Henrik Ibsen

“ Hjalmar. So you call those bad habits! Ah! you don’t understand a man’s feelings, when he is in sorrow and despair—especially a man with my fiery temperament.
Gina. Well, well, that may be. And I’m not regaling about all that either; for you became such a model husband as soon as ever you’d a house and home of your own. And now we’ve made it all so comfortable and cosy here; and Hedvig and I were soon going to spend a little more both for food and clothes.
Hjalmar. In the swamp of deceit, yes.
Gina. Oh! that that abominable fellow should ever have set foot in this house! ”

“ Hjalmar. You have never had any sense for the claims of the ideal, Relling.
Relling. Stuff and nonsense, my good fellow! With your permission, Mr. Werle—how many—approximately—how many true marriages have you seen in your life?
Gregers. I hardly think I’ve seen a single one.
Relling. Nor have I.
Gregers. But I have seen such numberless marriages of the opposite kind. And I have had occasions to see, [100] from personal observation, how such marriages can demoralize two human beings.
Hjalmar. The whole moral foundation of a man may give way beneath his feet; that is the terrible part of it. ”

“ Hjalmar. It goes to my heart like a knife when I think how small a thing it will be; only a little festive arrangement in the loft——
Hedvig. Ah! but that’s so lovely!
Relling. Only wait till that wonderful invention is completed, Hedvig!
Hjalmar. Yes, then—then you will see!—Hedvig, I have determined to make your future secure. All shall be well with you as long as you live. I will ask something for you—and nothing else. That shall be the poor inventor’s sole reward. ”

“ Gina. No, not yet.
Hjalmar. That was to be expected. When one makes no effort to—— One really must pull oneself together, Gina.
Hedvig (going up to him) . Shall I fetch your flute, father?
Hjalmar. No, no flute. I ask no pleasures here on earth. (Walking up and down.) Yes, yes, I’ll work hard to-morrow, there shall be no lack of that. I’ll work as long as my strength holds out——
Gina. But, dear good Ekdal, I didn’t mean it in that way.
Hedvig. Father, shall I bring in a bottle of beer?
Hjalmar. No, nothing at all. I want nothing for myself. (Standing still.) ”

“ Relling. The powder has singed her dress. She must have put the pistol straight to her breast and fired.
Gregers. Hedvig has not died in vain. Did you see how grief set free all that is noble in him?
[141]
Relling. Most people are ennobled when they stand sorrowing by the dead. But how long do you suppose this fine feeling will last with him?
Gregers. It will last and grow all his life through!
Relling. In three-quarters of a year little Hedvig will be nothing more to him than an excellent theme for declamation.
Gregers. And you dare to say this of Hjalmar Ekdal? ”

“ Hedvig. Yes, for it’s my wild duck.
Gregers. Yes, so it is.
Hedvig. Oh, yes, she belongs to me. But I lend her to father and grandfather as often as ever they like.
Gregers. Indeed! What do they do with her?
Hedvig. Oh! they arrange things for her, and build for her, and all that.
Gregers. I understand; for I suppose the wild duck’s the most distinguished personage in there.
Hedvig. Of course she is; for she’s a real wild bird. And it’s a pity about her, too, for she has no one to care for, poor thing.
Gregers. She hasn’t a family like the rabbits. ”

“ An invention is a thing which doesn’t allow a man to be wholly and solely master of himself. It depends a good deal on inspiration—on an idea—and it’s well-nigh impossible to calculate beforehand when that will come.
Gregers. But it’s making progress?
Hjalmar. Of course it’s making progress. I work every blessed day at the invention, which fills my whole being. Every afternoon when I’ve dined, I lock myself up in my sitting-room, there I can ponder in peace. Only I mustn’t be driven, for that is no earthly use whatever; Relling says so, too. ”

