Complete Works of Henrik Ibsen (20 page)

NILS LYKKE (points to the window on the left). Ay, from this window. Denmark lies there, to the south.

ELINA. And is it far from here? More than a hundred miles?

NILS LYKKE. Much more. The sea lies between you and Denmark.

ELINA (to herself). The sea? Thought has seagull’s wings. The sea cannot stay it.

(Goes out to the left.)

NILS LYKKE (looks after her awhile; then says:) If I could but spare two days now — or even one — I would have her in my power, even as the others. And yet is there rare stuff in this maiden. She is proud. Might I not after all —— ? No; rather humble her ——
 
—— (Paces the room.) Verily, I believe she has set my blood on fire. Who would have thought it possible after all these years? — Enough of this! I must get out of the tangle I am entwined in here. (Sits in a chair on the right.) What is the meaning of it? Both Olaf Skaktavl and Inger Gyldenlove seem blind to the mistrust ‘twill waken, when ‘tis rumoured that I am in their league. — Or can Lady Inger have seen through my purpose? Can she have seen that all my promises were but designed to lure Nils Sture forth from his hiding-place? (Springs up.) Damnation! Is it I that have been fooled? ‘Tis like enough that Count Sture is not at Ostrat at all? It may be the rumour of his flight was but a feint. He may be safe and sound among his friends in Sweden, while I —— (Walks restlessly up and down.) And to think I was so sure of success! If I should effect nothing? If Lady Inger should penetrate my designs — and publish my discomfiture —— To be a laughing-stock both here and in Denmark! To have sought to lure Lady Inger into a trap — and given her cause the help it most needed — strengthened her in the people’s favour —— ! Ah, I could well-nigh sell myself to the Evil One, would he but help me to lay hands on Count Sture.

(The window in the background is pushed open. NILS STENSSON is seen outside.)

NILS LYKKE (clutches at his sword). What now?

NILS STENSSON (jumps down on to the floor). Ah; here I am at last then!

NILS LYKKE (aside). What means this?

NILS STENSSON. God’s peace, master!

NILS LYKKE. Thanks, good Sir! Methinks yo have chosen a strange
mode of entrance.

NILS STENSSON. Ay, what the devil was I to do? The gate was
shut. Folk must sleep in this house like bears at Yuletide.

NILS LYKKE. God be thanked! Know you not that a good conscience
is the best pillow?

NILS STENSSON. Ay, it must be even so; for all my rattling and
thundering, I ——

NILS LYKKE. —— You won not in?

NILS STENSSON. You have hit it. So I said to myself: As you are bidden to be in Ostrat to-night, if you have to go through fire and water, you may surely make free to creep through a window.

NILS LYKKE (aside). Ah, if it should be —— !
    (Moves a step or two nearer.)
Was it, then, of the last necessity that you should reach Ostrat
to-night?

NILS STENSSON. Was it? Ay, faith but it was. I love not to
keep folk waiting, I can tell you.

NILS LYKKE. Aha, — then Lady Inger Gyldenlove looks for your
coming?

NILS STENSSON. Lady Inger Gyldenlove? Nay, that I can scarce say for certain; (with a sly smile) but there might be some one else ——

NILS LYKKE (smiles in answer). Ah, so there might be some one else?

NILS STENSSON. Tell me — are you of the house?

NILS LYKKE. I? Well, in so far that I am Lady Inger’s guest
this evening.

NILS STENSSON. A guest? — Is not to-night the third night after
Martinmas?

NILS LYKKE. The third night after —— ? Ay, right enough. — Would you seek the lady of the house at once? I think she is not yet gone to rest. But might you not sit down and rest awhile, dear young Sir? See, here is yet a flagon of wine remaining, and doubtless you will find some food. Come, fall to; you will do wisely to refresh your strength.

NILS STENSSON. You are right, Sir; ‘twere not amiss.
    (Sits down by the table and eats and drinks.)
Both roast meat and sweet cakes! Why, you live like lords here!
When one has slept, as I have, on the naked ground, and lived on
bread and water for four or five days ——

NILS LYKKE (looks at him with a smile). Ay, such a life must be hard for one that is wont to sit at the high-table in noble halls ——

NILS STENSSON. Noble halls —— ?

NILS LYKKE. But now can you take your rest at Ostrat, as long
as it likes you.

NILS STENSSON (pleased). Ay? Can I truly? Then I am not to
begone again so soon?

NILS LYKKE. Nay, that I know not. Sure you yourself can best
say that.

NILS STENSSON (softly). Oh, the devil! (Stretches himself in the chair.) Well, you see—’tis not yet certain. I, for my part, were nothing loath to stay quiet here awhile; but ——

NILS LYKKE. —— But you are not in all points your own master?
There be other duties and other circumstances —— ?

NILS STENSSON. Ay, that is just the rub. Were I to choose, I would rest me at Ostrat at least the winter through; I have seldom led aught but a soldier’s life —— (Interrupts himself suddenly, fills a goblet, and drinks.) Your health, Sir!

NILS LYKKE. A soldier’s life? Hm!

NILS STENSSON. Nay, what I would have said is this: I have been eager to see Lady Inger Gyldenlove, whose fame has spread so wide. She must be a queenly woman, — is’t not so? — The one thing I like not in her, is that she shrinks so cursedly from open action.

NILS LYKKE. From open action?

NILS STENSSON. Ay ay, you understand me; I mean she is so loath
to take a hand in driving the foreign rulers out of the land.

NILS LYKKE. Ay, you are right. But if you do your best now,
you will doubtless work her to your will.

