HEDDA GABLER 3

	HEDDA GABLER 3

HEDDA. It's odd that she should call upon us. I have scarcely seen her since we left school. TESMAN. I haven't see her either for--heaven knows how long. I wonder how she can endure to live in such an out-of-the way hole--eh? HEDDA. [After a moment's thought, says suddenly.] Tell me, Tesman--isn't it somewhere near there that he--that--Eilert Lovborg is living? TESMAN. Yes, he is somewhere in that part of the country.   BERTA enters by the hall door. BERTA. That lady, ma'am, that brought some flowers a little while ago, is here again. [Pointing.] The flowers you have in your hand, ma'am. HEDDA. Ah, is she? Well, please show her in.   BERTA opens the door for MRS. ELVSTED, and goes out herself.   --MRS. ELVSTED is a woman of fragile figure, with pretty,   soft features.  Her eyes are light blue, large, round, and   somewhat prominent, with a startled, inquiring expression.   Her hair is remarkably light, almost flaxen, and unusually   abundant and wavy.  She is a couple of years younger than   HEDDA.  She wears a dark visiting dress, tasteful, but not   quite in the latest fashion. HEDDA. [Receives her warmly.] How do you do, my dear Mrs. Elvsted? It's delightful to see you again. MRS. ELVSTED. [Nervously, struggling for self-control.] Yes, it's a very long time since we met. TESMAN. [Gives her his hand.] And we too--eh? HEDDA. Thanks for your lovely flowers-- MRS. ELVSTED. Oh, not at all--. I would have come straight here yesterday afternoon; but I heard that you were away-- TESMAN. Have you just come to town? Eh? MRS. ELVSTED. I arrived yesterday, about midday. Oh, I was quite in despair when I heard that you were not at home. HEDDA. In despair! How so? TESMAN. Why, my dear Mrs. Rysing--I mean Mrs. Elvsted-- HEDDA. I hope that you are not in any trouble? MRS. ELVSTED. Yes, I am. And I don't know another living creature here that I can turn to. HEDDA. [Laying the bouquet on the table.] Come--let us sit here on the sofa-- MRS. ELVSTED. Oh, I am too restless to sit down. HEDDA. Oh no, you're not. Come here.      [She draws MRS. ELVSTED down upon the sofa and sits at her side. TESMAN. Well? What is it, Mrs. Elvsted--? HEDDA. Has anything particular happened to you at home? MRS. ELVSTED. Yes--and no. Oh--I am so anxious you should not misunderstand me-- HEDDA. Then your best plan is to tell us the whole story, Mrs. Elvsted. TESMAN. I suppose that's what you have come for--eh? MRS. ELVSTED. Yes, yes--of course it is. Well then, I must tell you--if you don't already know--that Eilert Lovborg is in town, too. HEDDA. Lovborg--! TESMAN. What! Has Eilert Lovborg come back? Fancy that, Hedda! HEDDA. Well well--I hear it. MRS. ELVSTED. He has been here a week already. Just fancy--a whole week! In this terrible town, alone! With so many temptations on all sides. HEDDA. But, my dear Mrs. Elvsted--how does he concern you so much? MRS. ELVSTED. [Looks at her with a startled air, and says rapidly.] He was the children's tutor. HEDDA. Your children's? MRS. ELVSTED. My husband's. I have none. HEDDA. Your step-children's, then? MRS. ELVSTED. Yes. TESMAN. [Somewhat hesitatingly.] Then was he--I don't know how to express it--was he--regular enough in his habits to be fit for the post? Eh? MRS. ELVSTED. For the last two years his conduct has been irreproachable. TESMAN. Has it indeed? Fancy that, Hedda! HEDDA. I hear it. MRS. ELVSTED. Perfectly irreproachable, I assure you! In every respect. But all the same--now that I know he is here--in this great town--and with a large sum of money in his hands--I can't help being in mortal fear for him. TESMAN. Why did he not remain where he was? With you and your husband? Eh? MRS. ELVSTED. After his book was published he was too restless and unsettled to remain with us. TESMAN. Yes, by-the-bye, Aunt Julia told me he had published a new book. MRS. ELVSTED. Yes, a big book, dealing with the march of civilisation--in broad outline, as it were. It came out about a fortnight ago. And since it has sold so well, and been so much read--and made such a sensation-- TESMAN. Has it indeed? It must be something he has had lying by since his better days. MRS. ELVSTED. Long ago, you mean? TESMAN. Yes. MRS. ELVSTED. No, he has written it all