“ Hedvig (involuntarily) . Oh! not that!
Gregers. Yes, a real uncommonly clever dog; such a one as can dive under after wild ducks, when they go to the bottom, and get fast in all the tangle and sea-weeds down in the mud below.
Hjalmar. I’ll tell you what, Gregers—I don’t understand a word of all this.
Gregers. Oh, no! It doesn’t mean anything in particular. Early to-morrow, then, I’ll move in. (To Gina.) Don’t you trouble about me; I do everything for myself. (To Hjalmar.) We’ll talk over the rest to-morrow. Good night, Mrs. Ekdal. (Nodding to Hedvig.) Good night!
Gina. Good night, Mr. Werle. ”

“ Hjalmar and Gina take up Hedvig between them.
Hjalmar (as they are carrying her) . Oh! Gina, Gina. Can you bear it!
Gina. One of us must help the other. For she belongs to both of us now, I know.
Molvik (stretching out his arms and murmuring) . Praised be the Lord; to earth shalt thou return, to earth shalt thou return——
Relling (whispers) . Hold your row, man, you’re drunk.
Hjalmar and Gina carry out the dead body at the kitchen door; Relling closes it after them; Molvik slinks out through the passage.
Relling (goes up to Gregers) . Nothing’ll ever make me believe that shot was an accident. ”

“ Gregers. For surely there is nothing on earth to compare with this, to forgive one who has erred, and lovingly to raise her up to yourself.
Hjalmar. Do you think a man can so easily forget a draught so bitter as that which I have drained.
Gregers. An ordinary man, no; that may be. But a man like you!
Hjalmar. Yes. Good gracious, I knew that well enough. But you mustn’t drive me, Gregers. It takes time, you see.
Gregers. You have a great deal of the wild duck in you, Hjalmar.
Relling has come in at the entrance door.
Relling. Hallo! Is the wild duck to the fore again? ”

“ Gina. Perhaps you’ve dined with Werle?
Hjalmar (hanging up his coat) . No.
Gina (going to the kitchen-door) . Then I’ll bring you in something.
Hjalmar. No, let the dinner be. I’ll not eat anything now.
Hedvig (going close to him) . Aren’t you well, father?
Hjalmar. Well? Oh! yes, so, so. We had a fatiguing walk, Gregers and I.
Gina. You shouldn’t have done that, Ekdal; for you’re not used to it.
Hjalmar. H’m; there’s many a thing a man must accustom himself to in this world. (Walks up and down a little while.) Has anyone been here while I was out?
Gina. No one but the two sweethearts. ”

“ Gregers. Unfortunate old Lieutenant Ekdal, yes. He certainly has had to modify the ideals of his youth.
Relling. But, by the way, Mr. Werle, junior—don’t use that foreign word “ideals.” We’ve as good a word, “lies.”
Gregers. Do you think the two things are akin, then?
Relling. Yes, much as typhus and putrescent fever are.
Gregers. Doctor Relling, I shall not rest content until I have rescued Hjalmar from your clutches!
Relling. That would be worst for him. If you take away the average man’s life-lie you take away his happiness at the same time. (To Hedvig, who comes in from the sitting-room.) ”

“ Ekdal. Oh, yes! May be we’ve got pigeons, too! The pigeon-houses are up there under the eaves; for you know pigeons always like to roost high.
Hjalmar. But these are not all common pigeons.
Ekdal. Common! No, should think not! We’ve got tumblers, and we’ve a few pouters, too. But come here! Can you see those hutches out there by the wall?——
Gregers. Yes. But what do you use them for?
Ekdal. The rabbits go in there in the night, my lad.
Gregers. Why, you’ve rabbits, too, then?
Ekdal. Yes. Deuce take it, you might know we should have rabbits! He wants to know if we’ve got rabbits, Hjalmar!—H’m! ”

