The Father

Laura employs the help of Margret and Nojd to steal the Captain's house keys. Meanwhile, the Captain paces furiously, locked up in his room. Laura opens her husband's office drawers with his keys. She uses the Captain's stationary to forge a letter to the Captain's commanding officer and instructs Nojd to empty all the guns. 

The pastor sits down with his sister. Laura bemoans her husband's deteriorating mental state: It has caused "the worst day and night" (67) she has ever known, beginning with his wild fantasies about Bertha's parentage and ending with him throwing a burning lamp at Laura. The pastor agrees that the Captain has lost his mind. Laura explains that the doctor has sent for a straitjacket, while she has written to the Colonel and tried to make sense of the family's finances. However, the Captain's desk holds several sentimental items that suggest that—at one time—the Captain must have loved his wife very much. Laura denies any role in her husband's struggles. When her brother points out that she stands to benefit, she stifles her laughter and defends herself.