ALLMERS. Well, what? RITA. [Slowly and with resolution.] As soon as you are gone from me, I will go down to the beach, and bring all the poor neglected children home with me. All the mischievous boys-- ALLMERS. What will you do with them here? RITA. I will take them to my heart. ALLMERS. You! RITA. Yes, I will. From the day you leave me, they shall all be here, all of them, as if they were mine. ALLMERS. [Shocked.] In our little Eyolf's place! RITA. Yes, in our little Eyolf's place. They shall live in Eyolf's rooms. They shall read his books. They shall play with his toys. They shall take it in turns to sit in his chair at table. ALLMERS. But this is sheer madness in you! I do not know a creature in the world that is less fitted than you for anything of that sort. RITA. Then I shall have to educate myself for it; to train myself; to discipline myself. ALLMERS. If you are really in earnest about this--about all you say--then there must indeed be a change in you. RITA. Yes, there is, Alfred--and for that I have you to thank. You have made an empty place within me; and I must try to fill it up with something--with something that is a little like love. ALLMERS. [Stands for a moment lost in thought; then looks at her.] The truth is, we have not done much for the poor people down there. RITA. We have done nothing for them. ALLMERS. Scarcely even thought of them. RITA. Never thought of them in sympathy. ALLMERS. We, who had "the gold, and the green forests"-- RITA. Our hands were closed to them. And our hearts too. ALLMERS. [Nods.] Then it was perhaps natural enough, after all, that they should not risk their lives to save little Eyolf.