Complete Works of Henrik Ibsen (16 page)

ELINA. Go out and see what is amiss.

 (EINAR HUK, the bailiff, appears in the ante-room, with a crowd
      of Retainers and Peasants.)

EINAR HUK (in the doorway). Straight in to her! And see you
lose not heart!

BIORN. What do you seek?

EINAR HUK. Lady Inger herself.

BIORN. Lady Inger? So late?

EINAR HUK. Late, but time enough, I wot.

THE PEASANTS. Yes, yes; she must hear us now!

(The whole rabble crowds into the room. At the same moment, LADY INGER appears in the doorway of the hall. A sudden silence.)

LADY INGER. What would you with me?

EINAR HUK. We sought you, noble lady, to ——

LADY INGER. Well, speak out!

EINAR HUK. Why, we are not ashamed of our errand. In one word, we come to pray you for weapons and leave ——

LADY INGER. Weapons and leave —— ? And for what?

EINAR HUK. There has come a rumour from Sweden that the people of the Dales have risen against King Gustav ——

LADY INGER. The people of the Dales?

EINAR HUK. Ay, so the tidings run, and they seem sure enough.

LADY INGER. Well, if it were so, what have you to do with the
Dale-folk’s rising?

THE PEASANTS. We will join them! We will help! We will free
ourselves!

LADY INGER (aside). Can the time be come?

EINAR HUK. From all our borderlands the peasants are pouring across to the Dales. Even outlaws that have wandered for years in the mountains are venturing down to the homesteads again, and drawing men together, and whetting their rusty swords.

LADY INGER (after a pause). Tell me, men, have you thought well of this? Have you counted the cost, if King Gustav’s men should win?

BIORN (softly and imploringly to LADY INGER). Count the cost
to the Danes if King Gustav’s men should lose.

LADY INGER (evasively). That reckoning is not for me to make.
(Turns to the people).
  You know that King Gustav is sure of help from Denmark. King
Frederick is his friend, and will never leave him in the lurch ——

EINAR HUK. But if the people were now to rise all over Norway’s land? — if we all rose as one man, nobles and peasants together? — ay, Lady Inger Gyldenlove, the time we have waited for is surely come. We have but to rise now to drive the strangers from the land.

THE PEASANTS. Ay, out with the Danish sheriffs! Out with the foreign masters! Out with the Councillors’ lackeys!

LADY INGER (aside). Ah, there is metal in them; and yet, yet —— !

BIORN (to himself). She is of two minds. (To ELINA.) What say you now, Mistress Elina — have you not sinned in misjudging your mother?

ELINA. Biorn, if my eyes have deceived me, I could tear them out of my head!

EINAR HUK. See you not, my noble lady, King Gustav must be dealt with first. Once his power is gone, the Danes cannot long hold this land ——

LADY INGER. And then?

EINAR HUK. Then we shall be free. We shall have no more foreign masters, and can choose ourselves a king, as the Swedes have done before us.

LADY INGER (with animation). A king for ourselves. Are you thinking of the Sture stock?

EINAR HUK. King Christiern and others after him have swept bare our ancient houses. The best of our nobles are outlaws on the hill- paths, if so be they still live; nevertheless, it might still be possible to find one or other shoot of the old stems ——

LADY INGER (hastily). Enough, Einar Huk, enough! (To herself.) Ah, my dearest hope! (Turns to the Peasants and Retainers.) I have warned you, now, as well as I can. I have told you how great is the risk you run. But if you are fixed in your purpose, it were folly of me to forbid what I have no power to prevent.

EINAR HUK. Then we have your leave to —— ?

LADY INGER. You have your own firm will; take counsel with that.
If it be as you say, that you are daily harassed and oppressed ——
 
—— I know but little of these matters, and would not know more.
What can I, a lonely woman —— ? Even if you were to plunder the
Banquet Hall — and there’s many a good weapon on the walls — you are
the masters at Ostrat to-night. You must do as seems good to you.
Good-night!

 (Loud cries of joy from the multitude. Candles are lighted;
      the retainers bring weapons of different kinds from the hall.)

BIORN (seizes LADY INGER’S hand as she is going). Thanks, my noble and high-souled mistress! I, that have known you from childhood up — I have never doubted you.

LADY INGER. Hush, Biorn. It is a dangerous game that I have ventured this night. The others stake only their lives; but I, trust me, a thousandfold more!

BIORN. How mean you? Do you fear for your power and your favour with —— ?

LADY INGER. My power? O God in Heaven!

A RETAINER (comes from the hall with a large sword). See, here’s a real good wolf’s-tooth to flay the blood-suckers’ lackeys with!

EINAR HUK. ‘Tis too good for such as you. Look, here is the shaft of Sten Sture’s* lance; hang the breastplate upon it, and we shall have the noblest standard heart can desire.

* Pronounce
Stayn Stoore
[umlaut above “e” — D. L.].

FINN (comes from the door on the left, with a letter in his hand, and goes towards LADY INGER). I have sought you through all the house.

LADY INGER. What do you want?

FINN (hands her the letter). A messenger is come from Trondhiem with a letter for you.

