About this book

Hedda Gabler

Henrik Ibsen

of the same age as TESMAN, but looks older and somewhat worn-out. His hair and beard are of a blackish brown, his face long and pale, but with patches of colour on the cheeks. He is dressed in a well-cut black visiting suit, quite new. He has dark gloves and a silk hat. He stops near the door, and makes a rapid bow, seeming somewhat embarrassed. TESMAN. [Goes up to him and shakes him warmly by the hand.] Well, my dear Eilert--so at last we meet again! EILERT LOVBORG. [Speaks in a subdued voice.] Thanks for your letter, Tesman. [Approaching HEDDA.] Will you too shake hands with me, Mrs. Tesman? HEDDA. [Taking his hand.] I am glad to see you, Mr. Lovborg. [With a motion of her hand.] I don't know whether you two gentlemen--? LOVBORG. [Bowing slightly.] Judge Brack, I think. BRACK. [Doing likewise.] Oh yes,--in the old days-- TESMAN. [To LOVBORG, with his hands on his shoulders.] And now you must make yourself entirely at home, Eilert! Mustn't he, Hedda?--For I hear you are going to settle in town again? Eh? LOVBORG. Yes, I am. TESMAN. Quite right, quite right. Let me tell you, I have got hold of your new book; but I haven't had time to read it yet. LOVBORG. You may spare yourself the trouble. TESMAN. Why so? LOVBORG. Because there is very little in it. TESMAN. Just fancy--how can you say so? BRACK. But it has been very much praised, I hear. LOVBORG. That was what I wanted; so I put nothing into the book but what every one would agree with. BRACK. Very wise of you. TESMAN. Well but, my dear Eilert--! LOVBORG. For now I mean to win myself a position again--to make a fresh start. TESMAN. [A little embarrassed.] Ah, that is what you wish to do? Eh? LOVBORG. [Smiling, lays down his hat, and draws a packet wrapped in paper, from his coat pocket.] But when this one appears, George Tesman, you will have to read it. For this is the real book--the book I have put my true self into. TESMAN. Indeed? And what is it? LOVBORG. It is the continuation. TESMAN. The continuation? Of what? LOVBORG. Of the book. TESMAN. Of the new book? LOVBORG. Of course. TESMAN. Why, my dear Eilert--does it not come down to our own days? LOVBORG. Yes, it does; and this one deals with the future. TESMAN. With the future! But, good heavens, we know nothing of the future! LOVBORG. No; but there is a thing or two to be said about it all the same. [Opens the packet.] Look here-- TESMAN. Why, that's not your handwriting. LOVBORG. I dictated it. [Turning over the pages.] It falls into two sections. The first deals with the civilising forces of the future. And here is the second--[running through the pages towards the end]--forecasting the probable line of development. TESMAN. How odd now! I should never have thought of writing anything of that sort. HEDDA. [At the glass door, drumming on the pane.] H'm--. I daresay not. LOVBORG. [Replacing the manuscript in its paper and laying the packet on the table.] I brought it, thinking I might read you a little of it this evening. TESMAN. That was very good of you, Eilert. But this evening--? [Looking back at BRACK.] I don't see how we can manage it-- LOVBORG. Well then, some other time. There is no hurry. BRACK. I must tell you, Mr. Lovborg--there is a little gathering at my house this evening--mainly in honour of Tesman, you know-- LOVBORG. [Looking for his hat.] Oh--then I won't detain you-- BRACK. No, but listen--will you not do me the favour of joining us? LOVBORG. [Curtly and decidedly.] No, I can't--thank you very much. BRACK. Oh, nonsense--do! We shall be quite a select little circle. And I assure you we shall have a "lively time," as Mrs. Hed--as Mrs. Tesman says. LOVBORG. I have no doubt of it. But nevertheless-- BRACK. And then you might bring your manuscript with you, and read it to Tesman at my house. I could give you a room to yourselves. TESMAN. Yes, think of that, Eilert,--why shouldn't you? Eh? HEDDA. [Interposing.] But, Tesman, if Mr. Lovborg would really rather not! I am sure Mr. Lovborg is much more inclined to remain here and have supper with me. LOVBORG. [Looking at her.] With you, Mrs. Tesman? HEDDA. And with Mrs. Elvsted. LOVBORG. Ah-- [Lightly.] I saw her for a moment this morning. HEDDA. Did you? Well, she is coming this evening. So you see you are almost bound to remain, Mr. Lovborg, or she will have no one to see her home. LOVBORG. That's true. Many thanks, Mrs. Tesman--in that case I will remain. HEDDA. Then I have one or two orders to give the servant-- [She goes to the hall door and rings. BERTA enters. HEDDA talks to her in a whisper, and points towards the inner room. BERTA nods and goes out again. TESMAN. [At the same time, to LOVBORG.] Tell me, Eilert--is it this new subject--the future--that you are going to lecture about? LOVBORG. Yes. TESMAN. They told me at the bookseller's that you are going to deliver a course of lectures this autumn. LOVBORG. That is my intention. I hope you won't take it ill, Tesman. TESMAN. Oh no, not in the least! But--? LOVBORG. I can quite understand that it must be very disagreeable to you. TESMAN. [Cast down.] Oh, I can't expect you, out of consideration for me, to-- LOVBORG. But I shall wait till you have received your appointment. TESMAN. Will you wait? Yes but--yes but--are you not going to compete with me? Eh? LOVBORG. No; it is only the moral victory I care for. TESMAN. Why, bless me--then Aunt