Complete Works of Henrik Ibsen (288 page)

BROVIK. Why, good heavens! there is surely room for more than one single man —

SOLNESS. Oh, there’s not so very much room to spare either. But, be that as it may — I will never retire! I will never give way to anybody! Never of my own free will. Never in this world will I do that!

BROVIK.
[Rise with difficulty.]
Then I am to pass out of life without any certainty? Without a gleam of happiness? Without any faith or trust in Ragnar? Without having seen a single piece of work of his doing? Is that to be the way of it?

SOLNESS.
[Turns half aside, and mutters.]
H’m — don’t ask more just now.

BROVIK. I must have an answer to this one question. Am I to pass out of life in such utter poverty?

SOLNESS.
[Seems to struggle with himself; finally he says, in a low but firm voice:]
You must pass out of life as best you can.

BROVIK. Then be it so. [He goes up the room.

SOLNESS.
[Following him, half is desperation.]
Don’t you understand that I cannot help it? I am what I am, and I cannot change my nature!

BROVIK. No; I suppose that you can’t.
[Reels and supports himself against the sofa-table.]
May I have a glass of water?

SOLNESS. By all means. [Fills a glass and hands it to him.

BROVIK. Thanks. [Drinks and puts the glass down again.

[SOLNESS goes up and opens the door of the draughtsmen’s office.

SOLNESS. Ragnar — you must come and take your father home. Ragnar rises quickly.
 
He and KAIA come into the work-room.

RAGNAR. What is the matter, father?

BROVIK. Give me your arm. Now let us go.

RAGNAR. Very well. You had better put your things on, too, Kaia.

SOLNESS. Miss Fosli must stay — just for a moment. There is a letter I want written.

BROVIK.
[Looks at SOLNESS.]
Good night. Sleep well — if you can.

SOLNESS. Good night.

[BROVIK and RAGNAR go out by the hall-door.
 
KAIA goes to the desk.
 
SOLNESS stands with bent head, to the right, by the arm-chair.

KAIA.
[Dubiously.]
Is there any letter?

SOLNESS.
[Curtly.]
No, of course not.
[Looks sternly at her.]
Kaia!

KAIA.
[Anxiously, in a low voice.]
Yes!

SOLNESS.
[Points imperatively to a spot on the floor.]
Come here! At once!

KAIA.
[Hesitatingly.]
Yes.

SOLNESS.
[As before.]
Nearer!

KAIA.
[Obeying.]
What do you want with me?

SOLNESS.
[Looks at her for a while.]
Is it you I have to thank for all this?

KAIA. No, no, don’t think that!

SOLNESS. But confess now — you want to get married!

KAIA.
[Softly.]
Ragnar and I have been engaged for four or five years, and so —

SOLNESS. And so you think it time there were an end of it. Is not that so?

KAIA. Ragnar and Uncle say I must. So I suppose I shall have to give in.

SOLNESS.
[More gently.]
Kaia, don’t you really care a little bit for Ragnar, too?

KAIA. I cared very much for Ragnar once — before I came here to you.

SOLNESS. But you don’t now? Not in the least?

KAIA.
[Passionately, clasping hands and holding them out towards him.]
Oh, you know very well there is only one person I care for now! I shall never care for any one else.

SOLNESS. Yes, you say that. And yet you go away from me — leave me alone here with everything on my hands.

KAIA. But could I not stay with you, even if Ragnar — ?

SOLNESS.
[Repudiating the idea.]
No, no, that is quite impossible. If Ragnar leaves me and starts work on his own account, then of course he will need you himself.

KAIA.
[Wringing her hands.]
Oh, I feel as if I could not be separated from you! It’s quite, quite impossible!

SOLNESS. Then be sure you get those foolish notions out of Ragnar’s head. Marry him as much as you please —
[Alters his tone.]
I mean — don’t let him throw up his good situation with me. For then I can keep you too, my dear Kaia.

KAIA. Oh yes, how lovely that would be, if it could only be managed!

SOLNESS.
[Clasps her head with his two hands and whispers.]
For I cannot get on without you, you see. I must have you with me every single day.

KAIA.
[In nervous exaltation.]
My God! My God!

SOLNESS.
[Kisses her hair.]
Kaia — Kaia!

KAIA.
[Sinks down before him.]
Oh, how good you are to me! How unspeakably good you are!

SOLNESS.
[Vehemently.]
Get up! For goodness’ sake get up! I think I hear some one.

[He helps her to rise.
 
She staggers over to the desk. MRS. SOLNESS enters by the door on the right.
 
She looks thin and wasted with grief, but shows traces of bygone beauty. Blonde ringlets.
 
Dressed with good taste, wholly in black. Speaks some-what slowly and in a plaintive voice.

MRS. SOLNESS.
[In the doorway.]
Halvard!

SOLNESS.
[Turns.]
Oh, are you there, my dear — ?

MRS. SOLNESS.
[With a glance at KAIA.]
I am afraid I am disturbing you.

SOLNESS. Not in the least. Miss Fosli has only a short letter to write.

MRS. SOLNESS. Yes, so I see.

