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 n.o.ble, 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 G.o.d 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 a.s.semble 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.]
SCENE VIII
[HEMMING comes from the left with a bowl of ale hidden under his coat. ARNE follows him cautiously, looking about.]
ARNE. Is there anyone?
HEMMING. No, come along, master.
ARNE. But it seemed to me I heard Lady Kirsten.
HEMMING. She is gone now, come along!
ARNE. [Sits down on the bench to the left.] Hemming! it is well that the wedding is to be held tonight. Tomorrow I go home; yes, that I will. Not a day longer will I remain in Lady Kirsten"s house.
HEMMING. Why, master! is there enmity again between you?
ARNE. Is it not enough, do you think, that she and all her superior relatives look down on me; at supper they laughed and jested among themselves because I could not bring myself to eat of all those unG.o.dly, outlandish dishes. And what was it that we got to drink? Sweet wine and cider that will stay in my stomach for eight days. No, the good old homebrewed ale for me.
[Drinks and adds softly and bitterly.]
ARNE. Of this I had sent the wretched woman three full barrels.
And what has she done? Thrown it to her servants, and here I must steal myself a drink,--yes, Hemming! steal myself a drink of my own ale, that they may not revile me as a coa.r.s.e peasant, who doesn"t understand the more refined drinks.
HEMMING. Well, master! I gave you warning.