it must be very disagreeable to you.
Tesman
Cast down. Oh, I can’t expect you, out of consideration for me, to—
Lövborg
But I shall wait till you have received your appointment.
Tesman
Will you wait? Yes but—yes but—are you not going to compete with me? Eh?
Lövborg
No; it is only the moral victory I care for.
Tesman
Why, bless me—then Aunt Julia was right after all! Oh yes—I knew it! Hedda! Just fancy—Eilert Lövborg is not going to stand in our way!
Hedda
Curtly. Our way? Pray leave me out of the question.
She goes up towards the inner room, where Berta is placing a tray with decanters and glasses on the table. Hedda nods approval, and comes forward again. Berta goes out.
Tesman
At the same time. And you, Judge Brack—what do you say to this? Eh?
Brack
Well, I say that a moral victory—h’m—may be all very fine—
Tesman
Yes, certainly. But all the same—
Hedda
Looking at Tesman with a cold smile. You stand there looking as if you were thunderstruck—
Tesman
Yes—so I am—I almost think—
Brack
Don’t you see, Mrs. Tesman, a thunderstorm has just passed over?
Hedda
Pointing towards the room. Will you not take a glass of cold punch, gentlemen?
Brack
Looking at his watch. A stirrup cup? Yes, it wouldn’t come amiss.
Tesman
A capital idea, Hedda! Just the thing! Now that the weight has been taken off my mind—
Hedda
Will you not join them, Mr. Lövborg?
Lövborg
With a gesture of refusal. No, thank you. Nothing for me.
Brack
Why bless me—cold punch is surely not poison.
Lövborg
Perhaps not for everyone.
Hedda
I will keep Mr. Lövborg company in the meantime.
Tesman
Yes, yes, Hedda dear, do.
He and Brack go into the inner room, seat themselves, drink punch, smoke cigarettes, and carry on a lively conversation during what follows. Eilert Lövborg remains standing beside the stove. Hedda goes to the writing table.
Hedda
Raising he voice a little. Do you care to look at some photographs, Mr. Lövborg? You know Tesman and I made a tour in the Tyrol on our way home?
She takes up an album, and places it on the table beside the sofa, in the further corner of which she seats herself. Eilert Lövborg approaches, stops, and looks at her. Then he takes a chair and seats himself to her left.
Hedda
Opening the album. Do you see this range of mountains, Mr. Lövborg? It’s the Ortler group. Tesman has written the name underneath. Here it is: “The Ortler group near Meran.”
Lövborg
Who has never taken his eyes off her, says softly and slowly: Hedda—Gabler!
Hedda
Glancing hastily at him. Ah! Hush!
Lövborg
Repeats softly. Hedda Gabler!
Hedda
Looking at the album. That was my name in the old days—when we two knew each other.
Lövborg
And I must teach myself never to say Hedda Gabler again—never, as long as I live.
Hedda
Still turning over the pages. Yes, you must. And I think you ought to practise in time. The sooner the better, I should say.
Lövborg
In a tone of indignation. Hedda Gabler married? And married to—George Tesman!
Hedda
Yes—so the world goes.
Lövborg
Oh, Hedda, Hedda—how could you16 throw yourself away!
Hedda
Looks sharply at him. What? I can’t allow this!
Lövborg
What do you mean?
Tesman comes into the room and goes towards the sofa.
Hedda
Hears him coming and says in an indifferent tone. And this is a view from the Val d’Ampezzo, Mr. Lövborg. Just look at these peaks! Looks affectionately up at Tesman. What’s the name of these curious peaks, dear?
Tesman
Let me see. Oh, those are the Dolomites.
Hedda
Yes, that’s it!—Those are the Dolomites, Mr. Lövborg.
Tesman
Hedda, dear—I only wanted to ask whether I shouldn’t bring you a little punch after all? For yourself at any rate—eh?
Hedda
Yes, do, please; and perhaps a few biscuits.
Tesman
No cigarettes?
Hedda
No.
Tesman
Very well.
He goes into the inner room and out to the right. Brack sits in the inner room, and keeps an eye from time to time on Hedda and Lövborg.
Lövborg
Softly, as before. Answer me, Hedda—how could you go and do this?
Hedda
Apparently absorbed in the album. If you continue to say du to me I won’t talk to you.
Lövborg
May I not say du even when we are alone?
Hedda
No. You may think it; but you mustn’t say it.
Lövborg
Ah, I understand. It is an offence against George Tesman, whom you17—love.
Hedda
Glances at him and smiles. Love? What an idea!
Lövborg
You don’t love him then!
Hedda
But I won’t hear of any sort of unfaithfulness! Remember that.
Lövborg
Hedda—answer me one thing—
Hedda
Hush! Tesman enters with a small tray from the inner room.
Tesman
Here you are! Isn’t this tempting? He puts the tray on the table.
Hedda
Why do you bring it yourself?
Tesman
Filling the glasses. Because I think it’s such fun to wait upon you, Hedda.
Hedda
But you have poured out two glasses. Mr. Lövborg said he wouldn’t have any—
Tesman
No, but Mrs. Elvsted will soon be here, won’t she?
Hedda
Yes, by the by—Mrs. Elvsted—
Tesman
Had you forgotten her? Eh?
Hedda
We were so absorbed in these photographs. Shows him a picture. Do you remember this little village?
Tesman
Oh, it’s that one just below the Brenner Pass. It was there we passed the night—
Hedda
—and met that lively party of tourists.
Tesman
Yes, that was the place. Fancy—if we could only have had you with us, Eilert! Eh?
He returns to the inner room and sits beside Brack.
Lövborg
Answer me one thing, Hedda—
Hedda
Well?
Lövborg
Was there no love in your friendship for me either? Not a spark—not a tinge of love in it?
Hedda
I wonder if there was? To me it seems as though we were two good comrades—two thoroughly intimate friends. Smilingly. You especially were frankness itself.
Lövborg
It was you that made me so.
Hedda
As I look back upon it all, I think there was really something beautiful, something fascinating—something
Вы читаете Hedda Gabler