Good-bye, my dear Judge! You must really excuse me——[JUDGE BRACK goes out by the hall door.]

  TESMAN [Crosses the room.]

  Oh Hedda—one should never rush into adventures. Eh?

  HEDDA [Looks at him, smiling.]

  Do you do that?

  TESMAN

  Yes, dear—there is no denying—it was adventurous to go and marry and set up house upon mere expectations.

  HEDDA

  Perhaps you are right there.

  TESMAN

  Well—at all events, we have our delightful home, Hedda! Fancy, the home we both dreamed of—the home we were in love with, I may almost say. Eh?

  HEDDA [Rising slowly and wearily.]

  It was part of our compact that we were to go into society—to keep open house.

  TESMAN

  Yes, if you only knew how I had been looking forward to it! Fancy—to see you as hostess—in a select circle! Eh? Well, well, well—for the present we shall have to get on without society, Hedda—only to invite Aunt Julia now and then.—Oh, I intended you to lead such an utterly different life, dear——!

  HEDDA

  Of course I cannot have my man in livery just yet.

  TESMAN

  Oh no, unfortunately. It would be out of the question for us to keep a footman, you know.

  HEDDA

  And the saddle-horse I was to have had——

  TESMAN [Aghast.]

  The saddle-horse!

  HEDDA

  ——I suppose I must not think of that now.

  TESMAN

  Good heavens, no!—that’s as clear as daylight!

  HEDDA [Goes up the room.]

  Well, I shall have one thing at least to kill time with in the meanwhile.

  TESMAN [Beaming.]

  Oh thank heaven for that! What is it, Hedda? Eh?

  HEDDA [In the middle doorway, looks at him with covert scorn.]

  My pistols, George.

  TESMAN [In alarm.]

  Your pistols!

  HEDDA [With cold eyes.]

  General Gabler’s pistols.

  [She goes out through the inner room, to the left.]

  TESMAN [Rushes up to the middle doorway and calls after her:]

  No, for heaven’s sake, Hedda darling—don’t touch those dangerous things! For my sake, Hedda! Eh?

  ACT SECOND

  The room at the TESMANS’ as in the first Act, except that the piano has been removed, and an elegant little writing-table with book-shelves put in its place. A smaller table stands near the sofa on the left. Most of the bouquets have been taken away. MRS. ELVSTED’s bouquet is upon the large table in front.—It is afternoon.

  HEDDA, dressed to receive callers, is alone in the room. She stands by the open glass door, loading a revolver.The fellow to it lies in an open pistol-case on the writing-table.

  HEDDA [Looks down the garden, and calls:]

  So you are here again, Judge!

  BRACK [Is heard calling from a distance.]

  As you see, Mrs. Tesman!

  HEDDA [Raises the pistol and points.]

  Now I’ll shoot you, Judge Brack!

  BRACK [Calling unseen.]

  No, no, no! Don’t stand aiming at me!

  HEDDA

  This is what comes of sneaking in by the back way.150 [She fires.]

  BRACK [Nearer.]

  Are you out of your senses——!

  HEDDA

  Dear me—did I happen to hit you?

  BRACK [Still outside.]

  I wish you would let these pranks alone!

  HEDDA

  Come in then, Judge.

  JUDGE BRACK, dressed as though for a men’s party, enters by the glass door. He carries a light overcoat over his arm.

  BRACK

  What the deuce—haven’t you tired of that sport, yet? What are you shooting at?

  HEDDA

  Oh, I am only firing in the air.

  BRACK [Gently takes the pistol out of her hand.]

  Allow me, madam!

  [Looks at it.]

  Ah—I know this pistol well!

  [Looks around.]

  Where is the case? Ah, here it is.

  [Lays the pistol in it, and shuts it.]

  Now we won’t play at that game any more to-day.

  HEDDA

  Then what in heaven’s name would you have me do with myself?

  BRACK

  Have you had no visitors?

  HEDDA [Closing the glass door.]

  Not one. I suppose all our set are still out of town.

  BRACK

  And is Tesman not at home either?

  HEDDA [At the writing-table, putting the pistol-case in a drawer which she shuts.]

  No. He rushed off to his aunt’s directly after lunch; he didn’t expect you so early.

  BRACK

  H’m—how stupid of me not to have thought of that!

  HEDDA [Turning her head to look at him.]

  Why stupid?

  BRACK

  Because if I had thought of it I should have come a little—earlier.

  HEDDA [Crossing the room.]

  Then you would have found no one to receive you; for I have been in my room changing my dress ever since lunch.

  BRACK

  And is there no sort of little chink that we could hold a parley through?

