A Master Builder Page #6

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because Master Builder Solness...

has such an absolutely incredible memory.

He instantly recalls even

the most meaningless details.

Your room is all ready for you,

Miss Wangel.

One of the children's rooms?

Yes, the middle one, but, um...

So... Hilde will sleep

in one of the children's rooms.

Hilde?

Yes, Miss Wangel is called Hilde.

And do you know...

I knew Hilde when she was a child.

You did? Well, Halvard, really?

Hello.

I just wanted to tell you that I'm here.

Good. Good.

How's old Brovik doing today?

Not very well.

He wanted me to tell you

that he's terribly sorry...

but he has to spend the day in bed.

Of course. He must stay in bed.

Well, you can get to work, if you like.

See you later.

The next one to die, so...

he's on his way too now, I'd say.

"He's on his way too"?

What's that supposed to mean?

Old Brovik.

He's certainly going to die.

We'll be hearing about his death

any day now, I'd say.

Aline, darling.

Do you think maybe you should

go out for a while...

and take a little walk or something?

Yes, absolutely.

That's exactly the thing I need to do.

Is she still asleep?

You're wondering about Miss Wangel?

Yes, I just suddenly wondered...

Actually, she's been up for hours.

Really?

When I went in to look in on her...

she was busy arranging

all of her little things.

Well, we've finally found a good use

for one of the children's rooms...

haven't we, Aline?

Yes, at last.

I mean, it's wonderful

to not just leave all of them empty.

You're quite right, Halvard.

The nightmare of that emptiness.

Things are gonna be better, my darling.

Believe me...

things are gonna start to get better.

Everything is gonna

be easier and nicer for both of us.

"Things are going to start to get better"?

Believe me, Aline.

You mean because that girl's come here?

No, I was talking about the fact...

that we're gonna move into our new house.

Do you believe that, Halvard?

Do you really believe

that's gonna make things better?

I don't doubt it for a second.

I mean, you think that too, don't you?

No.

Because when I think

about the new house, I go blank.

I feel absolutely nothing.

You know it's very hard for me

when you say things like that, Aline...

because, I mean, I...

you're the main reason...

- I built it for you.

- Yes, for me.

You do much too much "for me."

I mean, I'm still gonna tell you...

you're going to see that I'm right.

Things are going to be nice.

They're gonna be very,

very nice for you, Aline...

when we move into the new...

- "Nice for me."

- Yes, they will be...

because there's going

to be so much there...

that's gonna remind you of your...

Parents' house?

It's gonna remind me

of my parents' house...

that burned down in the fire.

- Aline, darling.

- Don't you understand...

that you can work and build

for the rest of your life, Halvard...

but you will never be able to give me back

a home that feels right to me!

Well, then for God's sake...

let's not talk anymore about the subject.

We never do talk about it anyway.

- I mean, you avoid the subject.

- I avoid the subject?

I avoid the subject?

Why in the world would I do that?

Halvard, I know you so well.

You really would like to save me

from everything that weighs down on me.

You'd like to pardon me too.

- Pardon you?

- Yes, me!

This again?

But... Because with my parents' house...

whatever was gonna happen

was gonna happen.

When terrible things start to fall

out of the sky, you can't stop them.

Of course.

But the horror is

what happened after the fire.

- That's the thing. That... That... That...

- Aline.

Aline, Aline.

You have to promise me that you'll

never start thinking like this again.

Promise you. Promise all you like.

My God.

It's so hopeless. It's so hopeless.

There's never a ray of light.

There's never a ray of light.

There's never one ray of light

inside this home we live in.

Halvard, this isn't a home.

All right.

Fine.

- It isn't.

- No.

Aline, let's be serious.

Do you think...

that you might just possibly be

going around here...

looking to see...

if there's a special

hidden significance...

in the things I do and the things I say?

What? Am I what?

No, it's...

it's totally understandable, Aline.

I mean, it really is.

How else are you supposed to behave...

when you have to cope

with a mentally sick man in the house?

"Mentally sick."

Are you mentally sick?

Well, now, let's not say "sick."

Let's just say a bit disturbed.

- For Christ's sake, Halvard.

- A bit unbalanced.

But... But oddly, you're mistaken.

You and the doctor

are completely mistaken...

because there's absolutely

nothing wrong with me.

Well, of course there isn't.

So what are you so upset about?

Upset?

Am I upset?

I think I might be upset because

of the burden of all the guilt, Aline.

I haven't done anything...

and yet I feel...

I'm being ground down into the dirt...

overpowered by guilt.

Towards me?

Well, yes, yes. Towards you, my dear.

Well then, Halvard...

you really are sick.

You are.

Well, I suppose I must be,

or something of that nature.

Now, this lets in a little light,

now, doesn't it, Aline?

Good morning, Master Builder.

- Did you sleep well?

- Yes, sir. It was wonderful.

It was as if I were being

rocked in a cradle.

I just lay there and... I stretched out

like a princess.

Very appropriate.

Did you dream a little bit too, maybe?

Yes, but that was awful.

I dreamt that I was falling down

an enormously high, steep cliff.

- Do you ever have that dream?

- Yes!

Sometimes I do!

It's horrible,

but it's also this exciting feeling...

the way you sort of drift down

farther and farther.

There's a sort of icy sensation,

cold, freezing.

Yes! Do you sometimes

pull your legs up under you as you fall?

- Right up to my chest!

- Yes! Yes!

Halvard, I guess I'd better

go into town now.

I, um...

I'll see if I can find you

a few clothes...

and some other things

you're obviously gonna need.

Dear, lovely Mrs. Solness,

that's so incredibly kind of you.

You're being so kind to me.

Minimal obligation to a guest.

I'm not kind at all.

Wh... I mean...

I can perfectly well

go to town myself and get what I need.

To be absolutely frank, I think you might

possibly attract attention there somehow.

Attention?

Really?

Attention? Really?

Well, that would be fun, wouldn't it?

But then...

people there might start to think

that you, too, were crazy.

Crazy? Why?

Is there an enormous number

of crazy people here in your town?

Well, there... there's... there's a...

Stop it! Stop it!

Do you mean

that you haven't noticed it yet?

No. No. Absolutely not.

I mean...

I mean, no... Maybe, you know...

Maybe in... in one particular way.

Whoa.

Did you hear that, Aline?

Yeah? Well, what is

that one particular way?

I'm not gonna say.

- Come on. Tell us.

- No. Do you think I'm crazy?

I'm sure when you two are alone,

she'll tell you, Halvard.

- Really? Do you think so?

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