RITA. Fie, Alfred! For shame!
ALLMERS.--up to the peaks and the great waste places.
EYOLF. Papa, don't you think I shall soon be well enough for you to take
me with you?
ALLMERS. [With painful emotion.] Oh, yes, perhaps, my little boy.
EYOLF. It would be so splendid, you know, if I could climb the
mountains, like you.
ASTA. [Changing the subject.] Why, how beautifully you are dressed
to-day, Eyolf!
EYOLF. Yes, don't you think so, Auntie?
ASTA. Yes, indeed. Is it in honour of Papa that you have got your new
clothes on?
EYOLF. Yes, I asked Mama to let me. I wanted so to let Papa see me in
them.
ALLMERS. [In a low voice, to RITA.] You shouldn't have given him clothes
like that.
RITA. [In a low voice.] Oh, he has teased me so long about them--he had
set his heart on them. He gave me no peace.
EYOLF. And I forgot to tell you, Papa--Borgheim has bought me a new bow.
And he has taught me how to shoot with it too.
ALLMERS. Ah, there now--that's just the sort of thing for you, Eyolf.
EYOLF. And next time he comes, I shall ask him to teach me to swim, too.
ALLMERS. To swim! Oh, what makes you want to learn swimming?
EYOLF. Well, you know, all the boys down at the beach can swim. I am the
only one that can't.
ALLMERS. [With emotion, taking him in his arms.] You shall learn
whatever you like--everything you really want to.
EYOLF. Then do you know what I want most of all, Papa?
ALLMERS. No; tell me.
EYOLF. I want most of all to be a soldier.
ALLMERS. Oh, little Eyolf, there are many, many other things that are
better than that.
EYOLF. Ah, but when I grow big, then I shall have to be a soldier. You
know that, don't you?
ALLMERS. [Clenching his hands together.] Well, well, well: we shall
see--
ASTA. [Seating herself at the table on the left.] Eyolf! Come here to
me, and I will tell you something.
EYOLF. [Goes up to her.] What is it, Auntie?
ASTA. What do you think, Eyolf--I have seen the Rat-Wife.
EYOLF. What! Seen the Rat-Wife! Oh, you're only making a fool of me!
ASTA. No; it's quite true. I saw her yesterday.
EYOLF. Where did you see her?
ASTA. I saw her on the road, outside the town.
ALLMERS. I saw her, too, somewhere up in the country.
RITA. [Who is sitting on the sofa.] Perhaps it will be our turn to see
her next, Eyolf.
EYOLF. Auntie, isn't it strange that she should be called the Rat-Wife?
ASTA. Oh, people just give her that name because she wanders round the
country driving away all the rats.
ALLMERS. I have heard that her real name is Varg.
EYOLF. Varg! That means a wolf, doesn't it?
ALLMERS. [Patting him on the head.] So you know that, do you?
EYOLF. [Cautiously.] Then perhaps it may be true, after all, that she is
a were-wolf at night. Do you believe that, Papa?
ALLMERS. Oh, no; I don't believe it. Now you ought to go and play a
little in the garden.
EYOLF. Should I not take some books with me?
ALLMERS. No, no books after this. You had better go down to the beach to
the other boys.
EYOLF. [Shyly.] No, Papa, I won't go down to the boys to-day.
ALLMERS. Why not?
EYOLF. Oh, because I have these clothes on.
ALLMERS. [Knitting his brows.] Do you mean that they make fun of--of
your pretty clothes?
EYOLF. [Evasively.] No, they daren't--for then I would thrash them.
ALLMERS. Aha!--then why--?
EYOLF. You see, they are so naughty, these boys. And then they say I can
never be a soldier.
ALLMERS. [With suppressed indignation.] Why do they say that, do you
think?
EYOLF. I suppose they are jealous of me. For you know, Papa, they are so
poor, they have to go about barefoot.
ALLMERS. [Softly, with choking voice.] Oh, Rita--how it wrings my heart!
RITA. [Soothingly, rising.] There, there, there!
ALLMERS. [Threateningly.] But these rascals shall soon find out who is
the master down at the beach!
ASTA. [Listening.] There is someone knocking.
EYOLF. Oh, I'm sure it's Borgheim!
RITA. Come in.
[The RAT-WIFE comes softly and noiselessly in by the door on the right.
She is a thin little shrunken figure, old and grey-haired, with keen,
piercing eyes, dressed in an old-fashioned flowered gown, with a black
hood and cloak. She has in her hand a large red umbrella, and carries a
black bag by a loop over her arm.]
EYOLF. [Softly, taking hold of ASTA's dress.] Auntie! That must surely
be her!
THE RAT-WIFE. [Curtseying at the door.] I humbly beg pardon--but are
your worships troubled with any gnawing things in the house?
ALLMERS. Here? No, I don't think so.
THE RAT-WIFE. For it would be such a pleasure to me to rid your
worships' house of them.
RITA. Yes, yes; we understand. But we have nothing of the sort here.
THE RAT-WIFE. That's very unlucky, that is; for I just happened to be
on my rounds now, and goodness knows when I may be in these parts
again.--Oh, how tired I am!
ALLMERS. [Pointing to a chair.] Yes, you look tired.
THE RAT-WIFE. I know one ought never to get tired of doing good to the
poor little things that are hated and persecuted so cruelly. But it
takes your strength out of you, it does.
RITA. Won't you sit down and rest a little?
THE RAT-WIFE. I thank your ladyship with all my heart. [Seats herself on
a chair between the door and the sofa.] I have been out all night at my
work.
ALLMERS. Have you indeed?
