Complete Works of Henrik Ibsen (184 page)

Johan: I propose that that young girl, before whom you blackened my character yesterday, shall become my wife.

Rorlund: Your wife? And can you really suppose that — ?

Johan: I mean to marry her.

Rorlund: Well, then you shall know the truth.
(Goes to the half-open door.)
Mrs. Bernick, will you be so kind as to come and be a witness — and you too, Miss Martha. And let Dina come.
(Sees LONA at the door.)
Ah, you here too?

Lona: Shall I come too?

Rorlund: As many as you please — the more the better.

Bernick: What are you going to do?
(LONA, MRS. BERNICK, MARTHA, DINA and HILMAR come in from the other room.)

Mrs. Bernick: Mr. Rorlund, I have tried my hardest, but I cannot prevent him...

Rorlund: I shall prevent him, Mrs. Bernick. Dina, you are a thoughtless girl, but I do not blame you so greatly. You have too long lacked the necessary moral support that should have sustained you. I blame myself for not having afforded you that support.

Dina: You mustn’t speak now!

Mrs. Bernick: What is it?

Rorlund: It is now that I must speak, Dina, although your conduct yesterday and today has made it ten times more difficult for me. But all other considerations must give way to the necessity for saving you. You remember that I gave you my word; you remember what you promised you would answer when I judged that the right time had come. Now I dare not hesitate any longer, and therefore — .
(Turns to JOHAN.)
This young girl, whom you are persecuting, is my betrothed.

Mrs. Bernick: What?

Bernick: Dina!

Johan: She? Your — ?

Martha: No, no, Dina!

Lona: It is a lie!

Johan: Dina — is this man speaking the truth?

Dina
(after a short pause)
: Yes.

Rorlund: I hope this has rendered all your arts of seduction powerless. The step I have determined to take for Dina’s good, I now wish openly proclaimed to every one. I cherish the certain hope that it will not be misinterpreted. And now, Mrs. Bernick, I think it will be best for us to take her away from here, and try to bring back peace and tranquillity to her mind.

Mrs. Bernick: Yes, come with me. Oh, Dina — what a lucky girl you are!
(Takes DINA Out to the left; RORLUND follows them.)

Martha: Good-bye, Johan!
(Goes out.)

Hilmar
(at the verandah door)
: Hm — I really must say...

Lona
(who has followed DINA with her eyes, to JOHAN)
: Don’t be downhearted, my boy! I shall stay here and keep my eye on the parson.
(Goes out to the right.)

Bernick: Johan, you won’t sail in the “Indian Girl” now?

Johan: Indeed I shall.

Bernick: But you won’t come back?

Johan: I am coming back.

Bernick: After this? What have you to do here after this?

Johan: Revenge myself on you all; crush as many of you as I can.
(Goes out to the right. VIGELAND and KRAP come in from BERNICK’S room.)

Vigeland: There, now the papers are in order, Mr. Bernick.

Bernick: Good, good.

Krap
(in a low voice)
: And I suppose it is settled that the “Indian Girl” is to sail tomorrow?

Bernick: Yes.
(Goes into his room. VIGELAND and KRAP go out to the right. HILMAR is just going after them, when OLAF puts his head carefully out of the door on the left.)

Olaf: Uncle! Uncle Hilmar!

Hilmar: Ugh, is it you? Why don’t you stay upstairs? You know you are confined to the house.

Olaf
(coming a step or two nearer)
: Hush! Uncle Hilmar, have you heard the news?

Hilmar: Yes, I have heard that you got a thrashing today.

Olaf
(looking threateningly towards his father’s room)
: He shan’t thrash me any more. But have you heard that Uncle Johan is going to sail tomorrow with the Americans?

Hilmar: What has that got to do with you? You had better run upstairs again.

Olaf: Perhaps I shall be going for a buffalo hunt, too, one of these days, uncle.

Hilmar: Rubbish! A coward like you —

Olaf: Yes — just you wait! You will learn something tomorrow!

Hilmar: Duffer!
(Goes out through the garden. OLAF runs into the room again and shuts the door, as he sees KRAP coming in from the right.)

Krap
(going to the door of BERNICK’S room and opening it slightly)
: Excuse my bothering you again, Mr. Bernick; but there is a tremendous storm blowing up.
(Waits a moment, but there is no answer.)
Is the “Indian Girl” to sail, for all that?
(After a short pause, the following answer is heard.)

Bernick
(from his room)
: The “Indian Girl” is to sail, for all that.

(KRAP Shuts the door and goes out again to the right.)

ACT I
V

(SCENE — The same room. The work-table has been taken away. It is a stormy evening and already dusk. Darkness sets in as the following scene is in progress. A man-servant is lighting the chandelier; two maids bring in pots of flowers, lamps and candles, which they place on tables and stands along the walls. RUMMEL, in dress clothes, with gloves and a white tie, is standing in the room giving instructions to the servants.)

