GREGERS

  Let me tell you that they were women who never forgot the claim of the ideal—but of course you will only jeer at me again.

  RELLING

  No, I’m in no humour for that. I know all about those ladies; for he has ladled out no end of rhetoric on the subject of his “two soul-mothers.” But I don’t think he has much to thank them for. Ekdal’s misfortune is that in his own circle he has always been looked upon as a shining light——

  GREGERS

  Not without reason, surely. Look at the depth of his mind!

  RELLING

  I have never discovered it. That his father believed in it I don’t so much wonder; the old lieutenant has been an ass all his days.

  GREGERS

  He has had a child-like mind all his days; that is what you cannot understand.

  RELLING

  Well, so be it. But then, when our dear, sweet Hialmar went to college, he at once passed for the great light of the future amongst his comrades too! He was handsome, the rascal—red and white—a shop-girl’s dream of manly beauty; and with his superficially emotional temperament, and his sympathetic voice, and his talent for declaiming other people’s verses and other people’s thoughts——

  GREGERS [Indignantly.]

  Is it Hialmar Ekdal you are talking about in this strain?

  RELLING

  Yes, with your permission; I am simply giving you an inside view of the idol you are grovelling before.

  GREGERS

  I should hardly have thought I was quite stone blind.

  RELLING

  Yes you are—or not far from it. You are a sick man, too, you see.

  GREGERS

  You are right there.

  RELLING

  Yes. Yours is a complicated case. First of all there is that plaguy integrity-fever; and then—what’s worse—you are always in a delirium of hero-worship; you must always have something to adore, outside yourself.

  GREGERS

  Yes, I must certainly seek it outside myself.

  RELLING

  But you make such shocking mistakes about every new phoenix you think you have discovered. Here again you have come to a cotter’s cabin with your claim of the ideal; and the people of the house are insolvent.

  GREGERS

  If you don’t think better than that of Hialmar Ekdal, what pleasure can you find in being everlastingly with him?

  RELLING

  Well, you see, I’m supposed to be a sort of a doctor—save the mark! I can’t but give a hand to the poor sick folk who live under the same roof with me.

  GREGERS

  Oh, indeed! Hialmar Ekdal is sick too, is he!

  RELLING

  Most people are, worse luck.

  GREGERS

  And what remedy are you applying in Hialmar’s case?

  RELLING

  My usual one. I am cultivating the life-illusion141 in him.

  GREGERS

  Life—illusion? I didn’t catch what you said.

  RELLING

  Yes, I said illusion. For illusion, you know, is the stimulating principle.

  GREGERS

  May I ask with what illusion Hialmar is inoculated?

  RELLING

  No, thank you; I don’t betray professional secrets to quacksalvers. You would probably go and muddle his case still more than you have already. But my method is infallible. I have applied it to Molvik as well. I have made him “dæmonic.” That’s the blister I have to put on his neck.

  GREGERS

  Is he not really dæmonic then?

  RELLING

  What the devil do you mean by dæmonic! It’s only a piece of gibberish I’ve invented to keep up a spark of life in him. But for that, the poor harmless creature would have succumbed to self-contempt and despair many a long year ago. And then the old lieutenant! But he has hit upon his own cure, you see.

  GREGERS

  Lieutenant Ekdal? What of him?

  RELLING

  Just think of the old bear-hunter shutting himself up in that dark garret to shoot rabbits! I tell you there is not a happier sportsman in the world than that old man pottering about in there among all that rubbish. The four or five withered Christmas-trees he has saved up are the same to him as the whole great fresh Höidal forest; the cock and the hens are big game-birds in the fir-tops; and the rabbits that flop about the garret floor are the bears he has to battle with—the mighty hunter of the mountains!

  GREGERS

  Poor unfortunate old man! Yes; he has indeed had to narrow the ideals of his youth.

  RELLING

  While I think of it, Mr. Werle, junior—don’t use that foreign word: ideals. We have the excellent native word: lies.

  GREGERS

  Do you think the two things are related?

  RELLING

  Yes, just about as closely as typhus and putrid fever.

  GREGERS

  Dr. Relling, I shall not give up the struggle until I have rescued Hialmar from your clutches!

  RELLING

  So much the worse for him. Rob the average man of his life-illusion, and you rob him of his happiness at the same stroke.

  [To HEDVIG, who comes in from the sitting-room.]

  Well, little wild-duck-mother, I’m just going down to see whether papa is still lying meditating upon that wonderful invention of his.

  [Goes out by the passage door.]

  GREGERS [Approaches HEDVIG.]

  I can see by your face that you have not yet done it.

  HEDVIG

  What? Oh, that about the wild duck! No.

  GREGERS

  I suppose your courage failed when the time came.

  HEDVIG

  No, that wasn’t it. But when I awoke this morning and remembered what we had been talking about, it seemed so strange.

