Complete Works of Henrik Ibsen (50 page)

Gunnar
[violently agitated]
. Woman, not a word more!

Dagny
[softly]
. Sigurd, wilt thou bear —— ?

Sigurd
[likewise]
. Be still!

Hiördis
[to the company]
. And now, ye brave men — which is the mightier, Sigurd or Gunnar?

Gunnar. Silence!

Hiördis
[loudly]
. Speak out; I have the right to crave your judgement.

An Old Man
[among the guests]
. If the truth be told, then is Gunnar’s deed greater than all other deeds of men; Gunnar is the mightiest warrior, and Sigurd is second to him.

Gunnar
[with a glance across the table]
. Ah, Sigurd, Sigurd, didst thou but know —— !

Dagny
[softly]
. This is too much — even for a friend!

Sigurd. Peace, wife!
[Aloud, to the others.]
Ay truly, Gunnar is the most honourable of all men; so would I esteem him to my dying day, even had he never done that deed; for that I hold more lightly than ye.

Hiördis. There speaks thy envy, Sigurd Viking!

Sigurd
[smiling]
. Mightily art thou mistaken.
[Kindly, to Gunnar, drinking to him across the table.]
Hail, noble Gunnar; our friendship shall stand fast, whosoever may seek to break it.

Hiördis. No one, that I wot of, has such a thought.

Sigurd. Say not that; I could almost find it in me to think that thou hadst bidden us hither to stir up strife.

Hiördis. That is like thee, Sigurd; now art thou wroth that thou may’st not be held the mightiest man at the feast-board.

Sigurd. I have ever esteemed Gunnar more highly than myself.

Hiördis. Well, well — second to Gunnar is still a good place, and ——

[with a side-glance at Thorolf]
had Örnulf been here, he could have had the third seat.

Thorolf. Then would Jokul, thy father, find a low place indeed; for he fell before Örnulf.

[The following dispute is carried on, by both parties, with rising and yet repressed irritation.]

Hiördis. That shalt thou never say! Örnulf is a skald, and men whisper that he has praised himself for greater deeds than he has done.

Thorolf. Then woe to him who whispers so loudly that it comes to my ear!

Hiördis
[with a smile of provocation]
. Wouldst thou avenge it?

Thorolf. Ay, so that my vengeance should be told of far and wide.

Hiördis. Then here I pledge a cup to this, that thou may’st first have a beard on thy chin.

Thorolf. Even a beardless lad is too good to wrangle with women.

Hiördis. But too weak to fight with men; therefore thy father let thee lie by the hearth at home in Iceland, whilst thy brothers went a-viking.

Thorolf. It had been well had he kept as good an eye on thee; for then hadst thou not left Iceland a dishonoured woman.

Gunnar and Sigurd. Thorolf!

Dagny
[simultaneously]
. Brother!

Hiördis
[softly, and quivering with rage]
. Ha! wait — wait!

Thorolf
[gives Gunnar his hand]
. Be not wroth, Gunnar; evil words came to my tongue; but thy wife egged me!

Dagny
[softly and imploringly]
. Foster-sister, by any love thou hast ever borne me, stir not up strife!

Hiördis
[laughing]
. Jests must pass at the feast-board if the merriment is to thrive.

Gunnar
[who has been talking softly to Thorolf]
. Thou art a brave lad!
[Hands him a sword which hangs beside the high-seat.]
Here, Thorolf, here is a good gift for thee. Wield it well, and let us be friends.

Hiördis. Beware how thou givest away thy weapons, Gunnar; for men may say thou dost part with things thou canst not use!

Thorolf
[who has meanwhile examined the sword]
. Thanks for the gift, Gunnar; it shall never be drawn in an unworthy cause.

Hiördis. If thou wilt keep that promise, then do thou never lend the sword to thy brothers.

Gunnar. Hiördis!

Hiördis
[continuing]
. Neither let it hang on thy father’s wall; for there it would hang with base men’s weapons.

Thorolf. True enough, Hiördis — for there thy father’s axe and shield have hung this many a year.

Hiördis
[mastering herself]
. That Örnulf slew my father, — that deed is ever on thy tongue; but if report speak true, it was scarce so honourable a deed as thou deemest.

Thorolf. Of what report dost thou speak?

Hiördis. I dare not name it, for it would make thee wroth.

Thorolf. Then hold thy peace — I ask no better.

[Turns from her.]

Hiördis. Nay, why should I not tell it? Is it true, Thorolf, that for three nights thy father sat in woman’s weed, doing sorceries with the witch of Smalserhorn, ere he dared face Jokul in fight.

[All rise; violent excitement among the guests.]

Gunnar, Sigurd, and Dagny. Hiördis!

Thorolf
[bitterly exasperated]
. So base a lie has no man spoken of Örnulf of the Fiords! Thou thyself hast made it, for no one less venomous than thou could dream of such a thing. The blackest crime a man can do hast thou laid at my father’s door.
[Throwing the sword away.]
There, Gunnar, take thy gift again; I can take nought from the house wherein my father is reviled.

Gunnar. Thorolf, hear me —— !

Thorolf. Let me go! But beware both thou and Hiördis; for my father has now in his power one whom ye hold dearest of all!

