



Produced by Martin Adamson.  HTML version by Al Haines.









GHOSTS

A Domestic Tragedy in Three Acts


by

Henrik Ibsen



Translated by R. Farquharson Sharp




DRAMATIS PERSONAE

  Mrs. Alving (a widow).
  Oswald Alving (her son, an artist).
  Manders (the Pastor of the parish).
  Engstrand (a carpenter).
  Regina Engstrand (his daughter, in Mrs Alving's service).

(The action takes place at Mrs Alving's house on one of the larger
fjords of Western Norway.)




GHOSTS




ACT I


(SCENE.--A large room looking upon a garden door in the left-hand wall,
and two in the right. In the middle of the room, a round table with
chairs set about it, and books, magazines and newspapers upon it. In
the foreground on the left, a window, by which is a small sofa with a
work-table in front of it. At the back the room opens into a
conservatory rather smaller than the room. From the right-hand side of
this, a door leads to the garden. Through the large panes of glass that
form the outer wall of the conservatory, a gloomy fjord landscape can
be discerned, half-obscured by steady rain.

ENGSTRAND is standing close to the garden door. His left leg is
slightly deformed, and he wears a boot with a clump of wood under the
sole. REGINA, with an empty garden-syringe in her hand, is trying to
prevent his coming in.)

Regina (below her breath). What is it you want? Stay where you are. The
rain is dripping off you.

Engstrand. God's good rain, my girl.

Regina. The Devil's own rain, that's what it is!

Engstrand. Lord, how you talk, Regina. (Takes a few limping steps
forward.) What I wanted to tell you was this--

Regina. Don't clump about like that, stupid! The young master is lying
asleep upstairs.

Engstrand. Asleep still? In the middle of the day?

Regina. Well, it's no business of yours.

Engstrand. I was out on a spree last night--

Regina. I don't doubt it.

Engstrand. Yes, we are poor weak mortals, my girl--

Regina. We are indeed.

Engstrand. --and the temptations of the world are manifold, you
know--but, for all that, here I was at my work at half-past five this
morning.

Regina. Yes, yes, but make yourself scarce now. I am not going to stand
here as if I had a rendezvous with you.

Engstrand. As if you had a what?

Regina. I am not going to have anyone find you here; so now you know,
and you can go.

Engstrand (coming a few steps nearer). Not a bit of it! Not before we
have had a little chat. This afternoon I shall have finished my job
down at the school house, and I shall be off home to town by tonight's
boat.

Regina (mutters). Pleasant journey to you!

Engstrand. Thanks, my girl. Tomorrow is the opening of the Orphanage,
and I expect there will be a fine kick-up here and plenty of good
strong drink, don't you know. And no one shall say of Jacob Engstrand
that he can't hold off when temptation comes in his way.

Regina. Oho!

Engstrand. Yes, because there will be a lot of fine folk here tomorrow.
Parson Manders is expected from town, too.

Regina: What's more, he's coming today.

Engstrand. There you are! And I'm going to be precious careful he
doesn't have anything to say against me, do you see?

Regina. Oh, that's your game, is it?

Engstrand. What do you mean?

Regina (with a significant look at him). What is it you want to humbug
Mr. Manders out of this time?

Engstrand. Sh! Sh! Are you crazy? Do you suppose I would want to humbug
Mr. Manders? No, no--Mr. Manders has always been too kind a friend for
me to do that. But what I wanted to talk to you about, was my going
back home tonight.

Regina. The sooner you go, the better I shall be pleased.

Engstrand. Yes, only I want to take you with me, Regina.

Regina (open-mouthed). You want to take me--?