ACT IV

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ACT IV

(SCENE.--A room in the BISHOP'S house, the same evening. The
lights are lit. The BISHOP comes in with LEONARDA, who is in
travelling dress, with a shawl over her arm and a bag in her
hand. The BISHOP makes a movement as though to relieve her of
them, but she puts them down herself.)

Leonarda. Your lordship must excuse me for troubling you so late
as this; but the reason of it is something over which I have no
control.---Is your nephew here?

Bishop. No, but I expect him. He has been here twice this
afternoon already to see me, but I was out.

Leonarda. I will make haste then, and do what I have to do
before he comes.

Bishop. Shall I give instructions that we are to be told when he
comes in?

Leonarda. If you please.

Bishop (ringing the bell). Grandmother says that as soon as he
came back to-day, he went at once to see you.

Leonarda. Yes.

[Enter a Maid.]

Bishop (to the Maid). Be so good as to let me know when Mr.
Hagbart comes in. (Exit Maid.)

Leonarda. Has he had a talk with his grandmother?

Bishop. Yes.

Leonarda. After he--? (Checks herself.)

Bishop. After he had been to see you.

Leonarda. Did he tell her anything?

Bishop. He was very much agitated, apparently. I did not ask
grandmother any further questions; I can imagine what passed
between them.--Has he spoken to you?

Leonarda. Yes.

Bishop. And you, Mrs. Falk?

Leonarda. I--? Well, I am here.

Bishop. Going on a journey, if I am not mistaken?

Leonarda. Going on a journey. Things are turning out as you
wished after all, my lord.

Bishop. And he is to know nothing about it?

Leonarda. No one--except the person who will accompany me. I am
sailing for England by to-night's boat.

Bishop (looking at his watch). You haven't much time, then.

Leonarda. I only want to entrust to your lordship a deed of gift
of my property here.

Bishop. In favour of your niece?

Leonarda. Yes, for Aagot. She shall have everything.

Bishop. But last time, Mrs. Falk, you said--

Leonarda. Oh, I have enough for my journey. Later on I shall want
nothing; I can provide for myself.

Bishop. But what about Aagot? Will you not wait until she comes
home?

Leonarda. She came home to-day. She is resting now. But I have
sent back my carriage to bring her here immediately. I want to
ask you to take her in--I know no one else--and to comfort her--

Bishop. Indeed I will, Mrs. Falk. I understand what this must
cost you.

Leonarda. And will you try--to--to bring those two together again?

Bishop. But they don't love each other!

Leonarda. Aagot loves him. And--as they both love me--my idea
was that when I am gone, and they know that it was my wish, the
love they both have for me may bring them together again. I hope
so--they are both so young.

Bishop. I will do all I can.

Leonarda. Thank you. And I want to make bold to beg you to let
grandmother go and live in the country with Aagot--or let Aagot
come and live here, whichever they prefer. It would divert
Aagot's mind if she had the care of grandmother; and she is very
fond of her.

Bishop. And grandmother of her.

Leonarda. And wherever the grandmother is, Hagbart will be
too. Very likely the old lady would help them.

Bishop. I think your idea is an excellent one; and I am amazed
that you have had time and strength to think it all out in this
manner.

Leonarda. Is grandmother still up?

Bishop. Yes; I have just come from her room. Hagbart has excited
her; she can stand so little.

Leonarda. Then I expect I had better not go and bid her good-bye.
I should have liked to, otherwise.

Bishop. I don't think I ought to allow it.

Leonarda. Then please say good-bye to her from me--and thank her.

Bishop. I will.

Leonarda. And ask her--to help--

Bishop. I will do everything I possibly can.

Leonarda. And your lordship must forgive me for all the upset I
have caused here. I did not intend it.

Bishop. I am only sorry that I did not know you sooner. Many
things might have been different.

Leonarda. We won't talk about that now.

[Enter Maid.]

Maid. I was asked to bring you this card, ma'am.

Leonarda. Thank you. Is the General in the hall?

Maid. Yes.

Bishop. General Rosen--here?

Leonarda. I took the liberty of asking him to call for me here
when the boat was signalled.

Bishop. Ask the General to come in. (Exit Maid.) Then it is
General Rosen that is to--. (Checks himself.)

Leonarda (searching in her bag). --that is to accompany me? He is
my husband.

Bishop. The husband you divorced.

Leonarda. Yes.

Bishop. I see I have done you a great injustice, Mrs. Falk.

Leonarda. Yes. (GENERAL ROSEN comes in, dressed in a smart
travelling suit and looking very spruce.)

General Rosen. I beg your lordship's pardon--but, time is up.--
Mrs. Falk, is this yours? (Gives her a letter.)

Leonarda. Yes.--When Aagot comes, will your lordship give her
this?--and help her?

Bishop. I will, Mrs. Falk. God bless you!

[Enter Maid.]

Maid. Mr. Hagbart has just come in.

Leonarda. Good-bye!--Say good-bye to--

Bishop (taking her hand). What you are doing is more than any one
of us could have done.

Leonarda. It all depends on how deeply one loves.--Thank you, and
good-bye!

Bishop. Good-bye! (GENERAL ROSEN offers LEONARDA his arm. She
takes it, and they go out. The BISHOP follows them. HAGBART comes
in from the right, looks round in astonishment, then goes towards
the back of the room and meets the BISHOP in the doorway.)

Bishop. Is that you? (Both come forward without speaking.)

Hagbart (in a low voice, but evidently under the influence of
great emotion). I can tell by your voice--and your face--that you
know about it.

Bishop. You mean that you think I have had a talk with
grandmother?

