Complete Works of Henrik Ibsen (290 page)

DR. HERDAL. Some one is knocking at the door.

SOLNESS.
[Loudly.]
Come in. HILDA WANGEL enters by the hall door.
 
She is of middle height, supple, and delicately built.
 
Somewhat sunburnt.
 
Dressed in a tourist costume, with skirt caught up for walking, a sailor’s collar open at the throat, and a small sailor hat on her head. Knapsack on back, plaid in strap, and alpenstock.

HILDA.
[Goes straight up to SOLNESS, her eyes sparkling with happiness.]
Good evening!

SOLNESS.
[Looks doubtfully at her.]
Good evening —

HILDA.
[Laughs.]
I almost believe you don’t recognise me!

SOLNESS. No — I must admit that — just for the moment —

DR. HERDAL.
[Approaching.]
But
I
recognise you, my dear young lady —

HILDA.
[Pleased.]
Oh, is it you that —

DR. HERDAL. Of course it is.
[To SOLNESS.]
We met at one of the mountain stations this summer.
[To HILDA.]
What became of the other ladies?

HILDA. Oh, they went westward.

DR. HERDAL. They didn’t much like all the fun we used to have in the evenings.

HILDA. No, I believe they didn’t.

DR. HERDAL.
[Holds up his finger at her.]
And I am afraid it can’t be denied that you flirted a little with us.

HILDA. Well, that was better fun than to sit there knitting stockings with all those old women.

DR. HERDAL.
[Laughs.]
There I entirely agree with you!

SOLNESS. Have you come to town this evening?

HILDA. Yes, I have just arrived.

DR. HERDAL. Quite alone, Miss Wangel?

HILDA. Oh yes!

SOLNESS. Wangel? Is your name Wangel?

HILDA.
[Looks in amused surprise at him.]
Yes, of course it is.

SOLNESS. Then you must be a daughter of the district doctor up at Lysanger?

HILDA.
[As before.]
Yes, who else’s daughter should I be?

SOLNESS. Oh, then I suppose we met up there, that summer when I was building a tower on the old church.

HILDA.
[More seriously.]
Yes, of course it was then we met.

SOLNESS. Well, that is a long time ago.

HILDA.
[Looks hard at him.]
It is exactly ten years.

SOLNESS. You must have been a mere child then, I should think.

HILDA.
[Carelessly.]
Well, I was twelve or thirteen.

DR. HERDAL. Is this the first time you have ever been up to town, Miss Wangel?

HILDA. Yes, it is indeed.

SOLNESS. And don’t you know any one here?

HILDA. Nobody but you. And of course, your wife.

SOLNESS. So you know her, too?

HILDA. Only a little. We spent a few days together at the sanatorium.

SOLNESS. Ah, up there?

HILDA. She said I might come and pay her a visit if ever I came up to town.
[Smiles.]
Not that that was necessary.

SOLNESS. Odd that she should never have mentioned it.

[HILDA puts her stick down by the stove, takes off the knapsack and lays it and the plaid on the sofa.
 
DR. HERDAL offers to help her.
 
SOLNESS stands and gazes at her.

HILDA.
[Going towards him.]
Well, now I must ask you to let me stay the night here.

SOLNESS. I am sure there will be no difficulty about that.

HILDA. For I have no other clothes than those I stand in, except a change of linen in my knapsack. And that has to go to the wash, for it’s very dirty.

SOLNESS. Oh yes, that can be managed. Now I’ll just let my wife know —

DR. HERDAL. Meanwhile I will go and see my patient.

SOLNESS. Yes, do; and come again later on.

DR. HERDAL.
[Playfully, with a glance at HILDA.]
Oh that I will, you may be very certain!
[Laughs.]
So your prediction has come true, Mr. Solness!

SOLNESS. How so?

DR. HERDAL. The younger generation did come knocking at your door.

SOLNESS.
[Cheerfully.]
Yes, but in a very different way from what I meant.

DR. HERDAL. Very different, yes. That’s undeniable.

[He goes out by the hall-door.
 
SOLNESS opens the door on the right and speaks into the side room.

SOLNESS. Aline! Will you come in here, please. Here is a friend of yours — Miss Wangel.

MRS. SOLNESS.
[Appears in the doorway.]
Who do you say it is?
[Sees HILDA.]
. Oh, is it you, Miss Wangel?

SOLNESS. Miss Wangel has this moment arrived; and she would like to stay the night here.

MRS. SOLNESS. Here with us? Oh yes, certainly.

SOLNESS. Till she can get her things a little in order, you know.

MRS. SOLNESS. I will do the best I can for you. It’s no more than my duty. I suppose your trunk is coming on later?

HILDA. I have no trunk.

MRS. SOLNESS. Well, it will be all right, I daresay. In the meantime, you must excuse my leaving you here with my husband, until I can get a room made a little more comfortable for you.

