Genre Drama. Page - 4

his new book to a man like Tesman, whom he despises. But though Tesman is a ninny, he is, as Hedda says, a "specialist"--he is a competent, plodding student of his subject. Lovborg may quite naturally wish to see how his new method, or his excursion into a new field, strikes the average scholar of the Tesman type. He is, in fact, "trying it on the dog"--neither an unreasonable nor an unusual proceeding. There is, no doubt, a certain improbability in the way in which Lovborg is represented as carrying his manuscript around, and especially in Mrs. Elvsted's production of his rough draft from her pocket; but these are mechanical trifles, on which only a niggling criticism would dream of laying stress.

Of all Ibsen's works, Hedda Gabler is the most detached, the most objective--a character-study pure and simple. It is impossible--or so it seems to me--to extract any sort of general idea from it. One cannot even call it a satire, unless one is prepared to apply that term to the record of a "case" i

lk,Wherewith the students shall be bravely clad;I'll levy soldiers with the coin they bring,And chase the Prince of Parma from our land,And reign sole king of all the provinces;Yea, stranger engines for the brunt of war,Than was the fiery keel at Antwerp's bridge,I'll make my servile spirits to invent.

Enter VALDES and CORNELIUS.

Come, German Valdes, and Cornelius,And make me blest with your sage conference.Valdes, sweet Valdes, and Cornelius,Know that your words have won me at the lastTo practice magic and concealed arts:Yet not your words only, but mine own fantasy,That will receive no object; for my headBut ruminates on necromantic skill.Philosophy is odious and obscure;Both law and physic are for petty wits;Divinity is basest of the three,Unpleasant, harsh, contemptible, and vile:'Tis magic, magic, that hath ravish'd me.Then, gentle friends, aid me in this attempt;And I, that have with concise syllogismsGravell'd the pastors of the German church,And made the flowering pri

in charge to thee? 70

Dro. E. To me, sir? why, you gave no gold to me.

Ant. S. Come on, sir knave, have done your foolishness, And tell me how thou hast disposed thy charge.

Dro. E. My charge was but to fetch you from the mart Home to your house, the Phoenix, sir, to dinner: 75 My mistress and her sister stays for you.

Ant. S. Now, as I am a Christian, answer me, In what safe place you have bestow'd my money; Or I shall break that merry sconce of yours, That stands on tricks when I am undisposed: 80 Where is the thousand marks thou hadst of me?

Dro. E. I have some marks of yours upon my pate, Some of my mistress' marks upon my shoulders; But not a thousand marks between you both. If I should pay your worship those again, 85 Perchance you will not bear them patiently.

Ant. S. Thy mistress' marks? what mistress, slave, hast thou?

Dro. E. Your worship's wife, my mistress at the Phoenix; She that doth

kly to do any good. A school would be his death. When he comes tobe a little stronger, who knows what a year or two's Latin may do forhim?

HARDCASTLE. Latin for him! A cat and fiddle. No, no; the alehouseand the stable are the only schools he'll ever go to.

MRS. HARDCASTLE. Well, we must not snub the poor boy now, for Ibelieve we shan't have him long among us. Anybody that looks in hisface may see he's consumptive.

HARDCASTLE. Ay, if growing too fat be one of the symptoms.

MRS. HARDCASTLE. He coughs sometimes.

HARDCASTLE. Yes, when his liquor goes the wrong way.

MRS. HARDCASTLE. I'm actually afraid of his lungs.

HARDCASTLE. And truly so am I; for he sometimes whoops like aspeaking trumpet--(Tony hallooing behind the scenes)--O, there hegoes--a very consumptive figure, truly.

Enter TONY, crossing the stage.

MRS. HARDCASTLE. Tony, where are you going, my charmer? Won't yougive papa and I a little of your company, lovee?

