Complete Works of Henrik Ibsen (289 page)

SOLNESS. Even then — I might almost say — it can make no difference. I must keep Kaia Fosli. No one else could fill her place.

DR. HERDAL. No one else?

SOLNESS.
[Curtly.]
No, no one.

DR. HERDAL.
[Drawing his chair closer.]
Now listen to me, my dear Mr. Solness. May I ask you a question, quite between ourselves?

SOLNESS. By all means.

DR. HERDAL. Women, you see — in certain matters, they have a deucedly keen intuition —

SOLNESS. They have, indeed. There is not the least doubt of that. But — ?

DR. HERDAL. Well, tell me now — if your wife can’t endure this Kaia Fosli — ?

SOLNESS. Well, what then?

DR. HERDAL. — may she not have just — just the least little bit of reason for this instinctive dislike?

SOLNESS.
[Looks at him and rises.]
Oho!

DR. HERDAL. Now don’t be offended — but hasn’t she?

SOLNESS.
[With curt decision.]
No.

DR. HERDAL. No reason of any sort?

SOLNESS. No other than her own suspicious nature.

DR. HERDAL. I know you have known a good many women in your time.

SOLNESS. Yes, I have.

DR. HERDAL. And have been a good deal taken with some of them, too.

SOLNESS. Oh yes, I don’t deny it.

DR. HERDAL. But as regards Miss Fosli, then? There is nothing of that sort in this case?

SOLNESS. No; nothing at all — on my side.

DR. HERDAL. But on her side?

SOLNESS. I don’t think you have any right to ask that question, doctor.

DR. HERDAL. Well, you know, we were discussing your wife’s intuition.

SOLNESS. So we were. And for that matter —
[lowers his voice]
— Aline’s intuition, as you call it — in a certain sense, it has not been so far astray.

DR. HERDAL. Aha! there we have it!

SOLNESS.
[Sits down.]
Doctor Herdal — I am going to tell you a strange story — if you care to listen to it.

DR. HERDAL. I like listening to strange stories.

SOLNESS. Very well then. I daresay you recollect that I took Knut Brovik and his son into my employment — after the old man’s business had gone to the dogs.

DR. HERDAL. Yes, so I have understood.

SOLNESS. You see, they really are clever fellows, these two. Each of them has talent in his own way. But then the son took it into his head to get engaged; and the next thing, of course, was that he wanted to get married — and begin to build on his own account. That is the way with all these young people.

DR. HERDAL.
[Laughing.]
Yes, they have a bad habit of wanting to marry.

SOLNESS. Just so. But of course that did not suit my plans; for I needed Ragnar myself — and the old man too. He is exceedingly good at calculating bearing strains and cubic contents — and all that sort of devilry, you know.

DR. HERDAL. Oh yes, no doubt that’s indispensable.

SOLNESS. Yes, it is. But Ragnar was absolutely bent on setting to work for himself. He would hear of nothing else.

DR. HERDAL. But he has stayed with you all the same.

SOLNESS. Yes, I’ll tell you how that came about. One day this girl, Kaia Fosli, came to see them on some errand or other. She had never been here before. And when I saw how utterly infatuated they were with each other, the thought occurred to me: if I cold only get her into the office here, then perhaps Ragnar too would stay where he is.

DR. HERDAL. That was not at all a bad idea.

SOLNESS. Yes, but at the time I did not breathe a word of what was in my mind. I merely stood and looked at her — and kept on wishing intently that I could have her here. Then I talked to her a little, in a friendly way — about one thing and another. And then she went away.

DR. HERDAL. Well?

SOLNESS. Well then, next day, pretty late in the evening, when old Brovik and Ragnar had gone home, she came here again, and behaved as if I had made an arrangement with her.

DR. HERDAL. An arrangement? What about?

SOLNESS. About the very thing my mind had been fixed on. But I hadn’t said one single word about it.

DR. HERDAL. That was most extraordinary.

SOLNESS. Yes, was it not? And now she wanted to know what she was to do here — whether she could begin the very next morning, and so forth.

DR. HERDAL. Don’t you think she did it in order to be with her sweetheart?

SOLNESS. That was what occurred to me at first. But no, that was not it. She seemed to drift quite away from him — when once she had come here to me.

DR. HERDAL. She drifted over to you, then?

SOLNESS. Yes, entirely. If I happen to look at her when her back is turned, I can tell that she feels it. She quivers and trembles the moment I come near her. What do you think of that?

DR. HERDAL. H’m — that’s not very hard to explain.

SOLNESS. Well, but what about the other thing? That she believed I had said to her what I had only wished and willed — silently — inwardly — to myself? What do you say to that? Can you explain that, Dr. Herdal?

DR. HERDAL. No, I won’t undertake to do that.

SOLNESS. I felt sure you would not; and so I have never cared to talk about it till now. — But it’s a cursed nuisance to me in the long run, you understand. Here have I got to go on day after day, pretending — . And it’s a shame to treat her so, too, poor girl.
[Vehemently.]
But I cannot do anything else. For if she runs away from me — then Ragnar will be off too.

DR. HERDAL. And you have not told your wife the rights of the story?

