Ellida (shaking her head). Ah, w.a.n.gel! Do not believe you can prevent him.
w.a.n.gel. I can, dearest; only trust me.
Ellida (pondering, and not listening to him). Now when he"s been here tomorrow night--and then when he has gone over seas in the steamer--
w.a.n.gel. Yes; what then?
Ellida. I should like to know if he will never, never come back again.
w.a.n.gel. No, dear Ellida. You may be quite sure of that. What should he do here after this? Now that he has learnt from your own lips that you will have nothing more to do with him. With that the whole thing is over.
Ellida (to herself). Tomorrow, then, or never!
w.a.n.gel. And should it ever occur to him to come here again--
Ellida. Well?
w.a.n.gel. Why, then, it is in our power to make him harmless.
Ellida. Oh! do not think that!
w.a.n.gel. It is in our power, I tell you. If you can get rid of him in no other way, he must expiate the murder of the captain.
Ellida (pa.s.sionately). No, no, no! Never that! We know nothing about the murder of the captain! Nothing whatever!
w.a.n.gel. Know nothing? Why, he himself confessed it to you!
Ellida. No, nothing of that. If you say anything of it I shall deny it.
He shall not be imprisoned. He belongs out there--to the open sea. He belongs out there!
w.a.n.gel (looks at her and says slowly). Ah! Ellida--Ellida!
Ellida (clinging pa.s.sionately to him). Oh! dear, faithful one--save me from this man!
w.a.n.gel (disengaging himself gently). Come, come with me! (LYNGSTRAND and HILDE, both with fishing tackle, come in from the right, along the pond.)
Lyngstrand (going quickly up to ELLIDA). Now, Mrs. w.a.n.gel, you must hear something wonderful.
w.a.n.gel. What is it?
Lyngstrand. Fancy! We"ve seen the American!
w.a.n.gel. The American?
Hilde. Yes, I saw him, too.
Lyngstrand. He was going round the back of the garden, and thence on board the great English steamer.
w.a.n.gel. How do you know the man?
Lyngstrand. Why, I went to sea with him once. I felt so certain he"d been drowned--and now he"s very much alive!
w.a.n.gel. Do you know anything more about him?
Lyngstrand. No. But I"m sure he"s come to revenge himself upon his faithless sailor-wife.
w.a.n.gel. What do you mean?
Hilde. Lyngstrand"s going to use him for a work of art.
w.a.n.gel. I don"t understand one word.
Ellida. You shall hear afterwards.
(ARNHOLM and BOLETTE come from the left along the footpath outside the garden.)
Bolette (to those in the garden). Do come and see! The great English steamer"s just going up the fjord.
(A large steamer glides slowly past in the distance.)
Lyngstrand (to HILDE behind the garden fence). Tonight he"s sure to come to her.
Hilde (nods). To the faithless sailor-wife--yes.
Lyngstrand. Fancy, at midnight!
Hilde. That must be so fascinating.
Ellida (looking after the ship). Tomorrow, then!
w.a.n.gel. And then never again.
Ellida (in a low, imploring tone). Oh! w.a.n.gel, save me from myself!
w.a.n.gel (looks anxiously at her). Ellida--I feel there is something behind this--
Ellida. There is--the temptation!
w.a.n.gel. Temptation?
Ellida. The man is like the sea!
(She goes slowly and thoughtfully through the garden, and out to the left. w.a.n.gEL walks uneasily by her side, watching her closely.)
ACT IV