________________________________________________
_ SECOND ACT SCENE VII
[LADY KIRSTEN. HEMMING from the right.]
HEMMING.
[To himself.]
Nowhere is Ingeborg to be found; she will bring me to my grave,--that is certain. Yesterday she was gracious to me; she gave me her ring; but then she took it away from me again; and today she will not so much as look at me as I pass.
LADY KIRSTEN.
[Slowly, as she approaches.]
A little cautious I must be.
LADY KIRSTEN.
[Aloud.]
Ah, Hemming, is it you? You prefer to wander alone, I see; you keep yourself away from the servants and maids; when I see such things I realize very well that you do so not without reason.
HEMMING.
Why, my noble lady! what should--
LADY KIRSTEN.
Yes, Hemming! there is something that you keep all to yourself as you go about; you are not very cheerful!
HEMMING.
[Disconcerted.]
Not cheerful? I?
LADY KIRSTEN.
[Smiling.]
There is here today a young and beautiful girl whom you fancy very much.
HEMMING.
All saints!
LADY KIRSTEN.
And she in turn has a fancy for you.
HEMMING.
Me--Whom? I do not know whom you mean.
LADY KIRSTEN.
Come, Hemming, do not speak so; before me you need not feel ashamed. Yes, yes, I see clearly, I tell you.
HEMMING.
[Aside.]
Heaven! she must have noticed by Ingeborg's manner that--
LADY KIRSTEN.
I have seen that the wedding is but little joy to you. The trip to the church you care little about, since you would yourself like to go as a groom, yet cannot see your way clear.
HEMMING.
[In the greatest agitation.]
Alas, Lady Kirsten! my noble, august lady! be not offended!
LADY KIRSTEN.
[Surprised.]
I? And why should I be offended?
HEMMING.
[Continuing.]
I have struggled and fought against this unhappy love as long as I have been able, and I honestly believe she has done the same.
LADY KIRSTEN.
She? Has she then told you that she cares for you?
HEMMING.
Yes, almost!
LADY KIRSTEN.
Well and good; then you talked about it together?
HEMMING.
Yes,--but only once, only one single time, I swear.
LADY KIRSTEN.
Once or ten times, it is all the same to me.
LADY KIRSTEN.
[Aside.]
Then they are already agreed; it was certainly a stroke of luck that I came upon Hemming; now I am not at all surprised that Alfhild was so willing to go to the altar.
LADY KIRSTEN.
[Aloud.]
Hemming! I am much indebted to you for finding my son again and for otherwise being of help to me; now I shall make requital,--I shall to the limit of my power stand by you in the matter we just spoke of.
HEMMING.
[Overcome with joy.]
You! You will! Lady Kirsten! Alas, great God and holy saints! I hardly dare believe it.
LADY KIRSTEN.
[Stops.]
But Lord Olaf, your son! What do you think he will say?
LADY KIRSTEN.
He will not interpose any objection,--I shall see to that.
HEMMING.
[Unsuspecting.]
Yes, truly, it would be best for him too, for I know she cares little for him.
LADY KIRSTEN.
[Smiling.]
That I have noticed, Hemming!
HEMMING. Have you! Well, you are so clever, Lady Kirsten! And I who thought that I was the only one who had noticed it.
HEMMING.
[Doubtfully.]
Do you think that Lord Arne will give his consent?
LADY KIRSTEN.
Your master? I shall know how to talk him into it,--that will not be so difficult.
HEMMING.
You think so? Alas, but I am so poor a man.
LADY KIRSTEN.
I shall remedy that all right, in case Lord Arne is not prepared to do so.
HEMMING.
Thanks, thanks, Lady Kirsten! Heaven reward you for your kindness!
LADY KIRSTEN.
But you will keep this that we have been speaking of to yourself.
HEMMING.
That I promise.
LADY KIRSTEN.
Then hold yourself in readiness; the guests will assemble out here in a little while now, and do you be on hand.
[She goes over to the door of the store house and looks for ALFHILD.]
HEMMING.
[To himself.]
No, this is to me like a strange illusive dream. Ingeborg and I,--we are to belong to each other! Ah, can it be true? So high I never dared let my thoughts ascend;--it seemed to me in the morning that I had been guilty of the greatest presumption if during the night I had dreamed about it.--Hm! I know very well of course that it is not for my sake that Lady Kirsten goes to all this trouble. She has something up her sleeve; she thinks it necessary to break the agreement with Lord Arne, and now that she has noticed that Ingeborg cares for me she will use that as an excuse. Well, I have so often given my master warning, but he will never believe me.
ARNE.
[Calls outside to the left.]
Hemming! Hemming!
LADY KIRSTEN.
[Comes forward.]
Your master calls! Go now! After a while I shall speak to him; he will agree. Believe me, he shall follow his page to the church in the same hour that he leads his daughter thither.
HEMMING.
Thanks, thanks, Lady Kirsten! Truly, you confer a blessing on us all.
[He goes out to the left.]
LADY KIRSTEN.
[To herself.]
So young she is and yet so cunning; she has been coquetting with Hemming all the while she made my son believe that--Well and good, he shall soon learn to know her arts. But first I must see Lord Arne; he thinks highly of Hemming and would reluctantly part with him; it seemed too that Hemming feared that something like that might stand in the way; but they can easily remain as they are even if Hemming marries.--Hemming sees more clearly in the affair than I had expected. What will Olaf say, he asked; he has evidently noticed that my son still thinks of Alfhild. Well, let him; if he takes her he will say nothing, and when Alfhild is married,--I know Olaf; he has always wanted to stand in high honor among the men of the village, and for that reason he will certainly--yes, yes, it must, it shall succeed.
[She goes out to the right.] _
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