It cannot be otherwise—not with him. I don’t think he really cares for any one but himself—and perhaps a little for the children.

  HEDDA

  And for Eilert Lövborg, Thea.

  MRS. ELVSTED [Looking at her.]

  For Eilert Lövborg? What puts that into your head?

  HEDDA

  Well, my dear—I should say, when he sends you after him all the

  way to town——

  [Smiling almost imperceptibly.]

  And besides, you said so yourself, to Tesman.

  MRS. ELVSTED [With a little nervous twitch.]

  Did I? Yes, I suppose I did.

  [Vehemently, but not loudly.]

  No—I may just as well make a clean breast of it at once! For it

  must all come out in any case.

  HEDDA

  Why, my dear Thea——?

  MRS. ELVSTED

  Well, to make a long story short: My husband did not know that I was coming.

  HEDDA

  What! Your husband didn’t know it!

  MRS. ELVSTED

  No, of course not. For that matter, he was away from home himself—he was travelling. Oh, I could bear it no longer, Hedda! I couldn’t indeed—so utterly alone as I should have been in future.

  HEDDA

  Well? And then?

  MRS. ELVSTED

  So I put together some of my things—what I needed most—as quietly as possible. And then I left the house.

  HEDDA

  Without a word?

  MRS. ELVSTED

  Yes—and took the train straight to town.

  HEDDA

  Why, my dear, good Thea—to think of you daring to do it!

  MRS. ELVSTED [Rises and moves about the room.]

  What else could I possibly do?

  HEDDA

  But what do you think your husband will say when you go home again?

  MRS. ELVSTED [At the table, looks at her.]

  Back to him?

  HEDDA

  Of course.

  MRS. ELVSTED

  I shall never go back to him again.

  HEDDA [Rising and going towards her.]

  Then you have left your home—for good and all?

  MRS. ELVSTED

  Yes. There was nothing else to be done.

  HEDDA

  But then—to take flight so openly!

  MRS. ELVSTED

  Oh, it’s impossible to keep things of that sort secret.

  HEDDA

  But what do you think people will say of you, Thea?

  MRS. ELVSTED

  They may say what they like, for aught I care.

  [Seats herself wearily and sadly on the sofa.]

  I have done nothing but what I had to do.

  HEDDA [After a short silence.]

  And what are your plans now? What do you think of doing?

  MRS. ELVSTED

  I don’t know yet. I only know this, that I must live here, where Eilert Lövborg is—if I am to live at all.

  HEDDA [Takes a chair from the table, seats herself beside her, and strokes her hands.]

  My dear Thea—how did this—this friendship—between you and Eilert Lövborg come about?

  MRS. ELVSTED

  Oh it grew up gradually. I gained a sort of influence over him.

  HEDDA

  Indeed?

  MRS. ELVSTED

  He gave up his old habits. Not because I asked him to, for I never dared do that. But of course he saw how repulsive they were to me; and so he dropped them.

  HEDDA [Concealing an involuntary smile of scorn.]

  Then you have reclaimed him—as the saying goes—my little Thea.

  MRS. ELVSTED

  So he says himself, at any rate. And he, on his side, has made a real human being of me—taught me to think, and to understand so many things.

  HEDDA

  Did he give you lessons too, then?

  MRS. ELVSTED

  No, not exactly lessons. But he talked to me—talked about such an infinity of things. And then came the lovely, happy time when I began to share in his work—when he allowed me to help him!

  HEDDA

  Oh he did, did he?

  MRS. ELVSTED

  Yes! He never wrote anything without my assistance.

  HEDDA

  You were two good comrades, in fact?

  MRS. ELVSTED [Eagerly.]

  Comrades! Yes, fancy, Hedda—that is the very word he used!— Oh, I ought to feel perfectly happy; and yet I cannot; for I don’t know how long it will last.

  HEDDA

  Are you no surer of him than that?

  MRS. ELVSTED [Gloomily.]

  A woman’s shadow stands between Eilert Lövborg and me.

  HEDDA [Looks at her anxiously.]

  Who can that be?

  MRS. ELVSTED

  I don’t know. Some one he knew in his—in his past. Some one he has never been able wholly to forget.

  HEDDA

  What has he told you—about this?

  MRS. ELVSTED

  He has only once—quite vaguely—alluded to it.

  HEDDA

  Well! And what did he say?

  MRS. ELVSTED

  He said that when they parted, she threatened to shoot him with a pistol.

  HEDDA [With cold composure.]

  Oh nonsense! No one does that sort of thing here.

  MRS. ELVSTED

  No. And that is why I think it must have been that red-haired singing-woman whom he once——

  HEDDA

  Yes, very likely.

