Then I have my kingdom!
[Involuntarily.] Hilda—!
[Again with the quivering twitch of her lips.] Almost—I was going to say.
[She goes out to the right, SOLNESS follows her.
ACT SECOND.
A prettily furnished small drawing-room in SOLNESS'S house.
In the back, a glass-door leading out to the verandah and
garden. The right-hand corner is cut off transversely by
a large bay-window, in which are flower-stands. The left-
hand corner is similarly cut off by a transverse wall, in
which is a small door papered like the wall. On each side,
an ordinary door. In front, on the right, a console table
with a large mirror over it. Well-filled stands of plants
and flowers. In front, on the left, a sofa with a table
and chairs. Further back, a bookcase. Well forward in the
room, before the bay window, a small table and some chairs.
It is early in the day.
SOLNESS sits by the little table with RAGNAR BROVIK'S
portfolio open in front of him. He is turning the drawings
over and closely examining some of them. MRS. SOLNESS moves
about noiselessly with a small watering-pot, attending to her
flowers. She is dressed in black as before. Her hat, cloak
and parasol lie on a chair near the mirror. Unobserved by her,
SOLNESS now and again follows her with his eyes. Neither of
them speaks.
KAIA FOSLI enters quietly by the door on the left.
[Turns his head, and says in an off-hand tone of indifference:] Well, is that you?
I merely wished to let you know that I have come.
Yes, yes, that's all right. Hasn't Ragnar come too?
No, not yet. He had to wait a little while to see the doctor. But he is coming presently to hear—