TONY. I'm in haste, mother; I cannot

'd me to seek delays for them and me.
And this it was,--for other means was none.--
The sailors sought for safety by our boat,
And left the ship, then sinking-ripe, to us;:
My wife, more careful for the latter-born,
Had fast'ned him unto a small spare mast,
Such as sea-faring men provide for storms:
To him one of the other twins was bound,
Whilst I had been like heedful of the other.
The children thus dispos'd, my wife and I,
Fixing our eyes on whom our care was fix'd,
Fast'ned ourselves at either end the mast,
And, floating straight, obedient to the stream,
Were carried towards Corinth, as we thought.
At length the sun, gazing upon the earth,
Dispers'd those vapours that offended us;
And, by the benefit of his wish'd light,
The seas wax'd calm, and we discover'd
Two ships from far making amain to us,--
Of Corinth that, of Epidaurus this:
But ere they came--O, let me say no more!--
Gather the sequel by that went before.

hat LordIllingworth is aiming at. I heard that he was offered Vienna. Butthat may not be true.

LADY CAROLINE. I don't think that England should be representedabroad by an unmarried man, Jane. It might lead to complications.

LADY HUNSTANTON. You are too nervous, Caroline. Believe me, youare too nervous. Besides, Lord Illingworth may marry any day. Iwas in hopes he would have married lady Kelso. But I believe hesaid her family was too large. Or was it her feet? I forgetwhich. I regret it very much. She was made to be an ambassador'swife.

LADY CAROLINE. She certainly has a wonderful faculty ofremembering people's names, and forgetting their faces.

LADY HUNSTANTON. Well, that is very natural, Caroline, is it not?[To Footman.] Tell Henry to wait for an answer. I have written aline to your dear mother, Gerald, to tell her your good news, andto say she really must come to dinner.

[Exit Footman.]

GERALD. That is awfully kind of you, Lady Hunstanton. [ToHESTER.] Will

tle it weeks ago!

MADAME DE CHAMPIGNY [quickly]. You are invidious, mon ami! My affair isnot settled--am I a clumsy oof?

HAWCASTLE [leaning toward her across the table and speaking sharply andearnestly]. No, Hélène. Your little American, brother Horace, is so inlove with you, if you asked him suddenly, "Is this day or night?" hewould answer, "It's Hélène." But he's too shy to speak. You're awoman--you can't press matters; but Almeric's a man--he can. He can urgean immediate marriage, which means an immediate settlement, and a directone.

MADAME DE CHAMPIGNY [seriously, quickly]. It will not be small, thatsettlement?

[He shakes his head grimly, leaning back to look at her. She continueseagerly.]

You have decide' what sum?

[He nods decidedly.]

What?

HAWCASTLE [sharply, with determination, yet quietly]. A hundred andfifty thousand pounds!

MADAME DE CHAMPIGNY [excited and breathless]. My friend! Will she?

[Turns and stares toward ETHEL'S room, where the pia

on them. Could I be one of their flattering panders, I would hang on their ears like a horseleech, till I were full, and then drop off. I pray, leave me. Who would rely upon these miserable dependencies, in expectation to be advanc'd to-morrow? What creature ever fed worse than hoping Tantalus? Nor ever died any man more fearfully than he that hoped for a pardon. There are rewards for hawks and dogs when they have done us service; but for a soldier that hazards his limbs in a battle, nothing but a kind of geometry is his last supportation.

DELIO. Geometry?

BOSOLA. Ay, to hang in a fair pair of slings, take his latter swing in the world upon an honourable pair of crutches, from hospital to hospital. Fare ye well, sir: and yet do not you scorn us; for places in the court are but like beds in the hospital, where this man's head lies at that man's foot, and so lower and lower. [Exit.]

DELIO. I knew this fellow seven years in the galleys For a notorious murder; and 'twas thought The cardinal

have known sinceour marriage.

Mrs. Linde. I know how fond you were of him. And then you wentoff to Italy?

Nora. Yes; you see we had money then, and the doctors insisted onour going, so we started a month later.

Mrs. Linde. And your husband came back quite well?

Nora. As sound as a bell!

Mrs. Linde. But--the doctor?

Nora. What doctor?

Mrs. Linde. I thought your maid said the gentleman who arrivedhere just as I did, was the doctor?

Nora. Yes, that was Doctor Rank, but he doesn't come hereprofessionally. He is our greatest friend, and comes in at leastonce everyday. No, Torvald has not had an hour's illness sincethen, and our children are strong and healthy and so am I. (Jumpsup and claps her hands.) Christine! Christine! it's good to bealive and happy!--But how horrid of me; I am talking of nothingbut my own affairs. (Sits on a stool near her, and rests her armson her knees.) You mustn't be angry with me. Tell me, is itreally true that you did not love your husband? Why did