ACT FOURTH.

Gregers.

Thanks, it’s not quite unlikely; for yesterday we were thirteen at table.

Hialmar.

Oh, come now, don’t let us get upon unpleasant subjects again!

Relling.

You may make your mind easy, Ekdal; I'll be hanged if the finger of fate points to you.

Hialmar.

I should hope not, for the sake of my family. But let us sit down now, and eat and drink and be merry.

Gregers.

Shall we not wait for your father?

Hialmar.

No, his lunch will be taken in to him later. Come along!

[The men seat themselves at table, and eat and drink.GinaandHedviggo in and out and wait upon them.

Relling.

Molvik was frightfully screwed yesterday, Mrs. Ekdal.

Gina.

Really? Yesterday again?

Relling.

Didn’t you hear him when I brought him home lastnight?night?

Gina.

No, I can’t say I did.

Relling.

That was a good thing, for Molvik was disgusting last night.

Gina.

Is that true, Molvik?

Molvik.

Let us draw a veil over last night’s proceedings. That sort of thing is totally foreign to my better self.

Relling.

[ToGregers.] It comes over him like a sort of possession, and then I have to go out on the loose with him. Mr. Molvik is dæmonic, you see.

Gregers.

Dæmonic?

Relling.

Molvik is dæmonic, yes.

Gregers.

H'm.

Relling.

And dæmonic natures are not made to walk straight through the world; they must meander a little now and then.—Well, so you still stick up there at those horrible grimy works?

Gregers.

I have stuck there until now.

Relling.

And did you ever manage to collect that claim you went about presenting?

Gregers.

Claim? [Understands him.] Ah, I see.

Hialmar.

Have you been presenting claims, Gregers?

Gregers.

Oh, nonsense.

Relling.

Faith, but he has, though! He went round to all the cottars' cabins presenting something he called “the claim of the ideal.”

Gregers.

I was young then.

Relling.

You’re right; you were very young. And as for the claim of the ideal—you never got it honoured whileIwas up there.

Gregers.

Nor since either.

Relling.

Ah, then you’ve learnt to knock a little discount off, I expect.

Gregers.

Never, when I have a true man to deal with.

Hialmar.

No, I should think not, indeed. A little butter, Gina.

Relling.

And a slice of bacon for Molvik.

Molvik.

Ugh! not bacon![A knock at the garret door.

Hialmar.

Open the door, Hedvig; father wants to come out.

[Hedviggoes over and opens the door a little way;Ekdalenters with a fresh rabbit-skin; she closes the door after him.

Ekdal.

Good morning, gentlemen! Good sport to-day. Shot a big one.

Hialmar.

And you’ve gone and skinned it without waiting forme——!

Ekdal.

Salted it too. It’s good tender meat, is rabbit; it’s sweet; it tastes like sugar. Good appetite to you, gentlemen![Goes into his room.

Molvik.

[Rising.] Excuse me——; I can’t——; I must get downstairs immediately——

Relling.

Drink some soda water, man!

Molvik.

[Hurrying away.] Ugh—ugh!

[Goes out by the passage door.

Relling.

[ToHialmar.] Let us drain a glass to the old hunter.

Hialmar.

[Clinks glasses with him.] To the undaunted sportsman who has looked death in the face!

Relling.

To the grey-haired—— [Drinks.] By-the-bye, is his hair grey or white?

Hialmar.

Something between the two, I fancy; for that matter, he has very few hairs left of any colour.

Relling.

Well well, one can get through the world with a wig. After all, you are a happy man, Ekdal; you have your noble mission to labour for——

Hialmar.

And I do labour, I can tell you.

Relling.

And then you have your excellent wife, shuffling quietly in and out in her felt slippers, with that see-saw walk of hers, and making everything cosy and comfortable about you.

Hialmar.

Yes, Gina—[Nods to her]—you are a good helpmate on the path of life.

Gina.

Oh, don’t sit there cricketizingme.me.

Relling.

And your Hedvig too, Ekdal!

Hialmar.

[Affected.] The child, yes! The child before everything! Hedvig, come here to me. [Strokes her hair.] What day is it to-morrow, eh?

Hedvig.

[Shaking him.] Oh no, you’re not to say anything,father.father.

Hialmar.

It cuts me to the heart when I think what a poor affair it will be; only a little festivity in the garret——

Hedvig.

Oh, but that’s just what I like!

Relling.

Just you wait till the wonderful invention sees the light, Hedvig!

Hialmar.

Yes indeed—then you shall see——! Hedvig, I have resolved to make your future secure. You shall live in comfort all your days. I will demand—something or other—on your behalf.Thatshall be the poor inventor’s sole reward.