LADY INGER. Let me see! (opening the letter). From Trondhiem? What can it be? (Runs through the letter.) Help, Christ! From him! and here in Norway ——

(Reads on with strong emotion, while the men go on bringing out arms from the hall.)

LADY INGER (to herself). He is coming here. He is coming to- night! — Ay, then ‘tis with our wits we must fight, not with the sword.

EINAR HUK. Enough, enough, good fellows; we are well armed now,
and can set forth on our way.

LADY INGER (with a sudden change of tone). No man shall leave
my house to-night!

EINAR HUK. But the wind is fair, noble lady; we can sail up the
fiord, and ——

LADY INGER. It shall be as I have said.

EINAR HUK. Are we to wait till to-morrow, then?

LADY INGER. Till to-morrow, and longer still. No armed man shall go forth from Ostrat yet awhile.

(Signs of displeasure from the crowd.)

SOME OF THE PEASANTS. We will go all the same, Lady Inger!

THE CRY SPREADS. Yes, yes; we
will
go!

LADY INGER (advancing a step towards them). Who dares to move? (A silence. After a moment’s pause, she adds:) I have thought for you. What do you common folk know of the country’s needs? How dare you judge of such things? You must even bear your oppressions and burdens yet awhile. Why murmur at that, when you see that we, your leaders, are as ill bested as you? ——
 
—— Take all the weapons back to the hall. You shall know my further will hereafter. Go!

 (The Retainers take back the arms, and the whole crowd then
      withdraws by the door on the right.)

ELINA (softly to BIORN). Do you still think I have sinned in
misjudging — the Lady of Ostrat?

LADY INGER (beckons to BIORN, and says). Have a guest chamber
ready.

BIORN. It is well, Lady Inger!

LADY INGER. And let the gate stand open to all that knock.

BIORN. But —— ?

LADY INGER. The gate open!

BIORN. The gate open. (Goes out to the right.)

LADY INGER (to ELINA, who has already reached the door on the left). Stay here! ——
 
—— Elina — my child — I have something to say to you alone.

ELINA. I hear you.

LADY INGER. Elina ——
 
—— you think evil of your mother.

ELINA. I think, to my sorrow, what your deeds have forced me to think.

LADY INGER. You answer out of the bitterness of your heart.

ELINA. Who has filled my heart with bitterness? From my childhood I have been wont to look up to you as a great and high-souled woman. It was in your likeness I pictured the women we read of in the chronicles and the Book of Heroes. I thought the Lord God himself had set his seal on your brow, and marked you out as the leader of the helpless and the oppressed. Knights and nobles sang your praise in the feast-hall, and the peasants, far and near, called you the country’s pillar and its hope. All thought that through you the good times were to come again! All thought that through you a new day was to dawn over the land! The night is still here; and I no longer know if I dare look for any morning to come through you.

LADY INGER. It is easy to see whence you have learnt such venomous words. You have let yourself give ear to what the thoughtless rabble mutters and murmurs about things it can little judge of.

ELINA. “Truth is in the people’s mouth,” was your word when they praised you in speech and song.

LADY INGER. May be so. But if indeed I had chosen to sit here idle, though it was my part to act — do you not think that such a choice were burden enough for me, without your adding to its weight?

ELINA. The weight I add to your burden bears on me as heavily as on you. Lightly and freely I drew the breath of life, so long as I had you to believe in. For my pride is my life; and well had it become me, if you had remained what once you were.

LADY INGER. And what proves to you I have not? Elina, how can you know so surely that you are not doing your mother wrong?

ELINA (vehemently). Oh, that I were!

LADY INGER. Peace! You have no right to call your mother to account —— With a single word I could ——
 
—— ; but it would be an ill word for you to hear; you must await what time shall bring; may be that ——

ELINA (turns to go). Sleep well, my mother!

LADY INGER (hesitates). Nay, stay with me; I have still somewhat —
Come nearer; — you must hear me, Elina!

(Sits down by the table in front of the window.)

ELINA. I am listening.

LADY INGER. For as silent as you are, I know well that you often long to be gone from here. Ostrat is too lonely and lifeless for you.

ELINA. Do you wonder at that, my mother?

LADY INGER. It rests with you whether all this shall henceforth be changed.

ELINA. How so?

LADY INGER. Listen. — I look for a guest to-night.

ELINA (comes nearer). A guest?

LADY INGER. A stranger, who must remain a stranger to all. None must know whence he comes or whither he goes.

ELINA (throws herself, with a cry of joy, at her mother’s feet and seizes her hands). My mother! My mother! Forgive me, if you can, all the wrong I have done you!

LADY INGER. What do you mean? Elina, I do not understand you.

ELINA. Then they were all deceived! You are still true at heart!

LADY INGER. Rise, rise and tell me ——

ELINA. Do you think I do not know who the stranger is?

LADY INGER. You know? And yet —— ?

ELINA. Do you think the gates of Ostrat shut so close that never a whisper of evil tidings can slip through? Do you think I do not know that the heir of many a noble line wanders outlawed, without rest or shelter, while Danish masters lord it in the home of their fathers?

LADY INGER. And what then?

ELINA. I know well that many a high-born knight is hunted through the woods like a hungry wolf. No hearth has he to rest by, no bread to eat ——