“ Is it of Hjalmar Ekdal you are speaking like this?
Relling. Yes, with your permission; that’s how the idol before which you lie prostrate, looks from within.
Gregers. Yet I don’t think I am altogether blind either.
Relling. Oh! you’re not so very far from it. For you are a sick man too, you see.
Gregers. There you are right.
Relling. Exactly. You are suffering from a complicated complaint. First, there’s that troublesome [121] virtue-fever; and what’s worse, you’re always working yourself up into a delirium of hero-worship. You must always have something to admire outside yourself. ”

“ Gregers. So you too have turned hunter; you too, Hjalmar?
Hjalmar. Only a little rabbit shooting now and again. Chiefly for father’s sake, you understand.
Gina. Men folk are such queer creatures; they must always have something to divide themselves with.
Hjalmar (angrily) . Yes, yes, of course, we must always have something to divide ourselves with.
Gina. Why that’s exactly what I’m saying.
Hjalmar. Well, h’m! (To Gregers.) And then luckily you see the loft is so situated that no one can hear us shooting. (Putting the pistol on the top shelf of the case.) Don’t touch the pistol, Hedvig! ”

“ It is Ekdal’s misfortune that in his circle he has always been taken for a shining light——
Gregers. And isn’t he one? In depth of soul I mean.
Relling. I’ve never noticed anything of the sort. That his father should have believed this—well and good; for the old lieutenant has been a blockhead all his life.
Gregers. All his life he has been a man with a child-like mind—that is what you can not understand.
Relling. Tut, tut! But as soon as the dear, sweet Hjalmar went to college, his fellow students instantly took him for the coming man. ”

“ Hjalmar. It’s between the two; besides he hasn’t so many hairs left on his head.
Relling. Well; you can get through life with false hair. Yes, at the bottom you’re a happy man, Ekdal; you have that great life-mission to toil for——
Hjalmar. And I do toil, believe me.
Relling. And then you have your active wife, trotting in and out so nicely, in her felt shoes, and pottering about, looking after you and serving you.
Hjalmar. Yes, Gina (nodding to her) , you are an excellent helpmate to have on life’s path.
Gina. Oh! don’t sit there a-criticising me.
Relling. And then your Hedvig, Ekdal. ”

“ Hjalmar and Gregers bow silently; Gina follows Mrs. Sorby to the door.
Hjalmar. Not beyond the threshold, Gina! (Mrs. Sorby goes out, Gina closes the door after her.) [106] Gregers! Now I am free of this dead weight of indebtedness.
Gregers. At any rate you soon will be.
Hjalmar. I think my attitude may be called correct.
Gregers. You are the man I have always taken you for.
Hjalmar. In certain cases it is impossible to set aside the claims of the ideal. As the bread-winner of a family, I must writhe and agonize beneath this. ”

“ Hjalmar. He has all the greater need for the vigilant eye of a friend. (To Gina.) Mind dinner’s ready in good time. Good-bye for the present. (He goes out at the entrance-door.)
Relling. It’s a pity that fellow didn’t go to hell by way of one of the Hojdal mines.
Gina. Lord!—why do you say that?
Relling (mutters) . Oh, yes! For I’ve my suspicions.
Gina. Do you think young Werle’s really mad?
Relling. No, worse luck, he’s not more mad than most people. But he’s diseased all the same.
Gina. What is it that’s the matter with him then?
Relling. Well, I’ll tell you Mrs. Ekdal. ”

“ Ekdal (staring at him in astonishment) . I’ve absolutely nothing.
Gregers. Yes, you have Hjalmar; but he has his own family. And a man like you who has always felt drawn to all that is free and wild——
Ekdal (striking the table) . Hjalmar, now he shall see it!
Hjalmar. No, father, is it worth while now? Why, it’s dark——
Ekdal. Nonsense; the moon shining. (Rising.) He shall see it, I say. Let me pass. Come and help me, Hjalmar.
Hedvig. Oh, yes; do, father.
Hjalmar (rising) . All right then.
Gregers (to Gina) . What is it?
Gina. Oh! You really mustn’t fancy it’s anything very wonderful. ”

