An Enemy of the People
Hovstad. Do you really think it can do the boys any harm to hear such
things?
Mrs. Stockmann. I don't know; but I don't like it.
Petra. But you know, mother, I think you really are wrong about it.
Mrs. Stockmann. Maybe, but I don't like it—not in our own home.
Petra. There is so much falsehood both at home and at school. At home
one must not speak, and at school we have to stand and tell lies to the
children.
Horster. Tell lies?
Petra. Yes, don't you suppose we have to teach them all sorts of things
that we don't believe?
Billing. That is perfectly true.
Petra. If only I had the means, I would start a school of my own; and
it would be conducted on very different lines.
Billing. Oh, bother the means—!
Horster. Well if you are thinking of that, Miss Stockmann, I shall be
delighted to provide you with a schoolroom. The great big old house my
father left me is standing almost empty; there is an immense
dining-room downstairs—
Petra (laughing). Thank you very much; but I am afraid nothing will
come of it.
Hovstad. No, Miss Petra is much more likely to take to journalism, I
expect. By the way, have you had time to do anything with that English
story you promised to translate for us?
Petra. No, not yet, but you shall have it in good time.
(DR. STOCKMANN comes in from his room with an open letter in his hand.)
Dr. Stockmann (waving the letter). Well, now the town will have
something new to talk about, I can tell you!
Billing. Something new?
Mrs. Stockmann. What is this?
Dr. Stockmann. A great discovery, Katherine.
Hovstad. Really?
Mrs. Stockmann. A discovery of yours?
Dr. Stockmann. A discovery of mine. (Walks up and down.) Just let them
come saying, as usual, that it is all fancy and a crazy man's
imagination! But they will be careful what they say this time, I can
tell you!
Petra. But, father, tell us what it is.
Dr. Stockmann. Yes, yes—only give me time, and you shall know all
about it. If only I had Peter here now! It just shows how we men can go
about forming our judgments, when in reality we are as blind as any
moles—
Hovstad. What are you driving at, Doctor?
Dr. Stockmann (standing still by the table). Isn't it the universal
opinion that our town is a healthy spot?
Hovstad. Certainly.
Dr. Stockmann. Quite an unusually healthy spot, in fact—a place that
deserves to be recommended in the warmest possible manner either for
invalids or for people who are well—
Mrs. Stockmann. Yes, but my dear Thomas—
Dr. Stockmann. And we have been recommending it and praising it—I have
written and written, both in the "Messenger" and in pamphlets...
Hovstad. Well, what then?
Dr. Stockmann. And the Baths—we have called them the "main artery of
the town's life-blood," the "nerve-centre of our town," and the devil
knows what else—
Billing. "The town's pulsating heart" was the expression I once used on
an important occasion.
Dr. Stockmann. Quite so. Well, do you know what they really are, these
great, splendid, much praised Baths, that have cost so much money—do
you know what they are?
Hovstad. No, what are they?
Mrs. Stockmann. Yes, what are they?
Dr. Stockmann. The whole place is a pest-house!
Petra. The Baths, father?
Mrs. Stockmann (at the same time), Our Baths?
Hovstad. But, Doctor—
Billing. Absolutely incredible!
Dr. Stockmann. The whole Bath establishment is a whited, poisoned
sepulchre, I tell you—the gravest possible danger to the public
health! All the nastiness up at Molledal, all that stinking filth, is
infecting the water in the conduit-pipes leading to the reservoir; and
the same cursed, filthy poison oozes out on the shore too—
Horster. Where the bathing-place is?
Dr. Stockmann. Just there.
Hovstad. How do you come to be so certain of all this, Doctor?
Dr. Stockmann. I have investigated the matter most conscientiously. For
a long time past I have suspected something of the kind. Last year we
had some very strange cases of illness among the visitors—typhoid
cases, and cases of gastric fever—
Mrs. Stockmann. Yes, that is quite true.
Dr. Stockmann. At the time, we supposed the visitors had been infected
before they came; but later on, in the winter, I began to have a
different opinion; and so I set myself to examine the water, as well as
I could.
Mrs. Stockmann. Then that is what you have been so busy with?
Dr. Stockmann. Indeed I have been busy, Katherine. But here I had none
of the necessary scientific apparatus; so I sent samples, both of the
drinking-water and of the sea-water, up to the University, to have an
accurate analysis made by a chemist.
Hovstad. And have you got that?
Dr. Stockmann (showing him the letter). Here it is! It proves the
presence of decomposing organic matter in the water—it is full of
infusoria. The water is absolutely dangerous to use, either internally
or externally.
Mrs. Stockmann. What a mercy you discovered it in time.
Dr. Stockmann. You may well say so.
Hovstad. And what do you propose to do now, Doctor?
Dr. Stockmann. To see the matter put right, naturally.
Hovstad. Can that be done?
Dr. Stockmann. It must be done. Otherwise the Baths will be absolutely
useless and wasted. But we need not anticipate that; I have a very
clear idea what we shall have to do.
Mrs. Stockmann. But why have you kept this all so secret, dear?
Dr. Stockmann. Do you suppose I was going to run about the town
gossiping about it, before I had absolute proof? No, thank you. I am
not such a fool.
Petra. Still, you might have told us—
Dr. Stockmann. Not a living soul. But tomorrow you may run around to
the old Badger—
Mrs. Stockmann. Oh, Thomas! Thomas!
Dr. Stockmann. Well, to your grandfather, then. The old boy will have
something to be astonished at! I know he thinks I am cracked—and there
are lots of other people who think so too, I have noticed. But now
these good folks shall see—they shall just see! (Walks about, rubbing
his hands.) There will be a nice upset in the town, Katherine; you
can't imagine what it will be. All the conduit-pipes will have to be
relaid.
