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A Noble Nobody
From a Collection of Crowley's Plays and Scenarios
(Various people despising Frigga, saying “She's a nobody.”) Frigga Kass. Her father Hans. Her mother Hedda. Count Jokel, head of the foreign office in a neighbouring state. Davis, a spy. Andreas, a peasant. Karl, King of Baltica. Marie, his Queen. Gregory, their son. Baron Waldron. Jan, his son. Ericcson, a detective. Gretel, princess of neighbouring state.
Prologue
Hans Kass is the King's gamekeeper and caretaker of a hunting lodge where the queen frequently resorts. He is drunken and dishonest and hypocritical, and is approached by David, with proposals from Count Jokel to betray his master. These he accepts. He has been a boon companion to Andreas, whom he employs to do dirty and dangerous work. His wife, Hedda, is a simple soul, believing her husband to be all that is good. Her daughter, Frigga, as a child loves wandering about the Lodge, with its objects of historic interest and its trophies of sport. She conceives a passionate devotion for the reigning family.
Scene 1. A hunting party is shown, Hans giving information of the King's movements and Frigga being patted on the head and being presented with a coin by the monarch. Frigga is at this time ten years old; her father 35, the king 40; his son, Gregory, 12. The last mentioned is shown in a scene of childish playfulness with Frigga, the play being interrupted by his tutor, who reproaches him for not remembering his rank. Frigga is in tears.
David is in the habit of taking the information, in the first instance to Baron Waldron, a foreign banker, resident in the capital of Baltica, and Kokel's chief agent. He has a son, Jan, of about the same age as Gregory. The principal personages of the drama have now all been shewn in connected interaction.
Scene 2. Seven years later. The old king has taken a fatherly interest in Frigga and has her educated at a good school. Her elegance contrasts with her parents' roughness. She has been called back to the hunting lodge to assist at a great party.
Count Jokel and Baron Waldron are shown in consultation. Both men are aged by anxiety and the Baron is much reduced in fortune, and is living in a smaller establishment. It is made clear that King Carl has managed to defeat their schemes completely. They are desperate and determined to kill him. A plan is arranged that Hans and Andreas shall shoot the king during the excitement of the battle.
The Day of the Hunt. The whole countryside is up acting as beaters: among them Frigga. She has been shown as very disgusted at her father's debauches with Andreas, though her mother takes these as part of the laws of nature and suspects nothing worse. Frigga notices that Andreas is a prey to great agitation, and observing him more closely, sees a remarkable bulge in his jacket. She brushes against him and concludes that the concealed object is a pistol. She decides to shadow him. Meanwhile the beat continues — a great circle converging on the spot in the forest where the king is waiting with his friends. Andreas becomes aware that Frigga is keeping her eye on him. He tries to lose her and fails, but he is a very cunning woodsman and finally by a stratagem evades her. He pretends to see the boar in the thicket on the edge of a hill, rushes forward, and being for a moment out of sight over the hill, flings himself into the thicket and lies quiet, while Frigga goes on past him. By the time she perceives the trick, he has crawled back and made a wide circle to another part of the forest. She perceives that she has been fooled, and goes back, looks for his traces, and follows. Meanwhile the circle constantly narrows. A boar rushes out and is shot by the king. The circle grows narrower yet. Frigga catches sight of Andreas lurking behind the bush in close proximity to the king. Another boar rushes out and is shot. At that moment Andreas pulls his pistol and aims. Frigga has not time to stop the shot, but flings herself in the way of the bullet, which strikes her. Andreas is immediately discovered and clubbed to death by the enraged beaters. Frigga is taken to the shooting lodge and thence to a hospital, where she is visited by the royal family. The prince manifests considerable emotion at seeing her, so much so that his mother speaks to him very seriously on their way out.
Ericcson, the detective, in attendance on the king, investigates the circumstances of the attempted assassination, but Andreas was a man who could neither read nor write — had apparently no interest in life but drink. There is no clue whatever to his motive. His association with Hans, however, starts Ericcson watching the latter. Ericcson discovers a bag of gold and inquiry shows that the quality of the canvas indicates that it is part of a lot shipped to Waldron's bank. Ericcson decides to investigate Waldron.
Scene 3. David reports to Waldron that attempt on the king's life. They are satisfied that there is no clue that leads to them. Waldron's boy, Jan, is now very attractive and elegant, but he frequents a somewhat undesirable class of high society; the fast set.
The prince is shown as restless and unhappy. He cannot sleep and goes out for midnight gallops. His father is alarmed and sends for a doctor, who reports that there is nothing wrong but recommends change of scene. (The doctor however has suggested that it would be a good thing to hasten the marriage of the prince, who has been betrothed to Gretel, the only daughter of the king of the next state, who is giving his daughter so as to be able to have a spy in the heart of the enemy's camp, whereas King Carl honestly wants an alliance).
The king arranges for Han to make a voyage. Jan gets worse and one night prolongs his gallop, finding himself at the lodge. Frigga has gone back to her country simplicity and the prince meets her as she is going out, with bare arms, to fetch water from the well. He insists upon helping her and remains to breakfast at the lodge. She serves him. Hans, spying on this scene, conceives the idea of making use of his daughter, and reports to David.
Frigga is a little alarmed at the evident ardour of the prince, who after various advances takes offense at her coldness and rides back. But, at the palace, he learns that he is to be married immediately on his return from his voyage. He rides down again to the lodge, where he arrives in the afternoon. He looks for Frigga and finds her in the rose-garden, where he declares his passion. She cannot help responding to it, but repulses him, taking a dagger from her hair (in the regular way). He assures her that he will marry her and they argue about the princess. She insists that he must do his duty by his country but she will be his Morganatic wife. He puts her on his horse and they ride to the next village to a priest who marries them. He then takes her to a house of his own and instals her. Then he goes to the court, tells his father that he is much better and does not need a voyage.
