Kroll. All the same--Tell me, Miss West, if I may be allowed the question, how old are you?
Rebecca. I am ashamed to say I was twenty-nine on my last birthday, Mr.
Kroll. I am nearly thirty.
Kroll. Quite so. And Rosmer--how old is he? Let me see. He is five years younger than me, so he must be just about forty-three. It seems to me it would be very suitable.
Rebecca. No doubt, no doubt. It would be remarkably suitable--Will you stop and have supper with us?
Kroll. Thank you. I had meant to pay you a good long visit, because there is a matter I want to talk over with our excellent friend--Well, then, Miss West, to prevent your taking foolish ideas into your head again, I will come out here again from time to time, as in the old days.
Rebecca. Yes, please do. (Holds out her hand to, him.) Thank you, thank you! You are really uncommonly good-natured.
Kroll (with a little grumble). Am I? I can tell you that is more than they say at home. (ROSMER comes in by the door on the right.)
Rebecca. Mr. Rosmer, do you see who is sitting here?
Rosmer. Mrs. Helseth told me. (KROLL gets up.) I am so glad to see you here again, my dear fellow. (Puts his hands on KROLL"S shoulders and looks him in the face.) Dear old friend! I knew that one day we should be on our old footing again.
Kroll. My dear fellow, have you that insane idea in your head too, that any thing could come between us?
Rebecca (to ROSMER). Isn"t it delightful to think it was all our imagination!
Rosmer. Is that really true, Kroll? But why have you kept so obstinately away from us?
Kroll (seriously, and in, a subdued voice). Because I did not want to come here like a living reminder of the unhappy time that is past--and of her who met her death in the mill-race.
Rosmer. It was a very kind thought on your part. You are always so considerate. But it was altogether unnecessary to keep away from us on that account. Come along, let us sit down on the sofa. (They sit down.) I can a.s.sure you it is not in the least painful for me to think about Beata. We talk about her every day. She seems to us to have a part in the house still.
Kroll. Does she really?
Rebecca (lighting the lamp). Yes, it is really quite true.
Rosmer. She really does. We both think so affectionately of her. And both Rebecca--both Miss West and I know in our hearts that we did all that lay in our power for the poor afflicted creature. We have nothing to reproach ourselves with. That is why I feel there is something sweet and peaceful in the way we can think of Beata now.
Kroll. You dear good people! In future I am coming out to see you every day.
Rebecca (sitting down in an arm-chair). Yes, let us see that you keep your word.
Rosmer (with a slight hesitation). I a.s.sure you, my dear fellow, my dearest wish would be that our intimacy should never suffer in any way.
You know, you have seemed to be my natural adviser as long as we have known one another, even from my student days.
Kroll. I know, and I am very proud of the privilege. Is there by any chance anything in particular just now--?
Rosmer. There are a great many things that I want very much to talk over with you frankly--things that lie very near my heart.
Rebecca. I feel that is so, too, Mr. Rosmer. It seems to me it would be such a good thing if you two old friends--
Kroll. Well, I can a.s.sure you I have even more to talk over with you--because I have become an active politician, as I dare say you know.
Rosmer. Yes, I know you have. How did that come about?
Kroll. I had to, you see, whether I liked it or not. It became impossible for me to remain an idle spectator any longer. Now that the Radicals have become so distressingly powerful, it was high time. And that is also why I have induced our little circle of friends in the town to bind themselves more definitely together. It was high time, I can tell you!
Rebecca (with a slight smile). As a matter of fact, isn"t it really rather late now?
Kroll. There is no denying it would have been more fortunate if we had succeeded in checking the stream at an earlier point. But who could really foresee what was coming? I am sure I could not. (Gets up and walks up and down.) Anyway, my eyes are completely opened now; for the spirit of revolt has spread even into my school.
Rosmer. Into the school? Surely not into your school?
Kroll. Indeed it has. Into my own school. What do you think of this? I have got wind of the fact that the boys in the top cla.s.s--or rather, a part of the boys in it--have formed themselves into a secret society and have been taking in Mortensgaard"s paper!
Rebecca. Ah, the "Searchlight".
Kroll. Yes, don"t you think that is a nice sort of intellectual pabulum for future public servants? But the saddest part of it is that it is all the most promising boys in the cla.s.s that have conspired together and hatched this plot against me. It is only the duffers and dunces that have held aloof from it.
Rebecca. Do you take it so much to heart, Mr. Kroll?
Kroll. Do I take it to heart, to find myself so hampered and thwarted in my life"s work? (Speaking more gently.) I might find it in my heart to say that I could even take that for what it is worth; but I have not told you the worst of it yet. (Looks round the room.) I suppose n.o.body is likely to be listening at the doors?
Rebecca. Oh, certainly not.
Kroll. Then let me tell you that the revolt and dissension has spread into my own home--into my own peaceful home--and has disturbed the peace of my family life.
Rosmer (getting up). Do you mean it? In your own home?
Rebecca (going up to Kroll). Dear Mr. Kroll, what has happened?
Kroll. Would you believe it that my own children--. To make a long story short, my boy Laurits is the moving spirit of the conspiracy at the school. And Hilda has embroidered a red portfolio to keep the numbers of the "Searchlight" in.
Rosmer. I should never have dreamed of such a thing; in your family--in your own house!
Kroll. No, who would ever have dreamed of such a thing? In my house, where obedience and order have always ruled--where hitherto there has never been anything but one unanimous will--
Rebecca. How does your wife take it?
Kroll. Ah, that is the most incredible part of the whole thing. She, who all her days--in great things and small--has concurred in my opinions and approved of all my views, has actually not refrained from throwing her weight on the children"s side on many points. And now she considers I am to blame for what has happened. She says I try to coerce the young people too much. Just as if it were not necessary to--. Well, those are the sort of dissensions I have going on at home. But naturally I talk as little about it as possible; it is better to be silent about such things. (Walks across the floor.) Oh, yes.--Oh, yes.
(Stands by the window, with his hands behind his back, and looks out.)
Rebecca (goes up to ROSMER, and speaks in low, hurried tones, unheard by KROLL). Do it!
Rosmer (in the same tone). Not to-night.
Rebecca (as before). Yes, this night of all others. (Goes away from him and adjusts the lamp.)
Kroll (coming back). Yes, my dear John, so now you know the sort of spirit of the age that has cast its shadow both over my home life and my official work. Ought I not to oppose this appalling, destructive, disorganising tendency with all the weapons I can lay my hands upon? Of course it is certainly my duty--and that both with my pen and my tongue.
Rosmer. But have you any hope that you can produce any effect in that way?