Complete Works of Henrik Ibsen (247 page)

Rosmer. On that point?

Kroll. No. The first time she came she declared that you were on the high road to apostasy — that you were going to desert the faith that your father had taught you.

Rosmer
(eagerly)
. What you say is impossible, Kroll! — absolutely impossible! You must be wrong about that.

Kroll. Why?

Rosmer. Because as long as Beata lived I was still doubting and fighting with myself. And I fought out that fight alone and in the completest secrecy. I do not imagine that even Rebecca —

Kroll. Rebecca?

Rosmer. Oh, well — Miss West. I call her Rebecca for the sake of convenience.

Kroll. So I have observed.

Rosmer. That is why it is so incomprehensible to me that Beata should have had any suspicion of it. Why did she never speak to me about it? — for she never did, by a single word.

Kroll. Poor soul — she begged and implored me to speak to you.

Rosmer. Then why did you never do so?

Kroll. Do you think I had a moment’s doubt, at that time, that her mind was unhinged? Such an accusation as that, against a man like you! Well, she came to see me again, about a month later. She seemed calmer then; but, as she was going away, she said: “They may expect to see the White Horse soon at Rosmersholm.”

Rosmer. Yes, I know — the White Horse. She often used to talk about that.

Kroll. And then, when I tried to distract her from such unhappy thoughts, she only answered: “I have not much time left; for John must marry Rebecca immediately now.”

Rosmer
(almost speechless)
. What are you saying! I marry — !

Kroll. That was on a Thursday afternoon. On the Saturday evening she threw herself from the footbridge into the millrace.

Rosmer. And you never warned us!

Kroll. Well, you know yourself how constantly she used to say that she was sure she would die before long.

Rosmer. Yes, I know. But, all the same, you ought to have warned us!

Kroll. I did think of doing so. But then it was too late.

Rosmer. But since then, why have you not — ? Why have you kept all this to yourself?

Kroll. What good would it have done for me to come here and add to your pain and distress? Of course I thought the whole thing was merely wild, empty fancy — until yesterday evening.

Rosmer. Then you do not think so any longer?

Kroll. Did not Beata see clearly enough, when she saw that you were going to fall away from your childhood’s faith?

Rosmer
(staring in front of him)
. Yes, I cannot understand that. It is the most incomprehensible thing in the world to me.

Kroll. Incomprehensible or not, the thing is true. And now I ask you, Rosmer, how much truth is there in her other accusation? — the last one, I mean.

Rosmer. Accusation? Was that an accusation, then?

Kroll. Perhaps you did not notice how it was worded. She said she meant to stand out of the way. Why? Well?

Rosmer. In order that I might marry Rebecca, apparently.

Kroll. That was not quite how it was worded. Beata expressed herself differently. She said “I have not much time left; for John must marry Rebecca IMMEDIATELY now.”

Rosmer
(looks at him for a moment; then gets up)
. Now I understand you, Kroll.

Kroll. And if you do? What answer have you to make?

Rosmer
(in an even voice, controlling himself)
. To such an unheard-of — ? The only fitting answer would be to point to the door.

Kroll
(getting up)
. Very good.

Rosmer
(standing face to face with him)
. Listen to me. For considerably more than a year to be precise, since Beata’s death — Rebecca West and I have lived here alone at Rosmersholm. All that time you have known of the charge Beata made against us; but I have never for one moment seen you appear the least scandalised at our living together here.

Kroll. I never knew, till yesterday evening, that it was a case of an apostate man and an “emancipated” woman living together.

Rosmer. Ah! So then you do not believe in any purity of life among apostates or emancipated folk? You do not believe that they may have the instinct of morality ingrained in their natures?

Kroll. I have no particular confidence in the kind of morality that is not rooted in the Church’s faith.

Rosmer. And you mean that to apply to Rebecca and myself? — to my relations with Rebecca?

Kroll. I cannot make any departure, in favour of you two, from my opinion that there is certainly no very wide gulf between free thinking and — ahem!

Rosmer. And what?

Kroll. And free love, since you force me to say it.

Rosmer
(gently)
. And you are not ashamed to say that to me! — you, who have known me ever since I was a boy.

Kroll. It is just for that reason. I know how easily you allow yourself to be influenced by those you associate with. And as for your Rebecca — well, your Miss West, then — to tell the truth, we know very little about her. To cut the matter short, Rosmer — I am not going to give you up. And you, on your part, ought to try and save yourself in time.

Rosmer. Save myself? How — ?
(MRS. HELSETH looks in through the door on the left.)
What do you want?

Mrs. Helseth. I wanted to ask Miss West to come down, sir.

Rosmer. Miss West is not up here.

Mrs. Helseth. Indeed, sir?
(Looks round the room.)
That is very strange.
(Goes out.)

Rosmer. You were saying — ?

Kroll. Listen to me. As to what may have gone on here in secret while Beata was alive, and as to what may be still going on here, I have no wish to inquire more closely. You were, of course, extremely unhappy in your marriage — and to some extent that may be urged in your excuse —

Rosmer. Oh, how little you really know me!