SOLNESS. What do you want with me, Aline?

MRS. SOLNESS. I merely wanted to tell you that Dr. Herdal is in the drawing-room. Won’t you come and see him, Halvard?

SOLNESS.
[Looks suspiciously at her.]
. H’m — is the doctor so very anxious to see me?

MRS. SOLNESS. Well, not exactly anxious. He really came to see me; but he would like to say how-do-you-do to you at the same time.

SOLNESS.
[Laughs to himself.]
Yes, I daresay. Well, you must ask him to wait a little.

MRS. SOLNESS. Then you will come in presently?

SOLNESS. Perhaps I will. Presently, presently, dear. In a little while.

MRS. SOLNESS.
[Glancing again at KAIA.]
Well now, don’t forget, Halvard.

[Withdraws and closes the door behind her.

KAIA.
[Softly.]
Oh dear, oh dear — I am sure Mrs. Solness thinks ill of me in some way!

SOLNESS. Oh, not in the least. Not more than usual at any rate. But all the same, you had better go now, Kaia.

KAIA. Yes, yes, now I must go.

SOLNESS.
[Severely.]
And mind you get that matter settled for me. Do you hear?

KAIA. Oh, if it only depended on me —

SOLNESS. I will have it settled, I say! And to-morrow too — not a day later!

KAIA.
[Terrified.]
If there’s nothing else for it, I am quite willing to break off the engagement.

SOLNESS.
[Angrily.]
Break it off. Are you mad? Would you think of breaking it off?

KAIA.
[Distracted.]
Yes, if necessary. For I must — I must stay here with you! I can’t leave you! That is utterly — utterly impossible!

SOLNESS.
[With a sudden outburst.]
But deuce take it — how about Ragnar then! It’s Ragnar that I —

KAIA.
[Looks at him with terrified eyes.]
It is chiefly on Ragnar’s account, that — that you — ?

SOLNESS.
[Collecting himself.]
No, no, of course not! You don’t understand me either.
[Gently and softly.]
Of course it is you I want to keep. — you above everything, Kaia. But for that very reason, you must prevent Ragnar, too, from throwing up his situation. There, there, — now go home.

KAIA. Yes, yes — good-night, then.

SOLNESS. Good night.
[As she is going.]
Oh, stop a moment! Are Ragnar’s drawings in there?

KAIA. I did not see him take them with him.

SOLNESS. Then just go and find them for me. I might perhaps glance over them, after all.

KAIA.
[Happy.]
Oh yes, please do!

SOLNESS. For your sake, Kaia dear. Now, let me have them at once, please.

[KAIA hurries into the draughtsmen’s office, searches anxiously in the table-drawer, finds a portfolio and brings it with her.

KAIA. Here are all the drawings.

SOLNESS. Good. Put them down there on the table.

KAIA.
[Putting down the portfolio.]
Good night, then.
[Beseechingly.]
And please, please think kindly of me.

SOLNESS. Oh, that I always do. Good-night, my dear little Kaia.
[Glances to the right.]
Go, go now! MRS. SOLNESS and DR. HERDAL enter by the door on the right. He is a stoutish, elderly man, with a round, good-humoured face, clean shaven, with thin, light hair, and gold spectacles.

MRS. SOLNESS.
[Still in the doorway.]
Halvard, I cannot keep the doctor any longer.

SOLNESS. Well then, come in here.

MRS. SOLNESS.
[To KAIA, who is turning down the desk-lamp.]
Have you finished the letter already, Miss Fosli?

KAIA.
[In confusion.]
The letter — ?

SOLNESS. Yes, it was quite a short one.

MRS. SOLNESS. It must have been very short.

SOLNESS. You may go now, Miss Fosli. And please come in good time to-morrow morning.

KAIA. I will be sure to. Good-night, Mrs. Solness.

[She goes out by the hall door.

SOLNESS. Are you in a hurry, doctor?

DR. HERDAL. No, not at all.

SOLNESS. May I have a little chat with you?

DR. HERDAL. With the greatest of pleasure.

SOLNESS. Then let us sit down.
[He motions the doctor to take the rocking-chair, and sits down himself in the arm-chair. Looks searchingly at him.]
Tell me — did you notice anything odd about Aline?

DR. HERDAL. Do you mean just now, when she was here?

SOLNESS. Yes, in her manner to me. Did you notice anything?

DR. HERDAL.
[Smiling.]
Well, I admit — one couldn’t well avoid noticing that your wife — h’m —

DR. HERDAL. — that your wife is not particularly fond of this Miss Fosli.

SOLNESS. Is that all? I have noticed that myself.

DR. HERDAL. And I must say I am scarcely surprised at it.

SOLNESS. At what?

DR. HERDAL. That she should not exactly approve of your seeing so much of another woman, all day and every day.

SOLNESS. No, no, I suppose you are right there — and Aline too. But it’s impossible to make any change.

DR. HERDAL. Could you not engage a clerk?

SOLNESS. The first man that came to hand? No, thank you — that would never do for me.

DR. HERDAL. But now, if your wife — ? Suppose, with her delicate health, all this tries her too much?