Page:The collected works of Henrik Ibsen (Volume 10).djvu/309

 Hilda.

Oh yes—I'm sure he is frightfully clever.

Solness.

Do you think you can see that in the drawings?

Hilda.

Pooh—these scrawlings! But if he has been learning from you

Solness.

Oh, so far as that goesthere are plenty of people here that have learnt from me, and have come to little enough for all that.

Hilda.

[Looks at him and shakes her head.] No, I can't for the life of me understand how you can be so stupid.

Solness.

Stupid? Do you think I am so very stupid?

Hilda.

Yes, I do indeed. If you are content to go about here teaching all these people

Solness.

[With a slight start.] Well, and why not?

Hilda.

[Rises, half serious, half laughing.] No indeed, Mr. Solness! What can be the good of that? No one but you should be allowed to build. You should stand quite alone—do it all yourself. Now you know it.