  MRS. ELVSTED

  For I remember they used to say of her that she carried loaded firearms.

  HEDDA

  Oh—then of course it must have been she.

  MRS. ELVSTED [Wringing her hands.]

  And now just fancy, Hedda—I hear that this singing-woman—that she is in town again! Oh, I don’t know what to do——

  HEDDA [Glancing towards the inner room.]

  Hush! Here comes Tesman.

  [Rises and whispers.]

  Thea—all this must remain between you and me.

  MRS. ELVSTED [Springing up.]

  Oh yes—yes! For heaven’s sake——!

  GEORGE TESMAN, with a letter in his hand, comes from the right through the inner room.

  TESMAN

  There now—the epistle is finished.

  HEDDA

  That’s right. And now Mrs. Elvsted is just going. Wait a moment—I’ll go with you to the garden gate.

  TESMAN

  Do you think Berta could post the letter, Hedda dear?

  HEDDA [Takes it.]

  I will tell her to.

  BERTA enters from the hall.

  BERTA

  Judge Brack wishes to know if Mrs. Tesman will receive him.

  HEDDA

  Yes, ask Judge Brack to come in. And look here—put this letter in the post.

  BERTA [Taking the letter.]

  Yes, ma’am.

  [She opens the door for JUDGE BRACK and goes out herself. BRACK is a man of forty-five; thick set, but well-built and elastic in his movements. His face is roundish with an aristocratic profile. His hair is short, still almost black, and carefully dressed. His eyes are lively and sparkling. His eyebrows thick. His moustaches are also thick, with short-cut ends. He wears a well-cut walking-suit, a little too youthful for his age. He uses an eyeglass, which he now and then lets drop.]

  JUDGE BRACK [With his hat in his hand, bowing.]

  May one venture to call so early in the day?

  HEDDA

  Of course one may.

  TESMAN [Presses his hand.]

  You are welcome at any time.

  [Introducing him.]

  Judge Brack—Miss Rysing——

  HEDDA

  Oh——!

  BRACK [Bowing.]

  Ah—delighted——

  HEDDA [Looks at him and laughs.]

  It’s nice to have a look at you by daylight, Judge!

  BRACK

  Do you find me—altered?

  HEDDA

  A little younger, I think.

  BRACK

  Thank you so much.

  TESMAN

  But what do you think of Hedda—eh? Doesn’t she look flourishing? She has actually——

  HEDDA

  Oh, do leave me alone. You haven’t thanked Judge Brack for all the trouble he has taken——

  BRACK

  Oh, nonsense—it was a pleasure to me——

  HEDDA

  Yes, you are a friend indeed. But here stands Thea all impatience to be off—so au revoir,149 Judge. I shall be back again presently. [Mutual salutations. MRS. ELVSTED and HEDDA go out by the hall door.]

  BRACK

  Well,—is your wife tolerably satisfied——

  TESMAN

  Yes, we can’t thank you sufficiently. Of course she talks of a little re-arrangement here and there; and one or two things are still wanting. We shall have to buy some additional trifles.

  BRACK

  Indeed!

  TESMAN

  But we won’t trouble you about these things. Hedda says she herself will look after what is wanting.—Shan’t we sit down? Eh?

  BRACK

  Thanks, for a moment.

  [Seats himself beside the table.]

  There is something I wanted to speak to you about, my dear

  Tesman.

  TESMAN

  Indeed? Ah, I understand!

  [Seating himself.]

  I suppose it’s the serious part of the frolic that is coming now.

  Eh?

  BRACK

  Oh, the money question is not so very pressing; though, for that matter, I wish we had gone a little more economically to work.

  TESMAN

  But that would never have done, you know! Think of Hedda, my dear fellow! You, who know her so well——. I couldn’t possibly ask her to put up with a shabby style of living!

  BRACK

  No, no—that is just the difficulty.

  TESMAN

  And then—fortunately—it can’t be long before I receive my appointment.

  BRACK

  Well, you see—such things are often apt to hang fire for a time.

  TESMAN

  Have you heard anything definite? Eh?

  BRACK

  Nothing exactly definite——.

  [Interrupting himself.]

  But by-the-bye—I have one piece of news for you.

  TESMAN

  Well?

  BRACK

  Your old friend, Eilert Lövborg, has returned to town.

  TESMAN

  I know that already.

  BRACK

  Indeed! How did you learn it?

  TESMAN

  From that lady who went out with Hedda.

  BRACK

  Really? What was her name? I didn’t quite catch it.

  TESMAN

  Mrs. Elvsted.

  BRACK

  Aha—Sheriff Elvsted’s wife? Of course—he has been living up in their regions.

