HIORDIS (looks coldly at him). Wouldst sit beside me?
SIGURD. Thou deemest my heart is bitter towards thee. Hiordis, this
is the last time we shall have speech together; there is something
that gnaws me like a sore sickness, and thus I cannot part from thee;
thou must know me better.
HIORDIS. What wouldst thou?
SIGURD. Tell thee a saga.
HIORDIS. Is it sad?
SIGURD. Sad, as life itself.
HIORDIS (bitterly). What knowest thou of the sadness of life?
SIGURD. Judge when my saga is over.
HIORDIS. Then tell it me; I shall work the while.
(He sits on a low stool to her right.)
SIGURD. Once upon a time there were two young vikings, who set
forth from Norway to win wealth and honour; they had sworn each other
friendship; and held truly together, how far soever thy might fare.
HIORDIS. And the two young vikings hight Sigurd and Gunnar?
SIGURD. Ay, we may call them so. At last they came to Iceland; and
there dwelt an old chieftain, who had come forth from Norway in King
Harald's days. He had two fair women in his house; but one, his
foster-daughter, was the noblest, for she was wise and strong of
soul; and the vikings spoke of her between themselves, and never
had they seen a fairer woman, so deemed they both.
HIORDIS (in suspense). Both? Wilt thou mock me?
SIGURD. Gunnar thought of her night and day, and that did Sigurd no
less; but both held their peace, and no man could say from her bearing
whether Gunnar found favour in her eyes; but that Sigurd misliked her,
that was easy to discern.
HIORDIS (breathlessly). Go on, go on----!
SIGURD. Yet ever the more must Sigurd dream of her; but of that wist
no man. Now it befell one evening that there was a drinking-feast;
and then swore that proud woman that no man should possess her save
he who wrought a mighty deed, which she named. High beat Sigurd's
heart for joy; for he felt within him the strength to do that deed;
but Gunnar took him apart and told him of his love;--Sigurd said
naught of his, but went to the----
HIORDIS (vehemently). Sigurd, Sigurd! (Controlling herself.) And
this saga--is it true?
SIGURD. True it is. One of us had to yield; Gunnar was my friend;
I could do aught else. So thou becamest Gunnar's wife, and I wedded
another woman.
HIORDIS. And came to love her!
SIGURD. I learned to prize her; but one woman only has Sigurd
loved, and that is she who frowned upon him from the first day they
met. Here ends my saga; and now let us part.--Farewell, Gunnar's
wife; never shall we meet again.
HIORDIS (springing up). Stay, stay! Woe to us both; Sigurd, what
hast thou done?
SIGURD (starting). I, done? What ails thee?
HIORDIS. And all this dost thou tell me now! But no--it cannot
be true!
SIGURD. These are my last words to thee, and every word is true.
I would not thou shouldst think hardly of me, therefore I needs
must speak.
HIORDIS (involuntarily clasps her hands together and gazes at him
in voiceless astonishment). Loved--loved me--thou! (Vehemently,
coming close up to him.) I will not believe thee! (Looks hard at
him.) Yes, it is true, and--baleful for us both!
(Hides her face in her hands, and turns away from him.)
SIGURD (terror-stricken). Hiordis!
HIORDIS (softly, struggling with tears and laughter). Nay, heed
me not! This was all I meant, that---- (Lays her hand on his arm.)
Sigurd, thou hast not told thy saga to the end; that proud woman
thou didst tell of--she returned thy love!
SIGURD (starts backwards). Thou?
HIORDIS (with composure). Yes, Sigurd, I have loved thee, at last
I understand it. Thou sayest I was ungentle and short of speech
towards thee; what wouldst thou have a woman do? I could not offer
thee my love, for then had I been little worthy of thee. I deemed
thee ever the noblest man of men; and then to know thee another's
husband--'twas that caused me the bitter pain, that myself I could
not understand!
SIGURD (much moved). A baleful web has the Norn woven around us
twain.
HIORDIS. The blame is thine own; bravely and firmly it becomes a
man to act. When I set that hard proof for him who should win me,
my thought was of thee;--yet could'st thou----!
SIGURD. I knew Gunnar's soul-sickness; I alone could heal it;--was
there aught for me to choose? And yet, had I known what I now know, I
scarce dare answer for myself; for great is the might of love.
HIORDIS (with animation). But now, Sigurd!--A baleful hap has held
us apart all these years; now the knot is loosed; the days to come
shall make good the past to us.
SIGURD (shaking his head). It cannot be; we must part again.
HIORDIS. Nay, we must not. I love thee, that may I now say unashamed;
for my love is no mere dalliance, like a weak woman's; were I a man--
by all the Mighty Ones, I could still love thee, even as now I do! Up
then, Sigurd! Happiness is worth a daring deed; we are both free if
we but will it, and then the game is won.
SIGURD. Free? What meanest thou?
HIORDIS. What is Dagny to thee? What can she be to thee? No more
than I count Gunnar in my secret heart. What matters it though two
worthless lives be wrecked?
SIGURD. Hiordis, Hiordis!
HIORDIS. Let Gunnar stay where he is; let Dagny fare with her father
to Iceland; I will follow thee in harness of steel, withersoever thou
wendest. (SIGURD makes a movement.) Not as thy wife will I follow
thee; for I have belonged to another, and the woman lives that has
lain by thy side. No, Sigurd, not as they wife, but like those mighty
women, like Hilde's sisters,[1] will I follow thee, and fire thee to
strife and to manly deeds, so that thy name shall be heard over every
land. In the sword-game will I stand by thy side; I will fare forth
among thy warriors on the stormy viking-raids; and when the death-
song is sung, it shall tell of Sigurd and Hiordis in one!
[1] The Valkyries.