Hedvig.

[Whispering, with her arms round his neck.] Oh you dear, kind father!

Relling.

[ToGregers.] Come now, don’t you find it pleasant, for once in a way, to sit at a well-spread table in a happy family circle?

Hialmar.

Ah yes, I really prize these social hours.

Gregers.

For my part, I don’t thrive in marsh vapours.

Relling.

Marsh vapours?

Hialmar.

Oh, don’t begin with that stuff again!

Gina.

Goodness knows there’s no vapours inthishouse, Mr. Werle; I give the place a good airing every blessed day.

Gregers.

[Leaves the table.] No airingyoucan give will drive out the taint I mean.

Hialmar.

Taint!

Gina.

Yes, what do you say to that, Ekdal!

Relling.

Excuse me—may it not be you yourself that have brought the taint from those mines up there?

Gregers.

It is like you to call what I bring into this house a taint.

Relling.

[Goes up to him.] Look here, Mr Werle, junior: I have a strong suspicion that you are still carrying about that “claim of the ideal” large as life, in your coat-tail pocket.

Gregers.

I carry it in mybreast.breast.

Relling.

Well, wherever you carry it, I advise you not to come dunning us with it here, so long asIam on the premises.

Gregers.

And if I do so none the less?

Relling.

Then you’ll go head-foremost down the stairs; now I've warned you.

Hialmar.

[Rising.] Oh, but Relling——!

Gregers.

Yes, you may turn me out——

Gina.

[Interposing between them.] We can’t have that, Relling. But I must say, Mr. Werle, it ill becomes you to talk about vapours and taints, after all the mess you made with your stove.

[A knock at the passage door.

Hedvig.

Mother, there’s somebody knocking.

Hialmar.

There now, we’re going to have a whole lot of people!

Gina.

I'll go—— [Goes over and opens the door, starts, and draws back.] Oh—oh dear!

Werle,in a fur coat, advances one step into the room.

Werle.

Excuse me; but I think my son is staying here.

Gina.

[With a gulp.] Yes.

Hialmar.

[Approaching him.] Won’t you do us the honour to——?

Werle.

Thank you, I merely wish to speak to my son.

Gregers.

What is it? Here I am.

Werle.

I want a few words with you, in your room.

Gregers.

In my room? Very well——[About to go.

Gina.

No, no, your room’s not in a fit state——

Werle.

Well then, out in the passage here; I want to have a few words with you alone.

Hialmar.

You can have them here, sir. Come into the parlour, Relling.

[HialmarandRellinggo off to the right.GinatakesHedvigwith her into the kitchen.

Gregers.

[After a short pause.] Well, now we are alone.

Werle.

From something you let fall last evening, and from your coming to lodge with the Ekdals, I can’t help inferring that you intend to make yourself unpleasant to me, in one way or another.

Gregers.

I intend to open Hialmar Ekdal’s eyes. He shall see his position as it really is—that is all.

Werle.

Isthatthe mission in life you spoke of yesterday?

Gregers.

Yes. You have left me no other.

Werle.

Is it I, then, that have crippled your mind, Gregers?

Gregers.

You have crippled my whole life. I am not thinking of all that about mother—— But it’s thanks to you that I am continually haunted and harassed by a guilty conscience.

Werle.

Indeed! It is your conscience that troubles you, is it?

Gregers.

I ought to have taken a stand against you when the trap was set for Lieutenant Ekdal. I oughtto have cautioned him; for I had a misgiving as to what was in the wind.

Werle.

Yes, that was the time to have spoken.

Gregers.

I did not dare to, I was so cowed and spiritless. I was mortally afraid of you—not only then, but long afterwards.

Werle.

You have got over that fear now, it appears.

Gregers.

Yes, fortunately. The wrong done to old Ekdal, both by me and by—others, can never be undone; but Hialmar I can rescue from all the falsehood and deception that are bringing him to ruin.

Werle.

Do you thinkthatwill be doing him a kindness?

Gregers.

I have not the least doubt of it.

Werle.

You think our worthy photographer is the sort of man to appreciate such friendly offices?

Gregers.

Yes, I do.

Werle.

H'm—we shall see.

Gregers.

Besides, if I am to go on living, I must try to find some cure for my sick conscience.

Werle.

It will never be sound. Your conscience has been sickly from childhood. That is a legacy from your mother, Gregers—the only one she left you.

Gregers.

[With a scornful half-smile.] Have you not yet forgiven her for the mistake you made in supposing she would bring you a fortune?

Werle.

Don’t let us wander from the point.—Then you hold to your purpose of setting young Ekdal upon what you imagine to be the right scent?