  TESMAN

  And fancy—I’m delighted to hear that he is quite a reformed character!

  BRACK

  So they say.

  TESMAN

  And then he has published a new book—eh?

  BRACK

  Yes, indeed he has.

  TESMAN

  And I hear it has made some sensation!

  BRACK

  Quite an unusual sensation.

  TESMAN

  Fancy—isn’t that good news! A man of such extraordinary talents——. I felt so grieved to think that he had gone irretrievably to ruin.

  BRACK

  That was what everybody thought.

  TESMAN

  But I cannot imagine what he will take to now! How in the

  world will he be able to make his living? Eh?

  [During the last words, HEDDA has entered by the hall door.]

  HEDDA [To BRACK, laughing with a touch of scorn.]

  Tesman is for ever worrying about how people are to make their living.

  TESMAN

  Well you see, dear—we were talking about poor Eilert Lövborg.

  HEDDA [Glancing at him rapidly.]

  Oh, indeed?

  [Seats herself in the arm-chair beside the stove and asks indifferently:]

  What is the matter with him?

  TESMAN

  Well—no doubt he has run through all his property long ago; and he can scarcely write a new book every year—eh? So I really can’t see what is to become of him.

  BRACK

  Perhaps I can give you some information on that point.

  TESMAN

  Indeed!

  BRACK

  You must remember that his relations have a good deal of influence.

  TESMAN

  Oh, his relations, unfortunately, have entirely washed their hands of him.

  BRACK

  At one time they called him the hope of the family.

  TESMAN

  At one time, yes! But he has put an end to all that.

  HEDDA

  Who knows?

  [With a slight smile.]

  I hear they have reclaimed him up at Sheriff Elvsted’s——

  BRACK

  And then this book that he has published——

  TESMAN

  Well well, I hope to goodness they may find something for him to do. I have just written to him. I asked him to come and see us this evening, Hedda dear.

  BRACK

  But my dear fellow, you are booked for my bachelors’ party this evening. You promised on the pier last night.

  HEDDA

  Had you forgotten, Tesman?

  TESMAN

  Yes, I had utterly forgotten.

  BRACK

  But it doesn’t matter, for you may be sure he won’t come.

  TESMAN

  What makes you think that? Eh?

  BRACK [With a little hesitation, rising and resting his hands on the back of his chair.]

  My dear Tesman—and you too, Mrs. Tesman—I think I ought not to keep you in the dark about something that—that——

  TESMAN

  That concerns Eilert——?

  BRACK

  Both you and him.

  TESMAN

  Well, my dear Judge, out with it.

  BRACK

  You must be prepared to find your appointment deferred longer than you desired or expected.

  TESMAN [ Jumping up uneasily.]

  Is there some hitch about it? Eh?

  BRACK

  The nomination may perhaps be made conditional on the result of a competition——

  TESMAN

  Competition! Think of that, Hedda!

  HEDDA [Leans further back in the chair.]

  Aha—aha!

  TESMAN

  But who can my competitor be? Surely not——?

  BRACK

  Yes, precisely—Eilert Lövborg.

  TESMAN [Clasping his hands.]

  No, no—it’s quite inconceivable! Quite impossible! Eh?

  BRACK

  H’m—that is what it may come to, all the same.

  TESMAN

  Well but, Judge Brack—it would show the most incredible lack

  of consideration for me.

  [Gesticulates with his arms.]

  For—just think—I’m a married man! We have married on the

  strength of these prospects, Hedda and I; and run deep into

  debt; and borrowed money from Aunt Julia too. Good heavens,

  they had as good as promised me the appointment. Eh?

  BRACK

  Well, well, well—no doubt you will get it in the end; only after a contest.

  HEDDA [Immovable in her arm-chair.]

  Fancy, Tesman, there will be a sort of sporting interest in that.

  TESMAN

  Why, my dearest Hedda, how can you be so indifferent about it.

  HEDDA [As before.]

  I am not at all indifferent. I am most eager to see who wins.

  BRACK

  In any case, Mrs. Tesman, it is best that you should know how matters stand. I mean—before you set about the little purchases I hear you are threatening.

  HEDDA

  This can make no difference.

  BRACK

  Indeed! Then I have no more to say. Good-bye!

  [To TESMAN.]

  I shall look in on my way back from my afternoon walk, and take

  you home with me.

  TESMAN

  Oh yes, yes—your news has quite upset me.

  HEDDA [Reclining, holds out her hand.]

  Good-bye, Judge; and be sure you call in the afternoon.

  BRACK

  Many thanks. Good-bye, good-bye!

  TESMAN [Accompanying him to the door.]