Complete Works of Henrik Ibsen (299 page)

RAGNAR. She said that he had taken possession of her mind — her whole mind — centred all her thoughts upon himself alone. She says that she can never leave him — that she will remain here, where he is —

HILDA.
[With flashing eyes.]
She will not be allowed to!

RAGNAR.
[As if feeling his way.]
Who will not allow her?

HILDA.
[Rapidly.]
He will not either!

RAGNAR. Oh no — I understand the whole thing now. After this, she would merely be — in the way.

HILDA. You understand nothing — since you can talk like that! No,
I
will tell you why he kept hold of her.

RAGNAR. Well then, why?

HILDA. In order to keep hold of you.

RAGNAR. Has he told you so?

HILDA. No, but it is so. It must be so!
[Wildly.]
I will — I will have it so!

RAGNAR. And at the very moment when you came — he let her go.

HILDA. It was you — you that he let go! What do you suppose he cares about strange women like her?

RAGNAR.
[Reflects.]
Is it possible that all this time he has been afraid of me?

HILDA. He afraid! I would not be so conceited if I were you.

RAGNAR. Oh, he must have seen long ago that I had something in me, too. Besides — cowardly — that is just what he is, you see.

HILDA. He! Oh yes, I am likely to believe that!

RAGNAR. In a certain sense he is cowardly — he, the great master builder. He is not afraid of robbing others of their happiness — as he has done both for my father and me. But when it comes to climbing up a paltry bit of scaffolding — he will do anything rather than that.

HILDA. Oh, you should just have seen him high, high up — at the dizzy height where I once saw him.

RAGNAR. Did you see that?

HILDA. Yes, indeed I did. How free and great he looked as he stood and fastened the wreath to the church vane!

RAGNAR. I know that he ventured that, once in his life — one solitary time. It is a legend among us younger men. But no power on earth would induce him to do it again.

HILDA. To-day he will do it again!

RAGNAR.
[Scornfully.]
Yes, I daresay!

HILDA. We shall see it!

RAGNAR. That neither you nor I will see.

HILDA.
[With uncontrollable vehemence.]
I will se it! I will and I must see it!

RAGNAR. But he will not do it. He simply dare not do it. For you see he cannot get over this infirmity — master builder though he be. MRS. SOLNESS comes from the house on to the verandah.

MRS. SOLNESS.
[Looks around.]
Is he not here? Where has he gone to?

RAGNAR. Mr. Solness is down with the men.

HILDA. He took the wreath with him.

MRS. SOLNESS.
[Terrified.]
Took the wreath with him! Oh God! oh God! Brovik — you must go down to him! Get him to come back here!

RAGNAR. Shall I say you want to speak to him, Mrs. Solness?

MRS. SOLNESS. Oh yes, do! — No, no — don’t say that
I
want anything! You can say that somebody is here, and that he must come at once.

RAGNAR. Good. I will do so, Mrs. Solness.

[He goes down the flight of steps and away through the garden.

MRS. SOLNESS. Oh, Miss Wangel, you can’t think how anxious I feel about him.

HILDA. Is there anything in this to be terribly frightened about?

MRS. SOLNESS. Oh yes; surely you can understand. Just think, if he were really to do it! If he should take it into his head to climb up the scaffolding!

HILDA.
[Eagerly.]
Do you think he will?

MRS. SOLNESS. Oh, one can never tell what he might take into his head. I am afraid there is nothing he mightn’t think of doing.

HILDA. Aha! Perhaps you too think he is — well — ?

MRS. SOLNESS. Oh, I don’t know what to think about him now. The doctor has been telling me all sorts of things; and putting it all together with several things I have heard him say — DR. HERDAL looks out, at the door.

DR. HERDAL. Is he not coming soon?

MRS. SOLNESS. Yes, I think so. I have sent for him at any rate.

DR. HERDAL.
[Advancing.]
I am afraid you will have to go in, my dear lady —

MRS. SOLNESS. Oh no! Oh no! I shall stay out here and wait for Halvard.

DR. HERDAL. But some ladies have just come to call on you —

MRS. SOLNESS. Good heavens, that too! And just at this moment!

DR. HERDAL. They say they positively must see the ceremony.

MRS. SOLNESS. Well, well, I suppose I must go to them after all. It is my duty.

HILDA. Can’t you ask the ladies to go away?

MRS. SOLNESS. No, that would never do. Now that they are here, it is my duty to see them. But do you stay out here in the meantime — and receive him when he comes.

DR. HERDAL. And try to occupy his attention as long as possible —

MRS. SOLNESS. Yes, do, dear Miss Wangel. Keep as firm hold of him as ever you can.

HILDA. Would it not be best for you to do that?

MRS. SOLNESS. Yes; God knows that is my duty. But when one has duties in so many directions —

DR. HERDAL.
[Looks towards the garden.]
There he is coming.

MRS. SOLNESS. And I have to go in!