SOLNESS. Can we not give her one of the nurseries? They are all ready as it is.

MRS. SOLNESS. Oh yes. There we have room and to spare.
[To HILDA.]
Sit down now, and rest a little. [She goes out to the right.

[HILDA, with her hands behind her back, strolls about the room and looks at various objects.
 
SOLNESS stands in front, beside the table, also with his hands behind his back, and follows her with his eyes.

HILDA.
[Stops and looks at him.]
Have you several nurseries?

SOLNESS. There are three nurseries in the house.

HILDA. That’s a lot. Then I suppose you have a great many children?

SOLNESS. No. We have no child. But now you can be the child here, for the time being.

HILDA. For to-night, yes. I shall not cry. I mean to sleep as sound as a stone.

SOLNESS. Yes, you must be very tired, I should think.

HILDA. Oh no! But all the same — . It’s so delicious to lie and dream.

SOLNESS. Do you dream much of nights?

HILDA. Oh yes! Almost always.

SOLNESS. What do you dream about most?

HILDA. I sha’n’t tell you to-night. Another time perhaps.

[She again strolls about the room, stops at the desk and turns over the books and papers a little.

SOLNESS.
[Approaching.]
Are you searching for anything?

HILDA. No, I am merely looking at all these things.
[Turns.]
Perhaps I mustn’t?

SOLNESS. Oh, by all means.

HILDA. Is it you that writes in this great ledger?

SOLNESS. No, it’s my book-keeper.

HILDA. Is it a woman?

SOLNESS.
[Smiles.]
Yes.

HILDA. One you employ here, in your office?

SOLNESS. Yes.

HILDA. Is she married?

SOLNESS. No, she is single.

HILDA. Oh, indeed!

SOLNESS. But I believe she is soon going to be married.

HILDA. That’s a good thing for her.

SOLNESS. But not such a good thing for me. For then I shall have nobody to help me.

HILDA. Can’t you get hold of some one else who will do just as well?

SOLNESS. Perhaps you would stay here and — and write in the ledger?

HILDA.
[Measures him with a glance.]
Yes, I daresay! No, thank you — nothing of that sort for me.

[She again strolls across the room, and sits down on the rocking-chair.
 
SOLNESS too goes to the table.

HILDA.
[Continuing.]
For there must surely be plenty of other thing to be done here.
[Looks smilingly at him.]
Don’t you think so, too?

SOLNESS. Of course. First of all, I suppose, you want to make a round of the shops, and get yourself up in the height of fashion.

HILDA.
[Amused.]
No, I think I shall let that alone!

SOLNESS. Indeed?

HILDA. For you must know I have run through all my money.

SOLNESS.
[Laughs.]
Neither trunk nor money, then?

HILDA. Neither one nor the other. But never mind — it doesn’t matter now.

SOLNESS. Come now, I like you for that.

HILDA. Only for that?

SOLNESS. For that among other things.
[Sits in the arm-chair.]
Is your father alive still?

HILDA. Yes, father’s alive.

SOLNESS. Perhaps you are thinking of studying here?

HILDA. No, that hadn’t occurred to me.

SOLNESS. But I suppose you will be staying for some time?

HILDA. That must depend upon circumstances.

[She sits awhile rocking herself and looking at him, half seriously, half with a suppressed smile.
 
Then she takes off her hat and puts it on the table in front of her.

HILDA. Mr. Solness!

SOLNESS. Well?

HILDA. Have you a very bad memory?

SOLNESS. A bad memory? No, not that I am aware of.

HILDA. Then have you nothing to say to me about what happened up there?

SOLNESS.
[In momentary surprise.]
Up at Lysanger?
[Indifferently.]
Why, it was nothing much to talk about it seems to me.

HILDA.
[Looks reproachfully at him.]
How can you sit there and say such things?

SOLNESS. Well, then, you talk to me about it.

HILDA. When the tower was finished, we had grand doings in the town.

SOLNESS. Yes, I shall not easily forget that day.

HILDA.
[Smiles.]
Will you not? That comes well from you.

SOLNESS. Comes well?

HILDA. There was music in the churchyard — and many, many hundreds of people. We school-girls were dressed in white; and we all carried flags.

SOLNESS. Ah yes, those flags — I can tell you I remember them!

HILDA. Then you climbed right up the scaffolding, straight to the very top; and you had a great wreath with you; and you hung that wreath right away up on the weather-vane.

SOLNESS.
[Curtly interrupting.]
I always did that in those days. It is an old custom.

HILDA. It was so wonderfully thrilling to stand below and look up at you. Fancy, if he should fall over! He — the master builder himself!

SOLNESS.
[As if to divert her from the subject.]
Yes, yes, yes, that might very will have happened, too. For one of those white-frocked little devils, — she went on in such a way, and screamed up at me so —