Complete Works of Henrik Ibsen (107 page)

SCENE THIR
D

[The farm-place at Hegstad. In the background, the dwelling-house. A THRONG OF GUESTS. A lively dance
in progress on the green. THE FIDDLER sits on a table. THE

MASTER-COOK is standing in the doorway. COOKMAIDS are going to and
fro between the different buildings Groups of ELDERLY PEOPLE sit
here and there, talking.]

A WOMAN
[joins a group that is seated on some logs of wood]
The bride? Oh yes, she is crying a bit;
but that, you know, isn’t worth heeding.

THE MASTER-COOK
[in another group]
Now then, good folk, you must empty the barrel.

A MAN
Thanks to you, friend; but you fill up too quick.

A LAD
[to the FIDDLER as he flies past, holding A GIRL by the hand]
To it now, Guttorm, and don’t spare the fiddlestrings!

THE GIRL
Scrape till it echoes out over the meadows!

OTHER GIRLS
[standing in a ring round a lad who is dancing]
That’s a rare fling!

A GIRL
He has legs that can lift him!

THE LAD
[dancing]
The roof here is high, and the walls wide
asunder!

THE BRIDEGROOM
[comes whimpering up to his FATHER, who is standing talking with some other men, and twitches his jacket]
Father, she will not; she is so proud!

HIS FATHER
What won’t she do?

THE BRIDEGROOM
She has locked herself in.

HIS FATHER
Well, you must manage to find the key.

THE BRIDEGROOM
I don’t know how.

HIS FATHER
You’re a nincompoop!
[Turns away to the others. The BRIDEGROOM drifts across the yard.]

A LAD
[comes from behind the house]
Wait a bit, girls! Things’ll soon be lively!
Here comes Peer Gynt.

THE SMITH
[who has just come up]
Who invited him?

THE MASTER-COOK
No one.
[Goes towards the house.]

THE SMITH
[to the girls]
If he should speak to you, never take notice!

A GIRL
[to the others]
. No, we’ll pretend that we don’t even see him.

PEER GYNT
[comes in heated and full of animation, stops right in front of the group, and claps his hands]
Which is the liveliest girl of the lot of you?

A GIRL
[as he approaches her]
I am not.

ANOTHER
[similarly]
I am not.

A THIRD
No; nor I either.

PEER
[to a fourth]
You come along, then, for want of a better.

THE GIRL
Haven’t got time.

PEER
[to a fifth]
Well then, you!

THE GIRL
[going]
I’m for home.

PEER
To-night? are you utterly out of your senses?

THE SMITH
[after a moment, in a low voice]
See, Peer, she’s taken a greybeard for partner.

PEER
[turns sharply to an elderly man]
Where are the unbespoke girls?

THE MAN
Find them out.
[Goes away from him.]
[PEER GYNT has suddenly become subdued. He glances shyly and furtively at the group. All look at him, but no
one speaks. He approaches other groups. Wherever he goes there is
silence; when he moves away, they look after him and smile.]

PEER
[to himself]
Mocking looks; needle-keen whispers and smiles.
They grate like a sawblade under the file!
[He slinks along close to the fence.
 
SOLVEIG, leading little HELGA by the hand, comes into the yard,
along with her PARENTS.]

A MAN
[to another, close to PEER GYNT]
Look, here are the new folk.

THE OTHER
The ones from the west?

THE FIRST MAN
Ay, the people from Hedal.

THE OTHER
Ah yes, so they are.

PEER
[places himself in the path of the new-comers, points to SOLVEIG,
     
and asks the FATHER:]
May I dance with your daughter?

THE FATHER
[quietly]
You may so; but first we must go
to the farm-house and greet the good people.
[They go in.]

THE MASTER-COOK
[to PEER GYNT, offering him drink]
Since you are here, you’d best take a pull at the liquor.

PEER
[looking fixedly after the new-comers]
Thanks; I’m for dancing; I am not athirst.
[The MASTER-COOK goes away from him. PEER
 
GYNT gazes towards the house and laughs.]
How fair! Did ever you see the like?
Looked down at her shoes and her snow-white-apron — !
And then she held on to her mother’s skirt-folds,
and carried a psalm-book wrapped up in a kerchief — !
I must look at that girl.
[Going into the house.]

A LAD
[coming out of the house, with several others]
Are you off so soon, Peer, from the dance?

PEER
No, no.

THE LAD
Then you’re heading amiss!
[Takes hold of his shoulder to turn him round.]

