Mrs. Bernick: The whole town knows it, unfortunately; and you
know you said yourself.

Bernick: I said nothing. The town knows nothing whatever about
the affair; the whole thing was no more than idle rumour.

Mrs. Bernick: How magnanimous you are, Karsten!

Bernick: Do not let us have any more of these reminiscences,
please! You don't know how you torture me by raking all that up.
(Walks up and down; then flings his stick away from him.) And to
think of their coming home now--just now, when it is particularly
necessary for me that I should stand well in every respect with
the town and with the Press. Our newspaper men will be sending
paragraphs to the papers in the other towns about here. Whether I
receive them well, or whether I receive them ill, it will all be
discussed and talked over. They will rake up all those old
stories--as you do. In a community like ours--(Throws his gloves
down on the table.) And I have not a soul here to whom I can talk
about it and to whom I can go for support.

Mrs. Bernick: No one at all, Karsten?

Bernick: No--who is there? And to have them on my shoulders just
at this moment! Without a doubt they will create a scandal in
some way or another--she, in particular. It is simply a calamity
to be connected with such folk in any way!

Mrs. Bernick: Well, I can't help their--