DR. HERDAL.
[To HILDA.]
Don’t say anything about my being here.

HILDA. Oh no! I daresay I shall find something else to talk to Mr. Solness about.

MRS. SOLNESS. And be sure you keep firm hold of him. I believe you can do it best.

[MRS. SOLNESS and DR. HERDAL go into the house.
 
HILDA remains standing on the verandah.
 
SOLNESS comes from the garden, up the flight of steps.

SOLNESS. Somebody wants me, I hear.

HILDA. Yes; it is I, Mr. Solness.

SOLNESS. Oh, is it you, Hilda? I was afraid it might be Aline or the Doctor.

HILDA. You are very easily frightened, it seems!

SOLNESS. Do you think so?

HILDA. Yes; people say that you are afraid to climb about — on the scaffoldings, you know.

SOLNESS. Well, that is quite a special thing.

HILDA. Then it is true that you are afraid to do it?

SOLNESS. Yes, I am.

HILDA. Afraid of falling down and killing yourself?

SOLNESS. No, not of that.

HILDA. Of what, then?

SOLNESS. I am afraid of retribution, Hilda.

HILDA. Of retribution?
[Shakes her head.]
I don’t understand that.

SOLNESS. Sit down, and I will tell you something.

HILDA. Yes, do! At once!

[She sits on a stool by the railing, and looks expectantly at him.

SOLNESS.
[Throws his hat on the table.]
You know that I began by building churches.

HILDA.
[Nods.]
I know that well.

SOLNESS. For, you see, I came as a boy from a pious home in the country; and so it seemed to me that this church-building was the noblest task I could set myself.

HILDA. Yes, yes.

SOLNESS. And I venture to say that I built those poor little churches with such honest and warm and heartfelt devotion that — that —

HILDA. That — ? Well?

SOLNESS. Well, that I think that he ought to have been pleased with me.

HILDA. He? What he?

SOLNESS. He who was to have the churches, of course! He to whose honour and glory they were dedicated.

HILDA. Oh, indeed! But are you certain, then, that — that he was not — pleased with you?

SOLNESS.
[Scornfully.]
He pleased with me! How can you talk so, Hilda? He who gave the troll in me leave to lord it just as it pleased. He who bade them be at hand to serve me, both day and might — all these — all these —

HILDA. Devils —

SOLNESS. Yes, of both kinds. Oh no, he made me feel clearly enough that he was not pleased with me.
[Mysteriously.]
You see, that was really the reason why he made the old house burn down.

HILDA. Was that why?

SOLNESS. Yes, don’t you understand? He wanted to give me the chance of becoming an accomplished master in my own sphere — so that I might build all the more glorious churches for him. At first I did not understand what he was driving at; but all of a sudden it flashed upon me.

HILDA. When was that?

SOLNESS. It was when I was building the church-tower up at Lysanger.

HILDA. I thought so.

SOLNESS. For you see, Hilda — up there, amidst those new surroundings, I used to go about musing and pondering within myself. Then I saw plainly why he had taken my little children from me. It was that I should have nothing else to attach myself to. No such thing as love and happiness, you understand. I was to be only a master builder — nothing else, and all my life long I was to go on building for him.
[Laughs.]
But I can tell you nothing came of that!

HILDA. What did you do then?

SOLNESS. First of all, I searched and tried my own heart —

HILDA. And then?

SOLNESS. The I did the impossible — I, no less than he.

HILDA. The impossible?

SOLNESS. I had never before been able to climb up to a great, free height. But that day I did it.

HILDA.
[Leaping up.]
Yes, yes, you did!

SOLNESS. And when I stood there, high over everything, and was hanging the wreath over the vane, I said to him: Hear me now, thou Mighty One! From this day forward I will be a free builder — I too, in my sphere — just as thou in thine. I will never more build churches for thee — only homes for human beings.

HILDA.
[With great sparkling eyes.]
That was the song that I heard through the air!

SOLNESS. But afterwards his turn came.

HILDA. What do you mean by that?

SOLNESS.
[Looks despondently at her.]
Building homes for human beings — is not worth a rap, Hilda.

HILDA. Do you say that now?

SOLNESS. Yes, for now I see it. Men have no use for these homes of theirs — to be happy in. And I should not have had any use for such a home, if I had had one.
[With a quiet, bitter laugh.]
See, that is the upshot of the whole affair, however far back I look. Nothing really built; nor anything sacrificed for the chance of building. Nothing, nothing! the whole is nothing!

HILDA. Then you will never build anything more?

SOLNESS.
[With animation.]
On the contrary, I am just going to begin!

HILDA. What, then? What will you build? Tell me at once!

SOLNESS. I believe there is only one possible dwelling-place for human happiness — and that is what I am going to build now.

HILDA.
[Looks fixedly at him.]
Mr. Solness — you mean our castles in the air.

SOLNESS. The castles in the air — yes.