Complete Works of Henrik Ibsen (253 page)

Rebecca. You know she had taken it into her head that she, a childless wife, had no right to be here. And so she persuaded herself that her duty to you was to give place to another.

Rosmer. And you — you did nothing to rid her mind of such an idea?

Rebecca. No.

Kroll. Perhaps you encouraged her in the idea? Answer! Did you not do so?

Rebecca. That was how she understood me, I believe.

Rosmer. Yes, yes — and she bowed to your will in everything. And so she gave place.
(Springs up.)
How could you — how could you go on with this terrible tragedy!

Rebecca. I thought there were two lives here to choose between, John.

Kroll
(severely and with authority)
. You had no right to make any such choice.

Rebecca
(impetuously)
. Surely you do not think I acted with cold and calculating composure! I am a different woman now, when I am telling you this, from what I was then. And I believe two different kinds of will can exist at the same time in one person. I wanted Beata away — in one way or the other; but I never thought it would happen, all the same. At every step I ventured and risked, I seemed to hear a voice in me crying: “No further! Not a step further!” And yet, at the same time, I COULD not stop. I HAD to venture a little bit further — just one step. And then another — and always another — and at last it happened. That is how such things go of themselves.
(A short silence.)

Rosmer
(to REBECCA)
. And how do you think it will go with YOU in the future? — after this?

Rebecca. Things must go with me as they can. It is of very little consequence.

Kroll. Not a word suggestive of remorse! Perhaps you feel none?

Rebecca
(dismissing his remark coldly)
. Excuse me, Mr. Kroll, that is a matter that is no concern of any one else’s. That is an account I must settle with myself.

Kroll
(to ROSMER)
. And this is the woman you have been living under the same roof with — in relations of the completest confidence.
(Looks up at the portraits on the walls.)
If only those that are gone could look down now!

Rosmer. Are you going into the town?

Kroll
(taking up his hat)
. Yes. The sooner the better.

Rosmer
(taking his hat also)
. Then I will go with you.

Kroll. You will! Ah, I thought we had not quite lost you.

Rosmer. Come, then, Kroll. Come!
(They both go out into the hall without looking at REBECCA. After a minute REBECCA goes cautiously to the window and peeps out between the flowers.)

Rebecca
(speaking to herself, half aloud)
. Not over the bridge to-day either. He is going round. Never over the millrace — never.
(Comes away from the window.)
As I thought!
(She goes over to the bell, and rings it. Soon afterwards MRS. HELSETH comes in from the right.)

Mrs. Helseth. What is it, miss?

Rebecca. Mrs. Helseth, will you be so good as to fetch my travelling trunk down from the loft?

Mrs. Helseth. Your trunk?

Rebecca. Yes, the brown hair-trunk, you know.

Mrs. Helseth. Certainly, miss. But, bless my soul, are you going away on a journey, miss?

Rebecca. Yes — I am going away on a journey, Mrs. Helseth.

Mrs. Helseth. And immediately!

Rebecca. As soon as I have packed.

Mrs. Helseth. I never heard of such a thing! But you are coming back again soon, I suppose, miss?

Rebecca. I am never coming back again.

Mrs. Helseth. Never! But, my goodness, what is to become of us at Rosmersholm if Miss West is not here any longer? Just as everything was making poor Mr. Rosmer so happy and comfortable!

Rebecca. Yes, but to-day I have had a fright, Mrs. Helseth.

Mrs. Helseth. A fright! Good heavens-how?

Rebecca. I fancy I have had a glimpse of the White Horse.

Mrs. Helseth. Of the White Horse! In broad daylight!

Rebecca. Ah! they are out both early and late, the White Horses of Rosmersholm.
(Crosses the room.)
Well — we were speaking of my trunk, Mrs. Helseth.

Mrs. Helseth. Yes, miss. Your trunk.

(They both go out to the right.)

ACT I
V

(SCENE. — The same room in the late evening. The lamp, with a shade on it, is burning on the table. REBECCA is standing by the table, packing some small articles in a travelling-bag. Her cloak, hat, and the white crochetted shawl are hanging on the back of the couch. MRS. HELSETH comes in from the right.)

Mrs. Helseth
(speaking in low tones and with a reserved manner)
. Yes, all your things have been taken down, miss. They are in the kitchen passage.

Rebecca. Thank you. You have ordered the carriage?

Mrs. Helseth. Yes, miss. The coachman wants to know what time he shall bring it round.

Rebecca. I think at about eleven o’clock. The boat goes at midnight.