Rummel: Only every other candle, Jacob. It must not look as if it were arranged for the occasion — it has to come as a surprise, you know. And all these flowers — ? Oh, well, let them be; it will probably look as if they stood there everyday.
(BERNICK comes out of his room.)

Bernick
(stopping at the door)
: What does this mean?

Rummel: Oh dear, is it you?
(To the servants.)
Yes, you might leave us for the present.
(The servants go out.)

Bernick: But, Rummel, what is the meaning of this?

Rummel: It means that the proudest moment of your life has come. A procession of his fellow citizens is coming to do honour to the first man of the town.

Bernick: What!

Rummel: In procession — with banners and a band! We ought to have had torches too; but we did not like to risk that in this stormy weather. There will be illuminations — and that always sounds well in the newspapers.

Bernick: Listen, Rummel — I won’t have anything to do with this.

Rummel: But it is too late now; they will be here in half-an-hour.

Bernick: But why did you not tell me about this before?

Rummel: Just because I was afraid you would raise objections to it. But I consulted your wife; she allowed me to take charge of the arrangements, while she looks after the refreshments.

Bernick
(listening)
: What is that noise? Are they coming already? I fancy I hear singing.

Rummel
(going to the verandah door)
: Singing? Oh, that is only the Americans. The “Indian Girl” is being towed out.

Bernick: Towed out? Oh, yes. No, Rummel, I cannot this evening; I am not well.

Rummel: You certainly do look bad. But you must pull yourself together; devil take it — you must! Sandstad and Vigeland and I all attach the greatest importance to carrying this thing through. We have got to crush our opponents under the weight of as complete an expression of public opinion as possible. Rumours are getting about the town; our announcement about the purchase of the property cannot be withheld any longer. It is imperative that this very evening — after songs and speeches, amidst the clink of glasses — in a word, in an ebullient atmosphere of festivity — you should inform them of the risk you have incurred for the good of the community. In such an ebullient atmosphere of festivity — as I just now described it — you can do an astonishing lot with the people here. But you must have that atmosphere, or the thing won’t go.

Bernick: Yes, yes.

Rummel: And especially when so delicate and ticklish a point has to be negotiated. Well, thank goodness, you have a name that will be a tower of strength, Bernick. But listen now; we must make our arrangements, to some extent. Mr. Hilmar Tonnesen has written an ode to you. It begins very charmingly with the words: “Raise the Ideal’s banner high!” And Mr. Rorlund has undertaken the task of making the speech of the evening. Of course you must reply to that.

Bernick: I cannot tonight, Rummel. Couldn’t you — ?

Rummel: It is impossible, however willing I might be; because, as you can imagine, his speech will be especially addressed to you. Of course it is possible he may say a word or two about the rest of us; I have spoken to Vigeland and Sandstad about it. Our idea is that, in replying, you should propose the toast of “Prosperity to our Community”; Sandstad will say a few words on the subject of harmonious relations between the different strata of society; then Vigeland will express the hope that this new undertaking may not disturb the sound moral basis upon which our community stands; and I propose, in a few suitable words, to refer to the ladies, whose work for the community, though more inconspicuous, is far from being without its importance. But you are not listening to me.

Bernick: Yes — indeed I am. But, tell me, do you think there is a very heavy sea running outside?

Rummel: Why, are you nervous about the “Palm Tree”? She is fully insured, you know.

Bernick: Yes, she is insured; but —

Rummel: And in good repair — and that is the main thing.

Bernick: Hm — . Supposing anything does happen to a ship, it doesn’t follow that human life will be in danger, does it? The ship and the cargo may be lost — and one might lose one’s boxes and papers —

Rummel: Good Lord — boxes and papers are not of much consequence.

Bernick: Not of much consequence! No, no; I only meant — . Hush — I hear voices again.

Rummel: It is on board the “Palm Tree.”

(VIGELAND comes in from the right.)

Vigeland: Yes, they are just towing the “Palm Tree” out. Good evening, Mr. Bernick.

Bernick: And you, as a seafaring man, are still of opinion that —

Vigeland: I put my trust in Providence, Mr. Bernick. Moreover, I have been on board myself and distributed a few small tracts which I hope may carry a blessing with them.

(SANDSTAD and KRAP come in from the right.)

Sandstad
(to some one at the door)
: Well, if that gets through all right, anything will.
(Comes in.)
Ah, good evening, good evening!

Bernick: Is anything the matter, Krap?

Krap: I say nothing, Mr. Bernick.

Sandstad: The entire crew of the “Indian Girl” are drunk; I will stake my reputation on it that they won’t come out of it alive.
(LONA comes in from the right.)

Lona: Ah, now I can say his good-byes for him.

Bernick: Is he on board already?

Lona: He will be directly, at any rate. We parted outside the hotel.

Bernick: And he persists in his intention?

