The Lady from the Sea Part 12

Ellida. Yes; I almost thought I belonged to them all, too.

w.a.n.gel. Well, well! And so it was that you betrothed yourself to him?

Ellida. Yes. He said I must.

w.a.n.gel. You must? Had you no will of your own, then?

Ellida. Not when he was near. Ah! afterwards I thought it all so inexplicable.

w.a.n.gel. Were you often together?

Ellida. No; not very often. One day he came out to our place, and looked over the lighthouse. After that I got to know him, and we met now and again. But then that happened about the captain, and so he had to go away.

w.a.n.gel. Yes, yes. Tell me more about that.

Ellida. It was just daybreak when I had a note from him. He said in it I was to go out to him at the Bratthammer. You know the headland there between the lighthouse and Skjoldviken?

w.a.n.gel. I know, I know!

Ellida. I was to go out there at once, he wrote, because he wanted to speak to me.

w.a.n.gel. And you went?

Ellida. Yes. I could not do otherwise. Well, then he told me he had stabbed the captain in the night.

w.a.n.gel. He said that himself! Actually said so!

Ellida. Yes. But he had only acted rightly and justly, he said.

w.a.n.gel. Rightly and justly! Why did he stab him then?

Ellida. He wouldn't speak out about that. He said it was not fit for me to hear.

w.a.n.gel. And you believed his naked, bare word?

Ellida. Yes. It never occurred to me to do otherwise. Well, anyhow, he had to go away. But now, when he was to bid me farewell--. No; you never could imagine what he thought of--

w.a.n.gel. Well? Tell me.

Ellida. He took from his pocket a key-ring--and drew a ring that he always wore from his finger, and he took a small ring I had. These two he put on the key-ring. And then he said we should wed ourselves to the sea.

w.a.n.gel. Wed?

Ellida. Yes, so he said. And with that he threw the key-ring, and our rings, with all his might, as far as he could into the deep.

w.a.n.gel. And you, Ellida, you did all this?

Ellida. Yes--only think--it then seemed to me as if it must be so. But, thank G.o.d I--he went away.

w.a.n.gel. And when he was gone?

Ellida. Oh! You can surely understand that I soon came to my senses again--that I saw how absolutely mad and meaningless it had all been.

w.a.n.gel. But you spoke just now of letters. So you have heard from him since?

Ellida. Yes, I have heard from him. First I had a few short lines from Archangel. He only wrote he was going to America. And then he told me where to send an answer.

w.a.n.gel. And did you?

Ellida. At once. I wrote him, of course, that all must be at an end between us; and that he must no longer think of me, just as I should no longer think of him.

w.a.n.gel. But did he write again?

Ellida. Yes, he wrote again.

w.a.n.gel. And what was his answer to your communication?

Ellida. He took no notice of it. It was exactly as if I had never broken with him. He wrote quite composedly and calmly that I must wait for him.

When he could have me he would let me know, and then I was to go to him at once.

w.a.n.gel. So he would not release you?

Ellida. No. Then I wrote again, almost word for word as I had before; or perhaps more firmly.

w.a.n.gel. And he gave in?

Ellida. Oh, no! Don't think that! He wrote quietly, as before--not a word of my having broken with him. Then I knew it was useless, and so I never wrote to him again.

w.a.n.gel. And you never heard from him?

Ellida. Oh, yes! I have had three letters since then. Once he wrote to me from California, and a second time from China. The last letter I had from him was from Australia. He wrote he was going to the gold-mines; but since then he has made no sign.

w.a.n.gel. This man has had a strange power over you, Ellida.

Ellida. Yes, yes! The terrible man!

w.a.n.gel. But you mustn't think of that any more. Never again--never!

Promise me that, my dear, beloved Ellida. Now we must try another treatment for you. Fresher air than here within the fjords. The salt, fresh air of the sea! Dear, what say you to that?

Ellida. Oh! don't speak of it! Don't think of it! There is no help in this for me. I feel that so well. I can't shake it off--not even there.

w.a.n.gel. What, dear?--What do you really mean?

Ellida. I mean the horror of it, this incomprehensible power over the mind.

w.a.n.gel. But you have shaken it off--long since--when you broke with him.

Why, all this is long past now.

Ellida (springing up). No; that it is not--it is not!