Chapter 3Scene 3

Eric, Aslaug.

Come hither.

ASLAUG

Thou hast sent for me?

Come hither. What art thou?

ASLAUG

What thou knowest.

Do I know?

ASLAUG (to herself) Does he suspect? (aloud) I am a dancing-girl. My name is Aslaug. That thou knowest.

Where Did Odin forge thy sweet imperious eyes, Thy noble stature and thy lofty look? Thou dancest, — yes, thou hast that motion; song, The natural expression of thy soul, Comes from thy lips, floats, hovers and returns Like a wild bird which wings around its nest. This art the princesses of Sweden use, And those Norwegian girls who frame themselves On Sweden.

ASLAUG

It may be, my birth and past Were nobler than my present fortunes are.

Why cam’st thou to me?

ASLAUG (to herself)

Does Death admonish him Of danger? does he feel the impending stroke? Hertha could turn the question.

Why soughtst thou out This beauty as compelling as thy song No man can gaze on and possess his soul?

ASLAUG I am a dancing-girl; my song, my face Are my best stock. I carried them for gain Here to the richest market.

Hast thou so? I buy them for a price. Aslaug, thy body too.

ASLAUG Release me! Wilt thou lay thy hands on death?

(wrenching herself free) All Norway has not sold itself thy slave.

This was not spoken like a dancing-girl!

ASLAUG (to herself) What is this siege? I have no dagger with me. Will he discover me? will he compel?

Though Norway has not sold itself my slave, Thou hast. Remember what thou art, or else Thou feignst to be.

ASLAUG (to herself)

I am caught in his snare. He is subtle, terrible. I see the thing He drives at and admire unwillingly The marble tyrant.

Better play thy part Or leave it. If thou wert fashioned nobler than thou feignst, Confess that mightier name and lay thyself Between my hands. But if a dancing-girl, I have bought thee for a hire, thy face, thy song, Thy body. I turn not, girl, from any way I can possess thee, more than the sea hesitates To engulf what it embraces.

ASLAUG

Thou speakest words I scorn to answer.

Or to understand? Thou art an enemy who in disguise Invad’st my house to spy upon my fate.

ASLAUG What if I were?

Thou hast too lightly then Devised thy chains and close imprisonment, Too thoughtlessly adventured a divine And glorious stake, this body, heaven’s hold, This face, the earth’s desire.

ASLAUG

What canst thou do? I do not think I am afraid of death.

Far be death from thee who, if heaven were just, Wouldst walk immortal! Thou seest no nearer peril?

ASLAUG None that I tremble at or wish to flee.

Let this shake thee that thou art by thy choice Caged with the danger of the lion’s mood, Helpless hast seen the hunger of his eyes And feelst on thee the breath of his desire.

ASLAUG (alarmed) I came not here to spy.

Why cam’st thou then?

ASLAUG To sing, to dance, to earn.

Richly then earn. Thou hast a brain, and knowest why I looked On thee, why I have kept thee in my house.

My house! what fate has brought thy steps within? Thou, thou hast found the way to my desire! Thinkst thou thy feet have entered to escape As lightly as a wild bee from a flower, The lair and antre of thy enemy? Disguise? Canst thou disguise thy splendid soul? Then if thy face and speech more nobly express The truth of thee than this vocation can, Reveal it and deserve my clemency.

ASLAUG (violently) Thy clemency!

(restraining herself)

I am a dancing-girl; I came to earn.

Thou art obstinate in pride! Choose yet.

ASLAUG

I have not any choice to make.

Wilt thou still struggle vainly in the net? Because thou hast the lioness in thy mood, Thou thoughtst to play with Eric! It is I Who play with thee; thou liest in my grasp, As surely as if I held thee on my knees. I am enamoured of thy golden hair, Thy body like the snow, thy antelope eyes, This neck that seems to know it carries heaven Upon it easily. Thy song, thy speech, This gracious rhythmic motion of thy limbs Walking or dancing, all the careless pride That undulates in every gesture and tone, Have seized upon me smiling to possess.

But I have only learned from Fate and strength To seize by force, master, enjoy, compel, As I will thee. Enemy and prisoner, Or dancing-girl and purchased chattel, choose! Thou wilt not speak? thou findest no reply?

ASLAUG Because I am troubled by thy violent words. I cannot answer thee, or will not yet.

