Page:The collected works of Henrik Ibsen (Volume 11).djvu/278



[Approaching him.] You are a murderer! You have committed the one mortal sin!

[Falling back towards the piano.] You are raving, Ella!

You have killed the love-life in me. [''Still nearer him.''] Do you understand what that means? The Bible speaks of a mysterious sin for which there is no forgiveness. I have never understood what it could be; but now I understand. The great, unpardonable sin is to murder the love-life in a human soul.

And you say I have done that?

You have done that. I have never rightly understood until this evening what had really happened to me. That you deserted me and turned to Gunhild instead—I took that to be mere common fickleness on your part, and the result of heartless scheming on hers. I almost think I despised you a little, in spite of everything. But now I see it! You deserted the woman you loved! Me, me, me! What you held dearest in the world you were ready to barter away for gain. That is the double murder you have committed! The murder of your own soul and of mine!