Complete Works of Henrik Ibsen (67 page)

GULDSTAD
[sharply]
.
What do you mean?

FALK.
                  That is not hard to see.
For the sound way of building, I suppose,
Is just with cash — the wonder-working paint
That round the widow’s batten’d forehead throws
The aureole of a young adored saint.

GULDSTAD.
O no, ‘tis something better that I meant.
‘Tis the still flow of generous esteem,
Which no less honours the recipient
Than does young rapture’s giddy-whirling dream.
It is the feeling of the blessedness
Of service, and home quiet, and tender ties,
The joy of mutual self-sacrifice,
Of keeping watch lest any stone distress
Her footsteps wheresoe’er her pathway lies;
It is the healing arm of a true friend
The manly muscle that no burdens bend,
The constancy no length of years decays,
The arm that stoutly lifts and firmly stays.
This, Svanhild, is the contribution I
Bring to your fortune’s fabric: now, reply.
    [SVANHILD makes an effort to speak; GULDSTAD lifts
       his hand to check her.
Consider well before you give your voice!
With clear deliberation make your choice.

FALK.
And how have you discovered —

GULDSTAD.
                              That I love her?
That in your eyes ‘twas easy to discover.
Let her too know it. [Presses his hand.
                      Now I will go in.
Let the jest cease and earnest work begin;
And if you undertake that till the end
You’ll be to her no less a faithful friend,
A staff to lean on, and a help in need,
Than I can be — [Turning to SVANHILD.
Cancel it from the tables of your thought.
Then it is I who triumph in very deed;
You’re happy, and for nothing else I fought.
                                     [To FALK.
And, apropos — just now you spoke of cash,
Trust me, ‘tis little more than tinsell’d trash.
I have not ties, stand perfectly alone;
To you I will make over all I own;
My daughter she shall be, and you my son.
You know I have a business by the border:
There I’ll retire, you set your home in order,
And we’ll foregather when a year is gone.
Now, Falk, you know me; with the same precision
Observe yourself: the voyage down life’s stream,
Remember, is no pastime and no dream.
Now, in the name of God — make your decision!

   [Goes into the house. Pause. FALK and
      SVANHILD look shyly at each other.

FALK.
You are so pale.

SVANHILD.
                 And you so silent.

FALK.
                                     True.

SVANHILD.
He smote us hardest.

FALK
[to himself]
.
                     Stole my armour, too.

SVANHILD.
What blows he struck!

FALK.
                  He knew to place them well.

SVANHILD.
All seemed to go to pieces where they fell.
                         [Coming nearer to him.
How rich in one another’s wealth before
We were, when all had left us in despite,
And Thought rose upward like the echoing roar
Of breakers in the silence of the night.
With exultation then we faced the fray,
And confidence that Love is lord of death; —
He came with worldly cunning, stole our faith,
Sowed doubt, — and all the glory pass’d away!

FALK
[with wild vehemence]
.
Tear, tear it from thy memory! All his talk
Was true for others, but for us a lie!

SVANHILD
[slowly shaking her head]
.
The golden grain, hail-stricken on its stalk,
Will never more wave wanton to the sky.

FALK
[with an outburst of anguish]
.
Yes, we two, Svanhild — !

SVANHILD.
                 Hence with hopes that snare!
If you sow falsehood, you must reap despair.
For others true, you say? And do you doubt
That each of them, like us, is sure, alike,
That he’s the man the lightning will not strike,
And no avenging thunder will find out,
Whom the blue storm-cloud scudding up the sky
On wings of tempest, never can come nigh?

FALK.
The others split their souls on scattered ends:
Thy single love my being comprehends.
They’re hoarse with yelling in life’s Babel din:
I in this quiet shelter fold thee in.

SVANHILD.
But if love, notwithstanding, should decay,
 
— Love being Happiness’s single stay —
Could you avert, then, Happiness’s fall?

FALK.
No, my love’s ruin were the wreck of all.

SVANHILD.
And can you promise me before the Lord
That it will last, not drooping like the flower,
But smell as sweet as now till life’s last hour?

FALK
[after a short pause]
.
It will last long.

SVANHILD.
“Long!” “Long!” — Poor starveling word!
Can “long” give any comfort in Love’s need?
It is her death-doom, blight upon her seed.
“My faith is, Love will never pass away” —
That song must cease, and in its stead be heard:
“My faith is, that I loved you yesterday!”
                    [As uplifted by inspiration.
No, no, not thus our day of bliss shall wane,
Flag drearily to west in clouds and rain; —
But at high noontide, when it is most bright,
Plunge sudden, like a meteor, into the night!

FALK.
What would you, Svanhild?

SVANHILD.
                       We are of the Spring;
No autumn shall come after, when the bird
Of music in thy breast shall not be heard,
And long not thither where it first took wing.
Nor ever Winter shall his snowy shroud
Lay on the clay-cold body of our bliss; —
This Love of ours, ardent and glad and proud,
Pure of disease’s taint and age’s cloud,
Shall die the young and glorious thing it is!

FALK
[in deep pain]
.
And far from thee — what would be left of life?

SVANHILD.
And near me what were left — if Love depart?

FALK.
A home?