since he has been with us--within the last year. TESMAN. Isn't that good news, Hedda? Think of that. MRS. ELVSTED. Ah yes, if only it would last! HEDDA. Have you seen him here in town? MRS. ELVSTED. No, not yet. I have had the greatest difficulty in finding out his address. But this morning I discovered it at last. HEDDA. [Looks searchingly at her.] Do you know, it seems to me a little odd of your husband--h'm-- MRS. ELVSTED. [Starting nervously.] Of my husband! What? HEDDA. That he should send you to town on such an errand--that he does not come himself and look after his friend. MRS. ELVSTED. Oh no, no--my husband has no time. And besides, I--I had some shopping to do. HEDDA. [With a slight smile.] Ah, that is a different matter. MRS. ELVSTED. [Rising quickly and uneasily.] And now I beg and implore you, Mr. Tesman--receive Eilert Lovborg kindly if he comes to you! And that he is sure to do. You see you were such great friends in the old days. And then you are interested in the same studies--the same branch of science--so far as I can understand. TESMAN. We used to be at any rate. MRS. ELVSTED. That is why I beg so earnestly that you--you too--will keep a sharp eye upon him. Oh, you will promise me that, Mr. Tesman--won't you? TESMAN. With the greatest of pleasure, Mrs. Rysing-- HEDDA. Elvsted. TESMAN. I assure you I shall do all I possibly can for Eilert. You may rely upon me. MRS. ELVSTED. Oh, how very, very kind of you! [Presses his hands.] Thanks, thanks, thanks! [Frightened.] You see, my husband is so very fond of him! HEDDA. [Rising.] You ought to write to him, Tesman. Perhaps he may not care to come to you of his own accord. TESMAN. Well, perhaps it would be the right thing to do, Hedda? Eh? HEDDA. And the sooner the better. Why not at once? MRS. ELVSTED. [Imploringly.] Oh, if you only would! TESMAN. I'll write this moment. Have you his address, Mrs.--Mrs. Elvsted. MRS. ELVSTED. Yes. [Takes a slip of paper from her pocket, and hands it to him.] Here it is. TESMAN. Good, good. Then I'll go in-- [Looks about him.] By-the-bye,--my slippers? Oh, here. [Takes the packet and is about to go. HEDDA. Be sure you write him a cordial, friendly letter. And a good long one too. TESMAN. Yes, I will. MRS. ELVSTED. But please, please don't say a word to show that I have suggested it. TESMAN. No, how could you think I would? Eh?      [He goes out to the right, through the inner room. HEDDA. [Goes up to MRS. ELVSTED, smiles, and says in a low voice.] There! We have killed two birds with one stone. MRS. ELVSTED. What do you mean? HEDDA. Could you not see that I wanted him to go? MRS. ELVSTED. Yes, to write the letter-- HEDDA. And that I might speak to you alone. MRS. ELVSTED. [Confused.] About the same thing? HEDDA. Precisely. MRS. ELVSTED. [Apprehensively.] But there is nothing more, Mrs. Tesman! Absolutely nothing! HEDDA. Oh yes, but there is. There is a great deal more--I can see that. Sit here--and we'll have a cosy, confidential chat.    [She forces MRS. ELVSTED to sit in the easy-chair beside the        stove, and seats herself on one of the footstools. MRS. ELVSTED. [Anxiously, looking at her watch.] But, my dear Mrs. Tesman--I was really on the point of going. HEDDA. Oh, you can't be in such a hurry.--Well? Now tell me something about your life at home. MRS. ELVSTED. Oh, that is just what I care least to speak about. HEDDA. But to me, dear--? Why, weren't we schoolfellows? MRS. ELVSTED. Yes, but you were in the class above me. Oh, how dreadfully afraid of you I was then! HEDDA. Afraid of me? MRS. ELVSTED. Yes, dreadfully. For when we met on the stairs you used always to pull my hair. HEDDA. Did I, really? MRS. ELVSTED. Yes, and once you said you would burn it off my head. HEDDA. Oh that was all nonsense, of course. MRS. ELVSTED. Yes, but I was so silly in those days.--And since then, too--we have drifted so far--far apart from each other. Our circles have been so entirely different. HEDDA. Well then, we must try to drift together again. Now listen. At school we said _du_(4) to each other; and we called each other by our Christian names-- MRS. ELVSTED. No, I am sure you must be mistaken. HEDDA. No, not at all! I can remember quite distinctly. So now we are going to renew our old friendship. [Draws the footstool closer to MRS. ELVSTED.] There now! [Kisses her cheek.] You must say _du_ to me and call me Hedda. MRS. ELVSTED. [Presses and pats her hands.] Oh, how good and kind you are! I am not used to such kindness. HEDDA. There, there, there! And I shall say _du_ to you, as in the old days, and call you my dear Thora. MRS. ELVSTED. My name is Thea.