(turning away) How could he see this death? Is he a god And knows men’s hearts? This is a terrible And iron pressure!

What was thy design? To spy? to slay? For thou art capable Even of such daring.

ASLAUG (to herself)

Swiftly, swiftly done It might be still! To put him off an hour, Some minutes, — O, to strike!

What hast thou chosen?

ASLAUG (turning to him) King, mend thy words and end this comedy. I have laughed till now and dallied with thy thoughts, A little amazed. Unfearing I stand here, Who come with open heart to seek a king, Pure of all hostile purpose, innocent Of all the guileful thoughts and blood-stained plans Thou burdenest thy fierce suspicions with. This is the Nemesis of men who rise Too suddenly by fraud or violence That they suspect all hearts, yes, every word Of sheltering some direr violence, Some subtler fraud, and they expect their fall Sudden and savage as their rise has been.

Thou art my dancing-girl and nothing more? Assume this chain, this necklace, for thy life. Nor think it even thy price.

She dashes the necklace to the ground.

Thou art not subtle!

ASLAUG (agitated) It is not so that women’s hearts are wooed.

Yet so I woo thee, so do all men woo Enamoured of what thou hast claimed to be. Art thou the dancing-girl of Norway still Or some disguised high-reaching nobler soul?

ASLAUG (suddenly) I am thy dancing-girl, King Eric. Look, I lift thy necklace.

Take it, yet be free. Thou canst not slip out from my hands by this. No feigned decision will I let thee make, But one which binds us both. I give thee time, In hope thy saner mind will yet prevail, Not courage most perverse, though ardent, rule. Only one way thou hast to save thyself: Reveal thy treason, Aslaug, trust thy king.

Aslaug, alone, lifts the chain, admires

it and throws it on a chair.

ASLAUG You are too much like drops of royal blood.

She lifts it again. A necklace? No, my chain! Or wilt thou prove A god’s death-warrant?

She puts it round her neck.

Hertha, Hertha, here!

(to Hertha, as she enters) O counsellor, art thou come?

HERTHA

I heard thee call.

ASLAUG I called. Why did I call? See, Hertha, see How richly Norway’s Eric buys his doom!

HERTHA He gave thee this? It is a kingdom’s price.

ASLAUG A kingdom’s price! the kingdom of the slain! A price to rid the nations of a god. O Hertha, what has earth to do with gods, Who suffers only human weight? Will she Not go too swiftly downward from her base If Eric treads her long?

HERTHA

Sister of Swegn, There are new lustres in thy face and eyes. What said he to thee?

ASLAUG

What did Eric say, A kingdom’s price! Swegn’s kingdom! And for him, My marble emperor, my god who loves, This mortal Odin? What for him? By force Shall he return to his effulgent throne?

HERTHA You were not used to a divided mind.

ASLAUG Nor am I altered now, nor heart-perplexed. But these are thoughts which naturally arise.

HERTHA He loves you then?

ASLAUG

He loves and he suspects.

HERTHA What, Aslaug?

ASLAUG

What we are and we intend.

HERTHA If he suspects!

ASLAUG

It cannot matter much, If we are rapid.

HERTHA

If we spoil it all! I will not torture Swegn with useless tears Perishing vainly. I will slay and die. He shall remember that he wears his crown By our great sacrifice and soothe his grief With the strong magnificent circle, or else bear it A noble duty to the nobly dead.

(after a moment’s reflection) Child, you must humour him, you must consent.

ASLAUG To what?

HERTHA

To all.

ASLAUG

Hast thou at all perused The infamy which thou advisest?

HERTHA

Yes. I do not bid you yield, but seem to yield. Even I who am Swegn’s wife, would do as much. But though you talk, you still are less in love, Valuing an empty outward purity Before your brother’s life, your brother’s crown.

ASLAUG You know the way to bend me to your will!

HERTHA Give freedom, but no licence to his love, For when he thinks to embrace, we shall have struck.

ASLAUG And, Hertha, if a swift and violent heart Betrayed my will and overturned your plans? Is there no danger, Hertha, there?

HERTHA

Till now I feared not that from Aslaug, sister of Swegn.

But if you fear it!

ASLAUG

No, since I consent. You shall not blame again my selfishness, Nor my defect of love.

HERTHA (alone)

Swegn then might rule!

(with a laugh) I had almost forgotten Fate between Smiling, alert, and his too partial gods.