The sun., 1903-06-21

| forgiveness ana Wits IL.
Then enters Kara, the peasant. pursuee
by the house carries Of Hi6rdis, and hel
motive is sounded for the first time in thin
drama OF thwarted love and hate. The
wretched peasant has killed a subject OF
the Queen. She is revengeful. He pleads
for his life and is promised protection
Hi6rdis soon appears. She looks like the
traditional Valkyr and is armed with a
lance. Her nature Is expressed In lne cold
way she greets her foster sister. Ddgny
though her face brightens at the sight OF
Sigurd.
Violently reproaohed by her foster father
Hiordis responds in kind. Let GunndI
be weak; let him renew his pact of friend
ship with Sigurd. She owes nothing to
Oernuf. He has slain her real father in
unfair fght-then she is called a wanton
by the angry chieftain and her rage flames
up 80 that the dark rocks upon which they
all stand seem to be illumined. Kara
in the interim, has gone away muttering
his vengeance; Hi6rdis, dissimulating. in
vites all to great feast in Gunndr's house
and departs. Si0urd would go. Ddony
mlstrusts. At last Sigurd tells his too
| long. kept secret II was he that slew the
white bear aud won the woman beloved
Of Gunndr. Ddgny Is amazed, and after
being conjured by her husband to keep
| precious this story she promises. But
she wistfully regards the ring upon her
arm, the ring Of Hi6rdis, plucked from her
wrist by Sigurd Tine ring of the nibelungs!
Sigurdb bids her hide 1t. for IL Hi0r lis cat ches
a glimpse Of it the deception will be as
plain as the round shield OF the sun blazing
on high. And then-woe to all The
| curtains close.
Act II. is devoted to the feast and the
strange events which happened thereat.
Ibsens magic now begins to work. His
psychologist bent is felt the moment after
We see Daony and HiGrdis in confab. The
mild wife of Siourd wonders audibly at
the others depression. Why should she
bemoan her fate with such house. fair
and goodly abode? Hi6rdis turns fercely
upon her and replies: Gage an eagle and it
will bite at the wires. be they of iron or
of gold" But has she not little son,
Epil' Better no son at all for a mother
who is a wanton. a leman! She recalls
with sullen wrath the words of Oernuif.
In vain Ddgny seeks to pacify her. The
older woman is Of the race Of Titans She
tells with pride the story Of the queen
who took her son and sewed his kirtle fast
to his flesh. SO would she treat her Ega!
"Hiordis, Hi6rdis!" cries the tender
hearted listener. For this she is mocke
Hi0rdis further tortures her by asking
&c she has accompanied her husband into
ba.<e into the halls Of the mighty. "Didst
thou not don harness and take up arms?"
Doqny answers in the negative. Gunndr
is extolled for his deed, a mighty deed as
yet not excelled by Sipurd. The listener
seems on the point of denying this Hiordis
notes hor agitation and presses her. but
Ddgny is faithful to her word; she keeps
Siourd's secret. Then in burst, almost
lyric, Hiordis confesses her love for combat
t. the sisters Of Hida, the terrible Valkyrs
who fly in the sky. carrying dead warriors
to valhall. She loves, too. wtchcraft. and
would he a witch-wfe astride of a whale
and skim the storm waves. Thou speakest
shameful things, says the frightened Ddgny
and is scotfed at fer her timidity.
Gradually the feast begins. The war
riors asse mble. I cannot say that I ad-
mired their costumes, reminding me. as
they did, of crazy-ouilts. Siaurd and
Gunndr enter arm in arm. Egii, the hope
of Gunndrs house. has been sent away;
his father feared the descent Of Oernuif and
his men. He now regrets the absence Of
his boy. OernuF is not present, but is
represented by his youngest son. Thorof
After the drinking has begun the trouble
breeding Hiordis weaves her spell Of disaster.
She sets boasting the warriors. forces
the hapless Gunndr to describe how he
slew the great white bear. and openly pro-
claims him better man than Sigurd. Even
this breach Of hospitality does not en-
bitter the friends ThoroT. however, is
hot. imprudent. and at a chance word from
Hi6rdis is set on fire. Miss Terry, 1t must
be confessed, played this entire scene with
great dexterity. Her broken phrases
for she has not prolonged note in her
compass-her scornful mien, her raucous
voice and shrewish gestures were ad-
mirable agents for the expression of
il-stihed hate. Taunted beyond his self
control, Thorof tells the woman that Egl
has been kidnapped by Oernuf and his
other SONS. Instantly she screams that
EgH has been slain. Thorof leaves, swear
ing that he will be avenged; that: Ere even
tide shall Gunndr and his wife ba chidless."
At this juncture Gunndy, who has hitherto
seemed lymphatic sort of person, sezes
his battle-axe, and, despite Sigurds word
Of warning follows Thorof and kills him.
A moment later enter Oernulf. bearing in his
arms the child EgH. happy and unharmed.
1t is a striking climax. To the father,
already bereaved Of his other sons, lost in |
the fight with the treacherous peasant.
Kara, for the possession Of the child. must
be told the terrible news. Thorolf is the I
apple of his eye, the last Of his race Broken
hearted Gunndr explains. Outraged at |
the deed caused by Hi5rdis. the timid Dagny ,
gives her the lie when Gunndrs feat is !
again nauseatingly dwelt upon. at is |
Siourd who won the woman; look at the |
ring on my arm" Amazed. infuriated,
Hi6rdis turns upon her husband Is it
true1 Gunnar confesses without shame.
Siourd presses his hand and proolaims him
a brave man. though he did not slay |
the bear. The hall emptes and after
Dogny--womanlike- --triumphantly exults and
cries. who is now the mightiest man at !
the board-my husband or thine?- Ri6rdis
is left to her miserable thoughts. She |
soon makes up her mind: Now have I |
but one thing left to debut one deed to
brood upon; ;Siourd or l must die"
These words recall the fatal -Siegfrieds-
Tod!" Of "Gotterdammerung, Both Wag-