Complete Works of Henrik Ibsen (259 page)

Lyngstrand. But just as he was sitting there quietly reading, I heard him utter a sort of yell. And when I looked at him, I saw his face was as white as chalk. And then he began to crush and crumple the paper, and to tear it into a thousand shreds. But he did it so quietly, quietly.

Ellida. Didn’t he say anything? Didn’t he speak?

Lyngstrand. Not directly; but a little after he said to himself, as it were: “Married — to another man. While I was away.”

Ellida
(closes her eyes, and says, half to herself)
. He said that?

Lyngstrand. Yes. And think — he said it in perfect Norwegian. That man must have learnt foreign languages very easily —

Ellida. And what then? What else happened?

Lyngstrand. Well, now the remarkable part is coming — that I shall never forget as long as I live. For he added, and that quite quietly, too: “But she is mine, and mine she shall remain. And she shall follow me, if I should come home and fetch her, as a drowned man from the dark sea.”

Ellida
(pouring herself out a glass of water. Her hand trembles)
. Ah! How close it is here today.

Lyngstrand. And he said this with such strength of will that I thought he must be the man to do it.

Ellida. Don’t you know anything about — what became of the man?

Lyngstrand. Oh! madam, he’s certainly not living now.

Ellida
(quickly)
. Why do you think that?

Lyngstrand. Why? Because we were shipwrecked afterwards in the Channel. I had got into the longboat with the captain and five others. The mate got into the stern-boat; and the American was in that too, and another man.

Ellida. And nothing has been heard of them since?

Lyngstrand. Not a word. The friend who looks after me said so quite recently in a letter. But it’s just because of this I was so anxious to make it into a work of art. I see the faithless sailor-wife so life-like before me, and the avenger who is drowned, and who nevertheless comes home from the sea. I can see them both so distinctly.

Ellida. I, too.
(Rises.)
Come; let us go in — or, rather, go down to Wangel. I think it is so suffocatingly hot.
(She goes out of the arbour.)

Lyngstrand
(who has also risen)
. I, for my part, must ask you to excuse me. This was only to be a short visit because of the birthday.

Ellida. As you wish.
(Holds out her hand to him.)
Goodbye, and thank you for the flowers.

(LYNGSTRAND bows, and goes off through the garden gate.)

Arnholm
(rises, and goes up to ELLIDA)
. I see well enough that this has gone to your heart, Mrs. Wangel.

Ellida. Yes; you may well say so. Although Arnholm. But still — after all, it’s no more than you were bound to expect.

Ellida
(looks at him surprised)
. Expect!

Arnholm. Well, so it seems to me.

Ellida. Expect that anyone should come back again! — come to life again like that!

Arnholm. But what on earth! — is it that mad sculptor’s sea story, then?

Ellida. Oh, dear Arnholm, perhaps it isn’t so mad after all!

Arnholm. Is it that nonsense about the dead man that has moved you so? And I who thought that —

Ellida. What did you think?

Arnholm. I naturally thought that was only a make-believe of yours. And that you were sitting here grieving because you had found out a family feast was being kept secret; because your husband and his children live a life of remembrances in which you have no part.

Ellida. Oh! no, no! That may be as it may. I have no right to claim my husband wholly and solely for myself.

Arnholm. I should say you had.

Ellida. Yes. Yet, all the same, I have not. That is it. Why, I, too, live in something from which they are shut out.

Arnholm. You!
(In lower tone.)
Do you mean? — you, you do not really love your husband!

Ellida. Oh! yes, yes! I have learnt to love him with all my heart! And that’s why it is so terrible-so inexplicable — so absolutely inconceivable!

Arnholm. Now you must and shall confide all your troubles to me. Will you, Mrs. Wangel?

Ellida. I cannot, dear friend. Not now, in any case. Later, perhaps.

(BOLETTE comes out into the verandah, and goes down into the garden.)

Bolette. Father’s coming up from the office. Hadn’t we better all of us go into the sitting-room?

Ellida. Yes, let us.

(WANGEL, in other clothes, comes with HILDE from behind the house.)

Wangel. Now, then, here I am at your service. And now we shall enjoy a good glass of something cool.

Ellida. Wait a moment.
(She goes into the arbour and fetches the bouquet.)

Hilde. I say! All those lovely flowers! Where did you get them?

Ellida. From the sculptor, Lyngstrand, my dear Hilde.

Hilde
(starts)
. From Lyngstrand?

Bolette
(uneasily)
. Has Lyngstrand been here again?

Ellida
(with a half-smile)
. Yes. He came here with these. Because of the birthday, you understand.

Bolette
(looks at HILDE)
. Oh!

Hilde
(mutters)
. The idiot!

Wangel
(in painful confusion to ELLIDA)
. Hm! — yes, well you see-I must tell you, my dear, good, beloved Ellida —

Ellida
(interrupting)
. Come, girls! Let us go and put my flowers in the water together with the others.
(Goes up to the verandah.)

Bolette
(to HILDE)
. Oh! After all she is good at heart.

Hilde
(in a low tone with angry look)
. Fiddlesticks! She only does it to take in father.

