Complete Works of Henrik Ibsen (243 page)

Rebecca. No doubt, no doubt. It would be remarkably suitable — Will you stop and have supper with us?

Kroll. Thank you. I had meant to pay you a good long visit, because there is a matter I want to talk over with our excellent friend — Well, then, Miss West, to prevent your taking foolish ideas into your head again, I will come out here again from time to time, as in the old days.

Rebecca. Yes, please do.
(Holds out her hand to, him.)
Thank you, thank you! You are really uncommonly good-natured.

Kroll
(with a little grumble)
. Am I? I can tell you that is more than they say at home.
(ROSMER comes in by the door on the right.)

Rebecca. Mr. Rosmer, do you see who is sitting here?

Rosmer. Mrs. Helseth told me.
(KROLL gets up.)
I am so glad to see you here again, my dear fellow.
(Puts his hands on KROLL’S shoulders and looks him in the face.)
Dear old friend! I knew that one day we should be on our old footing again.

Kroll. My dear fellow, have you that insane idea in your head too, that any thing could come between us?

Rebecca
(to ROSMER)
. Isn’t it delightful to think it was all our imagination!

Rosmer. Is that really true, Kroll? But why have you kept so obstinately away from us?

Kroll
(seriously, and in, a subdued voice)
. Because I did not want to come here like a living reminder of the unhappy time that is past — and of her who met her death in the mill-race.

Rosmer. It was a very kind thought on your part. You are always so considerate. But it was altogether unnecessary to keep away from us on that account. Come along, let us sit down on the sofa.
(They sit down.)
I can assure you it is not in the least painful for me to think about Beata. We talk about her every day. She seems to us to have a part in the house still.

Kroll. Does she really?

Rebecca
(lighting the lamp)
. Yes, it is really quite true.

Rosmer. She really does. We both think so affectionately of her. And both Rebecca — both Miss West and I know in our hearts that we did all that lay in our power for the poor afflicted creature. We have nothing to reproach ourselves with. That is why I feel there is something sweet and peaceful in the way we can think of Beata now.

Kroll. You dear good people! In future I am coming out to see you every day.

Rebecca
(sitting down in an arm-chair)
. Yes, let us see that you keep your word.

Rosmer
(with a slight hesitation)
. I assure you, my dear fellow, my dearest wish would be that our intimacy should never suffer in any way. You know, you have seemed to be my natural adviser as long as we have known one another, even from my student days.

Kroll. I know, and I am very proud of the privilege. Is there by any chance anything in particular just now — ?

Rosmer. There are a great many things that I want very much to talk over with you frankly — things that lie very near my heart.

Rebecca. I feel that is so, too, Mr. Rosmer. It seems to me it would be such a good thing if you two old friends —

Kroll. Well, I can assure you I have even more to talk over with you — because I have become an active politician, as I dare say you know.

Rosmer. Yes, I know you have. How did that come about?

Kroll. I had to, you see, whether I liked it or not. It became impossible for me to remain an idle spectator any longer. Now that the Radicals have become so distressingly powerful, it was high time. And that is also why I have induced our little circle of friends in the town to bind themselves more definitely together. It was high time, I can tell you!

Rebecca
(with a slight smile)
. As a matter of fact, isn’t it really rather late now?

Kroll. There is no denying it would have been more fortunate if we had succeeded in checking the stream at an earlier point. But who could really foresee what was coming? I am sure I could not.
(Gets up and walks up and down.)
Anyway, my eyes are completely opened now; for the spirit of revolt has spread even into my school.

Rosmer. Into the school? Surely not into your school?

Kroll. Indeed it has. Into my own school. What do you think of this? I have got wind of the fact that the boys in the top class — or rather, a part of the boys in it — have formed themselves into a secret society and have been taking in Mortensgaard’s paper!

Rebecca. Ah, the “Searchlight”.

Kroll. Yes, don’t you think that is a nice sort of intellectual pabulum for future public servants? But the saddest part of it is that it is all the most promising boys in the class that have conspired together and hatched this plot against me. It is only the duffers and dunces that have held aloof from it.

Rebecca. Do you take it so much to heart, Mr. Kroll?

Kroll. Do I take it to heart, to find myself so hampered and thwarted in my life’s work?
(Speaking more gently.)
I might find it in my heart to say that I could even take that for what it is worth; but I have not told you the worst of it yet.
(Looks round the room.)
I suppose nobody is likely to be listening at the doors?

Rebecca. Oh, certainly not.

Kroll. Then let me tell you that the revolt and dissension has spread into my own home — into my own peaceful home — and has disturbed the peace of my family life.

Rosmer
(getting up)
. Do you mean it? In your own home?

Rebecca
(going up to Kroll)
. Dear Mr. Kroll, what has happened?

Kroll. Would you believe it that my own children — . To make a long story short, my boy Laurits is the moving spirit of the conspiracy at the school. And Hilda has embroidered a red portfolio to keep the numbers of the “Searchlight” in.

Rosmer. I should never have dreamed of such a thing; in your family — in your own house!

