Lady Anna.  This excessive love ... it is worrying me.  Maybe it was mostly on that account that I delayed agreeing to her departure.

The judge.  There are so many things that worry you.  Why doesn’t Ingolf come back? [Kisses her on the cheek.] I will talk to him about it. [Goes out.]

Rannveig [enters].  The servants want to know how many places to lay for dinner.

Lady Anna [putting aside her needlework].  Well, I’m coming—­[Goes out.]

Rannveig [walks slowly to the centre of the room, stands looking at the terra cotta statue].  When you dream something, you don’t want to come true, you ought to tell it to some one—­better to a stone than to no one. [Hands folded, she walks slowly up to the statue, whispering in its ear,] I dreamed of a beautiful and marvellous diamond palace.  I walked around it, but it had no doors.  No one could get in.  If any one were inside, he could not get out.  I heard weeping inside the palace.  It seemed to tear my heart.  I recognised the weeping?—­[She passes her hand over her eyes, looks at the statue a long time, walks away from it, looks back at it once more, and goes out.  In the doorway she encounters Hadda, looks at her, pats her cheek, and disappears.]

Hadda Padda [enters with a water jug in her hand, walks up to a flower in the window].

Ingolf [enters and steals up to her].

Ingolf.  Now I know the secret.  You are going with me to Copenhagen.  Hadda Padda, Hadda Padda, I love you!  Let me sing to you. [He takes both her hands and while he sings, wild with joy, she hums the tune.]

     You shall stand upon my skis,
     In a mad precipitation
     We, together, cleave the breeze: 
     We will,
     My daffodil!

     To the place where we’ll abide
     On my white horse you’ll be riding: 
     Clouds of dust the moon will hide—­
     They will,
     My daffodil!

[He lifts her in his arms.  The sun is shining through the window and lights up the room.]

Hadda Padda [stretches her arms toward the light].  It is as though I had wings. [Turns round in his arms, and folds him in her embrace.] I will fly to my happiness.

CURTAIN

ACT II

(The following summer.  A drawing-room in the Sheriff’s house.  The furniture old-fashioned and elaborate.  On the left, a door leading to the dining-room.  Against the wall, in front, a piano.  On the right, under a window, a chaise-longue.  In the back, an open window, through which can be seen green meadows, rising to a plateau, over the edge of which roars a water-fall.  At the horizon, deep blue mountains.  Bright sunshine, a hot summer’s day.)

(In the middle of the room, around a table, set for coffee, the Sheriff and Lady Margaret, Olof and Steindor, Ingolf, Hrafnhild and Kristrun are sitting.  The children, Little Skuli, Sigga, Doddi and Magga are seated at a small table near the window.)