Kroll. Do not interrupt me. What I want to say is this. If you definitely must continue living with Miss West, it is absolutely necessary that you should conceal the revolution of opinion — I mean the distressing apostasy — that she has beguiled you into. Let me speak! Let me speak! I say that, if you are determined to go on with this folly, for heaven’s sake hold any variety of ideas or opinions or beliefs you like — but keep your opinions to yourself. It is a purely personal matter, and there is not the slightest necessity to go proclaiming it all over the countryside.

Rosmer. It is a necessity for me to abandon a false and equivocal position.

Kroll. But you have a duty towards the traditions of your family, Rosmer! Remember that! From time immemorial Rosmersholm has been a stronghold of discipline and order, of respect and esteem for all that the best people in our community have upheld and sanctioned. The whole neighbourhood has taken its tone from Rosmersholm. If the report gets about that you yourself have broken with what I may call the Rosmer family tradition, it will evoke an irreparable state of unrest.

Rosmer. My dear Kroll, I cannot see the matter in that light. It seems to me that it is my imperative duty to bring a little light and happiness into the place where the race of Rosmers has spread darkness and oppression for all these long years.

Kroll
(looking severely at him)
. Yes, that would be a worthy action for the man with whom the race will disappear. Let such things alone, my friend. It is no suitable task for you. You were meant to lead the peaceful life of a student.

Rosmer. Yes, that may be so. But nevertheless I want to try and play my humble part in the struggles of life.

Kroll. The struggles of life! Do you know what that will mean for you? It will mean war to the death with all your friends.

Rosmer
(quietly)
. I do not imagine they are all such fanatics as you.

Kroll. You are a simple-minded creature, Rosmer — an inexperienced creature. You have no suspicion of the violence of the storm that will burst upon you.
(MRS. HELSETH slightly opens the door on the left.)

Mrs. Helseth. Miss West wishes me to ask you, sir

Rosmer. What is it?

Mrs. Helseth. There is some one downstairs that wishes to speak to you for a minute, sir.

Rosmer. Is it the gentleman that was here yesterday afternoon, by any chance?

Mrs. Helseth. No, it is that Mr. Mortensgaard.

Rosmer. Mortensgaard?

Kroll. Aha! So matters have got as far as that already, have they!

Rosmer. What does he want with me? Why did you not send him away?

Mrs. Helseth. Miss West told me to ask you if he might come up.

Rosmer. Tell him I am engaged, and —

Kroll
(to MRS. HELSETH)
. No; show him up, please.
(MRS. HELSETH goes out. KROLL takes up his hat.)
I quit the field — temporarily. But we have not fought the decisive action yet.

Rosmer. As truly as I stand here, Kroll, I have absolutely nothing to do with Mortensgaard.

Kroll. I do not believe you any longer on any point. Under no circumstances shall I have any faith in you after this. It is war to the knife now. We shall try if we cannot make you powerless to do any harm.

Rosmer. Oh, Kroll — how you have sunk! How low you have sunk!

Kroll. I? And a man like you has the face to say so? Remember Beata!

Rosmer. Are you harking back to that again!

Kroll. No. You must solve the riddle of the millrace as your conscience will allow you — if you have any conscience still left.
(PETER MORTENSGAARD comes in softly and quietly, by the door on the left. He is a short, slightly built man with sparse reddish hair and beard. KROLL gives him a look of hatred.)
The “Searchlight” too, I see. Lighted at Rosmersholm!
(Buttons up his coat.)
That leaves me no doubt as to the course I should steer.

Mortensgaard
(quietly)
. The “Searchlight” will always be ready burning to light Mr. Kroll home.

Kroll. Yes, you have shown me your goodwill for a long time. To be sure there is a Commandment that forbids us to bear false witness against our neighbour —

Mortensgaard. Mr. Kroll has no need to instruct me in the Commandments.

Kroll. Not even in the sixth?

Rosmer. Kroll — !

Mortensgaard. If I needed such instruction, Mr. Rosmer is the most suitable person to give it me.

Kroll
(with scarcely concealed scorn)
. Mr. Rosmer? Oh yes, the Reverend Mr. Rosmer is undoubtedly the most suitable man for that! I hope you will enjoy yourselves, gentlemen.
(Goes out and slams the door after him.)

Rosmer
(stands looking at the door, and says to himself)
. Yes, yes — it had to be so.
(Turns round.)
Will you tell me, Mr. Mortensgaard, what has brought you out here to see me?

Mortensgaard. It was really Miss West I wanted to see. I thought I ought to thank her for the kind letter I received from her yesterday.

Rosmer. I know she has written to you. Have you had a talk with her?

Mortensgaard. Yes, a little.
(Smiles slightly.)
I hear that there has been a change of views in certain respects at Rosmersholm.

Rosmer. My views have changed to a very considerable extent; I might almost say entirely.

Mortensgaard. That is what Miss West said. And that was why she thought I ought to come up and have a little chat with you about this.

Rosmer. About what, Mr. Mortensgaard?

Mortensgaard. May I have your permission to announce in the “Searchlight” that you have altered your opinions, and are going to devote yourself to the cause of free thought and progress?