Page:The collected works of Henrik Ibsen (Volume 8).djvu/197

 favourable; at that time you thought you had the whole town at your back

Dr. Stockmann. Yes, and now I have the whole town on my back[Flaring up.] But no—not if I had the devil and his dam on my back—! Never—never, I tell you!

Burgomaster.

The father of a family has no right[1] to act as you are doing. You have no right to do it, Thomas.

Dr. Stockmann.

I have no right! There's only one thing in the world that a free man has no right to do; and do you know what that is?

Burgomaster. No.

Dr. Stockmann.

Of course not; but I will tell you. A free man has no right to wallow in filth like a cur; he has no right to act so that he ought to spit in his own face!

Burgomaster.

That sounds extremely plausible; and if there were not another explanation of your obstinacy—but we all know there is

Dr. Stockmann. What do you mean by that?

1 "Has no right" represents the Norwegian "tör ikke"—the phrase which, elsewhere in this scene, is translated "dare not." The latter rendering should perhaps have been adhered to throughout; but in this passage the Norwegian words convey a shade of meaning which is best represented by "has no right."