Perch you on the mill-house roof.
[He puts her up on the roof. ÅSE screams.]
Åse
Lift me down!
Peer
Yes, if you’ll listen —
Åse
Rubbish!
Peer
Dearest mother, pray —!
Åse [throwing a sod of grass at him]
Lift me down this moment, Peer!
Peer
If I dared, be sure I would.
[Coming nearer.]
Now remember, sit quite still.
Do not sprawl and kick about;
do not tug and tear the shingles,—
else ’twill be the worse for you;
you might topple down.
Åse
You beast!
Peer
Do not kick!
Åse
I’d have you blown,
like a changeling, into space!
Peer
Mother, fie!
Åse
Bah!
Peer
Rather give your
blessing on my undertaking.
Will you? Eh?
Åse
I’ll thrash you soundly,
hulking fellow though you be!
Peer
Well, good-bye then, mother dear!
Patience; I’ll be back ere long.
[Is going, but turns, holds up his finger warningly, and says:]
Careful now, don’t kick and sprawl!
[Goes.]
Aase on the Mill-house Roof
Åse
Peer!— God help me, now he’s off;
Reindeer-rider! Liar! Hei!
Will you listen!— No, he’s striding
o’er the meadow —! [Shrieks.] Help! I’m dizzy!
[TWO OLD WOMEN, with sacks on their backs, come down the path to the mill.]
First Woman
Christ, who’s screaming?
Åse
It is I!
Second Woman
Åse! Well, you are exalted!
Åse
This won’t be the end of it;—
soon, God help me, I’ll be heaven-high!
First Woman
Bless your passing!
Åse
Fetch a ladder;
I must be down! That devil Peer —
Second Woman
Peer! Your son?
Åse
Now you can say
you have seen how he behaves.
First Woman
We’ll bear witness.
Åse
Only help me;
straight to Hegstad I will hasten —
Second Woman
Is he there?
First Woman
You’ll be revenged, then;
Aslak Smith will be there too.
Åse [wringing her hands]
Oh, God help me with my boy;
they will kill him ere they’re done!
First Woman
Oh, that lot has oft been talked of;
comfort you: what must be must be!
Second Woman
She is utterly demented.
[Calls up the hill.]
Eivind, Anders! Hei! Come here!
A Man’s Voice
What’s amiss?
Second Woman
Peer Gynt has perched his
mother on the mill-house roof!
Scene Second
[A hillock, covered with bushes and heather. The highroad runs behind it; a fence between.]
[PEER GYNT comes along a footpath, goes quickly up to the fence, stops, and looks out over the stretch of country below.]
Peer
There it lies, Hegstad. Soon I’ll have reached it.
[Puts one leg over the fence; then hesitates.]
Wonder if Ingrid’s