  GREGERS

  Strange?

  HEDVIG

  Yes, I don’t know——. Yesterday evening, at the moment, I thought there was something so delightful about it; but since I have slept and thought of it again, it somehow doesn’t seem worth while.

  GREGERS

  Ah, I thought you could not have grown up quite unharmed in this house.

  HEDVIG

  I don’t care about that, if only father would come up——

  GREGERS

  Oh, if only your eyes had been opened to that which gives life its value—if you possessed the true, joyous, fearless spirit of sacrifice, you would soon see how he would come up to you.—

  But I believe in you still, Hedvig.

  [He goes out by the passage door.]

  [HEDVIG wanders about the room for a time; she is on the point of going into the kitchen when a knock is heard at the garret door. HEDVIG goes over and opens it a little; old EKDAL comes out; she pushes the door to again.]

  EKDAL

  H’m, it’s not much fun to take one’s morning walk alone.

  HEDVIG

  Wouldn’t you like to go shooting, grandfather?

  EKDAL

  It’s not the weather for it to-day. It’s so dark there, you can scarcely see where you’re going.

  HEDVIG

  Do you never want to shoot anything besides the rabbits?

  EKDAL

  Do you think the rabbits aren’t good enough?

  HEDVIG

  Yes, but what about the wild duck?

  EKDAL

  Ho-ho! are you afraid I shall shoot your wild duck? Never in the world. Never.

  HEDVIG

  No, I suppose you couldn’t; they say it’s very difficult to shoot wild ducks.

  EKDAL

  Couldn’t! Should rather think I could.

  HEDVIG

  How would you set about it, grandfather?—I don’t mean with my wild duck, but with others?

  EKDAL

  I should take care to shoot them in the breast, you know; that’s the surest place. And then you must shoot against the feathers, you see—not the way of the feathers.

  HEDVIG

  Do they die then, grandfather?

  EKDAL

  Yes, they die right enough—when you shoot properly. Well, I must go and brush up a bit. H’m—understand—h’m.

  [Goes into his room.]

  [HEDVIG waits a little, glances towards the sitting-room door, goes over to the bookcase, stands on tip-toe, takes the double-barrelled pistol down from the shelf, and looks at it. GINA, with brush and duster, comes from the sitting-room. HEDVIG hastily lays down the pistol, unobserved.]

  GINA

  Don’t stand raking amongst father’s things, Hedvig.

  HEDVIG [Goes away from the bookcase.]

  I was only going to tidy up a little.

  GINA

  You’d better go into the kitchen, and see if the coffee’s keeping hot; I’ll take his breakfast on a tray, when I go down to him.

  [HEDVIG goes out. GINA begins to sweep and clean up the studio. Presently the passage door is opened with hesitation, and HIALMAR EKDAL looks in. He has on his overcoat, but not his hat; he is unwashed, and his hair is dishevelled and unkempt. His eyes are dull and heavy.]

  GINA [Standing with the brush in her hand, and looking at him.]

  Oh, there now, Ekdal—so you’ve come after all?

  HIALMAR [Comes in and answers in a toneless voice.]

  I come—only to depart again immediately.

  GINA

  Yes, yes, I suppose so. But, Lord help us! what a sight you are!

  HIALMAR

  A sight?

  GINA

  And your nice winter coat too! Well, that’s done for.

  HEDVIG [At the kitchen door.]

  Mother, hadn’t I better——?

  [Sees HIALMAR, gives a loud scream of joy, and runs to him.]

  Oh, father, father!

  HIALMAR [Turns away and makes a gesture of repulsion.]

  Away, away, away!

  [To GINA.]

  Keep her away from me, I say!

  GINA [In a low tone.]

  Go into the sitting-room, Hedvig.

  [HEDVIG does so without a word.]

  HIALMAR [Fussily pulls out the table-drawer.]

  I must have my books with me. Where are my books?

  GINA

  Which books?

  HIALMAR

  My scientific books, of course; the technical magazines I require for my invention.

  GINA [Searches in the bookcase.]

  Is it these here paper-covered ones?

  HIALMAR

  Yes, of course.

  GINA [Lays a heap of magazines on the table.]

  Shan’t I get Hedvig to cut them for you?

  HIALMAR

  I don’t require to have them cut for me. [Short silence.]

  GINA

  Then you’re still set on leaving us, Ekdal?

  HIALMAR [Rummaging amongst the books.]

  Yes, that is a matter of course, I should think.

  GINA

  Well, well.

  HIALMAR [Vehemently.]

  How can I live here, to be stabbed to the heart every hour of the day?

  GINA

  God forgive you for thinking such vile things of me.

  HIALMAR

  Prove——!

  GINA

  I think it’s you as has got to prove.

