one made an attempt to save them.

God, it's...

it's awful imagining them burning.

Don't laugh at me.

No, I'm not.

Because, you see, in a way,

they were alive.

I carried them around in my arms...

like small children not...

just not quite born yet.

Well...

So, Mrs. Solness...

So you're sitting in this drafty room and

letting yourself catch a cold. Is that it?

No. It's nice and warm here.

Well, I suppose.

But you sent me a note.

Is there some sort of problem or...

- I have to talk to you about something.

- All right.

I see you've put on

your mountain climbing uniform today.

Absolutely.

Of course I won't be climbing today.

I won't be breaking my neck.

You and I, we're going...

to stay down here on level ground

and watch. Aren't we, Doctor?

And what are we going

to be watching, I wonder?

For Christ's sake,

stop talking about that.

Please, please just try

and get that idea out of his head.

I think that we should be friends,

Miss Wangel.

Don't you think that we could be friends?

If we could be,

that would be so wonderful.

Have you ever noticed...

that the minute I show up somewhere,

my wife leaves?

Actually, I've noticed that the minute

you show up somewhere...

you drive her out.

Maybe.

But that's completely

out of my control, I'm afraid.

Tell me...

why did you come up here just now?

To see you.

Surely you can see

that I was here with her.

Well, I knew she'd leave.

Doesn't it upset you

that she'd run away from you like that?

Sometimes it makes life easier.

It's easier for you when she isn't there.

So you don't have to see her suffering.

Right.

Did you talk with her for a long time?

Was it a long conversation?

Hilde?

What did she talk about?

Poor Aline.

I'm sure she mentioned

the boys, obviously.

She'll never get over it. She'll never...

I want to leave.

- Leave?

- Yes.

- Well, you can't!

- What am I supposed to do here?

Hilde, just... just be here.

For God's sake,

you know it wouldn't stay like that.

Well?

I can't do something that wrong

against someone I know.

Maybe if she were someone I'd never met,

it would be different...

but someone I've come close to.

No, I... I can't. I'm sorry. I'm leaving.

And what will become of me then?

What would I have to live for

after you leave?

You don't have to worry about that...

because you have something.

You have the debt you have to pay...

your obligation to her.

- Live for that.

- No.

No, it's too late...

because Aline is dead.

Because of me, she is dead.

All of the blood has been

drained out of her body...

and now I'm living my life...

chained to someone who is actually dead.

But I am still capable

of experiencing joy.

Help me! Help me.

I'm still alive.

- What?

- I just think it is ridiculous...

not to have the courage to just...

just reach out and just take happiness...

just take it...

and life... life itself...

just 'cause there's someone in the way

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