A House-Boat on the Styx
CHAPTER I: CHARON MAKES A DISCOVERY Charon, the Ferryman of renown, was cruising slowly along the Styx one pleasant Friday morning not long ago, and as he paddled idly on he chuckled mildly to himself as he thought of the monopoly in ferriage which in the course of years he had managed to build up. "It's a great thing," he said, with a smirk of satisfaction--"it's a great thing to be the go-between between two states of being; to have the exclusive franchise to export and import shades from one state to the other, and withal to have had as clean a record as mine has been. Valuable as is my franchise, I never corrupted a public official in my life, and--" Here Charon stopped his soliloquy and his boat simultaneously. As he rounded one of the many turns in the river a singular object met his gaze, and one, too, that filled him with misgiving. It was another craft, and that was a thing not to be tolerated. Had he, Charon, owned the exclusive right of way on the Styx all these years to have it disputed here in the closing decade of the Nineteenth Century? Had not
said just now--you have not made any career. But I promise you
this, Vilhelm, that when once the hour of my restoration strikes----
FOLDAL.
[Making a movement to rise.] Oh, thanks, thanks!
BORKMAN.
[Waving his hand.] No, please be seated. [With rising
excitement.] When the hour of my restoration strikes--when they
see that they cannot get on without me--when they come to me, here
in the gallery, and crawl to my feet, and beseech me to take the
reins of the bank again----! The new bank, that they have founded
and can't carry on---- [Placing himself beside the writing-table
in the same attitude as before, and striking his breast.] Here
I shall stand, and receive them! And it shall be known far and
wide, all the country over, what conditions John Gabriel Borkman
imposes before he will---- [Stopping suddenly and staring at
FOLDAL.] You're looking so doubtfully at me! Perhaps you do not
believe that they will come? That they must, must, must come to
me some day? Do you not believe it?
FOLDAL.
Yes, Heaven knows I do, John Gabriel.
BORKMAN.
[Seating himself again on the sofa.] I firmly believe it. I
CHAPTER I: CHARON MAKES A DISCOVERY Charon, the Ferryman of renown, was cruising slowly along the Styx one pleasant Friday morning not long ago, and as he paddled idly on he chuckled mildly to himself as he thought of the monopoly in ferriage which in the course of years he had managed to build up. "It's a great thing," he said, with a smirk of satisfaction--"it's a great thing to be the go-between between two states of being; to have the exclusive franchise to export and import shades from one state to the other, and withal to have had as clean a record as mine has been. Valuable as is my franchise, I never corrupted a public official in my life, and--" Here Charon stopped his soliloquy and his boat simultaneously. As he rounded one of the many turns in the river a singular object met his gaze, and one, too, that filled him with misgiving. It was another craft, and that was a thing not to be tolerated. Had he, Charon, owned the exclusive right of way on the Styx all these years to have it disputed here in the closing decade of the Nineteenth Century? Had not