  HIALMAR

  After a past like yours? There are certain claims—I may almost call them claims of the ideal——

  GINA

  But what about grandfather? What’s to become of him, poor dear?

  HIALMAR

  I know my duty; my helpless father will come with me. I am going out into the town to make arrangements——. H’m—[hesitatingly]

  has any one found my hat on the stairs?

  GINA

  No. Have you lost your hat?

  HIALMAR

  Of course I had it on when I came in last night; there’s no doubt about that; but I couldn’t find it this morning.

  GINA

  Lord help us! where have you been to with those two ne’er-doweels?

  HIALMAR

  Oh, don’t bother me about trifles. Do you suppose I am in the mood to remember details?

  GINA

  If only you haven’t caught cold, Ekdal. [Goes out into the kitchen.]

  HIALMAR [Talks to himself in a low tone of irritation, whilst he empties the table-drawer.]

  You’re a scoundrel, Relling!—You’re a low fellow!—Ah, you shameless tempter!—I wish I could get some one to stick a knife into you!

  [He lays some old letters on one side, finds the torn document of yesterday, takes it up and looks at the pieces; puts it down hurriedly as GINA enters.]

  GINA [Sets a tray with coffee, etc., on the table.]

  Here’s a drop of something hot, if you’d fancy it. And there’s some bread and butter and a snack of salt meat.

  HIALMAR [Glancing at the tray.]

  Salt meat? Never under this roof! It’s true I have not had a mouthful of solid food for nearly twenty-four hours; but no matter.—My memoranda! The commencement of my autobiography! What has become of my diary, and all my important papers?

  [Opens the sitting-room door but draws back.]

  She is there too!

  GINA

  Good Lord! the child must be somewhere!

  HIALMAR

  Come out.

  [He makes room, HEDVIG comes, scared, into the studio.]

  HIALMAR [With his hand upon the door-handle, says to GINA:]

  In these, the last moments I spend in my former home, I wish to be spared from interlopers——

  [Goes into the room.]

  HEDVIG [With a bound towards her mother, asks softly, trembling.]

  Does that mean me?

  GINA

  Stay out in the kitchen, Hedvig; or, no—you’d best go into your

  own room.

  [Speaks to HIALMAR as she goes in to him.]

  Wait a bit, Ekdal; don’t rummage so in the drawers; I know

  where everything is.

  HEDVIG [Stands a moment immovable, in terror and perplexity, biting her

  lips to keep back the tears; then she clenches her hands convulsively, and says softly:]

  The wild duck.

  [She steals over and takes the pistol from the shelf, opens the garret door a little way, creeps in, and draws the door to after her.]

  [HIALMAR and GINA can be heard disputing in the sitting-room.]

  HIALMAR [Comes in with some manuscript books and old loose papers, which he lays upon the table.]

  That portmanteau is of no use! There are a thousand and one things I must drag with me.

  GINA [Following with the portmanteau.]

  Why not leave all the rest for the present, and only take a shirt and a pair of woollen drawers with you?

  HIALMAR

  Whew!—all these exhausting preparations——! [Pulls off his overcoat and throws it upon the sofa.]

  GINA

  And there’s the coffee getting cold.

  HIALMAR

  H’m.

  [Drinks a mouthful without thinking of it, and then another.]

  GINA [Dusting the backs of the chairs.]

  A nice job you’ll have to find such another big garret for the rabbits.

  HIALMAR

  What! Am I to drag all those rabbits with me too?

  GINA

  You don’t suppose grandfather can get on without his rabbits.

  HIALMAR

  He must just get used to doing without them. Have not I to sacrifice very much greater things than rabbits!

  GINA [Dusting the bookcase.]

  Shall I put the flute in the portmanteau for you?

  HIALMAR

  No. No flute for me. But give me the pistol!

  GINA

  Do you want to take the pigstol with you?

  HIALMAR

  Yes. My loaded pistol.

  GINA [Searching for it.]

  It’s gone. He must have taken it in with him.

  HIALMAR

  Is he in the garret?

  GINA

  Yes, of course he’s in the garret.

  HIALMAR

  H’m—poor lonely old man.

  [He takes a piece of bread and butter, eats it, and finishes his cup of coffee. ]

  GINA

  If we hadn’t have let that room, you could have moved in there.

  HIALMAR

  And continued to live under the same roof with——! Never,—never!

  GINA

  But couldn’t you put up with the sitting-room for a day or two? You could have it all to yourself.

  HIALMAR

  Never within these walls!

  GINA

  Well then, down with Relling and Molvik.

  HIALMAR

  Don’t mention those wretches’ names to me! The very thought of them almost takes away my appetite.—Oh no, I must go out into the storm and the snow-drift,—go from house to house and seek shelter for my father and myself.

  GINA

  But you’ve got no hat, Ekdal! You’ve been and lost your hat, you know.