RIIS.
MRS. RIIS.
SVAVA, their daughter.
MARGIT, their maid.
CHRISTENSEN.
MRS. CHRISTENSEN.
ALFRED, their son, betrothed to Svava.
DR. NORDAN.
THOMAS, his servant.
HOFF.
The action of the play passes in Christiania.
(SCENE.--A room in RIIS' house. An open door at the back leads into a park and gives a
glimpse of the sea beyond. Windows on each side of the door. Doors also in the right and
left walls. Beyond the door on the right is a piano; opposite to the piano a cupboard. In
the foreground, to the right and left, two couches with small tables in front of them. Easy-
chairs and smaller hairs scattered about. MRS. RIIS is sitting on the couch to the left, and
DR. NORDAN in a chair in the centre of the room. He is wearing a straw hat pushed on
to the back of his head, and has a large handkerchief spread over his knees. He is sitting
with his arms folded, leaning upon his stick.)
Mrs. Riis. A penny for your thoughts!
Nordan. What was it you were asking me about?
Mrs. Riis. About that matter of Mrs. North, of course.
Nordan. That matter of Mrs. North? Well, I was talking to Christensen about it just now.
He has advanced the money and is going to try and get the bank to suspend proceedings. I
have told you that already. What else do you want to know?
Mrs. Riis. I want to know how much gossip there is about it, my dear friend.
Nordan. Oh, men don't gossip about each other's affairs.--By the way, isn't our friend in
there (nodding towards the door on the right) going to be told about it? This seem, a good
opportunity.
