Ghosts | Page 7

who goes out again at once through the nearer door on the
right.)
Mrs. Alving (holding out her hand). I am very glad to see you, Mr.
Manders.
Manders. How do you do, Mrs. Alving. Here I am, as I promised.
Mrs. Alving. Always punctual!
Manders. Indeed, I was hard put to it to get away. What with vestry
meetings and committees.
Mrs. Alving. It was all the kinder of you to come in such good time; we
can settle our business before dinner. But where is your luggage?
Manders (quickly). My things are down at the village shop. I am going
to sleep there tonight.
Mrs. Alving (repressing a smile). Can't I really persuade you to stay the
night here this time?
Manders. No, no; many thanks all the same; I will put up there, as usual.
It is so handy for getting on board the boat again.
Mrs. Alving. Of course, you shall do as you please. But it seems to me
quite another thing, now we are two old people--
Manders. Ha! ha! You will have your joke! And it's natural you should
be in high spirits today--first of all there is the great event tomorrow,
and also you have got Oswald home.
Mrs. Alving. Yes, am I not a lucky woman! It is more than two years
since he was home last, and he has promised to stay the whole winter
with me.

Manders, Has he, really? That is very nice and filial of him; because
there must be many more attractions in his life in Rome or in Paris, I
should think.
Mrs. Alving. Yes, but he has his mother here, you see. Bless the dear
boy, he has got a corner in his heart for his mother still.
Manders. Oh, it would be very sad if absence and preoccupation with
such a thing as Art were to dull the natural affections.
Mrs. Alving. It would, indeed. But there is no fear of that with him, I
am glad to say. I am quite curious to see if you recognise him again. He
will be down directly; he is just lying down for a little on the sofa
upstairs. But do sit down, my dear friend.
Manders. Thank you. You are sure I am not disturbing you?
Mrs. Alving. Of course not. (She sits down at the table.)
Manders. Good. Then I will show you--. (He goes to the chair where
his bag is lying and takes a packet of papers from it; then sits down at
the opposite side of the table and looks for a clear space to put the
papers down.) Now first of all, here is--(breaks off). Tell me, Mrs.
Alving, what are these books doing here?
Mrs. Alving. These books? I am reading them,
Manders. Do you read this sort of thing?
Mrs, Alving. Certainly I do.
Manders. Do you feel any the better or the happier for reading books of
this kind?
Mrs. Alving. I think it makes me, as it were, more self-reliant.
Manders. That is remarkable. But why?
Mrs. Alving. Well, they give me an explanation or a confirmation of

lots of different ideas that have come into my own mind. But what
surprises me, Mr. Manders, is that, properly speaking, there is nothing
at all new in these books. There is nothing more in them than what
most people think and believe. The only thing is, that most people
either take no account of it or won't admit it to themselves.
Manders. But, good heavens, do you seriously think that most
people--?
Mrs. Alving. Yes, indeed, I do.
Manders. But not here in the country at any rate? Not here amongst
people like ourselves?
Mrs. Alving. Yes, amongst people like ourselves too.
Manders. Well, really, I must say--!
Mrs. Alving. But what is the particular objection that you have to these
books?
Manders. What objection? You surely don't suppose that I take any
particular interest in such productions?
Mrs. Alving. In fact, you don't know anything about what you are
denouncing?
Manders. I have read quite enough about these books to disapprove of
them:
Mrs. Alving. Yes, but your own opinion--
Manders. My dear Mrs. Alving, there are many occasions in life when
one has to rely on the opinion of others. That is the way in this world,
and it is quite right that it should be so. What would become of society,
otherwise?
Mrs. Alving. Well, you may be right.

Manders. Apart from that, naturally I don't deny that literature of this
kind may have a considerable attraction. And I cannot blame you,
either, for wishing to make yourself acquainted with the intellectual
tendencies which I am told are at work in the wider world in which you
have allowed your son to wander for so long