Kroll. No, who would ever have dreamed of such a thing? In my house, where obedience and order have always ruled — where hitherto there has never been anything but one unanimous will —

Rebecca. How does your wife take it?

Kroll. Ah, that is the most incredible part of the whole thing. She, who all her days — in great things and small — has concurred in my opinions and approved of all my views, has actually not refrained from throwing her weight on the children’s side on many points. And now she considers I am to blame for what has happened. She says I try to coerce the young people too much. Just as if it were not necessary to — . Well, those are the sort of dissensions I have going on at home. But naturally I talk as little about it as possible; it is better to be silent about such things.
(Walks across the floor.)
Oh, yes. — Oh, yes.
(Stands by the window, with his hands behind his back, and looks out.)

Rebecca
(goes up to ROSMER, and speaks in low, hurried tones, unheard by KROLL)
. Do it!

Rosmer
(in the same tone)
. Not to-night.

Rebecca
(as before)
. Yes, this night of all others.
(Goes away from him and adjusts the lamp.)

Kroll
(coming back)
. Yes, my dear John, so now you know the sort of spirit of the age that has cast its shadow both over my home life and my official work. Ought I not to oppose this appalling, destructive, disorganising tendency with all the weapons I can lay my hands upon? Of course it is certainly my duty — and that both with my pen and my tongue.

Rosmer. But have you any hope that you can produce any effect in that way?

Kroll. At all events I mean to take my share in the fight as a citizen. And I consider that it is the duty of every patriotic man, every man who is concerned about what is right, to do the same. And, I may as well tell you, that is really the reason why I have come here to see you to-night.

Rosmer. My dear fellow, what do you mean? What can I — ?

Kroll. You are going to help your old friends, and do as we are doing — take your share in it to the best of your ability.

Rebecca. But, Mr. Kroll, you know how little taste Mr. Rosmer has for that sort of thing.

Kroll. Then he has got to overcome that distaste now. You do not keep abreast of the times, John. You sit here and bury yourself in your historical researches. Goodness knows, I have the greatest respect for family pedigrees and all that they imply. But this is not the time for such occupations, unhappily. You have no conception of the state of affairs that is going on all over the country. Every single idea is turned upside down, or very nearly so. It will be a hard fight to get all the errors straightened out again.

Rosmer. I can quite believe it. But that sort of a fight is not in my line at all.

Rebecca. Besides, I rather fancy that Mr. Rosmer has come to look at the affairs of life with wider opened eyes than before.

Kroll
(with a start)
. Wider opened eyes?

Rebecca. Yes, or with an opener mind — with less prejudice.

Kroll. What do you mean by that? John — surely you could never be so weak as to allow yourself to be deluded by the accidental circumstance that the demagogues have scored a temporary success!

Rosmer. My dear fellow, you know very well that I am no judge of politics; but it certainly seems to me that of late years individual thought has become somewhat more independent.

Kroll. Quite so — but do you consider that as a matter of course to be a good thing? In any case you are vastly mistaken, my friend. Just inquire a little into the opinions that are current amongst the Radicals, both out here in the country and in town. You will find them to be nothing else than the words of wisdom that appear in the “Searchlight”.

Rebecca. Yes, Mortensgaard has a great deal of influence over the people about here.

Kroll. Yes, just think of it — a man with as dirty a record as his! A fellow that was turned out of his place as a schoolmaster because of his immoral conduct! This is the sort of man that poses as a leader of the people! And successfully, too! — actually successfully! I hear that he means to enlarge his paper now. I know, on reliable authority, that he is looking for a competent assistant.

Rebecca. It seems to me surprising that you and your friends do not start an opposition paper.

Kroll. That is exactly what we intend to do. This very day we have bought the “County News.” There was no difficulty about the financial side of the matter; but —
(Turns towards ROSMER)
Now we have come to the real purport of my visit. It is the Management of it — the editorial management — that is the difficulty, you see. Look here, Rosmer — don’t you feel called upon to undertake it, for the sake of the good cause?

Rosmer
(in a tone of consternation)
. I!

Rebecca. How can you think of such a thing!

Kroll. I can quite understand your having a horror of public meetings and being unwilling to expose yourself to the mercies of the rabble that frequents them. But an editor’s work, which is carried on in much greater privacy, or rather —

Rosmer. No, no, my dear fellow, you must not ask that of me.

Kroll. It would give me the greatest pleasure to have a try at work of that sort myself — only it would be quite out of the question for me; I am already saddled with such an endless number of duties. You, on the other hand, who are no longer hampered by any official duties, might — . Of course the rest of us would give you all the help in our power.

Rosmer. I cannot do it, Kroll. I am not fitted for it.

Kroll. Not fitted for it? That was just what you said when your father got you your living.

Rosmer. I was quite right; and that was why I resigned it, too.

Kroll. Well, if you only make as good an editor as you did a parson, we shall be quite satisfied.

Rosmer. My dear Kroll — once for all — I cannot do it.

Kroll. Well, then, I suppose you will give us the use of your name, at all events?

Rosmer. My name?