Lona: As firm as a rock.

Rummel
(who is fumbling at the window)
: Confound these new-fangled contrivances; I cannot get the curtains drawn.

Lona: Do you want them drawn? I thought, on the contrary —

Rummel: Yes, drawn at first, Miss Hessel. You know what is in the wind, I suppose?

Lona: Yes. Let me help you.
(Takes hold of the cords.)
I will draw down the curtains on my brother-in-law — though I would much rather draw them up.

Rummel: You can do that too, later on. When the garden is filled with a surging crowd, then the curtains shall be drawn back, and they will be able to look in upon a surprised and happy family. Citizens’ lives should be such that they can live in glass houses!
(BERNICK opens his mouth, as though he were going to say something; but he turns hurriedly away and goes into his room.)

Rummel: Come along, let us have a final consultation. Come in, too, Mr. Krap; you must assist us with information on one or two points of detail. (All the men go into BERNICK’S room. LONA has drawn the curtains over the windows, and is just going to do the same over the open glass door, when OLAF jumps down from the room above on to the garden steps; he has a wrap over his shoulders and a bundle in his hand.)

Lona: Bless me, child, how you frightened me!

Olaf
(hiding his bundle)
: Hush, aunt!

Lona: Did you jump out of the window? Where are you going?

Olaf: Hush! — don’t say anything. I want to go to Uncle Johan — only on to the quay, you know — only to say goodbye to him. Good-night, aunt!
(Runs out through the garden.)

Lona: No — stop! Olaf — Olaf!

(JOHAN, dressed for his journey, with a bag over his shoulder, comes warily in by the door on the right.)

Johan: Lona!

Lona
(turning round)
: What! Back again?

Johan: I have still a few minutes. I must see her once more; we cannot part like this.
(The farther door on the left opens, and MARTHA and DINA, both with cloaks on, and the latter carrying a small travelling bag in her hand, come in.)

Dina: Let me go to him! Let me go to him!

Martha: Yes, you shall go to him, Dina!

Dina: There he is!

Johan: Dina!

Dina: Take me with you!

Johan: What — !

Lona: You mean it?

Dina: Yes, take me with you. The other has written to me that he means to announce to everyone this evening.

Johan: Dina — you do not love him?

Dina: I have never loved the man! I would rather drown myself in the fjord than be engaged to him! Oh, how he humiliated me yesterday with his condescending manner! How clear he made it that he felt he was lifting up a poor despised creature to his own level! I do not mean to be despised any longer. I mean to go away. May I go with you?

Johan: Yes, yes — a thousand times, yes!

Dina: I will not be a burden to you long. Only help me to get over there; help me to go the right way about things at first.

Johan: Hurrah, it is all right after all, Dina!

Lona
(pointing to BERNICK’S door)
: Hush! — gently, gently!

Johan: Dina, I shall look after you.

Dina: I am not going to let you do that. I mean to look after myself; over there, I am sure I can do that. Only let me get away from here. Oh, these women! — you don’t know — they have written to me today, too — exhorting me to realise my good fortune — impressing on me how magnanimous he has been. Tomorrow, and every day afterwards, they would be watching me to see if I were making myself worthy of it all. I am sick and tired of all this goodness!

Johan: Tell me, Dina — is that the only reason you are coming away? Am I nothing to you?

Dina: Yes, Johan, you are more to me than any one else in the world.

Johan: Oh, Dina — !

Dina: Every one here tells me I ought to hate and detest you — that it is my duty; but I cannot see that it is my duty, and shall never be able to.

Lona: No more you shall, my dear!

Martha: No, indeed you shall not; and that is why you shall go with him as his wife.

Johan: Yes, yes!

Lona: What? Give me a kiss, Martha. I never expected that from you!

Martha: No, I dare say not; I would not have expected it myself. But I was bound to break out some time! Ah, what we suffer under the tyranny of habit and custom! Make a stand against that, Dina. Be his wife. Let me see you defy all this convention.

Johan: What is your answer, Dina?

Dina: Yes, I will be your wife.

Johan: Dina!

Dina: But first of all I want to work — to make something of myself — as you have done. I am not going to be merely a thing that is taken.

Lona: Quite right — that is the way.

Johan: Very well; I shall wait and hope —

Lona: And win, my boy! But now you must get on board!

Johan: Yes, on board! Ah, Lona, my dear sister, just one word with you. Look here —
(He takes her into the background and talks hurriedly to her.)

Martha: Dina, you lucky girl, let me look at you, and kiss you once more — for the last time.

Dina: Not for the last time; no, my darling aunt, we shall meet again.

Martha: Never! Promise me, Dina, never to come back!
(Grasps her hands and looks at her.)
Now go to your happiness, my dear child — across the sea. How often, in my schoolroom, I have yearned to be over there! It must be beautiful; the skies are loftier than here — a freer air plays about your head —