Page:The collected works of Henrik Ibsen (Volume 8).djvu/232

 [Looking straight before him.] Well well, perhaps he was right.—But tell me now, Hialmar: are you pretty well satisfied with your present position?

[With a little sigh.] Oh yes, I am; I have really no cause to complain. At first, as you may guess, I felt it a little strange. It was such a totally new state of things for me. But of course my whole circumstances were totally changed. Father's utter, irretrievable ruin,—the shame and disgrace of it, Gregers

[Affected.] Yes, yes; I understand.

I couldn't think of remaining at college; there wasn't a shilling to spare; on the contrary, there were debts—mainly to your father I believe

H'm

In short, I thought it best to break, once for all, with my old surroundings and associations. It was your father that specially urged me to it; and since he interested himself so much in me

My father did?

Yes, you surely knew that, didn't you? Where do you suppose I found the money to learn