Would it not be best for you to do that?

  MRS. SOLNESS

  Yes; God knows that is my duty. But when one has duties in so many directions——

  DR. HERDAL [Looks towards the garden.]

  There he is coming.

  MRS. SOLNESS

  And I have to go in!

  DR. HERDAL [To HILDA]

  Don’t say anything about my being here.

  HILDA

  Oh no! I daresay I shall find something else to talk to Mr. Solness about.

  MRS. SOLNESS

  And be sure you keep firm hold of him. I believe you can do it

  best.

  [MRS. SOLNESS and DR. HERDAL go into the house. HILDA remains

  standing on the veranda. SOLNESS comes from the garden, up the

  flight of steps.]

  SOLNESS

  Somebody wants me, I hear.

  HILDA

  Yes; it is I, Mr. Solness.

  SOLNESS

  Oh, is it you, Hilda? I was afraid it might be Aline or the Doctor.

  HILDA

  You are very easily frightened, it seems!

  SOLNESS

  Do you think so?

  HILDA

  Yes; people say that you are afraid to climb about—on the scaffoldings, you know.

  SOLNESS

  Well, that is quite a special thing.

  HILDA

  Then it is true that you are afraid to do it?

  SOLNESS

  Yes, I am.

  HILDA

  Afraid of falling down and killing yourself?

  SOLNESS

  No, not of that.

  HILDA

  Of what, then?

  SOLNESS

  I am afraid of retribution, Hilda.

  HILDA

  Of retribution?

  [Shakes her head.]

  I don’t understand that.

  SOLNESS

  Sit down, and I will tell you something.

  HILDA

  Yes, do! At once!

  [She sits on a stool by the railing, and looks expectantly at him.]

  SOLNESS [Throws his hat on the table.]

  You know that I began by building churches.

  HILDA [Nods.]

  I know that well.

  SOLNESS

  For, you see, I came as a boy from a pious home in the country; and so it seemed to me that this church-building was the noblest task I could set myself.

  HILDA

  Yes, yes.

  SOLNESS

  And I venture to say that I built those poor little churches with such honest and warm and heartfelt devotion that—that——

  HILDA

  That——? Well?

  SOLNESS

  Well, that I think that he ought to have been pleased with me.

  HILDA

  He? What he?

  SOLNESS

  He who was to have the churches, of course! He to whose honour and glory they were dedicated.

  HILDA

  Oh, indeed! But are you certain, then, that—that he was not—pleased with you?

  SOLNESS [Scornfully.]

  He pleased with me! How can you talk so, Hilda? He who gave the troll in me leave to lord it just as it pleased. He who bade them be at hand to serve me, both day and night—all these—all these——

  HILDA

  Devils——

  SOLNESS

  Yes, of both kinds. Oh no, he made me feel clearly enough that

  he was not pleased with me.

  [Mysteriously.]

  You see, that was really the reason why he made the old house

  burn down.

  HILDA

  Was that why?

  SOLNESS

  Yes, don’t you understand? He wanted to give me the chance of becoming an accomplished master in my own sphere—so that I might build all the more glorious churches for him. At first I did not understand what he was driving at; but all of a sudden it flashed upon me.

  HILDA

  When was that?

  SOLNESS

  It was when I was building the church-tower up at Lysanger.

  HILDA

  I thought so.

  SOLNESS

  For you see, Hilda—up there, amidst those new surroundings, I

  used to go about musing and pondering within myself. Then I

  saw plainly why he had taken my little children from me. It was

  that I should have nothing else to attach myself to. No such thing

  as love and happiness, you understand. I was to be only a master

  builder—nothing else. And all my life long I was to go on

  building for him. [Laughs.]

  But I can tell you nothing came of that!

  HILDA

  What did you do, then?

  SOLNESS

  First of all, I searched and tried my own heart——

  HILDA

  And then?

  SOLNESS

  Then I did the impossible—I no less than he.

  HILDA

  The impossible?

  SOLNESS

  I had never before been able to climb up to a great, free height. But that day I did it.

  HILDA [Leaping up.]

  Yes, yes, you did!

  SOLNESS

  And when I stood there, high over everything, and was hanging the wreath over the vane, I said to him: Hear me now, thou Mighty One! From this day forward I will be a free builder—I too, in my sphere—just as thou in thine. I will never more build churches for thee—only homes for human beings.

  HILDA [With great sparkling eyes.]

  That was the song that I heard through the air!

  SOLNESS

  But afterwards his turn came.

  HILDA

  What do you mean by that?

  SOLNESS [Looks despondently at her.]

  Building homes for human beings—is not worth a rap, Hilda.

