A Master Builder Page #2

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I don't care about anybody else.

And I never will.

Well, you say that...

but then at the same time, you seem to be

making plans to leave me, aren't you?

But couldn't I still work here even if I...

No. No!

It can't happen that way.

If Ragnar goes off

and he sets up on his own...

he's going to need you himself,

don't you see that?

Well, I don't think I can

be separated from you.

It's impossible. I just...

Can't you just convince him to stay here?

He has a good position here.

And that's the only way

I'm gonna be able to...

to keep you with me, Kaya.

My dear little Kaya.

It would be so wonderful

if it could work out like that.

- Because... Because I can't...

- Shh!

I can't not have you.

I have to have you with me.

Every day.

You have to be with me.

God! God. I have to...

- Halvard?

- Yes, dear?

Have I come at an inconvenient moment?

No, no, no.

Miss Fosli just has

a short letter to write, and then she's...

Did you need me for something, Aline?

No.

I just wanted to say

that Dr. Herdal is here.

He came over to see me, and, um...

he wanted to say hello to you

at the same time.

Good.

Good.

I feel like your wife is just thinking

terrible thoughts about me.

No, no.

I'm sure she's just

thinking the same things...

that she always thinks.

But you may as well go on home now.

It's a good time to go.

Yes.

Yes.

No. Wait, wait, wait.

Bring me Ragnar's drawings.

Yes.

That's wonderful, really.

I mean, for your sake,

Kaya, I can at least...

Yes, yes!

Well, good afternoon.

Think kind thoughts about me.

Always, my sweet little Kaya.

Always. Always.

I can't keep the doctor

waiting here any longer.

Well, by all means, come in.

All finished with that letter,

Miss Fosli?

Letter?

You may as well go along home now,

Miss Fosli.

Be sure you're on time tomorrow morning.

Yes, I certainly will be.

Good afternoon, Mrs. Solness.

Must be a really good thing for you to

have found that young woman, Halvard.

Yes,

she's just so useful in so many ways.

Yes, she seems as if she would be.

And she's, good at bookkeeping?

Well, she's had an awful lot of practice

at bookkeeping in the last two years.

The other thing is,

she's such a kind person.

She's ready to do whatever comes up

that needs to be done.

Well, that certainly must give you

a feeling of comfort, Halvard.

Well, it does, it does.

It does.

And it's been a long time

since I've had anyone here...

who is available to look after my needs.

Halvard, how can you say such things?

Aline, now please forgive me.

Please?

Doctor, will you be returning later

to have some dinner with us?

Soon as I finish my house calls,

I'll come right back.

Could you please stay for a minute?

I'd very much like to talk with you.

Well, of course.

Thank you.

Now, look.

I know you know Aline better

than anyone.

She's said to me many times

you're her only friend.

So, can I ask you...

did you notice anything

in particular about her just now...

in relation to me?

Well, yes, for God's sake.

I mean... I mean, one could hardly help

noticing that she...

- Yes?

- Well...

She doesn't seem to be terribly fond

of that Miss Fosli of yours.

- Well...

- I mean, it's not that surprising...

that she doesn't particularly

like the fact...

that you spend every single day

in the company of another woman.

Well, but that happens

to be something that can't be changed.

Well, why not?

Couldn't you find a male secretary?

No, I mean...

if your wife really feels...

In other words,

she's a very fragile woman...

and it's something, you know,

that she really can't bear...

I mean, to look at this young girl...

For God's sakes. So what? Who cares?

Well, I mean I do, in a way.

I do, obviously.

But... the situation is what it is.

You mean there's no alternative?

That's right. There's no alternative.

Of course, women's perceptions are often

infuriatingly accurate on certain topics.

Yes?

And so when your wife happens to find...

that she just can't stand

that Kaya Fosli...

don't you think that maybe

there's some sort of a basis...

for that sort of...

involuntary reflex of antipathy?

No, no, not at all.

I see. There's just no basis for

your wife's feeling at all, in other words.

Only her own suspiciousness, I suppose.

Now, of course...

I know you've come in contact

with a great many women...

in the course of your life.

Yes?

And you've been rather fond

of some of them.

So, I mean, in this case...

No, no. No, no, no, no. I said no.

But see,

there is something I very much...

want to discuss with you.

I would like to tell you

a very strange story.

I mean, if you'd be willing

to listen to it.

I'm always happy to listen

to a strange story.

Very well then.

I'm sure you remember...

that many years ago,

I brought both Knut Brovik and his son...

over to work for me at a time...

when everything had gone terribly wrong

for the old man.

Yes.

At a certain point...

a few years after that...

Ragnar suddenly came up with the idea

of getting married...

and leaving my office

to go set up an office of his own.

But I needed Ragnar

to stay here with me...

because Ragnar happens

to be extremely clever...

about calculating, you know,

the volume of things...

the carrying capacity...

and all that sort of tedious detail.

Well, it's an important part

of your business, yes.

Now listen to what I'm trying to tell you.

One day, a young woman

whom I'd never seen before...

came over to the office to see Ragnar...

and this turned out

to be Ragnar's fiance...

Kaya Fosli.

When I saw how incredibly infatuated

with each other...

she and Ragnar were...

the idea came to me...

if I could get this young girl

to come work here in the office...

then maybe Ragnar would stay here too.

Yes, I see.

So I just stood there staring at her...

wishing I could think

of how to convince her to work here.

Then we were introduced,

but we had no conversation of any kind.

And then she went away.

Well, the next night,

after Ragnar and Brovik had gone home...

she came back here...

and just as if I'd already made

an arrangement with her...

she asked me what

her new responsibilities would be...

and whether she could

start work immediately the next morning.

But I never asked her to work here.

My goodness!

And then as soon as she

started working for me...

she seemed to drift away from Ragnar...

And drifted over towards you perhaps?

I mean, I know she can actually feel it...

if I look at her from behind.

And if I come anywhere near her...

she starts to shake,

she literally trembles.

How can you account for that?

Well, I'm sure there's a scientific

explanation for it out there somewhere.

No.

I mean...

What made her imagine

I had said these things to her...

which, in fact, I'd only thought?

Things I'd said silently

inside my head to myself.

I mean, what can you say about that?

Can you explain that?

I wouldn't want even

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