Ibsen and JJauptman \ \ 



not know the i" her influence over him, though he busies 



himself with setting up hypothesis after hypothesis to account 

 for her. 

 His first conception of her is largel) idealized. " R der 



Mond, das Antlitz einer Heiligen "; and again, 



"Dies blonde Graa auf Kinderkopfen ... 



dies 



huld . . . ist cs nicht cin Wtttlder?" 



Gersuind's attitu ith her alon< ot fit 



this hypothesis, as Karl at once feels. She startles him by her 

 entire lack of regard for her uncle, but most of all by her 

 ception of him and his reason for wishing U .ith h^r quite 



-"Ich kann auch schweigen, Kdnig Karl." He 

 more puzzled by her ideals of life, so utterly oppo 1 the 



traditions and conventions of the world he kno 



only to go her own way, answerable for I o one, 



free to do whatever she enjoys doing at the moment. Karl ean- 

 not fathom her hut he sets her free to work out her fate ae- 

 ing to her own notions of life. 



Left alone with Rori mind at once exemplifies her atti- 



tude toward life. Ror ith and attractiveness appeal to her 



own youth, to the instincts of her nature. Untrammeled bj 

 ventional standards or moral scruple n instant and 



direct app honer, nimm mich mit ! " 



Dung, human and no model of virtue, hut !. 

 from this, nol his standards of right doing are our- 



but because her "beir.. nge and through strangeness terri- 



ble." He cannot comprehend her, the: and ter- 



rifies him. His attitude and his words to her give his interp 

 tion of ru finitely. 



ie ein gelbes Schlanglein in der Gabel, 

 ' ja! im Spalt von eine-rr. 



icht ziingeln kann und mich nicht stechen ! 

 Komra Racker, Damon! ! (Er halt :-.ie mit zwei 



Fingern am Saum ihres Kleides im Ns n sich ab und scbietri 



ror sich her hinaui 



253 