  HILDA

  Do you say that now?

  SOLNESS

  Yes, for now I see it. Men have no use for these homes of

  theirs—to be happy in. And I should not have had any use for

  such a home, if I had had one.

  [With a quiet, bitter laugh.]

  See, that is the upshot of the whole affair, however far back I

  look. Nothing really built; nor anything sacrificed for the chance

  of building. Nothing, nothing! the whole is nothing!

  HILDA

  Then you will never build anything more?

  SOLNESS [With animation.]

  On the contrary, I am just going to begin!

  HILDA

  What, then? What will you build? Tell me at once!

  SOLNESS

  I believe there is only one possible dwelling-place for human happiness—and that is what I am going to build now.

  HILDA [Looks fixedly at him.]

  Mr. Solness—you mean our castles in the air.

  SOLNESS

  The castles in the air—yes.

  HILDA

  I am afraid you would turn dizzy before we got half-way up.

  SOLNESS

  Not if I can mount hand in hand with you, Hilda.

  HILDA [With an expression of suppressed resentment.]

  Only with me? Will there be no others of the party?

  SOLNESS

  Who else should there be?

  HILDA

  Oh—that girl—that Kaia at the desk. Poor thing—don’t you want to take her with you too?

  SOLNESS

  Oho! Was it about her that Aline was talking to you?

  HILDA

  Is it so—or is it not?

  SOLNESS [Vehemently.]

  I will not answer such a question. You must believe in me, wholly and entirely!

  HILDA

  All these ten years I have believed in you so utterly—so utterly.

  SOLNESS

  You must go on believing in me!

  HILDA

  Then let me see you stand free and high up!

  SOLNESS [Sadly.]

  Oh Hilda—it is not every day that I can do that.

  HILDA [Passionately.]

  I will have you do it! I will have it!

  [Imploringly.]

  Just once more, Mr. Solness! Do the impossible once again!

  SOLNESS [Stands and looks deep into her eyes.]

  If I try it, Hilda, I will stand up there and talk to him as I did that time before.

  HILDA [In rising excitement.]

  What will you say to him?

  SOLNESS

  I will say to him: Hear me, Mighty Lord—thou may’st judge me as seems best to thee. But hereafter I will build nothing but the loveliest thing in the world——

  HILDA [Carried away.]

  Yes—yes—yes!

  SOLNESS

  —build it together with a princess, whom I love——

  HILDA

  Yes, tell him that! Tell him that!

  SOLNESS

  Yes. And then I will say to him: Now I shall go down and throw my arms round her and kiss her——

  HILDA

  —many times! Say that!

  SOLNESS

  —many, many times, I will say!

  HILDA

  And then——?

  SOLNESS

  Then I will wave my hat—and come down to the earth—and do as I said to him.

  HILDA [With outstretched arms.]

  Now I see you again as I did when there was song in the air!

  SOLNESS [Looks at her with his head bowed.]

  How have you become what you are, Hilda?

  HILDA

  How have you made me what I am?

  SOLNESS [Shortly and firmly.]

  The princess shall have her castle.

  HILDA [ Jubilant, clapping her hands.]

  Oh, Mr. Solness——! My lovely, lovely castle. Our castle in the air!

  SOLNESS

  On a firm foundation.

  [In the street a crowd of people has assembled, vaguely seen through the

  trees. Music of wind-instruments is heard far away behind the new house.]

  MRS. SOLNESS, with a fur collar round her neck, DOCTOR HERDAL

  with her white shawl on his arm, and some ladies, come out on the veranda.

  RAGNAR BROVIK comes at the same time up from the garden.

  MRS. SOLNESS [To RAGNAR.]

  Are we to have music, too?

  RAGNAR

  Yes. It’s the band of the Mason’s Union.

  [To SOLNESS.]

  The foreman asked me to tell you that he is ready now to go up

  with the wreath.

  SOLNESS [Takes his hat.]

  Good. I will go down to him myself.

  MRS. SOLNESS [Anxiously.]

  What have you to do down there, Halvard?

  SOLNESS [Curtly.]

  I must be down below with the men.

  MRS. SOLNESS

  Yes, down below—only down below.

  SOLNESS

  That is where I always stand—on everyday occasions.

  [He goes down the flight of steps and away through the garden.]

  MRS. SOLNESS [Calls after him over the railing.]

  But do beg the man to be careful when he goes up! Promise me that, Halvard!

  DR. HERDAL [To MRS. SOLNESS.]

  Don’t you see that I was right? He has given up all thought of that folly.

  MRS. SOLNESS

  Oh, what a relief! Twice workmen have fallen, and each time

  they were killed on the spot.