  HEDDA

  You have forgotten to arrange one.

  BRACK

  That was another piece of stupidity.

  HEDDA

  Well, we must just settle down here—and wait. Tesman is not likely to be back for some time yet.

  BRACK

  Never mind; I shall not be impatient.

  HEDDA seats herself in the corner of the sofa. BRACK lays his overcoat over the back of the nearest chair, and sits down, but keeps his hat in his hand. A short silence.They look at each other.

  HEDDA

  Well?

  BRACK [In the same tone.]

  Well?

  HEDDA

  I spoke first.

  BRACK [Bending a little forward.]

  Come, let us have a cosy little chat, Mrs. Hedda.151

  HEDDA [Leaning further back in the sofa.]

  Does it not seem like a whole eternity since our last talk? Of course I don’t count those few words yesterday evening and this morning.

  BRACK

  You mean since our last confidential talk? Our last tête-à-tête?152

  HEDDA

  Well yes—since you put it so.

  BRACK

  Not a day has passed but I have wished that you were home again.

  HEDDA

  And I have done nothing but wish the same thing.

  BRACK

  You? Really, Mrs. Hedda? And I thought you had been enjoying your tour so much!

  HEDDA

  Oh yes, you may be sure of that!

  BRACK

  But Tesman’s letters spoke of nothing but happiness.

  HEDDA

  Oh, Tesman! You see, he thinks nothing so delightful as grubbing in libraries and making copies of old parchments, or whatever you call them.

  BRACK [With a spice of malice.]

  Well, that is his vocation in life—or part of it at any rate.

  HEDDA

  Yes, of course; and no doubt when it’s your vocation——. But I! Oh, my dear Mr. Brack, how mortally bored I have been.

  BRACK [Sympathetically.]

  Do you really say so? In downright earnest?

  HEDDA

  Yes, you can surely understand it——! To go for six whole months without meeting a soul that knew anything of our circle, or could talk about the things we are interested in.

  BRACK

  Yes, yes—I too should feel that a deprivation.

  HEDDA

  And then, what I found most intolerable of all——

  BRACK

  Well?

  HEDDA

  ——was being everlastingly in the company of—one and the same person——

  BRACK [With a nod of assent.]

  Morning, noon, and night, yes—at all possible times and seasons.

  HEDDA

  I said “everlastingly.”

  BRACK

  Just so. But I should have thought, with our excellent Tesman, one could——

  HEDDA

  Tesman is—a specialist, my dear Judge.

  BRACK

  Undeniably.

  HEDDA

  And specialists are not at all amusing to travel with. Not in the long run at any rate.

  BRACK

  Not even—the specialist one happens to love?

  HEDDA

  Faugh—don’t use that sickening word!

  BRACK [Taken aback.]

  What do you say, Mrs. Hedda?

  HEDDA [Half laughing, half irritated.]

  You should just try it! To hear of nothing but the history of civilisation, morning, noon, and night——

  BRACK

  Everlastingly.

  HEDDA

  Yes, yes, yes! And then all this about the domestic industry of the middle ages——! That’s the most disgusting part of it!

  BRACK [Looks searchingly at her.]

  But tell me—in that case, how am I to understand your——? H’m——

  HEDDA

  My accepting George Tesman, you mean?

  BRACK

  Well, let us put it so.

  HEDDA

  Good heavens, do you see anything so wonderful in that?

  BRACK

  Yes and no—Mrs. Hedda.

  HEDDA

  I had positively danced myself tired, my dear Judge. My day was

  done——

  [With a slight shudder.]

  Oh no—I won’t say that; nor think it either!

  BRACK

  You have assuredly no reason to.

  HEDDA

  Oh, reasons——

  [Watching him closely.]

  And George Tesman—after all, you must admit that he is

  correctness itself.

  BRACK

  His correctness and respectability are beyond all question.

  HEDDA

  And I don’t see anything absolutely ridiculous about him.—Do you?

  BRACK

  Ridiculous? N—no—I shouldn’t exactly say so——

  HEDDA

  Well—and his powers of research, at all events, are untiring.—I see no reason why he should not one day come to the front, after all.

  BRACK [Looks at her hesitatingly.]

  I thought that you, like every one else, expected him to attain the highest distinction.

  HEDDA [With an expression of fatigue.]

  Yes, so I did.—And then, since he was bent, at all hazards, on being allowed to provide for me—I really don’t know why I should not have accepted his offer?

  BRACK

  No—if you look at it in that light——

  HEDDA

  It was more than my other adorers were prepared to do for me, my dear Judge.

  BRACK [Laughing.]

