The Atlantic Book of Modern Plays Part 66

But that was to be looked for in a high one Who counts among her fathers the bright Sigurd, The bane of Fafnir the Worm, the end of the G.o.d-kings; Among her mothers Brynhild, the la.s.s of Odin, The maddener of swords, the night-clouds' rider.

She has kept sweet that father's lore of bird-speech, She wears that mother's power to cheat a G.o.d.

Sisters, she does well to be proud.

JOFRID and GUDFINN Ay, well.

HALLGERD (_shaping the tissue with her shears_) I need no witch to tell I am of rare seed, Nor measure my pride nor praise it. Do I not know?

Old women, ye are welcomed: sit with us, And while we st.i.tch tell us what gossip runs-- But if strife might be warmed by spreading it.

BIARTEY Lady, we are hungered; we were lost All night among the mountains of the East; Clouds of the cliffs come down my eyes again.

I pray you let some thrall bring us to food.

HALLGERD Ye get nought here. The supper is long over; The women shall not let ye know the food-house, Or ye'll be thieving in the night. Ye are idle, Ye suck a man's house bare and seek another.

'Tis bed-time; get to sleep--that stills much hunger.

BIARTEY Now it is easy to be seeing what spoils you.

You were not grasping or ought but over warm When Sigmund, Gunnar's kinsman, guested here.

You followed him, you were too kind with him, You lavished Gunnar's treasure and gear on him To draw him on, and did not call that thieving.

Ay, Sigmund took your feuds on him and died As Gunnar shall. Men have much harm by you.

HALLGERD Now have I gashed the golden cloth awry: 'Tis ended--a ruin of clouts--the worth of the gift-- Bridal dish-clouts--nay, a bundle of flame I'll burn it to a breath of its old queen's ashes: Fire, O fire, drink up.

(_She throws the shreds of the veil on the glowing embers: they waft to ashes with a brief high flare. She goes to_ JOFRID.)

There's one of you That holds her head in a bird's sideways fashion: I know that reach o' the chin.--What's under thy hair?--

(_She fixes JOFRID with her knee, and lifts her hair._)

Pfui,'tis not hair, but sopped and rotting moss-- A thief, a thief indeed.--And twice a thief.

She has no ears. Keep thy hooked fingers still While thou art here, for if I miss a mouthful Thou shalt miss all thy nose. Get up, get up; I'll lodge ye with the mares.

JOFRID (_starting up_) Three men, three men, Three men have wived you, and for all you gave them Paid with three blows upon a cheek once kissed-- To every man a blow--and the last blow All the land knows was won by thieving food....

Yea, Gunnar is ended by the theft and the thief.

Is it not told that when you first grew tall, A false rare girl, Hrut your own kinsman said, "I know not whence thief's eyes entered our blood."

You have more ears, yet are you not my sister?

Our evil vagrant heart is deeper in you.

HALLGERD (_s.n.a.t.c.hing the distaff from_ BIARTEY) Out and be gone, be gone. Lie with the mountains, Smother among the thunder; stale dew mould you.

Outstrip the hound, or he shall so embrace you....

BIARTEY Now is all done ... all done ... and all your deed.

She broke the thread, and it shall not join again.

Spindle, spindle, the coiling weft shall dwindle; Leap on the fire and burn, for all is done.

(_She casts the spindle upon the fire, and stretches her hands toward it._)

HALLGERD (_attacking them with the distaff_) Into the night.... Dissolve....

BIARTEY (_as the three rush toward the door_) Sisters, away: Leave the woman to her smouldering beauty, Leave the fire that's kinder than the woman, Leave the roof-tree ere it falls. It falls.

(GUDFINN _joins her. Each time_ HALLGERD _flags they turn as they chant, and point at her._) We shall cry no more in the high rock-places, We are gone from the night, the winds and the clouds are empty: Soon the man in the West shall receive our message.

(JOFRID'S _voice joins the other voices._)

Men reject us, yet their house is unstable.

The slayers' hands are warm--the sound of their riding Reached us down the ages, ever approaching.

HALLGERD (_at the same time, her voice high over theirs_) Pack, ye rag-heaps--or I'll unravel you.

THE THREE (_continuously_) House that spurns us, woe shall come upon you: Death shall hollow you. Now we curse the woman-- May all the woes smite her till she can feel them.

Shall we not roost in her bower yet? Woe! Woe!

(_The distaff breaks, and HALLGERD drives them out with her hands.

Their voices continue for a moment outside, dying away._)

Call to the owl-friends.... Woe! Woe! Woe!

ASTRID Whence came these mounds of dread to haunt the night?

It doubles this disquiet to have them near us.

ODDNY They must be witches--and it was my distaff-- Will fire eat through me....

STEINVOR Or the Norns themselves.

HALLGERD Or bad old women used to govern by fear.

To bed, to bed--we are all up too late.

STEINVOR (_as she turns with ASTRID and ODDNY to the dais_) If beds are made for sleep we might sit long.

(_They go out by the dais door._)

GUNNAR (_as he enters hastily from the left_) Where are those women? There's some secret in them: I have heard such others crying down to them.

HALLGERD They turned foul-mouthed, they beckoned evil toward us-- I drove them forth a breath ago.

GUNNAR Forth? Whence?

HALLGERD By the great door: they cried about the night.

(RANNVEIG _follows_ GUNNAR _in._)

GUNNAR Nay, but I entered there and pa.s.sed them not.

Mother, where are the women?

RANNVEIG I saw none come.

GUNNAR They have not come, they have gone.

RANNVEIG I crossed the yard, Hearing a noise, but a big bird dropped past, Beating my eyes; and then the yard was clear.