Hiördis
[starting]
. Thy father has —— !

Gunnar
[with a cry]
. What sayst thou!

Sigurd
[vehemently]
. Where is Örnulf?

Thorolf
[with mocking laughter]
. Gone southward — with my brothers.

Gunnar. Southward!

Hiördis
[shrieking]
. Gunnar! Örnulf has slain Egil, our son.

Gunnar. Slain! — Egil slain! Then woe to Örnulf and all his race! Thorolf, speak out; — is this true?

Sigurd. Gunnar, Gunnar — hear me!

Gunnar. Speak out, if thou care for thy life!

Thorolf. Thou canst not fright me! Wait till my father comes; he shall plant a mark of shame over against Gunnar’s house! And meanwhile, Hiördis, do thou cheer thee with these words I heard today: “Ere eventide shall Gunnar and his wife be childless.”

[Goes out by the back.]

Gunnar
[in the deepest pain]
. Slain — slain! My little Egil slain!

Hiördis
[wildly]
. And thou — dost thou let him go? Let Egil, thy child, lie unavenged! Then wert thou the dastard of dastards —— !

Gunnar
[as if beside himself]
. A sword — an axe! It is the last message he shall bring!

[Seizes an axe from the bystanders and rushes out.]

Sigurd
[about to follow]
. Gunnar, hold thy hand!

Hiördis
[holding him back]
. Stay, stay! The men will part them; I know Gunnar!

[A cry from the crowd, which has flocked together at the main door.]

Sigurd and Dagny. What is it?

A Voice among the crowd. Thorolf has fallen.

Sigurd. Thorolf! Ha, let me go!

Dagny. My brother! Oh, my brother!

[Sigurd is on the point of rushing out. At the same moment, the crowd parts, Gunnar enters, and throws down the axe at the door.]

Gunnar. Now it is done. Egil is avenged!

Sigurd. Well for thee if thy hand has not been too hasty.

Gunnar. Mayhap, mayhap; but Egil, Egil, my sweet boy!

Hiördis. Now must we arm us, and seek help among our friends; for Thorolf has many avengers.

Gunnar
[gloomily]
. He will be his own worst avenger; he will haunt me night and day.

Hiördis. Thorolf got his reward. Kinsmen must suffer for kinsmen’s deeds.

Gunnar. True, true; but this I know, my mind was lighter ere this befell.

Hiördis. This first night
⁶
is ever the worst; — Örnulf has sought his revenge by shameful wiles; he would not come against us in open strife; he feigned to be peacefully-minded; and then he falls upon our defenceless child! Ha, I saw more clearly than ye; well I deemed that Örnulf was evil-minded and false; I had good cause to egg thee on against him and all his faithless tribe!

⁶
Literally the “blood-night.”

Gunnar
[fiercely]
. That hadst thou! My vengeance is poor beside Örnulf’s crime. He has lost Thorolf, but he has six sons left — and I have none — none!

A House-Carl
[enters hastily from the back]
. Örnulf of the Fiords is at hand!

Gunnar. Örnulf!

Hiördis and several men. To arms! to arms!

Dagny
[simultaneously]
. My father!

Sigurd
[as if seized by a foreboding]
. Örnulf —— ! Ah, Gunnar, Gunnar!

Gunnar
[draws his sword]
. Up all my men! Vengeance for Egil’s death!

[Örnulf enters, with Egil in his arms.]

Gunnar
[with a shriek]
. Egil!

Örnulf. Here I bring thee little Egil.

All
[one to another]
. Egil! Egil alive!

Gunnar
[letting his sword fall]
. Woe is me! what have I done?

Dagny. Oh, Thorolf, my brother!

Sigurd. I knew it! I knew it!

Örnulf
[setting Egil down]
. There, Gunnar, hast thou thy pretty boy again.

Egil. Father! Old Örnulf would not do me ill, as thou saidst when I went away.

Örnulf
[to Hiördis]
. Now have I atoned for thy father; now surely there may be peace between us.

Hiördis
[with repressed emotion]
. Mayhap!

Gunnar
[as if waking up]
. Is it a ghastly dream that maddens me! Thou — thou bringest Egil home!

Örnulf. As thou seest; but in truth he has been near his death.

Gunnar. That I know.

Örnulf. And hast no more joy in his return?

Gunnar. Had he come sooner, I had been glad indeed. But tell me all that has befallen!

Örnulf. That is soon done. Kåre the Peasant was plotting evil against you; with other caitiffs he fared southward after Egil.

Gunnar. Kåre!
[To himself.]
Ha, now I understand Thorolf’s words!

Örnulf. His purpose came to my ears; I needs must thwart so black a deed. I would not give atonement for Jokul, and, had things so befallen, I had willingly slain thee, Gunnar, in single combat — yet I could not but protect thy child. With my sons, I hasted after Kåre.

Sigurd
[softly]
. An accursed deed has here been done.

Örnulf. When I came up with him, Egil’s guards lay bound; thy son was already in thy foemen’s hand, and they would not long have spared him. Hot was the fight! Seldom have I given and taken keener strokes; Kåre and two men fled inland; the rest sleep safely, and will be hard to waken.