THE RAT-WIFE. Yes, over on the islands. [With a chuckling laugh.] The
people sent for me, I can assure you. They didn't like it a bit; but
there was nothing else to be done. They had to put a good face on it,
and bite the sour apple. [Looks at EYOLF, and nods.] The sour apple,
little master, the sour apple.
EYOLF. [Involuntarily, a little timidly.] Why did they have to--?
THE RAT-WIFE. What?
EYOLF. To bite it?
THE RAT-WIFE. Why, because they couldn't keep body and soul together
on account of the rats and all the little rat-children, you see, young
master.
RITA. Ugh! Poor people! Have they so many of them?
THE RAT-WIFE. Yes, it was all alive and swarming with them. [Laughs with
quiet glee.] They came creepy-crawly up into the beds all night long.
They plumped into the milk-cans, and they went pittering and pattering
all over the floor, backwards and forwards, and up and down.
EYOLF. [Softly, to ASTA.] I shall never go there, Auntie.
THE RAT-WIFE. But then I came--I, and another along with me. And we took
them with us, every one--the sweet little creatures! We made an end of
every one of them.
EYOLF. [With a shriek.] Papa--look! look!
RITA. Good Heavens, Eyolf!
ALLMERS. What's the matter?
EYOLF. [Pointing.] There's something wriggling in the bag!
RITA. [At the extreme left, shrieks.] Ugh! Send her away, Alfred.
THE RAT-WIFE. [Laughing.] Oh, dearest lady, you needn't be frightened of
such a little mannikin.
ALLMERS. But what is the thing?
THE RAT-WIFE. Why, it's only little Mopsëman. [Loosening the string of
the bag.] Come up out of the dark, my own little darling friend.
[A little dog with a broad black snout pokes its head out of the bag.]
THE RAT-WIFE. [Nodding and beckoning to EYOLF.] Come along, don't be
afraid, my little wounded warrior! He won't bite. Come here! Come here!
EYOLF. [Clinging to ASTA.] No, I dare not.
THE RAT-WIFE. Don't you think he has a gentle, lovable countenance, my
young master?
EYOLF. [Astonished, pointing.] That thing there?
THE RAT-WIFE. Yes, this thing here.
EYOLF. [Almost under his breath, staring fixedly at the dog.] I think he
has the horriblest--countenance I ever saw.
THE RAT-WIFE. [Closing the bag.] Oh, it will come--it will come, right
enough.
EYOLF. [Involuntarily drawing nearer, at last goes right up to her, and
strokes the bag.] But he is lovely--lovely all the same.
THE RAT-WIFE. [In a tone of caution.] But now he is so tired and weary,
poor thing. He's utterly tired out, he is. [Looks at ALLMERS.] For it
takes the strength out of you, that sort of game, I can tell you, sir.
ALLMERS. What sort of game do you mean?
THE RAT-WIFE. The luring game.
ALLMERS. Do you mean that it is the dog that lures the rats?
THE RAT-WIFE. [Nodding.] Mopsëman and I--we two do it together. And it
goes so smoothly--for all you can see, at any rate. I just slip a string
through his collar, and then I lead him three times round the house, and
play on my Pan's-pipes. When they hear that, they have got to come up
from the cellars, and down from the garrets, and out of their holes, all
the blessed little creatures.
EYOLF. And does he bite them to death then?
THE RAT-WIFE. Oh, not at all! No, we go down to the boat, he and I
do--and then they follow after us, both the big ones and the little
ratikins.
EYOLF. [Eagerly.] And what then--tell me!
THE RAT-WIFE. Then we push out from the land, and I scull with one
oar, and play on my Pan's-pipes. And Mopsëman, he swims behind. [With
glittering eyes.] And all the creepers and crawlers, they follow and
follow us out into the deep, deep waters. Ay, for they have to.
EYOLF. Why do they have to?
THE RAT-WIFE. Just because they want not to--just because they are so
deadly afraid of the water. That is why they have got to plunge into it.
EYOLF. Are they drowned, then?
THE RAT-WIFE. Every blessed one. [More softly.] And there it is all as
still, and soft, and dark as their hearts can desire, the lovely little
things. Down there they sleep a long, sweet sleep, with no one to hate
them or persecute them any more. [Rises.] In the old days, I can tell
you, I didn't need any Mopsëman. Then I did the luring myself--I alone.
EYOLF. And what did you lure then?
THE RAT-WIFE. Men. One most of all.
EYOLF. [With eagerness.] Oh, who was that one? Tell me!
THE RAT-WIFE. [Laughing.] It was my own sweetheart, it was, little
heart-breaker!
EYOLF. And where is he now, then?
THE RAT-WIFE. [Harshly.] Down where all the rats are. [Resuming her
milder tone.] But now I must be off and get to business again. Always on
the move. [To RITA.] So your ladyship has no sort of use for me to-day?
I could finish it all off while I am about it.
RITA. No, thank you; I don't think we require anything.
THE RAT-WIFE. Well, well, your sweet ladyship, you can never tell.
If your ladyship should find that there is anything here that keeps
nibbling and gnawing, and creeping and crawling, then just see and get
hold of me and Mopsëman.--Good-bye, good-bye, a kind good-bye to you
all. [She goes out by the door on the right.]
EYOLF. [Softly and triumphantly, to ASTA.] Only think, Auntie, now I
have seen the Rat-Wife too!
[RITA goes out upon the verandah, and fans herself with her
pocket-handkerchief. Shortly afterwards, EYOLF slips cautiously and
unnoticed out to the right.]
ALLMERS. [Takes up the portfolio from the table by the sofa.] Is this
your portfolio, Asta?
ASTA. Yes. I have some of the old letters in it.