SIGURD. Once was that my fairest dream; now, it is too late. Gunnar
and Dagny stand between us, and that by right. I crushed my love for
Gunnar's sake;--how great soever my suffering, I cannot undo my deed.
And Dagny--full of faith and trust she left her home and kindred;
never must she dream that I longed for Hiordis as often as she took
me to her breast.
HIORDIS. And for such a cause wilt thou lay a burden on thy life!
To what end hast thou strength and might, and therewith all noble gifts
of the mind? And deemest thou it can now beseem me to dwell beneath
Gunnar's roof? Nay, Sigurd, trust me, there are many tasks awaiting
such a man as thou. Erik is king of Norway--do thou rise against him!
Many goodly warriors will join thee and swear thee fealty; with
unconquerable might will we press onward, and fight and toil unresting
until thou art seated on the throne of Harfager!
SIGURD. Hiordis, Hiordis, so have I dreamt in my wild youth; let
it be forgotten--tempt me not!
HIORDIS (impressively). It is the Norn's will that we two shall
hold together; it cannot be altered. Plainly now I see my task in
life: to make thee famous over all the world. Thou hast stood before
me every day, every hour of my life; I sought to tear thee out of
my mind, but I lacked the might; now it is needless, now that I know
thou lovest me.
SIGURD (with forced coldness). If that be so--then know--I _have_
loved thee; it is past now;--I have forgot those days.
HIORDIS. Sigurd, in that thou liest! So much at least am I worth,
that if thou hast loved me once, thou canst never forget it.
SIGURD (vehemently). I must; and now I will.
HIORDIS. So be it; but thou _canst_ not. Thou wilt seek to hinder
me, but in vain; ere evening falls, Gunnar and Dagny shall know all.
SIGURD. Ha, that wilt thou never do!
HIORDIS. That will I do!
SIGURD. Then must I know thee ill; high-souled have I ever deemed
thee.
HIORDIS. Evil days breed evil thoughts; too great has been thy
trust in me. I will, I must, go forth by thy side--forth to face
life and strife; Gunnar's roof-tree is too low for me.
SIGURD (with emphasis). But honour between man and man hast thou
highly prized. There lack not grounds for strife between me and
Gunnar; say, now, that he fell by my hand, wouldst thou still make
all known and follow me?
HIORDIS (starting). Wherefore askest thou?
SIGURD. Answer me first: what wouldst thou do, were I to thy husband
his bane.
HIORDIS (looks hard at him). Then must I keep silence and never rest
until I had seen thee slain.
SIGURD (with a smile). It is well, Hiordis--I knew it.
HIORDIS (hastily). But it can never come to pass!
SIGURD. It must come to pass; thou thyself hast cast the die for
Gunnar's life and mine.
(GUNNAR, with some House-carls, enters from the back.)
GUNNAR (gloomily, to HIORDIS). See now; the seed thou hast sown is
shooting bravely!
SIGURD (approaching). What is amiss with thee?
GUNNAR. Sigurd, is it thou? What is amiss? Nought but what I might
well have foreseen. As soon as Dagny, thy wife, had brought tidings
of Kare the Peasant, I took horse and rode to my neighbours to crave
help against him.
HIORDIS (eagerly). Well?
GUNNAR. I was answered awry where'er I came: my dealings with Kare
had been little to my honour, it was said;--hm, other things were said
to boot, that I will not utter.--I am spurned at by all; I am thought
to have done a dastard deed; men hold it a shame to make common cause
with me.
SIGURD. It shall not long be held a shame; ere evening comes, thou
shalt have men enough to face Kare.
GUNNAR. Sigurd!
HIORDIS (in a low voice, triumphantly). Ha, I knew it well!
SIGURD (with forced resolution). But then is there an end to the
peace between us; for hearken to my words, Gunnar--thou hast slain
Thorolf, my wife's kinsman, and therefore do I challenge thee to
single combat[1] to-morrow at break of day.
[1] _Holmgang_--see note, p. 138 [_Holmgang_=duel.]
(HIORDIS, in violent inward emotion, makes a stride towards SIGURD,
but collects herself and remains standing motionless during the
following.)
GUNNAR (in extreme astonishment). To single combat----! Me!--Thou
art jesting, Sigurd!
SIGURD. Thou art lawfully challenged to single combat; 'twill be a
game for life or death; one of us must fall!
GUNNAR (bitterly). Ha, I understand it well. When I came, thou
didst talk with Hiordis alone; she has goaded thee afresh!
SIGURD. May hap. (Half towards HIORDIS.) A high-souled woman must
ever guard her husband's honour. (To the men in the background.) And
do ye, house-carls, now go to Gunnar's neighbours, and say to them
that to-morrow he is to ply sword-strokes with me; none dare call
that man a dastard who bears arms against Sigurd Viking!
(The House-carls go out by the back.)
GUNNAR (goes quickly up to SIGURD and presses his hands, in strong
emotion). Sigurd, my brave brother, now I understand thee! Thou
venturest thy life for my honour, as of old for my happiness!
SIGURD. Thank thy wife; she has the largest part in what I do. To-
morrow at break of day----
GUNNAR. I will meet thee. (Tenderly.) Foster-brother, wilt thou
have a good blade of me? It is a gift of price.
SIGURD. I thank thee; but let it hang.--Who knows if next evening
I may have any use for it.
GUNNAR (shakes his hand). Farewell, Sigurd!
SIGURD. Again farewell, and fortune befriend thee this night!
(They part. GUNNAR goes out to the right. SIGURD casts a glance
at HIORDIS, and goes out by the back.)
HIORDIS (after a pause, softly and thoughtfully). To-morrow they
fight! Which will fall? (After a moment's silence, she bursts forth
as if seized by a strong resolution.) Let fall who will--Sigurd and
I shall still be together!