  Well, I can’t answer for all the rest; but as for myself, you know quite well that I have always entertained a—a certain respect for the marriage tie—for marriage as an institution, Mrs. Hedda.

  HEDDA [Jestingly.]

  Oh, I assure you I have never cherished any hopes with respect to you.

  BRACK

  All I require is a pleasant and intimate interior, where I can make myself useful in every way, and am free to come and go as—as a trusted friend——

  HEDDA

  Of the master of the house, do you mean?

  BRACK [Bowing.]

  Frankly—of the mistress first of all; but of course of the master too, in the second place. Such a triangular friendship—if I may call it so—is really a great convenience for all parties, let me tell you.

  HEDDA

  Yes, I have many a time longed for some one to make a third on our travels. Oh—those railway-carriage tête-à-têtes——!

  BRACK

  Fortunately your wedding journey is over now.

  HEDDA [Shaking her head.]

  Not by a long—long way. I have only arrived at a station on the line.

  BRACK

  Well, then the passengers jump out and move about a little, Mrs. Hedda.

  HEDDA

  I never jump out.

  BRACK

  Really?

  HEDDA

  No—because there is always some one standing by to——

  BRACK [Laughing.]

  To look at your ankles, do you mean?

  HEDDA

  Precisely.

  BRACK

  Well but, dear me——

  HEDDA [With a gesture of repulsion.]

  I won’t have it. I would rather keep my seat where I happen to be—and continue the tête-à-tête.

  BRACK

  But suppose a third person were to jump in and join the couple.

  HEDDA

  Ah—that is quite another matter!

  BRACK

  A trusted, sympathetic friend——

  HEDDA

  ——with a fund of conversation on all sorts of lively topics——

  BRACK

  ——and not the least bit of a specialist!

  HEDDA [With an audible sigh.]

  Yes, that would be a relief indeed.

  BRACK [Hears the front door open, and glances in that direction.]

  The triangle is completed.

  HEDDA [Half aloud.]

  And on goes the train.

  GEORGE TESMAN, in a grey walking-suit, with a soft felt hat, enters from the hall. He has a number of unbound books under his arm and in his pockets.

  TESMAN [Goes up to the table beside the corner settee.]

  Ouf—what a load for a warm day—all these books.

  [Lays them on the table.]

  I’m positively perspiring, Hedda. Hallo—are you there already,

  my dear Judge? Eh? Berta didn’t tell me.

  BRACK [Rising.]

  I came in through the garden.

  HEDDA

  What books have you got there?

  TESMAN [Stands looking them through.]

  Some new books on my special subjects—quite indispensable to me.

  HEDDA

  Your special subjects?

  BRACK

  Yes, books on his special subjects, Mrs. Tesman.

  [BRACK and HEDDA exchange a confidential smile.]

  HEDDA

  Do you need still more books on your special subjects?

  TESMAN

  Yes, my dear Hedda, one can never have too many of them. Of course one must keep up with all that is written and published.

  HEDDA

  Yes, I suppose one must.

  TESMAN

  [Searching among his books.]

  And look here—I have got hold of Eilert Lövborg’s new book

  too.

  [Offering it to her.]

  Perhaps you would like to glance through it, Hedda? Eh?

  HEDDA

  No, thank you. Or rather—afterwards perhaps.

  TESMAN

  I looked into it a little on the way home.

  BRACK

  Well, what do you think of it—as a specialist?

  TESMAN

  I think it shows quite remarkable soundness of judgment. He

  never wrote like that before.

  [Putting the books together.]

  Now I shall take all these into my study. I’m longing to cut the

  leaves——! And then I must change my clothes.

  [To BRACK.]

  I suppose we needn’t start just yet? Eh?

  BRACK

  Oh, no—dear there is not the slightest hurry.

  TESMAN

  Well then, I will take my time.

  [Is going with his books, but stops in the doorway and turns.]

  By-the-bye, Hedda—Aunt Julia is not coming this evening.

  HEDDA

  Not coming? Is it that affair of the bonnet that keeps her away?

  TESMAN

  Oh, not at all. How could you think such a thing of Aunt Julia? Just fancy——! The fact is, Aunt Rina is very ill.

  HEDDA

  She always is.

  TESMAN

  Yes, but to-day she is much worse than usual, poor dear.

  HEDDA

  Oh, then it’s only natural that her sister should remain with her. I must bear my disappointment.

  TESMAN

  And you can’t imagine, dear, how delighted Aunt Julia seemed to be—because you had come home looking so flourishing!

  HEDDA [Half aloud, rising.]

  Oh, those everlasting Aunts!