Gregers.

Yes, that is my fixed resolve.

Werle.

Well, in that case I might have spared myself this visit; for of course it is useless to ask whether you will return home with me?

Gregers.

Quite useless.

Werle.

And I suppose you won’t enter the firm either?

Gregers.

No.

Werle.

Very good. But as I am thinking of marrying again, your share in the property will fall to you at once.[18]

Gregers.

[Quickly.] No, I do not want that.

Werle.

You don’t want it?

Gregers.

No, I dare not take it, for conscience' sake.

Werle.

[After a pause.] Are you going up to the works again?

Gregers.

No; I consider myself released from your service.

Werle.

But what are you going to do?

Gregers.

Only to fulfil my mission; nothing more.

Werle.

Well, but afterwards? What are you going to live upon?

Gregers.

I have laid by a little out of my salary.

Werle.

How long willthatlast?

Gregers.

I think it will last my time.

Werle.

What do you mean?

Gregers.

I shall answer no more questions.

Werle.

Good-bye then, Gregers.

Gregers.

Good-bye.

Werlegoes.

Hialmar.

[Peeping in.] He’s gone, isn’t he?

Gregers.

Yes.

HialmarandRellingenter; alsoGinaandHedvigfrom the kitchen.

Relling.

That luncheon-party was a failure.

Gregers.

Put on your coat, Hialmar; I want you to come for a long walk with me.

Hialmar.

With pleasure. What was it your father wanted? Had it anything to do with me?

Gregers.

Come along. We must have a talk. I'll go and put on my overcoat.

[Goes out by the passage door.

Gina.

You shouldn’t go out with him, Ekdal.

Relling.

No, don’t you do it. Stay where you are.

Hialmar.

[Gets his hat and overcoat.] Oh, nonsense! When a friend of my youth feels impelled to open his mind to me in private——

Relling.

But devil take it—don’t you see that the fellow’s mad, cracked, demented!

Gina.

There, what did I tell you! His mother before him had crazy fits like that sometimes.

Hialmar.

The more need for a friend’s watchful eye. [ToGina.] Be sure you have dinner ready in good time. Good-bye for the present.

[Goes out by the passage door.

Relling.

It’s a thousand pities the fellow didn’t go to hell through one of the Höidal mines.

Gina.

Good Lord! what makes you say that?

Relling.

[Muttering.] Oh, I have my own reasons.

Gina.

Do you think young Werle is really mad?

Relling.

No, worse luck; he’s no madder than most other people. But one disease he has certainly got in his system.

Gina.

What is it that’s the matter with him?

Relling.

Well, I'll tell you, Mrs. Ekdal. He is suffering from an acute attack of integrity.

Gina.

Integrity?

Hedvig.

Is that a kind of disease?

Relling.

Yes, it’s a national disease; but it only appears sporadically. [Nods toGina.] Thanks for your hospitality.

[He goes out by the passage door.

Gina.

[Moving restlessly to and fro.] Ugh, that Gregers Werle—he was always a wretched creature.

Hedvig.

[Standing by the table, and looking searchingly at her.] I think all this is very strange.

ACT FOURTH.

Hialmar Ekdal’sstudio. A photograph has just been taken; a camera with the cloth over it, a pedestal, two chairs, a folding table, etc., are standing out in the room. Afternoon light; the sun is going down; a little later it begins to grow dusk.

Ginastands in the passage doorway, with a little box and a wet glass plate in her hand, and is speaking to somebody outside.

Gina.

Yes, certainly. When I make a promise I keep it. The first dozen shall be ready on Monday. Good afternoon.

[Some one is heard going downstairs.Ginashuts the door, slips the plate into the box, and puts it into the covered camera.

Hedvig.

[Comes in from the kitchen.] Are they gone?

Gina.

[Tidying up.] Yes, thank goodness, I've got rid of them at last.

Hedvig.

But can you imagine why father hasn’t come home yet?

Gina.

Are you sure he’s not down in Relling’s room?

Hedvig.

No, he’s not; I ran down the kitchen stair just now and asked.

Gina.

And his dinner standing and getting cold, too.

Hedvig.

Yes, I can’t understand it. Father’s always so careful to be home to dinner!

Gina.

Oh, he’ll be here directly, you’ll see.

Hedvig.

I wish he would come; everything seems so queer to-day.

Gina.

[Calls out.] There he is!

Hialmar Ekdalcomes in at the passage door.

Hedvig.

[Going to him.] Father! Oh what a time we’ve been waiting for you!

Gina.

[Glancing sidelong at him.] You’ve been out a long time, Ekdal.

Hialmar.

[Without looking at her.] Rather long, yes.

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