Petra.

Yes; do you think we don’t have to tell them many and many a thing we don’t believe ourselves?

Billing.

Ah, that’s too true.

Petra.

If only I could afford it, I should start a school myself, and things should be very different there.

Billing.

Oh, afford it——!

Horster.

If you really think of doing that, Miss Stockmann, I shall be delighted to let you have a room at my place. You know my father’s old house is nearly empty; there’s a great big dining-room on the ground floor——