“ And there, you see—there I really got to know Gina.
Gregers. And so you got engaged?
Hjalmar. Yes. Young folk soon get to care for one another—h’m——
Gregers (rises and walks up and down) . Tell me—when you got engaged—was it then that father—I mean—was it then that you began to take up photography?
Hjalmar. Exactly, for I was anxious to settle down as soon as possible. And so both your father and I thought photography would be the likeliest thing, and Gina thought so, too. And there was a reason for that, you see, it fitted in so well, as Gina had learnt to retouch. ”

“ Relling. And so, I dare say you’ve become sensible enough to reduce your demands a little.
Gregers. Never when I am face to face with a true, genuine man.
Hjalmar. No; and that seems sensible enough to me. A little butter, Gina.
Relling. And a little bit of pork for Molvik.
Molvik. Uh! No pork!
There is a knock at the door of the loft.
Hjalmar. Open the door, Hedvig; father wants to come out.
Hedvig opens the door a little way, Old Ekdal comes in with a fresh rabbit-skin; he closes the door after him.
Ekdal. Good-morning, gentlemen! Have had capital sport to-day. Have shot a big one. ”

“ Hjalmar. H’m, one can hardly call it portly, but I daresay I look rather more manly than I did then.
Gregers. Indeed you do; your outer man hasn’t suffered.
Hjalmar (gloomily) . But the inner man! Believe me, that is very different. You know what terrible trouble has come to me and mine since we two met.
Gregers (in a lower tone) . How is your father getting on now?
Hjalmar. Dear friend, don’t let us speak of that. My poor, unhappy father of course lives at home with me. Why, he has no one else on earth to cling to. ”

“ Gina. And the coffee’s getting cold, too.
Hjalmar. H’m. (Takes a mouthful—abstractedly, and then another.)
Gina (dusting the backs of the chairs) . The most difficult thing will be to find such a large loft for the rabbits.
Hjalmar. What! Must I drag all the rabbits about with me, too?
Gina. Yes, grandfather can’t do without the rabbits, I’m sure.
Hjalmar. He will have to get used to that. I have to renounce higher things in life than rabbits.
Gina (dusting the book-case) . Shall I put the flute into the portmanteau for you?
Hjalmar. No. No flute for me. But give me the pistol. ”

“ Gregers. No doubt she will grow like you in time, Mrs. Ekdal. How old may she be now?
Gina. Hedvig is exactly fourteen; it’s her birthday the day after to-morrow.
Gregers. She’s pretty tall for her age.
Gina. Yes, she has shot up so in the last year.
Gregers. It is by these young folks that we best see how old we are ourselves. How long ago is it that you were married?
Gina. Why, we were married in—yes—nearly fifteen years ago.
Gregers. No, really! Is it so long!
Gina (becoming attentive, looking at him) . Yes, it is exactly.
Hjalmar. Yes, of course it is. Fifteen years in a few months. ”

“ I long to have some one about me——
Gregers. Well, you have Mrs. Sorby——
Werle. Yes, I have, and she has, so to say, become almost indispensable to me. She is bright and even-tempered, [27] she cheers up the house—and I need that so sorely.
Gregers. Very well. Then you’ve already got all you want.
Werle. Yes, but I’m afraid things can’t go on so. A woman in such circumstances soon finds herself in an equivocal position in the eyes of the world. And I had almost said that it doesn’t do a man any good either.
Gregers. Oh, when a man gives such dinners as you do he can risk a good deal. ”

“ Hedvig. Oh! no, father, don’t!
Gina. Hush! Don’t wake him!
Hjalmar (in a lower tone) . I will not shrink from it, I tell you. The day will yet come, when—— And that’s why it’s a good thing we’ve let the room; for that makes me more independent. And a man must be that when he has a mission in life. (Turning towards the arm-chair, with emotion.) My poor white-haired old father! Lean on your Hjalmar. He has broad shoulders—strong shoulders, at any rate. You will awaken one day and—— (To Gina.) ”