Mrs. Helseth
(with a little hesitation)
. But what about Mr. Rosmer? Suppose he is not back by that time?

Rebecca. I shall start, all the same. If I should not see him, you can tell him I will write to him — a long letter, say that.

Mrs. Helseth. Yes, I dare say it will be all right to write. But, poor dear, I really think that you ought to try and have a talk with him once more.

Rebecca. Perhaps I ought — Or perhaps not, after all.

Mrs. Helseth. Dear, dear! I never thought I should, live to see such a thing as this!

Rebecca. What did you think, then, Mrs. Helseth?

Mrs. Helseth. To tell the truth, miss, I thought Mr. Rosmer was an honester man than that.

Rebecca. Honester?

Mrs. Helseth. Yes, miss, that is the truth.

Rebecca. But, my dear Mrs. Helseth, what do you mean by that?

Mrs. Helseth. I mean what is true and right, miss. He should not get out of it in this way — that he shouldn’t.

Rebecca
(looking at her)
. Now look here, Mrs. Helseth. Tell me, honestly and frankly, why you think I am going away.

Mrs. Helseth. Good Lord, miss — because it is necessary, I suppose. Well, well! — Still, I certainly do not think Mr. Rosmer has behaved well. There was some excuse in Mortensgaard’s case, because the woman’s husband was still alive; so that it was impossible for them to marry, however much they wished it. But Mr. Rosmer, he could — ahem!

Rebecca
(with a faint smile)
. Is it possible that you could think such things about me and Mr. Rosmer?

Mrs. Helseth. Not for a moment — until to-day, I mean.

Rebecca. But why to-day?

Mrs. Helseth. Well, after all the horrible things they tell me one may see in the papers about Mr. Rosmer —

Rebecca. Ah!

Mrs. Helseth. What I mean is this — if a man can go over to Mortensgaard’s religion, you may believe him capable of anything. And that’s the truth.

Rebecca. Yes, very likely. But about me? What have you got to say about me?

Mrs. Helseth. Well, I am sure, miss — I do not think you are so greatly to be blamed. It is not always so easy for a lone woman to resist, I dare say. We are all human after all, Miss West.

Rebecca. That is very true, Mrs. Helseth. We are all human, after all. — What are you listening to?

Mrs. Helseth
(in a low voice)
. Good Lord! — I believe that is him coming now.

Rebecca
(with a start)
. In spite of everything, then — !
(Speaks with determination.)
Very well. So be it.
(ROSMER comes in from the hall. He sees the luggage, and turns to REBECCA.)

Rosmer. What does this mean?

Rebecca. I am going away.

Rosmer. At once?

Rebecca. Yes.
(To MRS. HELSETH.)
Eleven o’clock, then.

Mrs. Helseth. Very well, miss.
(Goes out to the right.)

Rosmer
(after a short pause)
. Where are you going, Rebecca?

Rebecca. I am taking the boat for the north.

Rosmer. North? What are you going there for?

Rebecca. It is where I came from.

Rosmer. But you have no more ties there now.

Rebecca. I have none here, either.

Rosmer. What do you propose to do?

Rebecca. I do not know. I only want to make an end of it.

Rosmer. Make an end of what?

Rebecca. Rosmersholm has broken me.

Rosmer
(more attentively)
. What is that?

Rebecca. Broken me utterly. I had a will of my own, and some courage, when I came here. Now I am crushed under the law of strangers. I do not think I shall have the courage to begin anything else in the world after this.

Rosmer. Why not? What do you mean by being crushed under a law — ?

Rebecca. Dear friend, do not let us talk about that now — Tell me what passed between you and Mr. Kroll.

Rosmer. We have made our peace.

Rebecca. Quite so. So it came to that.

Rosmer. He got together all our old circle of friends at his house. They convinced me that the work of ennobling men’s souls was not in my line at all. Besides, it is such a hopeless task, any way. I shall let it alone.

Rebecca. Well, perhaps it is better so.

Rosmer. Do you say THAT now? Is that what your opinion is now?

Rebecca. I have come to that opinion — in the last day or two.

Rosmer. You are lying, Rebecca.

Rebecca. Lying — ?

Rosmer. Yes, lying. You have never believed in me. You have never believed me to be the man to lead the cause to victory.

Rebecca. I have believed that we two together would be equal to it.

Rosmer. That is not true. You have believed that you could accomplish something big in life yourself — that you could use me to further your plans — that I might be useful to you in the pursuit of your object. That is what you have believed.

