Complete Works of Henrik Ibsen (131 page)

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
So it has come to this! This is how they dare to treat me in my own house!

FIELDBO.
Stensgard dares; no one else would.

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
He to-day; others to-morrow.

FIELDBO.
Let them come; I shall keep them off; I would go through fire and water for you —

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
Yes, you who have caused all the mischief! — H’m; that Stensgard is the most impudent scoundrel I have ever known! And yet, after all — deuce take me if there isn’t something I like about him.

FIELDBO.
He has possibilities

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
He has openness, Dr. Fieldbo! He doesn’t go playing his own game behind one’s back, like so many other people; he — he — !

FIELDBO.
It’s not worth disputing about. Only be firm, Chamberlain; no, and no again, to Stensgard — !

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
Oh, keep your advice to yourself! You may rely upon it that neither he nor anyone else —

RINGDAL
[enters by the door on the right.]
Excuse me, Chamberlain; one word —
[Whispers.]

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
What? In your room?

RINGDAL
He came in by the back way, and begs you to see him.

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
H’m. — Oh, Doctor, just go into the drawing-room for a moment; there’s some one here who — But don’t say a word to Selma of Mr. Stensgard and his visit. She must be kept outside all this business. As for my daughter, I should prefer that you should say nothing to her either; but — Oh, what’s the use — ? Please go now.
[FIELDBO goes into the drawing-room. RINGDAL has, in the meantime, gone back to his office, whence MONSEN presently enters.]

MONSEN
[at the door.]
I beg ten thousand pardons, sir —

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
Oh, come in, come in!

MONSEN.
I trust your family is in good health?

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
Thank you. Is there anything you want?

MONSEN.
I can’t quite put it that way. Thank heaven, I’m one of those that have got pretty nearly all they can want.

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
Oh, indeed? That is a good deal to say.

MONSEN.
But I’ve had to work for it, Chamberlain. Oh, I know you regard my work with no very friendly eye.

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
I cannot suppose that your work is in any way affected by my way of regarding it.

MONSEN.
Who knows? At any rate, I’m thinking of gradually withdrawing from business.

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
Really?

MONSEN.
The luck has been on my side, I may tell you. I’ve gone ahead as far as I care to; so now I think it’s about time to slack off a little —

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
Well, I congratulate both you — and other people.

MONSEN.
And if I could at the same time do you a service, Chamberlain —

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
Me?

MONSEN.
When the Langerud woods were put up to auction five years ago, you made a bid for them —

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
Yes, but you outbade me, and they were knocked down to you.

MONSEN.
You can have them now, with the saw-mills and all appurtenances —

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
After all your sinful cutting and hacking — !

MONSEN.
Oh, they’re worth a good deal still; and with your method of working, in a few years —

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
Thank you; unfortunately I must decline the proposal.

MONSEN.
There’s a great deal of money in it, Chamberlain. As for me, — I may tell you I have a great speculation on hand; the stakes are large; I mean there’s a big haul to be made — a hundred thousand or so —

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
A hundred thousand? That is certainly no trifle.

MONSEN.
Ha ha ha! A nice round sum to add to the pile. But when you’re going into a great battle you need reserve forces, as the saying goes. There’s not much ready money about; the names that are worth anything are rather used up —

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
Yes, certain people have taken care of that.

MONSEN.
It’s a case of you scratch me, I scratch you. Well, Chamberlain, is it to be a bargain? You shall have the woods at your own figure —

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
I will not have them at any figure, Mr. Monsen.

MONSEN.
Well, one good offer deserves another. Will you help me, sir?

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
What do you mean?

MONSEN.
Of course I’ll give good security. I have plenty of property. Look here — these papers — just let me explain my position to you.

THE CHAMBERLAIN
[waving the papers aside.]
Is it pecuniary aid you want?

MONSEN.
Not ready money; oh, no! But your support, Chamberlain. Of course I’ll pay for it — and give security, and —

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
And you come to me with such a proposal as this?

MONSEN.
Yes, precisely to you. I know you’ve often let bygones be bygones when a man was in real straits.

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
Well, in a way, I must thank you for your good opinion — especially at a time like this; but nevertheless —

MONSEN.
Won’t you tell me, Chamberlain, what sets you against me?

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
Oh, what would be the use?

MONSEN.
It might lead to a better understanding between us. I’ve never stood in your way that I know of.

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
You think not? Then let me tell you of one case in which you have stood in my way. I founded the Iron-works Savings Bank for the benefit of my employees and others. But then you must needs set up as a banker; people take their savings to you —

MONSEN.
Naturally, sir, for I give higher interest.

