▁elements ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁Ib sen ▁was ▁working ▁on ▁The ▁Master ▁Bu ilder , ▁he ▁was ▁taking ▁a ▁hol iday ▁in ▁the ▁mountain ▁resort ▁of ▁G oss ens ass ▁and ▁sp ending ▁much ▁time ▁with ▁Emil ie ▁B ard ach , ▁an ▁ 1 8 - year - old ▁V ienn ese ▁student ▁with ▁whom ▁he ▁found ▁a ▁temporary , ▁" high , ▁pain ful ▁happiness " ▁in ▁a ▁brief ▁affair . ▁The ▁real - life ▁prototype ▁of ▁H ilda ▁made ▁no ▁secret ▁of ▁her ▁delight ▁at ▁ste aling ▁hus b ands . ▁" She ▁did ▁not ▁get ▁a ▁hold ▁of ▁me ", ▁Ib sen ▁was ▁later ▁to ▁claim , ▁" but ▁I ▁got ▁hold ▁of ▁her ▁— ▁for ▁my ▁play ". ▁Theatre ▁director ▁Harold ▁Cl ur man ▁notes ▁that ▁many ▁ ▁interpre ters ▁of ▁Ib sen ' s ▁text ▁have ▁associated ▁his ▁frequent ▁references ▁in ▁the ▁play ▁to ▁H ilda ▁as ▁a ▁" bird ▁of ▁pre y " ▁with ▁B ard ach ' s ▁pre dat ory ▁behaviour . ▁ ▁After ▁leaving ▁G oss ens ass , ▁Ib sen ▁carried ▁on ▁a ▁correspond ence ▁with ▁B ard ach , ▁but ▁he ▁continued ▁to ▁see ▁Hel ene ▁R aff , ▁an ▁acquaint ance ▁of ▁B ard ach ▁whom ▁he ▁had ▁also ▁met ▁that ▁summer . ▁It ▁was ▁R aff ▁who ▁told ▁Ib sen ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁the ▁architect ▁of ▁St . ▁Michael ' s ▁Church , ▁Mun ich , ▁who ▁had ▁cast ▁himself ▁from ▁the ▁tower ▁as ▁soon ▁as ▁it ▁was ▁finished .