Wangel
(on the verandah, presses ELLIDA’S hand)
. Thanks-thanks! My heartfelt thanks for that, dear Ellida.

Ellida
(arranging the flowers)
. Nonsense! Should not I, too, be in it, and take part in — in mother’s birthday?

Arnholm. Hm!

(He goes up to WANGEL, and ELLIDA, BOLETTE, and HILDE remain in the garden below.)

ACT I
I

(SCENE. — At the “View,” a shrub-covered hill behind the town. A little in the background, a beacon and a vane. Great stones arranged as seats around the beacon, and in the foreground. Farther back the outer fjord is seen, with islands and outstanding headlands. The open sea is not visible. It is a summer’s evening, and twilight. A golden-red shimmer is in the air and over the mountain-tops in the far distance. A quartette is faintly heard singing below in the background. Young townsfolk, ladies and gentlemen, come up in pairs, from the right, and, talking familiarly, pass out beyond the beacon. A little after, BALLESTED enters, as guide to a party of foreign tourists with their ladies. He is laden with shawls and travelling bags.)

Ballested
(pointing upwards with a stick)
. Sehen Sie, meine Herrschaften, dort, out there, liegt eine andere mountain, That wollen wir also besteigen, and so herunter.
(He goes on with the conversation in French, and leads the party off to the left. HILDE comes quickly along the uphill path, stands still, and looks back. Soon after BOLETTE comes up the same way.)

Bolette. But, dear, why should we run away from Lyngstrand?

Hilde. Because I can’t bear going uphill so slowly. Look — look at him crawling up!

Bolette. Ah! But you know how delicate he is.

Hilde. Do you think it’s very — dangerous?

Bolette. I certainly do.

Hilde. He went to consult father this afternoon. I should like to know what father thinks about him.

Bolette. Father told me it was a thickening of the lungs, or something of the sort. He won’t live to be old, father says.

Hilde. No! Did he say it? Fancy — that’s exactly what I thought.

Bolette. For heaven’s sake don’t show it!

Hilde. How can you imagine such a thing?
(In an undertone.)
Look, here comes Hans crawling up. Don’t you think you can see by the look of him that he’s called Hans?

Bolette
(whispering)
. Now do behave! You’d better!

(LYNGSTRAND comes in from the right, a parasol in his hand.)

Lyngstrand. I must beg the young ladies to excuse me for not getting along as quickly as they did.

Hilde. Have you got a parasol too, now?

Lyngstrand. It’s your mother’s. She said I was to use it as a stick. I hadn’t mine with me.

Bolette. Are they down there still — father and the others?

Lyngstrand. Yes; your father looked in at the restaurant for a moment, and the others are sitting out there listening to the music. But they were coming up here presently, your mother said.

Hilde
(stands looking at him)
. I suppose you’re thoroughly tired out now?

Lyngstrand. Yes; I almost think I’m a little tired now. I really believe I shall have to sit down a moment.
(He sits on one of the stones in the foreground.)

Hilde
(standing in front of him)
. Do you know there’s to be dancing down there on the parade?

Lyngstrand. Yes; I heard there was some talk about it.

Hilde. I suppose you think dancing’s great fun?

Bolette
(who begins gathering small flowers among the heather)
. Oh, Hilde! Now do let Mr. Lyngstrand get his breath.

Lyngstrand
(to HILDE)
. Yes, Miss Hilde; I should very much like to dance — if only I could.

Hilde. Oh, I see! Haven’t you ever learnt?

Lyngstrand. No, I’ve not. But it wasn’t that I meant. I meant I couldn’t because of my chest.

Hilde. Because of that weakness you said you suffered from?

Lyngstrand. Yes; because of that.

Hilde. Aren’t you very sorry you’ve that — weakness?

Lyngstrand. Oh, no! I can’t say I am
(smiling)
, for I think it’s because of it that everyone is so good, and friendly, and kind to me.

Hilde. Yes. And then, besides, it’s not dangerous.

Lyngstrand. No; it’s not at all dangerous. So I gathered from what your father said to me.

Hilde. And then it will pass away as soon as ever you begin travelling.

Lyngstrand. Of course it will pass away.

Bolette
(with flowers)
. Look here, Mr. Lyngstrand, you are to put this in your button-hole.

Lyngstrand. Oh! A thousand thanks, Miss Wangel. It’s really too good of you.

Hilde
(looking down the path)
. There they are, coming along the road.

Bolette
(also looking down)
. If only they know where to turn off. No; now they’re going wrong.

Lyngstrand
(rising)
. I’ll run down to the turning and call out to them.

Hilde. You’ll have to call out pretty loud.

Bolette. No; it’s not worth while. You’ll only tire yourself again.

Lyngstrand. Oh, it’s so easy going downhill.
(Goes off to the right.)

Hilde. Down-hill — yes.
(Looking after him.)
Why, he’s actually jumping! And he never remembers he’ll have to come up again.

Bolette. Poor fellow!

Hilde. If Lyngstrand were to propose, would you accept him?

Bolette. Are you quite mad?

Hilde. Of course, I mean if he weren’t troubled with that “weakness.” And if he weren’t to die so soon, would you have him then?

