STEINDOR. She'll be lucky if they are ever found.
INGOLF. It seems strange that she dropped them. When I saw that she herself was coming here, it flashed across my mind, that she hadn't dropped the pearls in the gorge after all.
STEINDOR. I don't understand—what are you driving at? Do you think it is something she invented? Why should she?
INGOLF. I am afraid to let her go down.
HADDA PADDA [enters with a large stone in her arms which she places on the edge. She has the coil of rope thrown over her shoulder. Laughs]. So you haven't gone yet! [Takes the spade and starts to dig.] Don't you think I can do without you now? I will dig a deep, deep hole. Then I'll tie one end of the rope around the stone, and place it into the hole.—Then I'll go and get more stones up in the mountain and pile them up. You will see how well it will hold.
INGOLF [examining the stone]. So you think it will hold? Well—[Takes the stone and flings it into the ravine.]
HADDA PADDA [smiling, she looks at Ingolf]. I shall take better care next time. [Running away, Ingolf and Steindor look after her.]
STEINDOR. She is determined to go down.
INGOLF. I will offer to go down again. Let us both offer to go down.
STEINDOR. She said she would go down anyhow, if we didn't find the pearls.