(5) HEDDA. Why, of course! I meant Thea. [Looks at her compassionately.] So you are not accustomed to goodness and kindness, Thea? Not in your own home? MRS. ELVSTED. Oh, if I only had a home! But I haven't any; I have never had a home. HEDDA. [Looks at her for a moment.] I almost suspected as much. MRS. ELVSTED. [Gazing helplessly before her.] Yes--yes--yes. HEDDA. I don't quite remember--was it not as housekeeper that you first went to Mr. Elvsted's? MRS. ELVSTED. I really went as governess. But his wife--his late wife--was an invalid,--and rarely left her room. So I had to look after the housekeeping as well. HEDDA. And then--at last--you became mistress of the house. MRS. ELVSTED. [Sadly.] Yes, I did. HEDDA. Let me see--about how long ago was that? MRS. ELVSTED. My marriage? HEDDA. Yes. MRS. ELVSTED. Five years ago. HEDDA. To be sure; it must be that. MRS. ELVSTED. Oh those five years--! Or at all events the last two or three of them! Oh, if you(6) could only imagine-- HEDDA. [Giving her a little slap on the hand.] De? Fie, Thea! MRS. ELVSTED. Yes, yes, I will try--. Well, if--you could only imagine and understand-- HEDDA. [Lightly.] Eilert Lovborg has been in your neighbourhood about three years, hasn't he? MRS. ELVSTED. [Looks at here doubtfully.] Eilert Lovborg? Yes--he has. HEDDA. Had you known him before, in town here? MRS. ELVSTED. Scarcely at all. I mean--I knew him by name of course. HEDDA. But you saw a good deal of him in the country? MRS. ELVSTED. Yes, he came to us every day. You see, he gave the children lessons; for in the long run I couldn't manage it all myself. HEDDA. No, that's clear.--And your husband--? I suppose he is often away from home? MRS. ELVSTED. Yes. Being sheriff, you know, he has to travel about a good deal in his district. HEDDA. [Leaning against the arm of the chair.] Thea--my poor, sweet Thea--now you must tell me everything--exactly as it stands. MRS. ELVSTED. Well, then you must question me. HEDDA. What sort of a man is your husband, Thea? I mean--you know--in everyday life. Is he kind to you? MRS. ELVSTED. [Evasively.] I am sure he means well in everything. HEDDA. I should think he must be altogether too old for you. There is at least twenty years' difference between you, is there not? MRS. ELVSTED. [Irritably.] Yes, that is true, too. Everything about him is repellent to me! We have not a thought in common. We have no single point of sympathy--he and I. HEDDA. But is he not fond of you all the same? In his own way? MRS. ELVSTED. Oh I really don't know. I think he regards me simply as a useful property. And then it doesn't cost much to keep me. I am not expensive. HEDDA. That is stupid of you. MRS. ELVSTED. [Shakes her head.] It cannot be otherwise--not with him. I don't think he really cares for any one but himself--and perhaps a little for the children. HEDDA. And for Eilert Lovborg, Thea? MRS. ELVSTED. [Looking at her.] For Eilert Lovborg? What puts that into your head? HEDDA. Well, my dear--I should say, when he sends you after him all the way to town-- [Smiling almost imperceptibly.] And besides, you said so yourself, to Tesman. MRS. ELVSTED. [With a little nervous twitch.] Did I? Yes, I suppose I did. [Vehemently, but not loudly.] No--I may just as well make a clean breast of it at once! For it must all come out in any case. HEDDA. Why, my dear Thea--? MRS. ELVSTED. Well, to make a long story short: My husband did not know that I was coming. HEDDA. What! Your husband didn't know it! MRS. ELVSTED. No, of course not. For that matter, he was away from home himself-- he was travelling. Oh, I could bear it no longer, Hedda! I couldn't indeed--so utterly alone as I should have been in future. HEDDA. Well? And then? MRS. ELVSTED. So I put together some of my things--what I needed most--as quietly as possible. And then I left the house. HEDDA. Without a word? MRS. ELVSTED.