Bolette. I think you’d better have him yourself!

Hilde. No, that I wouldn’t! Why, he hasn’t a farthing. He hasn’t enough even to keep himself.

Bolette. Then why are you always going about with him?

Hilde. Oh, I only do that because of the weakness.

Bolette. I’ve never noticed that you in the least pity him for it!

Hilde. No, I don’t. But I think it so interesting.

Bolette. What is?

Hilde. To look at him and make him tell you it isn’t dangerous; and that he’s going abroad, and is to be an artist. He really believes it all, and is so thoroughly happy about it. And yet nothing will ever come of it; nothing whatever. For he won’t live long enough. I feel that’s so fascinating to think of.

Bolette. Fascinating!

Hilde. Yes, I think it’s most fascinating. I take that liberty.

Bolette. Hilde, you really are a dreadful child!

Hilde. That’s just what I want to be — out of spite.
(Looking down.)
At last! I shouldn’t think Arnholm liked coming up-hill.
(Turns round.)
By the way, do you know what I noticed about Arnholm at dinner?

Bolette. Well?

Hilde. Just think — his hair’s beginning to come off — right on the top of his head.

Bolette. Nonsense! I’m sure that’s not true.

Hilde. It is! And then he has wrinkles round both his eyes. Good gracious, Bolette, how could you be so much in love with him when he used to read with you?

Bolette
(smiling)
. Yes. Can you believe it? I remember I once shed bitter tears because he thought Bolette was an ugly name.

Hilde. Only to think!
(Looking down.)
No! I say, do just look down here! There’s the “Mermaid” walking along and chatting with him. Not with father. I wonder if those two aren’t making eyes at one another.

Bolette. You ought to be ashamed of yourself! How can you stand there and say such a thing of her? Now, when everything was beginning to be so pleasant between us.

Hilde. Of course — just try and persuade yourself of that, my child! Oh, no! It will never be pleasant between us and her. For she doesn’t belong to us at all. And we don’t belong to her either. Goodness knows what father dragged her into the house for! I shouldn’t wonder if some fine day she went mad under our very eyes.

Bolette. Mad! How can you think such a thing?

Hilde. Oh! it wouldn’t be so extraordinary. Her mother went mad, too. She died mad — I know that.

Bolette. Yes, heaven only knows what you don’t poke your nose into. But now don’t go chattering about this. Do be good — for father’s sake. Do you hear, Hilde?

(WANGEL, ELLIDA, ARNHOLM and LYNGSTRAND come up from the right.)

Ellida
(pointing to the background)
. Out there it lies.

Arnholm. Quite right. It must be in that direction.

Ellida. Out there is the sea.

Bolette
(to ARNHOLM)
. Don’t you think it is delightful up here?

Arnholm. It’s magnificent, I think. Glorious view!

Wangel. I suppose you never used to come up here?

Arnholm. No, never. In my time I think it was hardly accessible; there wasn’t any path even.

Wangel. And no grounds. All this has been done during the last few years.

Bolette. And there, at the “Pilot’s Mount,” it’s even grander than here.

Wangel. Shall we go there, Ellida?

Ellida
(sitting down on one of the stones)
. Thanks, not I; but you others can. I’ll sit here meanwhile.

Wangel. Then I’ll stay with you. The girls can show Arnholm about.

Bolette. Would you like to go with us, Mr. Arnholm?

Arnholm. I should like to, very much. Does a path lead up there too?

Bolette. Oh yes. There’s a nice broad path.

Hilde. The path is so broad that two people can walk along it comfortably, arm in arm.

Arnholm
(jestingly)
. Is that really so, little Missie?
(To BOLETTE.)
Shall we two see if she is right?

Bolette
(suppressing a smile)
. Very well, let’s go.
(They go out to the left, arm in arm.)

Hilde
(to LYNGSTRAND)
. Shall we go too?

Lyngstrand. Arm in arm?

Hilde. Oh, why not? For aught I care!

Lyngstrand
(taking her arm, laughing contentedly)
. This is a jolly lark.

Hilde. Lark?

Lyngstrand. Yes; because it looks exactly as if we were engaged.

Hilde. I’m sure you’ve never walked out arm in arm with a lady before, Mr. Lyngstrand.
(They go off.)

Wangel
(who is standing beside the beacon)
. Dear Ellida, now we have a moment to ourselves.

Ellida. Yes; come and sit down here, by me.

Wangel
(sitting down)
. It is so free and quiet. Now we can have a little talk together.

Ellida. What about?

Wangel. About yourself, and then about us both. Ellida, I see very well that it can’t go on like this.

Ellida. What do you propose instead?

Wangel. Perfect confidence, dear. A true life together — as before.

Ellida. Oh, if that could be! But it is so absolutely impossible!

Wangel. I think I understand you, from certain things you have let fall now and again.

Ellida
(passionately)
. Oh, you do not! Don’t say you understand!

Wangel. Yes. Yours is an honest nature, Ellida — yours is a faithful mind.

Ellida. It is.

Wangel. Any position in which you could feel safe and happy must be a completely true and real one.