SOLNESS. No.

DR. HERDAL. The why on earth don’t you?

SOLNESS.
[Looks fixedly at him, and says in a low voice:]
Because I seem to find a sort of — of salutary self-torture in allowing Aline to do me an injustice.

DR. HERDAL.
[Shakes his head.]
I don’t in the least understand what you mean.

SOLNESS. Well, you see — it is like paying off a little bit of a huge, immeasurable debt —

DR. HERDAL. To your wife?

SOLNESS. Yes; and that always helps to relieve one’s mind a little. One can breathe more freely for a while, you understand.

DR. HERDAL. No, goodness knows, I don’t understand at all —

SOLNESS.
[Breaking off, rises again.]
Well, well, well — then we won’t talk any more about it.
[He saunters across the room, returns, and stops beside the table. Looks at the doctor with a sly smile.]
I suppose you think you have drawn me out nicely now, doctor?

DR. HERDAL.
[With some irritation.]
Drawn you out? Again I have not the faintest notion of what you mean, Mr. Solness.

SOLNESS. Oh come, out with it; I have seen it quite clearly, you know.

DR. HERDAL. What have you seen?

SOLNESS.
[In a low voice, slowly.]
That you have been quietly keeping an eye upon me.

DR. HERDAL. That
I
have! And why in all the world should I do that?

SOLNESS. Because you think that I ——
[Passionately.]
Well devil take it — you think the same of me as Aline does.

DR. HERDAL. And what does she think about you?

SOLNESS.
[Having recovered his self-control.]
She has begun to think that I am — that I am — ill.

DR. HERDAL. Ill! You! She has never hinted such a thing to me. Why, what can she think is the matter with you?

SOLNESS.
[Leans over the back of the chair and whispers.]
Aline has made up her mind that I am mad. That is what she thinks.

DR. HERDAL.
[Rising.]
Why, my dear fellow — !

SOLNESS. Yes, on my soul she does! I tell you it is so. And she has got you to think the same! Oh, I can assure you, doctor, I see it in your face as clearly as possible. You don’t take me in so easily, I can tell you.

DR. HERDAL.
[Looks at him in amazement.]
Never, Mr. Solness — never has such a thought entered my mind.

SOLNESS.
[With and incredulous smile.]
Really? Has it not?

DR. HERDAL. No, never! Nor your wife’s mind either, I am convinced. I could almost swear to that.

SOLNESS. Well, I wouldn’t advise you to. For, in a certain sense, you see, perhaps — perhaps she is not so far wrong in thinking something of the kind.

DR. HERDAL. Come now, I really must say —

SOLNESS.
[Interrupting, with a sweep of his hand.]
Well, well, my dear doctor — don’t let us discuss this any further. We had better agree to differ.
[Changes to a tone of quiet amusement.]
But look here now, doctor — h’m —

DR. HERDAL. Well?

SOLNESS. Since you don’t believe that I am — ill — and crazy — and mad, and so forth —

DR. HERDAL. What then?

SOLNESS. Then I daresay you fancy that I am an extremely happy man.

DR. HERDAL. Is that mere fancy?

SOLNESS.
[Laughs.]
No, no — of course not! Heaven forbid! Only think — to be Solness the master builder! Halvard Solness! What could be more delightful?

DR. HERDAL. Yes, I must say it seems to me you have had the luck on your side to an astounding degree.

SOLNESS.
[Suppresses a gloomy smile.]
So I have. I can’t complain on that score.

DR. HERDAL. First of all that grim old robbers’ castle was burnt down for you. And that was certainly a great piece of luck.

SOLNESS.
[Seriously.]
It was the home of Aline’s family. Remember that.

DR. HERDAL. Yes, it must have been a great grief to her.

SOLNESS. She has not got over it to this day — not in all these twelve or thirteen years.

DR. HERDAL. But you — yourself — you rose upon the ruins. You began as a poor boy from a country village — and now you are at the head of your profession. Ah, yes, Mr. Solness, you have undoubtedly had the luck on your side.

SOLNESS.
[Looking at him with embarrassment.]
Yes, but that is just what makes me so horribly afraid.

DR. HERDAL. Afraid? Because you have the luck on your side!

SOLNESS. It terrifies me — terrifies me every hour of the day. For sooner or later the luck must turn, you see.

DR. HERDAL. Oh nonsense! What should make the luck turn?

SOLNESS.
[With firm assurance.]
The younger generation!

DR. HERDAL. Pooh! The younger generation! You are not laid on the shelf yet, I should hope. Oh no — your position here is probably firmer now than it has ever been.

SOLNESS. The luck will turn. I know it — I feel the day approaching. Some one or other will take it into his head to say: Give me a chance! And then all the rest will come clamouring after him, and shake their fists at me and shout: Make room — make room — ! Yes, just you see, doctor — presently the younger generation will come knocking at my door —

DR. HERDAL.
[Laughing.]
Well, and what if they do?

SOLNESS. What if they do? Then there’s an end of Halvard Solness.

[There is a knock at the door on the left.

SOLNESS.
[Starts.]
What’s that? Did you not hear something?