Complete Works of Henrik Ibsen (186 page)

Hilmar: No, no; he has written to me.
(Shows the letter.)
He says he means to hide among the cargo till they are in the open sea.

Bernick: I shall never see him again!

Rummel: What nonsense! — a good strong ship, newly repaired...

Vigeland
(who has followed the others out of BERNICK’S room)
: And in your own yard, Mr. Bernick!

Bernick: I shall never see him again, I tell you. I have lost him, Lona; and — I see it now — he never was really mine.
(Listens.)
What is that?

Rummel: Music. The procession must be coming.

Bernick. I cannot take any part in it — I will not.

Rummel: What are you thinking of! That is impossible.

Sandstad: Impossible, Mr. Bernick; think what you have at stake.

Bernick: What does it all matter to me now? What have I to work for now?

Rummel: Can you ask? You have us and the community.

Vigeland: Quite true.

Sandstad: And surely, Mr. Bernick, you have not forgotten that we — .
(MARTHA comes in through the farther door to the left. Music is heard in the distance, down the street.)

Martha: The procession is just coming, but Betty is not in the house. I don’t understand where she —

Bernick: Not in the house! There, you see, Lona — no support to me, either in gladness or in sorrow.

Rummel: Draw back the curtains! Come and help me, Mr. Krap — and you, Mr. Sandstad. It is a thousand pities that the family should not be united just now; it is quite contrary to the program.
(They draw back all the curtains. The whole street is seen to be illuminated. Opposite the house is a large transparency, bearing the words: “Long live Karsten Bernick, Pillar of our Society “)

Bernick
(shrinking back)
: Take all that away! I don’t want to see it! Put it out, put it out!

Rummel: Excuse me, Mr. Bernick, but are you not well?

Martha: What is the matter with him, Lona?

Lona: Hush!
(Whispers to her.)

Bernick: Take away those mocking words, I tell you! Can’t you see that all these lights are grinning at us?

Rummel: Well, really, I must confess —

Bernick: Oh, how could you understand — ! But I, I — ! It is all like candles in a dead-room!

Rummel: Well, let me tell you that you are taking the thing a great deal too seriously.

Sandstad: The boy will enjoy a trip across the Atlantic, and then you will have him back.

Vigeland: Only put your trust in the Almighty, Mr. Bernick.

Rummel: And in the vessel, Bernick; it is not likely to sink, I know.

Krap: Hm —

Rummel: Now if it were one of those floating coffins that one hears are sent out by men in the bigger countries —

Bernick: I am sure my hair must be turning grey —

(MRS. BERNICK comes in from the garden, with a shawl thrown over her head.)

Mrs. Bernick: Karsten, Karsten, do you know — ?

Bernick: Yes. I know; but you — you, who see nothing that is going on — you, who have no mother’s eyes for your son — !

Mrs. Bernick: Listen to me, do!

Bernick: Why did you not look after him? Now I have lost him. Give him back to me, if you can.

Mrs. Bernick: I can! I have got him.

Bernick: You have got him!

The Men: Ah!

Hilmar: Yes, I thought so.

Martha: You have got him back, Karsten.

Lona: Yes — make him your own, now.

Bernick: You have got him! Is that true? Where is he?

Mrs. Bernick: I shall not tell you, till you have forgiven him.

Bernick: Forgiven! But how did you know — ?

Mrs. Bernick: Do you not think a mother sees? I was in mortal fear of your getting to know anything about it. Some words he let fall yesterday — and then his room was empty, and his knapsack and clothes missing...

Bernick: Yes, yes?

Mrs. Bernick: I ran, and got hold of Aune; we went out in his boat; the American ship was on the point of sailing. Thank God, we were in time — got on board — searched the hold — found him! Oh, Karsten, you must not punish him!

Bernick: Betty!

Mrs. Bernick: Nor Aune, either!

Bernick: Aune? What do you know about him? Is the “Indian Girl” under sail again?

Mrs. Bernick: No, that is just it.

Bernick: Speak, speak!

Mrs. Bernick: Aune was just as agitated as I was; the search took us some time; it had grown dark, and the pilot made objections; and so Aune took upon himself — in your name —

Bernick: Well?

Mrs. Bernick: To stop the ship’s sailing till tomorrow.

Krap: Hm —

Bernick: Oh, how glad I am!

Mrs. Bernick: You are not angry?

Bernick: I cannot tell you how glad I am, Betty

Rummel: You really take things far too seriously.

Hilmar: Oh yes, as soon as it is a question of a little struggle with the elements — ugh!

Krap
(going to the window)
: The procession is just coming through your garden gate, Mr. Bernick.

Bernick: Yes, they can come now.

Rummel: The whole garden is full of people.

Sandstad: The whole street is crammed.

Rummel: The whole town is afoot, Bernick. It really is a moment that makes one proud.

Vigeland: Let us take it in a humble spirit, Mr. Rummel.

Rummel: All the banners are out! What a procession! Here comes the committee with Mr. Rorlund at their head.

Bernick: Yes, let them come in!

Rummel: But, Bernick — in your present agitated frame of mind —

Bernick: Well, what?

Rummel: I am quite willing to speak instead of you, if you like.

Bernick: No, thank you; I will speak for myself tonight.