NILS STENSSON. I? God knows it would but little serve if
I
——

NILS LYKKE. Yet ‘tis strange you should seek her here if you have so little hope.

NILS STENSSON. What mean you? — Tell me, know you Lady Inger?

NILS LYKKE. Surely; I am her guest, and ——

NILS STENSSON. Ay, but it does not at all follow that you know her. I too am her guest, yet have I never seen so much as her shadow.

NILS LYKKE. Yet did you speak of her ——

NILS STENSSON. —— As all folk speak. Why should I not? And besides, I have often enough heard from Peter Kanzler ——

(Stops in confusion, and begins eating again.)

NILS LYKKE. You would have said —— ?

NILS STENSSON (eating). I? Nay, ‘tis all one.

(NILS LYKKE laughs.)

NILS STENSSON. Why laugh you, Sir?

NILS LYKKE. ‘Tis nought, Sir!

NILS STENSSON (drinks). A pretty vintage ye have in this house.

NILS LYKKE (approaches him confidentially). Listen — were it not time now to throw off the mask?

NILS STENSSON (smiling). The mask? Why, do as seems best to you.

NILS LYKKE. Then off with all disguise. You are known, Count
Sture!

NILS STENSSON (with a laugh). Count Sture? Do you too take
me for Count Sture?
    (Rises from the table.)
You mistake, Sir; I am not Count Sture.

NILS LYKKE. You are not? Then who are you?

NILS STENSSON. My name is Nils Stensson.

NILS LYKKE (looks at him with a smile). Hm! Nils Stensson? But you are not Sten Sture’s son Nils? The name chimes at least.

NILS STENSSON. True enough; but God knows what right I have to bear it. My father I never knew; my mother was a poor peasant- woman, that was robbed and murdered in one of the old feuds. Peter Kanzler chanced to be on the spot; he took me into his care, brought me up, and taught me the trade of arms. As you know, King Gustav has been hunting him this many a year; and I have followed him faithfully, wherever he went.

NILS LYKKE. Peter Kanzler has taught you more than the trade of arms, meseems ——
 
—— Well, well; then you are not Nils Sture. But at least you come from Sweden. Peter Kanzler has sent you here to find a stranger, who ——

NILS STENSSON (nods cunningly). —— Who is found already.

NILS LYKKE (somewhat uncertain). And whom you do not know?

NILS STENSSON. As little as you know me; for I swear to you by
God himself: I am not Count Sture!

NILS LYKKE. In sober earnest, Sir?

NILS STENSSON. As truly as I live! Wherefore should I deny it, if I were?

NILS LYKKE. Then where is Count Sture?

NILS STENSSON (in a low voice). Ay,
that
is just the secret.

NILS LYKKE (whispers). Which is known to you, is it not?

NILS STENSSON (nods). And which I have to tell to you.

NILS LYKKE. To me? Well then, — where is he?

(NILS STENSSON points upwards.)

NILS LYKKE. Up there? Lady Inger holds him hidden in the loft-
room?

NILS STENSSON. Nay, nay; you mistake me. (Looks round cautiously.)
Nils Sture is in Heaven!

NILS LYKKE. Dead? And where?

NILS STENSSON. In his mother’s castle, — three weeks since.

NILS LYKKE. Ah, you are deceiving me! ‘Tis but five or six days since he crossed the frontier into Norway.

NILS STENSSON. Oh, that was I.

NILS LYKKE. But just before that the Count had appeared in the Dales. The people were restless already, and on his coming they broke out openly and would have chosen him for king.

NILS STENSSON. Ha-ha-ha; that was me too!

NILS LYKKE. You?

NILS STENSSON. I will tell you how it came about. One day Peter Kanzler called me to him and gave me to know that great things were preparing. He bade me set out for Norway and go to Ostrat, where I must be on a certain fixed day ——

NILS LYKKE (nods). The third night after Martinmas.

NILS STENSSON. I was to meet a stranger there ——

NILS LYKKE. Ay, right; I am he.

NILS STENSSON. He was to tell me what more I had to do. Moreover, I was to let him know that the Count was dead of a sudden, but that as yet ‘twas known to no one save to his mother the Countess, together with Peter Kanzler and a few old servants of the Stures.

NILS LYKKE. I understand. The Count was the peasants’ rallying- point. Were the tidings of his death to spread, they would fall asunder, — and the whole project would come to nought.

NILS STENSSON. Ay, maybe so; I know little of such matters.

NILS LYKKE. But how came you to give yourself out for the Count?

NILS STENSSON. How came I to —— ? Nay, what know I? Many’s the mad prank I’ve hit on in my day. And yet ‘twas not I hit on it neither; wherever I appeared in the Dales, the people crowded round me and greeted me as Count Sture. Deny it as I pleased,—’twas wasted breath. The Count had been there two years before, they said — and the veriest child knew me again. Well, be it so, thought I; never again will you be a Count in this life; why not try what ‘tis like for once?

NILS LYKKE. Well, — and what did you more?

NILS STENSSON. I? I ate and drank and took my ease. Pity ‘twas that I must away again so soon. But when I set forth across the frontier — ha-ha-ha — I promised them I would soon be back with three or four thousand men — I know not how many I said — and then we would lay on in earnest.

NILS LYKKE. And you did not bethink you that you were acting
rashly?

NILS STENSSON. Ay, afterwards; but then, to be sure, ‘twas too
late.

NILS LYKKE. It grieves me for you, my young friend; but you will soon come to feel the effects of your folly. Let me tell you that you are pursued. A troop of Swedish men-at-arms is out after you.