Part 51 (2/2)

Nordan. Then shall I ask your mother--?

Svava. Yes!--and will you ask Alfred?

Nordan. Presently, yes. And if you should--

Svava. No, there is no ”if” about it!

Nordan.--if you should want me, I won't go away till you are ”done with it all,” as you say. (SVAVA goes up to him and embraces him. He goes out. After a short pause MRS. RIIS comes in.)

Mrs. Riis (going to SVAVA). My child! (Stops.)

Svava. No, mother, I cannot come near you. Besides, I am trembling all over. And you don't understand what it is? It has not dawned upon you that you cannot treat me like this?

Mrs. Riis. Treat you like this, Svava? What do you mean?

Svava. Good heavens, mother!--letting me live here day after day, year after year, without letting me know what I was living with? Allowing me to preach the strictest principles, from a house like ours? What will people say of us, now that everything will be known!

Mrs. Riis. Surely you would not have wished me to tell my child that--

Svava. Not while I was a child. But when I had grown up, yes--under any circ.u.mstances! I ought to have been allowed the choice whether I would live at home under such conditions or not! I ought to have been allowed to know what every one else knew--or what they may get to know at any moment.

Mrs. Riis. I have never looked at it in that light.

Svava. Never looked at it in that light? Mother!

Mrs. Riis. Never!--To s.h.i.+eld you and have peace in our home while you were a child, and peace afterwards in your studies, your interests and your pleasures--for you are not like other girls, you know, Svava--to ensure this, I have been almost incredibly careful that no hint of this should come to your ears. I believed that to be my duty. You have no conception what I have stooped to--for your sake, my child.

Svava. But you had no right to do it, mother!

Mrs. Riis. No right?--

Svava. No! To degrade yourself for my sake was to degrade me too.

Mrs. Riis (with emotion). Oh, my G.o.d--!

Svava. I do not reproach you for anything, mother! I would not do that for the world--my dear mother! I am only so infinitely distressed and appalled at the thought of your having to go about carrying such a secret with you! Never able to be your real self with me for a moment!

Always hiding something! And to have to listen to my praises of what so little deserved praise--to see me putting my faith in him, caressing him--oh, mother, mother!

Mrs. Riis. Yes, dear, I felt that myself--many and many a time. But I felt that I dared not tell you. It was wrong--so very wrong! I understand that now! But would you have had me leave him at once, as soon as I knew of it myself?

Svava. I cannot take upon myself to say. You decided that for yourself.

Each one must decide that for herself--according to the measure of her love and her strength. But when the thing went on after I was grown up--! Naturally that was why I made a second mistake. I had been brought up to make mistakes, you see. (RIIS is heard outside the window, humming a tune.)

Mrs. Riis. Good heavens, there he is! (RIIS is seen pa.s.sing the left-hand window. When he reaches the door, however, he stops and, with the words, ”Oh, by the bye!” turns back and goes hurriedly out.)

Mrs. Riis. You look quite changed, my child! Svava, you frighten me!

Surely you are not going to--?

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