Rummel: But are you sure you know what to say?

Bernick: Yes, make your mind easy, Rummel — I know now what to say.

(The music grows louder. The verandah door is opened. RORLUND comes in, at the head of the Committee, escorted by a couple of hired waiters, who carry a covered basket. They are followed by townspeople of all classes, as many as can get into the room. An apparently endless crowd of people, waving banners and flags, are visible in the garden and the street.)

Rorlund: Mr. Bernick! I see, from the surprise depicted upon your face, that it is as unexpected guests that we are intruding upon your happy family circle and your peaceful fireside, where we find you surrounded by honoured and energetic fellow citizens and friends. But it is our hearts that have bidden us come to offer you our homage — not for the first time, it is true, but for the first time on such a comprehensive scale. We have on many occasions given you our thanks for the broad moral foundation upon which you have, so to speak, reared the edifice of our community. On this occasion we offer our homage especially to the clear-sighted, indefatigable, unselfish — nay, self-sacrificing citizen who has taken the initiative in an undertaking which, we are assured on all sides, will give a powerful impetus to the temporal prosperity and welfare of our community.

Voices: Bravo, bravo!

Rorlund: You, sir, have for many years been a shining example in our midst. This is not the place for me to speak of your family life, which has been a model to us all; still less to enlarge upon your unblemished personal character. Such topics belong to the stillness of a man’s own chamber, not to a festal occasion such as this! I am here to speak of your public life as a citizen, as it lies open to all men’s eyes. Well-equipped vessels sail away from your shipyard and carry our flag far and wide over the seas. A numerous and happy band of workmen look up to you as to a father. By calling new branches of industry into existence, you have laid the foundations of the welfare of hundreds of families. In a word — you are, in the fullest sense of the term, the mainstay of our community.

Voices: Hear, hear! Bravo!

Rorlund: And, sir, it is just that disinterestedness, which colours all your conduct, that is so beneficial to our community — more so than words can express — and especially at the present moment. You are now on the point of procuring for us what I have no hesitation in calling bluntly by its prosaic name — a railway!

Voices: Bravo, bravo!

Rorlund: But it would seem as though the undertaking were beset by certain difficulties, the outcome of narrow and selfish considerations.

Voices: Hear, hear!

Rorlund: For the fact has come to light that certain individuals, who do not belong to our community, have stolen a march upon the hard-working citizens of this place, and have laid hands on certain sources of profit which by rights should have fallen to the share of our town.

Voices: That’s right! Hear, hear!

Rorlund: This regrettable fact has naturally come to your knowledge also, Mr. Bernick. But it has not had the slightest effect in deterring you from proceeding steadily with your project, well knowing that a patriotic man should not solely take local interests into consideration.

Voices: Oh! — No, no! — Yes, yes!

Rorlund: It is to such a man — to the patriot citizen, whose character we all should emulate — that we bring our homage this evening. May your undertaking grow to be a real and lasting source of good fortune to this community! It is true enough that a railway may be the means of our exposing ourselves to the incursion of pernicious influences from without; but it gives us also the means of quickly expelling them from within. For even we, at the present time, cannot boast of being entirely free from the danger of such outside influences; but as we have, on this very evening — if rumour is to be believed — fortunately got rid of certain elements of that nature, sooner than was to be expected —

Voices: Order, order!

Rorlund: — I regard the occurrence as a happy omen for our undertaking. My alluding to such a thing at such a moment only emphasises the fact that the house in which we are now standing is one where the claims of morality are esteemed even above ties of family.

Voices: Hear, hear! Bravo!

Bernick
(at the same moment)
: Allow me —

Rorlund: I have only a few more words to say, Mr. Bernick. What you have done for your native place we all know has not been done with any underlying idea of its bringing tangible profit to yourself. But, nevertheless, you must not refuse to accept a slight token of grateful appreciation at the hands of your fellow-citizens — least of all at this important moment when, according to the assurances of practical men, we are standing on the threshold of a new era.

Voices: Bravo! Hear, hear!

(RORLUND signs to the servants, who bring forward the basket. During the following speech, members of the Committee take out and present the various objects mentioned.)

Rorlund: And so, Mr. Bernick, we have the pleasure of presenting you with this silver coffee-service. Let it grace your board when in the future, as so often in the past, we have the happiness of being assembled under your hospitable roof. You, too, gentlemen, who have so generously seconded the leader of our community, we ask to accept a small souvenir. This silver goblet is for you, Mr. Rummel. Many a time have you, amidst the clink of glasses, defended the interests of your fellow-citizens in well-chosen words; may you often find similar worthy opportunities to raise and empty this goblet in some patriotic toast! To you, Mr. Sandstad, I present this album containing photographs of your fellow-citizens. Your well-known and conspicuous liberality has put you in the pleasant position of being able to number your friends amongst all classes of society. And to you, Mr. Vigeland, I have to offer this book of Family Devotions, printed on vellum and handsomely bound, to grace your study table. The mellowing influence of time has led you to take an earnest view of life; your zeal in carrying out your daily duties has, for a long period of years, been purified and enobled by thoughts of higher and holier things.
(Turns to the crowd.)
And now, friends, three cheers for Mr. Bernick and his fellow-workers! Three cheers for the Pillars of our Society!