PEER
Let me pass!

THE LAD
I believe you’re afraid of the smith.

PEER
I afraid!

THE LAD
You remember what happened at Lunde?
[They go off, laughing, to the dancing-green.]

SOLVEIG
[in the doorway of the house]
Are you not the lad that was wanting to dance?

PEER
Of course it was me; don’t you know me again?
[Takes her hand.]
Come, then!

SOLVEIG
We mustn’t go far, mother said.

PEER
Mother said! Mother said! Were you born yesterday?

SOLVEIG
Now you’re laughing — !

PEER
Why sure, you are almost a child.
Are you grown up?

SOLVEIG
I read with the pastor last spring.

PEER
Tell me your name, lass, and then we’ll talk easier.

SOLVEIG
My name is Solveig. And what are you called?

PEER
Peer Gynt.

SOLVEIG
[withdrawing her hand]
Oh heaven!

PEER
Why, what is it now?

SOLVEIG
My garter is loose; I must tie it up tighter.
[Goes away from him.]

Peer among the Wedding Guests

THE BRIDEGROOM
[pulling at his MOTHER’S gown]
Mother, she will not — !

HIS MOTHER
She will not? What?

THE BRIDEGROOM
She won’t, mother —

HIS MOTHER
What?

THE BRIDEGROOM
Unlock the door.

HIS FATHER
[angrily, below his breath]
Oh, you’re only fit to be tied in a stall!

HIS MOTHER
Don’t scold him. Poor dear, he’ll be all right yet.
[They move away.]

A LAD
[coming with a whole crowd of others from the dancing-green]
Peer, have some brandy?

PEER
No.

THE LAD
Only a drain?

PEER
[looking darkly at him]
Got any?

THE LAD
Well, I won’t say but I have.
[Pulls out a pocket-flask and drinks.]
Ah! How it stings your throat! — Well?

PEER
[Drinks.]
Let me try it.

ANOTHER LAD
Now you must try mine as well, you know.

PEER
No!

THE LAD
Oh, nonsense; now don’t be a fool.
Take a pull, Peer!

PEER
Well then, give me a drop.
[Drinks again.]

A GIRL
[half aloud]
Come, let’s be going.

PEER
Afraid of me, wench?

A THIRD LAD
Who isn’t afraid of you?

A FOURTH
At Lunde you showed us clearly what tricks you could play.

PEER
I can do more than that, when once I get started!

THE FIRST LAD
[whispering]
Now he’s getting into swing!

SEVERAL OTHERS
[forming a circle around him]
Tell away! Tell away!
What can you — ?

PEER
To-morrow — !

OTHERS
No, now, to-night!

A GIRL
Can you conjure, Peer?

PEER
I can call up the devil!

A MAN
My grandam could do that before I was born!

PEER
Liar! What I can do, that no one else can.
I one day conjured him into a nut.
It was worm-bored, you see!

SEVERAL
[laughing]
Ay, that’s easily guessed!

PEER
He cursed, and he wept, and he wanted to bribe me with all sorts of things —

ONE OF THE CROWD
But he had to go in?

PEER
Of course. I stopped up the hole with a peg.
Hei! If you’d heard him rumbling and grumbling!

A GIRL
Only think!

PEER
It was just like a humble-bee buzzing.

THE GIRL
Have you got him still in the nut?

PEER
Why, no; by this time that devil has flown on his way.
The grudge the smith bears me is all his doing.

A LAD
Indeed?

PEER
I went to the smithy, and begged
that he would crack that same nutshell for me.
He promised he would! — laid it down on his anvil;
but Aslak, you know, is so heavy of hand; —
for ever swinging that great sledge-hammer —

A VOICE FROM THE CROWD
Did he kill the foul fiend?

PEER
He laid on like a man.
But the devil showed fight, and tore off in a flame
through the roof, and shattered the wall asunder.

SEVERAL VOICES
And the smith — ?

PEER
Stood there with his hands all scorched.
And from that day onwards, we’ve never been friends.
[General laughter.]

SOME OF THE CROWD
That yarn is a good one.

OTHERS
About his best.

PEER
Do you think I am making it up?

A MAN
Oh no,
that you’re certainly not; for I’ve heard the most on’t
from my grandfather —

PEER
Liar! It happened to me!

THE MAN
Yes, like everything else.

PEER
[with a fling]
I can ride, I can,
clean through the air, on the bravest of steeds!
Oh, many’s the thing I can do, I tell you!
[Another roar of laughter.]