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
Yes, but you charge higher interest on loans.

MONSEN.
But I don’t make so many difficulties about security and so forth.

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
That is just the mischief of it; for now we have people making bargains to the tune of ten or twenty thousand dollars, though neither of the parties has so much as a brass farthing. That is what sets me against you, Mr. Monsen. And there is another thing too that touches me still more nearly. Do you think it was with my good will that my son flung himself into all these wild speculations?

MONSEN.
But how can I help that?

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
It was your example that infected him, as it did the others. Why could you not stick to your last?

MONSEN.
Remain a lumberman, like my father?

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
Was it a disgrace to be in my employment? Your father made his bread honourably, and was respected in his own class.

MONSEN.
Yes, until he’d almost worked his life out, and at last went over the waterfall with his raft. Do you know anything of life in that class, Chamberlain? Have you ever realised what the men have to endure who toil for you deep in the forests, and along the river-reaches, while you sit comfortably at home and fatten on the profits? Can you blame such a man for struggling to rise in the world? I had had a little more schooling than my father; perhaps I had rather more brains too —

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
Very likely. But by what means have you risen in the world? You began by selling brandy. Then you bought up doubtful debts, and enforced them mercilessly; — and so you got on and on. How many people have you not ruined to push yourself forward!

MONSEN.
That’s the course of business; one up, another down.

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
But there are different methods of business. I know of respectable families whom you have brought to the workhouse.

MONSEN.
Daniel Heire is not very far from the work-house.

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
I understand you; but I can justify my conduct before God and man! When the country was in distress, after the separation from Denmark, my father made sacrifices beyond his means. Thus part of our property came into the hands of the Heire family. What was the result? The people who lived upon the property suffered under Daniel Heire’s incompetent management. He cut down timber to the injury, I may even say to the ruin, of the district. Was it not my obvious duty to put a stop to it if I was able? And it happened that I was able; I had the law on my side; I was well within my rights when I re-entered upon my family property.

MONSEN.
I, too, have always had the law on my side.

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
But what about your sense of right, your conscience, if you have such a thing? And how you have broken down all social order! How you have impaired the respect that should attach to wealth! People never think of asking nowadays how such and such a fortune was made, or how long it has been in such and such a family; they only ask: how much is so-and-so worth? — and they esteem him accordingly. Now I suffer by all this; I find myself regarded as a sort of associate of yours; people speak of us in one breath, because we are the two largest proprietors in the neighbourhood. This state of things I cannot endure! I tell you once for all: that is why I am set against you.

MONSEN.
This state of things shall come to an end, sir; I will give up business, and make way for you at every point; but I beg you, I implore you, to help me!

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
I will not.

MONSEN.
I’m willing to pay you what you like —

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
To pay! And you dare to — !

MONSEN.
If not for my sake, then for your son’s!

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
My son’s!

MONSEN.
Yes, he’s in it. I reckon he stands to win some twenty thousand dollars.

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
Stands to win?

MONSEN.
Yes.

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
Then, good God, who stands to lose all this money?

MONSEN.
How do you mean?

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
If my son wins, some one or other must lose!

MONSEN.
It’s a good stroke of business; I’m not in a position to say more. But I need a solid name; only just your endorsement —

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
Endorsement! On a bill — ?

MONSEN.
Only for ten or fifteen thousand dollars.

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
Do you suppose for a moment that — ? My name! In such an affair! My name? As surety, no doubt?

MONSEN.
A mere matter of form —

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
A matter of swindling! My name! Not upon any consideration. I have never put my name on other men’s paper.

MONSEN.
Never? That’s an exaggeration, Chamberlain.

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
It is the literal truth.

MONSEN.
No, not literal; I’ve seen it with my own eyes.

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
What have you seen?

MONSEN.
Your name — on one bill at least.

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
It is false, I tell you! You have never seen it!

MONSEN.
I have! On a bill for two thousand dollars. Think again!

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
Neither for two thousand nor for ten thousand! On my sacred word of honour, never!

MONSEN.
Then it’s a forgery.

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
Forgery?

MONSEN.
Yes, a forgery — for I have seen it.

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
Forgery? Forgery! Where did you see it? In whose hands?

MONSEN.
That I won’t tell you.

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
Ha-ha! We shall soon find that out —

MONSEN.
Listen to me — !

THE CHAMBERLAIN.
Silence! It has come to this then! Forgery. They must mix me up in their abominations! No wonder, then, that people bracket me with the rest of you. But it is my turn now!

MONSEN.
Chamberlain — for your own sake and for the sake of others —