Hovstad (getting up). All the conduit-pipes—?
Dr. Stockmann. Yes, of course. The intake is too low down; it will have
to be lifted to a position much higher up.
Petra. Then you were right after all.
Dr. Stockmann. Ah, you remember, Petra—I wrote opposing the plans
before the work was begun. But at that time no one would listen to me.
Well, I am going to let them have it now. Of course I have prepared a
report for the Baths Committee; I have had it ready for a week, and was
only waiting for this to come. (Shows the letter.) Now it shall go off
at once. (Goes into his room and comes back with some papers.) Look at
that! Four closely written sheets!—and the letter shall go with them.
Give me a bit of paper, Katherine—something to wrap them up in. That
will do! Now give it to-to-(stamps his foot)—what the deuce is her
name?—give it to the maid, and tell her to take it at once to the
Mayor.
(Mrs. Stockmann takes the packet and goes out through the dining-room.)
Petra. What do you think Uncle Peter will say, father?
Dr. Stockmann. What is there for him to say? I should think he would be
very glad that such an important truth has been brought to light.
Hovstad. Will you let me print a short note about your discovery in the
"Messenger?"
Dr. Stockmann. I shall be very much obliged if you will.
Hovstad. It is very desirable that the public should be informed of it
without delay.
Dr. Stockmann. Certainly.
Mrs. Stockmann (coming back). She has just gone with it.
Billing. Upon my soul, Doctor, you are going to be the foremost man in
the town!
Dr. Stockmann (walking about happily). Nonsense! As a matter of
fact I have done nothing more than my duty. I have only made a lucky
find—that's all. Still, all the same...
Billing. Hovstad, don't you think the town ought to give Dr. Stockmann
some sort of testimonial?
Hovstad. I will suggest it, anyway.
Billing. And I will speak to Aslaksen about it.
Dr. Stockmann. No, my good friends, don't let us have any of that
nonsense. I won't hear anything of the kind. And if the Baths Committee
should think of voting me an increase of salary, I will not accept it.
Do you hear, Katherine?—I won't accept it.
Mrs. Stockmann. You are quite right, Thomas.
Petra (lifting her glass). Your health, father!
Hovstad and Billing. Your health, Doctor! Good health!
Horster (touches glasses with DR. STOCKMANN). I hope it will bring you
nothing but good luck.
Dr. Stockmann. Thank you, thank you, my dear fellows! I feel
tremendously happy! It is a splendid thing for a man to be able to feel
that he has done a service to his native town and to his
fellow-citizens. Hurrah, Katherine! (He puts his arms round her and
whirls her round and round, while she protests with laughing cries.
They all laugh, clap their hands, and cheer the DOCTOR. The boys put
their heads in at the door to see what is going on.)
ACT II
(SCENE.—The same. The door into the dining room is shut. It is
morning. MRS. STOCKMANN, with a sealed letter in her hand, comes in
from the dining room, goes to the door of the DOCTOR'S study, and peeps
in.)
Mrs. Stockmann. Are you in, Thomas?
Dr. Stockmann (from within his room). Yes, I have just come in. (Comes
into the room.) What is it?
Mrs. Stockmann. A letter from your brother.
Dr. Stockmann. Aha, let us see! (Opens the letter and reads:) "I return
herewith the manuscript you sent me" (reads on in a low murmur) H'm!—
Mrs. Stockmann. What does he say?
Dr. Stockmann (putting the papers in his pocket). Oh, he only writes
that he will come up here himself about midday.
Mrs. Stockmann. Well, try and remember to be at home this time.
Dr. Stockmann. That will be all right; I have got through all my
morning visits.
Mrs. Stockmann. I am extremely curious to know how he takes it.
Dr. Stockmann. You will see he won't like it's having been I, and not
he, that made the discovery.
Mrs. Stockmann. Aren't you a little nervous about that?
Dr. Stockmann. Oh, he really will be pleased enough, you know. But, at
the same time, Peter is so confoundedly afraid of anyone's doing any
service to the town except himself.
Mrs. Stockmann. I will tell you what, Thomas—you should be good
natured, and share the credit of this with him. Couldn't you make out
that it was he who set you on the scent of this discovery?
Dr. Stockmann. I am quite willing. If only I can get the thing set
right. I—
(MORTEN KIIL puts his head in through the door leading from the hall,
looks around in an enquiring manner, and chuckles.)
Morten Kiil (slyly). Is it—is it true?
Mrs. Stockmann (going to the door). Father!—is it you?
Dr. Stockmann. Ah, Mr. Kiil—good morning, good morning!
Mrs. Stockmann. But come along in.
Morten Kiil. If it is true, I will; if not, I am off.
Dr. Stockmann. If what is true?
Morten Kiil. This tale about the water supply, is it true?
Dr. Stockmann. Certainly it is true, but how did you come to hear it?
Morten Kiil (coming in). Petra ran in on her way to the school—
Dr. Stockmann. Did she?
Morten Kiil. Yes; and she declares that—I thought she was only making
a fool of me—but it isn't like Petra to do that.
Dr. Stockmann. Of course not. How could you imagine such a thing!
Morten Kiil. Oh well, it is better never to trust anybody; you may find
you have been made a fool of before you know where you are. But it is
really true, all the same?
Dr. Stockmann. You can depend upon it that it is true. Won't you sit
down? (Settles him on the couch.) Isn't it a real bit of luck for the
town—
Morten Kiil (suppressing his laughter). A bit of luck for the town?