Rebecca. Listen to me, John

Rosmer
(sitting down wearily on the couch)
. Oh, let me be! I see the whole thing clearly now. I have been like a glove in your hands.

Rebecca. Listen to me, John. Let us talk this thing over. It will be for the last time.
(Sits down in a chair by the couch.)
I had intended to write to you about it all — when I had gone back north. But it is much better that you should hear it at once.

Rosmer. Have you something more to tell, then?

Rebecca. The most important part of it all.

Rosmer. What do you mean?

Rebecca. Something that you have never suspected. Something that puts all the rest in its true light.

Rosmer
(shaking his head)
. I do not understand, at all.

Rebecca. It is quite true that at one time I did play my cards so as to secure admission to Rosmersholm. My idea was that I should succeed in doing well for myself here — either in one way or in another, you understand.

Rosmer. Well, you succeeded in carrying your scheme through, too.

Rebecca. I believe I could have carried anything through — at that time. For then I still had the courage of a free will. I had no one else to consider, nothing to turn me from my path. But then began what has broken down my will and filled the whole of my life with dread and wretchedness.

Rosmer. What — began? Speak so that I can understand you.

Rebecca. There came over me — a wild, uncontrollable passion — Oh, John — !

Rosmer. Passion? You — ! For what?

Rebecca. For you.

Rosmer
(getting up)
. What does this mean!

Rebecca
(preventing him)
. Sit still, dear. I will tell you more about it.

Rosmer. And you mean to say — that you have loved me — in that way!

Rebecca. I thought I might call it loving you — then. I thought it was love. But it was not. It was what I have said — a wild, uncontrollable passion.

Rosmer
(speaking with difficulty)
. Rebecca — is it really you — you — who are sitting here telling me this?

Rebecca. Yes, indeed it is, John.

Rosmer. Then it was as the outcome of this — and under the influence of this — that you “acted,” as you called it.

Rebecca. It swept over me like a storm over the sea — like one of the storms we have in winter in the north. They catch you up and rush you along with them, you know, until their fury is expended. There is no withstanding them.

Rosmer. So it swept poor unhappy Beata into the mill-race.

Rebecca. Yes — it was like a fight for life between Beata and me at that time.

Rosmer. You proved the strongest of us all at Rosmersholm — stronger than both Beata and me put together.

Rebecca. I knew you well enough to know that I could not get at you in any way until you were set free — both in actual circumstances and in your soul.

Rosmer. But I do not understand you, Rebecca. You — you yourself and your whole conduct — are an insoluble riddle to me. I am free now — both in my soul and my circumstances. You are absolutely in touch with the goal you set before yourself from the beginning. And nevertheless —

Rebecca. I have never stood farther from my goal than I do now.

Rosmer. And nevertheless, I say, when yesterday I asked you — urged you — to become my wife, you cried out that it never could be.

Rebecca. I cried out in despair, John.

Rosmer. Why?

Rebecca. Because Rosmersholm has unnerved me. All the courage has been sapped out of my will here — crushed out! The time has gone for me to dare risk anything whatever. I have lost all power of action, John.

Rosmer. Tell me how that has come about.

Rebecca. It has come about through my living with you.

Rosmer. But how? How?

Rebecca. When I was alone with you here — and you had really found yourself —

Rosmer. Yes, yes?

Rebecca. For you never really found yourself as long as Beata was Alive —

Rosmer. Alas, you are right in that.

Rebecca. When it came about that I was living together with you here, in peace and solitude — when you exchanged all your thoughts with me unreservedly — your every mood, however tender or intimate — then the great change happened in me. Little by little, you understand. Almost imperceptibly — but overwhelmingly in the end, till it reached the uttermost depths of my soul.

Rosmer. What does this mean, Rebecca?

Rebecca. All the other feeling — all that horrible passion that had drowned my better self — left me entirely. All the violent emotions that had been roused in me were quelled and silenced. A peace stole over my soul — a quiet like that of one of our mountain peaks up under the midnight sun.

Rosmer. Tell me more of it — all that you can.

Rebecca. There is not much more to tell. Only that this was how love grew up in my heart — a great, self-denying love — content with such a union of hearts as there has been between us two.

Rosmer. Oh, if only I had had the slightest suspicion of all this!

Rebecca. It is best as it is. Yesterday, when you asked me if I would be your wife, I gave a cry of joy —

Rosmer. Yes, it was that, Rebecca, was it not! I thought that was what it meant.

Rebecca. For a moment, yes-I forgot myself for a moment. It was my dauntless will of the old days that was struggling to be free again. But now it has no more strength — it has lost it for ever.