Julia was right after all! Oh yes--I knew it! Hedda! Just fancy--Eilert Lovborg is not going to stand in our way! HEDDA. [Curtly.] Our way? Pray leave me out of the question. [She goes up towards the inner room, where BERTA is placing a tray with decanters and glasses on the table. HEDDA nods approval, and comes forward again. BERTA goes out. TESMAN. [At the same time.] And you, Judge Brack--what do you say to this? Eh? BRACK. Well, I say that a moral victory--h'm--may be all very fine-- TESMAN. Yes, certainly. But all the same-- HEDDA. [Looking at TESMAN with a cold smile.] You stand there looking as if you were thunderstruck-- TESMAN. Yes--so I am--I almost think-- BRACK. Don't you see, Mrs. Tesman, a thunderstorm has just passed over? HEDDA. [Pointing towards the room.] Will you not take a glass of cold punch, gentlemen? BRACK. [Looking at his watch.] A stirrup-cup? Yes, it wouldn't come amiss. TESMAN. A capital idea, Hedda! Just the thing! Now that the weight has been taken off my mind-- HEDDA. Will you not join them, Mr. Lovborg? LOVBORG. [With a gesture of refusal.] No, thank you. Nothing for me. BRACK. Why bless me--cold punch is surely not poison. LOVBORG. Perhaps not for everyone. HEDDA. I will keep Mr. Lovborg company in the meantime. TESMAN. Yes, yes, Hedda dear, do. [He and BRACK go into the inner room, seat themselves, drink punch, smoke cigarettes, and carry on a lively conversation during what follows. EILERT LOVBORG remains standing beside the stove. HEDDA goes to the writing-table. HEDDA. [Raising her voice a little.] Do you care to look at some photographs, Mr. Lovborg? You know Tesman and I made a tour in the Tyrol on our way home? [She takes up an album, and places it on the table beside the sofa, in the further corner of which she seats herself. EILERT LOVBORG approaches, stops, and looks at her. Then he takes a chair and seats himself to her left. HEDDA. [Opening the album.] Do you see this range of mountains, Mr. Lovborg? It's the Ortler group. Tesman has written the name underneath. Here it is: "The Ortler group near Meran." LOVBORG. [Who has never taken his eyes off her, says softly and slowly:] Hedda--Gabler! HEDDA. [Glancing hastily at him.] Ah! Hush! LOVBORG. [Repeats softly.] Hedda Gabler! HEDDA. [Looking at the album.] That was my name in the old days--when we two knew each other. LOVBORG. And I must teach myself never to say Hedda Gabler again--never, as long as I live. HEDDA. [Still turning over the pages.] Yes, you must. And I think you ought to practise in time. The sooner the better, I should say. LOVBORG. [In a tone of indignation.] Hedda Gabler married? And married to-- George Tesman! HEDDA. Yes--so the world goes. LOVBORG. Oh, Hedda, Hedda--how could you(9) throw yourself away! HEDDA. [Looks sharply at him.] What? I can't allow this! LOVBORG. What do you mean? [TESMAN comes into the room and goes towards the sofa. HEDDA. [Hears him coming and says in an indifferent tone.] And this is a view from the Val d'Ampezzo, Mr. Lovborg. Just look at these peaks! [Looks affectionately up at TESMAN.] What's the name of these curious peaks, dear? TESMAN. Let me see. Oh, those are the Dolomites. HEDDA. Yes, that's it!--Those are the Dolomites, Mr. Lovborg. TESMAN. Hedda, dear,--I only wanted to ask whether I shouldn't bring you a little punch after all? For yourself at any rate--eh? HEDDA. Yes, do, please; and perhaps a few biscuits. TESMAN. No cigarettes? HEDDA. No. TESMAN. Very well. [He goes into the inner room and out to the right. BRACK sits in the inner room, and keeps an eye from time to time on HEDDA and LOVBORG. LOVBORG. [Softly, as before.] Answer me, Hedda--how could you go and do this? HEDDA. [Apparently absorbed in the album.] If you continue to say _du_ to me I won't talk to you. LOVBORG. May I not say _du_ even when we are alone? HEDDA. No. You may think it; but you mustn't say it. LOVBORG. Ah, I understand. It is an offence against George Tesman, whom you(10)--love. HEDDA. [Glances at him and smiles.] Love? What an idea! LOVBORG. You don't love him then! HEDDA. But I won't hear of any sort of unfaithfulness! Remember that. LOVBORG. Hedda--answer me one thing-- HEDDA. Hush! [TESMAN enters with a small tray from the inner room. TESMAN. Here you are! Isn't this tempting? [He puts the tray on the table. HEDDA. Why do you bring it yourself? TESMAN. [Filling the glasses.] Because I think it's such fun to wait upon you, Hedda. HEDDA. But you have poured out two glasses. Mr. Lovborg said he wouldn't have any-- TESMAN. No, but Mrs. Elvsted will soon be here, won't she? HEDDA. Yes, by-the-bye--Mrs. Elvsted-- TESMAN. Had you forgotten her? Eh? HEDDA. We were so absorbed in these photographs. [Shows him a picture.] Do you remember this little village? TESMAN. Oh, it's that one just below the Brenner Pass. It was there we passed the night-- HEDDA. --and met that lively party of tourists. TESMAN. Yes, that was the place. Fancy--if we could only have had you with us, Eilert! Eh? [He returns to the inner room and sits beside BRACK. LOVBORG. Answer me one thing, Hedda-- HEDDA. Well? LOVBORG. Was there no love in your friendship for me either? Not a spark--not a tinge of love in it? HEDDA. I wonder if there was? To me it seems as though we were two good comrades--two thoroughly intimate friends. [Smilingly.] You especially were frankness itself. LOVBORG. It was you that made me so.