SVANHILD.
        Where Joy would gasp in mortal strife.
                                      [Firmly.
It was not given to me to be your wife.
That is the clear conviction of my heart!
In courtship’s merry pastime I can lead,
But not sustain your spirit in its need.
                [Nearer and gathering fire.
Now we have revell’d out a feast of spring;
No thought of slumber’s sluggard couch come nigh!
Let Joy amid delirious song make wing
And flock with choirs of cherubim on high.
And tho’ the vessel of our fate capsize,
One plank yet breasts the waters, strong to save; —
The fearless swimmer reaches Paradise!
Let Joy go down into his watery grave;
Our Love shall yet triumph, by God’s hand,
Be borne from out the wreckage safe to land!

FALK.
O, I divine thee! But — to sever thus!
Now, when the portals of the world stand wide, —
When the blue spring is bending over us,
On the same day that plighted thee my bride!

SVANHILD.
Just therefore must we part. Our joy’s torch fire
Will from this moment wane till it expire!
And when at last our worldly days are spent,
And face to face with our great Judge we stand,
And, as righteous God, he shall demand
Of us the earthly treasure that he lent —
Then, Falk, we cry — past power of Grace to save —
“O Lord, we lost it going to the grave!”

FALK
[with strong resolve]
.
Pluck off the ring!

SVANHILD
[with fire]
.
                    Wilt thou?

FALK.
                          Now I divine!
Thus and no otherwise canst thou be mine!
As the grave opens into life’s Dawn-fire,
So Love with Life may not espoused be
Till, loosed from longing and from wild desire,
Pluck off the ring, Svanhild!

SVANHILD
[in rapture]
.
                              My task is done!
Now I have filled thy soul with song and sun.
Forth! Now thou soarest on triumphant wings, —
Forth! Now thy Svanhild is the swan that sings!
    [Takes off the ring and presses a kiss upon it.
To the abysmal ooze of ocean bed
Descend, my dream! — I fling thee in its stead!

   [Goes a few steps back, throws the ring into the
      fjord, and approaches FALK with a transfigured
      expression.

Now for this earthly life I have foregone thee, —
But for the life eternal I have won thee!

FALK
[firmly]
.
And now to the day’s duties, each, alone.
Our paths no more will mingle. Each must wage
His warfare single-handed, without moan.
We caught the fevered frenzy of the age,
Fain without fighting to secure the spoil,
Win Sabbath ease, and shirk the six days’ toil,
Tho’ we are called to strive and to forego.

SVANHILD.
But not in sickness.

FALK.
Tho’ quenched were all the light of earth and sky, —
The thought of light is God, and cannot die.

SVANHILD
[withdrawing towards the background]
.
Farewell! [Goes further.

FALK.
          Farewell — gladly I cry again —
                                [Waves his hat.
Hurrah for love, God’s glorious gift to men!

   [The door opens. FALK withdraws to the right; the
      younger guests come out with merry laughter.

THE YOUNG GIRLS.
A lawn dance!

A YOUNG GIRL.
              Dancing’s life!

ANOTHER.
                              A garland spread
With dewy blossoms fresh on every head!

SEVERAL.
Yes, to the dance, the dance!

ALL.
                              And ne’er to bed!

   [STIVER comes out with STRAWMAN arm in arm. MRS.
      STRAWMAN and the children follow.

STIVER.
Yes, you and I henceforward are fast friends.

STRAWMAN.
Allied in battle for our common ends.

STIVER.
When the twin forces of the State agree —

STRAWMAN.
They add to all men’s —

STIVER
[hastily]
.
                        Gains!

STRAWMAN.
                               And gaiety.

[MRS. HALM, LIND, ANNA, GULDSTAD, and MISS JAY, with the other guests, come out. All eyes are turned upon FALK and SVANHILD. General amazement when they are seen standing apart.

MISS JAY
[among the AUNTS, clasping her hands]
.
What! Am I awake or dreaming, pray?

LIND
[who has noticed nothing]
.
I have a brother’s compliments to pay.

   [He, with the other guests, approaches FALK, but
      starts involuntarily and steps back on looking
      at him.

What is the matter with you? You’re a Janus
With double face!

FALK
[smiling]
.
                  I cry, like old Montanus,(6)
The earth is flat, Messieurs; — by optics lied;
Flat as a pancake — are you satisfied?
                 [Goes quickly out to the right.

MISS JAY.
Refused!

THE AUNTS.
         Refused!

MRS. HALM.
                  Hush, ladies, if you please!
                   [Goes across to SVANHILD.

MRS. STRAWMAN
[to STRAWMAN]
.
Fancy, refused!

STRAWMAN.
                It cannot be!

MISS JAY.
                              It is!

THE LADIES
[from mouth to mouth]
.
Refused! Refused! Refused!

[They gather in little groups about the garden.

STIVER
[dumfounded]
.
                             He courting? How?

STRAWMAN.
Yes, think! He laugh’d at us, ha, ha — but now —

[They gaze at each other speechless.

ANNA
[to LIND]
.
That’s good! He was too horrid, to be sure!

LIND
[embracing her]
.
Hurrah, now thou art mine, entire and whole.

[They go outside into the garden.

GULDSTAD
[looking back towards SVANHILD]
.
Something is shattered in a certain soul;
But what is yet alive in it I’ll cure.

STRAWMAN
[recovering himself and embracing STIVER]
.
Now then, you can be very well contented
To have your dear
fiancee
for a spouse.