Hagbart. Yes.

Bishop. Well, I have. She told me nothing definite, but I see how
things stand. I saw that sooner than you did yourself, you know.

Hagbart. That is true. The fight is over now, as far as I am
concerned.

Bishop. Scarcely that, Hagbart.

Hagbart. Oh, you won't admit it, I know. But I call it the most
decisive victory of my life. I love Mrs. Falk--and she loves me.

Bishop. If you were not in such an excited condition--

Hagbart. It is not excitement, it is happiness. But here, with
you--oh, I have not come to ask for your blessing; we must do
without that! But I have come to tell you the fact, because it
was my duty to do so.--Does it grieve you so much?

Bishop. Yes.

Hagbart. Uncle, I feel hurt at that.

Bishop. My boy--!

Hagbart. I feel hurt both on her account and on my own. It shows
that you know neither of us.

Bishop. Let us sit down and talk quietly, Hagbart.

Hagbart. I must ask you to make no attempt to persuade me to
alter my decision.

Bishop. Make your mind easy on that score. Your feelings do you
honour--and I know now that she is worthy of them.

Hagbart. What--do you say that? (They sit down.)

Bishop. My dear Hagbart, let me tell you this at once. I have
gone through an experience, too, since the last time we met. And
it has taught me that I had no right to treat Mrs. Falk as I did.

Hagbart. Is it possible?

Bishop. I judged her both too quickly and too harshly. That is
one of our besetting sins. And I have paid too much heed to the
opinion of others, and too little to the charity that should give
us courage to do good. She, whom I despised, has taught me that.

Hagbart. You do not know how grateful and how happy you have made
me by saying that!

Bishop. I have something more to say. At the time we held that
unjust opinion of her, we misled you--for you relied on our
opinion then--until you ended by sharing our views and being even
more vehement in the matter than we, as young people will. That
created a reaction in you, which in the end led to love. If that
love had been a sin, we should have been to blame for it.

Hagbart. Is it a sin, then?

Bishop. No. But when you felt that we were inclined to look upon
it in that light, that very fact stirred up your sense of justice
and increased your love. You have a noble heart.

Hagbart. Ah, how I shall love you after this, uncle!

Bishop. And that is why I wanted you to sit down here just now,
Hagbart--to beg your pardon--and hers. And my congregation's,
too. It is my duty to guide them, but I was not willing to trust
them enough. By far the greater number among them are good
people; they would have followed me if I had had the courage to
go forward.

Hagbart. Uncle, I admire and revere you more than I have ever
done before--more than any one has ever done!

Bishop (getting up). My dear boy!

Hagbart (throwing himself into his arms). Uncle!

Bishop. Is your love strong enough to bear--

Hagbart. Anything!

Bishop. Because sometimes love is given to us to teach us self-sacrifice.

[The GRANDMOTHER comes in.]

Grandmother. I heard Hagbart's voice.

Hagbart. Grandmother! (He and the BISHOP go to help her.)
Grandmother! You don't know how happy I am! (Takes her by the
arm.)

Grandmother. Is that true?

Bishop (taking her other arm). You should not walk about without
help.

Grandmother. I heard Hagbart's voice. He was talking so loud,
that I thought something had happened.

Hagbart. So it has--something good! Uncle consents! He is
splendid! He has made everything all right again, and better than
ever! Oh, grandmother, I wish you were not so old! I feel as if I
should like to take you up in my arms and dance you round the
room.

Grandmother. You mustn't do that, my dear. (They put her into her
chair.) Now! What is your last bit of news?

Hagbart. My last bit of news? I have no fresh news! There is
nothing more to tell!

Bishop. Yes, Hagbart, there is.

Hagbart. Why do you say that so seriously?--You look so serious--
and seem agitated! Uncle! (The noise of wheels is heard outside.)

Bishop. Wait a little, my dear boy. Wait a little! (Goes out by
the door at the back.)

Hagbart. Grandmother, what can it be?

Grandmother. I don't know.--But happiness is often so brief.

Hagbart. Happiness so brief? What do you mean?--Good God,
grandmother, don't torture me!

Grandmother. I assure you, I know nothing about it--only--

Hagbart. Only--what?

Grandmother. While your uncle was with me, Mrs. Falk was
announced.

Hagbart. Mrs. Falk? Has she been here? Just now?

Grandmother. Yes, just now.

Hagbart. Then something must have happened! Perhaps it was
she that uncle--. (Rushes to the door, which opens, and the
BISHOP comes in with AAGOT on his arm, followed by CORNELIA.)
Aagot!

Aagot. Hagbart!-- (Anxiously.) Is aunt not here!

Cornelia. What, grandmother here! (Goes to her.)

Bishop. My dear Aagot, your aunt entrusted this letter to me to
give to you.

Hagbart. A letter--?

Grandmother. What is the matter? Let me see! (CORNELIA moves
her chair nearer to the others.)

Hagbart. Read it aloud, Aagot!

Aagot (reads). "My darling. When you receive this letter I shall
have--gone away. I love the man you--." (With a cry, she falls
swooning. The BISHOP catches her in his arms.)

Grandmother. She has gone away?

Cornelia. She loves the man you--? Good God, look at Hagbart!

Bishop. Cornelia! (She goes to him, and they lay AAGOT on the
couch. CORNELIA stays beside her. The BISHOP turns to HAGBART.)
Hagbart! (HAGBART throws himself into his arms.) Courage!
Courage, my boy!

Grandmother (getting up). It is like going back to the days of
great emotions!

[The Curtain falls slowly.]

Content of ACT IV [Bjornstjerne Bjornson's play: Leonarda]

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