  [Turns to HILDA.]

  Thank you, Miss Wangel, for having kept such a firm hold upon

  him. I should never have been able to manage him.

  DR. HERDAL [Playfully.]

  Yes, yes, Miss Wangel, you know how to keep firm hold on a

  man, when you give your mind to it.

  [MRS. SOLNESS and DR. HERDAL go up to the ladies, who are

  standing nearer to the steps and looking over the garden. HILDA remains

  standing beside the railing in the foreground. RAGNAR goes up to her.]

  RAGNAR [With suppressed laughter, half whispering.]

  Miss Wangel—do you see all those young fellows down in the street?

  HILDA

  Yes.

  RAGNAR

  They are my fellow students, come to look at the master.

  HILDA

  What do they want to look at him for?

  RAGNAR

  They want to see how he daren’t climb to the top of his own house.

  HILDA

  Oh, that is what those boys want, is it?

  RAGNAR [Spitefully and scornfully.]

  He has kept us down so long—now we are going to see him keep quietly down below himself.

  HILDA

  You will not see that—not this time.

  RAGNAR [Smiles.]

  Indeed! Then where shall we see him?

  HILDA

  High—high up by the vane! That is where you will see him!

  RAGNAR [Laughs.]

  Him! Oh yes, I daresay!

  HILDA

  His will is to reach the top—so at the top you shall see him.

  RAGNAR

  His will, yes; that I can easily believe. But he simply cannot do it. His head would swim round, long, long before he got half-way. He would have to crawl down again on his hands and knees.

  DR. HERDAL [Points across.]

  Look! There goes the foreman up the ladders.

  MRS. SOLNESS

  And of course he has the wreath to carry too. Oh, I do hope he will be careful!

  RAGNAR [Stares incredulously and shouts.]

  Why, but it’s——

  HILDA [Breaking out in jubilation.]

  It is the master builder himself?

  MRS. SOLNESS [Screams with terror.]

  Yes, it is Halvard! Oh my great God——! Halvard! Halvard!

  DR. HERDAL

  Hush! Don’t shout to him!

  MRS. SOLNESS [Half beside herself.]

  I must go to him! I must get him to come down again!

  DR. HERDAL [Holds her.]

  Don’t move, any of you! Not a sound!

  HILDA [Immovable, follows SOLNESS with her eyes.]

  He climbs and climbs. Higher and higher! Higher and higher! Look! Just look!

  RAGNAR [Breathless.]

  He must turn now. He can’t possibly help it.

  HILDA

  He climbs and climbs. He will soon be at the top now.

  MRS. SOLNESS

  Oh, I shall die of terror. I cannot bear to see it.

  DR. HERDAL

  Then don’t look up at him.

  HILDA

  There he is standing on the topmost planks. Right at the top!

  DR. HERDAL

  Nobody must move! Do you hear?

  HILDA [Exulting, with quiet intensity.]

  At last! At last! Now I see him great and free again!

  RAGNAR [Almost voiceless.]

  But this is im——

  HILDA

  So I have seen him all through these ten years. How secure he stands! Frightfully thrilling all the same. Look at him! Now he is hanging the wreath round the vane!

  RAGNAR

  I feel as if I were looking at something utterly impossible.

  HILDA

  Yes, it is the impossible that he is doing now!

  [With the indefinable expression in her eyes.]

  Can you see any one else up there with him?

  RAGNAR

  There is no one else.

  HILDA

  Yes, there is one he is striving with.

  RAGNAR

  You are mistaken.

  HILDA

  Then do you hear no song in the air, either?

  RAGNAR

  It must be the wind in the tree-tops.

  HILDA

  I hear a song—a mighty song!

  [Shouts in wild jubilation and glee.]

  Look, look! Now he is waving his hat! He is waving it to us down

  here! Oh, wave, wave back to him! For now it is finished!

  [Snatches the white shawl from the DOCTOR, waves it, and shouts up to

  SOLNESS.]

  Hurrah for Master Builder Solness!

  DR. HERDAL

  Stop! Stop! For God’s sake——!

  [The ladies on the veranda wave their pocket-handkerchiefs, and the shouts

  of “Hurrah” are taken up in the street below. Then they are suddenly si

  lenced, and the crowd bursts out into a shriek of horror. A human body,

  with planks and fragments of wood, is vaguely perceived crashing down be

  hind the trees.]

  MRS. SOLNESS AND THE LADIES [At the same time.]

  He is falling! He is falling!

  [MRS. SOLNESS totters, falls backwards, swooning, and is caught, amid

  cries and confusion, by the ladies.The crowd in the street breaks down the