Page:The collected works of Henrik Ibsen (Volume 4).djvu/287

 PEER
 * What motto?

THE OLD MAN
 * The potent and sundering word.

PEER
 * The word?

THE OLD MAN
 * That which severs the whole race of men
 * from the troll-folk.Troll! To thyself be enough!

PEER [falls back a step].
 * Enough!

THE OLD MAN
 * And with every nerve in your body,
 * you've being living up to it ever since.

PEER
 * What, I? Peer Gynt?

THE OLD MAN [weeps].
 * It's ungrateful of you!
 * You've lived as a troll, but have still kept it secret.
 * The word I taught you has shown you the way
 * to swing yourself up as a man of substance;-
 * and now you must needs come and turn up your nose
 * at me and the word you've to thank for it all.

PEER
 * Enough! A hill-troll! An egoist!
 * This must be all rubbish; that's perfectly certain!

THE OLD MAN [pulls