Ellida (leaning back in her chair). What an extraordinary idea! (Shutting her eyes.) Oh! I can see it so clearly, living before me!
Arnholm. But how on earth, Mr.—Mr.—I thought you said it was to be something you had experienced.
Lyngstrand. Yes. I did experience that—that is to say, to a certain extent.
Arnholm. You saw a dead man?
Lyngstrand. Well, I don't mean I've actually seen this—experienced it in the flesh. But still—
Ellida (quickly, intently). Oh! tell me all you can about it! I must understand about all this.
Arnholm (smiling). Yes, that'll be quite in your line. Something that has to do with sea fancies.
Ellida. What was it, Mr. Lyngstrand?
Lyngstrand. Well, it was like this. At the time when we were to sail home in the brig from a town they called Halifax, we had to leave the boatswain behind in the hospital. So we had to engage an American instead. This new boatswain Ellida. The American?
Lyngstrand. Yes, one day he got the captain to lend him a lot of old newspapers and he was always reading them. For he wanted to teach himself Norwegian, he said.