A pleasant honeymoon is passed, but Waldron tries to get Frigga to spy for him. She indignantly refuses. He shows her the proofs of her father's complicity in the attempt to assassinate the king. The prince has refused point blank to marry the princess Gretel. Frigga is told that her father will hang and her husband knows that she is a murderer's daughter. She still refuses to spy. Waldron makes an ultimatum that she shall leave the prince. She consents to do this and does it. Gregory is almost insane; he cannot trace her anywhere, becomes heart-broken and delirious. When he recovers he is a shattered man and says “Bring along your old princess.” They are married in great state.
(She is shown as a morphia fiend.)
During this time, Ericcson has been keeping tabs on Hans and Waldron. He notes Waldron's frequent visits and sees that Frigga's disappearance is political. He leaves everything to follow her. Gregory and Gretel lead a life of carefully concealed dis-union. Waldron is a great man at court and richer than ever. The prince's health is feeble; nothing interests him and the old king has himself been attacked by a serious illness. Waldron may hope to see Gretel reigning alone in Baltica within a short time, and has even formed the design of uniting his son to Gretel after her husband's death.
In the meantime Frigga has been in the next country. where Count Jokel has given her a house on his estate and where she is treated with every courtesy, but on attempting to stray beyond her usual limits, discovers that she is practically a prisoner. The labourers on the estate are disguised soldiers. She is terribly upset and wonders whether she had not been the victim of a plot.
Ericcson has lost her track on the frontier and the elaborate ignorance of the officials, whom he questions, proves to him that it is part of the political scheme. He therefore searches the registers of Count Jokel's properties and notes two of three a likely place to conceal Frigga. Approaching the estate where she is, he finds himself misdirected by a labourer, and on discovering his mistake and turning, is stolidly opposed by two or three others, who tell him plainly, that he cannot go on. The house is in a valley and Ericcson uses a telescope and watches it from a distant hill. He ultimately sees Frigga. He then prepares a rifle bullet of wax containing a piece of paper with the words, “You have been deceived, your country needs you urgently.” When midnight strikes, leave the house and come straight away to the Cross in the Forest.”, and fixes his rifle in a tree. He then waits till night and fires it through her window. She is awakened by the breaking of glass, lights up and finds the note. She puts on dark clothes and at midnight lets herself down from a window and crawls out, using her Indian tactics. When she reaches the cordon of sentries, she is pounched upon and at that moment Ericcson black-jacks her assailant, and they run quickly to the Cross where his auto is waiting. They get back to Baltica with no further adventure than being forced on by the sentries as he puts his auto in gear at the parapet guarding the river which separates the two states and swims with her to the other side.
The king's illness has made him very feeble in mind. He trusts Gretel and regards Frigga's return as an interference. The prince recovers his health, grasps the situation, and decides to act.
There is a strong scene in the Council. The prince exposes his father's weakness and hints at hidden treacheries. He insists on the conduct of affairs being left in the hands of Count Morganthal, the Chancellor, an old man of unblemished integrity. This throws the conspirators into confusion. They determine to ruin Frigga and make a plan whereby she is to be surprised at midnight in the arms of young Waldron. Gretel is now infatuated with him and they deceive the prince. Jan only wants the succession. David is employed to fix Frigga's room so that it can be entered from outside without alarming the sleeper. Waldron goes down on the appointed night; but Gretel's maid, who is confident of her intrigue, warned her mistress, whose jealousy is inflamed. She disguises herself, follows her lover to Frigga's house, and sees him climb the ladder and enter her window. Meanwhile, Frigga, retiring for the night, examines the window catch and sees that it has been filled. She becomes suspicious and hides herself behind a wardrobe and watches. Jan enters and removes his outer garments. The light in the room is very dim. At this moment, the prince warned by old Waldron enters the house with his latch key and goes to Frigga's room. Gretel has followed Jan and switches on the light. Frigga is invisible. Gretel is furious but Jan explains. She melts and clasps him wildly to her just as the prince noiselessly enters the room.
Old Waldron is in consternation. The prince sternly points to the door. They go out. He sits on the bed in great agitation, his mind whirling. Frigga comes out, he does not see her. The conspirators, consulting outside, see that they are all ruined, and determine desperately to return and kill the prince as their one chance. They find shawls in the drawing room and steal upstairs intending to strangle him. Gretel remains downstairs. Frigga hears footsteps, darts back behind the wardrobe. The assassins enter and attack the prince. She darts out and settles Jan with her dagger. His father has a fit of apoplexy. They restore him, but the prince sees that he must be executed. They go down and take him and Gretel back in their car to the Palace, where they are put under arrest. In the A.M. they are brought to the Council. Waldron says that in his house are papers to prove his innocence with the help of Frigga, who must be sent for. He is sent under guard to his house, returns with the papers, the packet with which he has previously threatened Frigga. He then tells the following story:
Waldron turns to Gretel and says “Is that true?” She says, “Yes.”
He turns to Frigga, “Is that true?” pointing the packet at her. She says “Yes” and faints away.
This scene has been watched by the detective Ericcson, who now comes forward and takes from his pocket the canvas bag which connects Waldron with the first attempt on the king as says — “Is that true?”
Waldron sees the game is up; and a second apoplectic seizure ends his life. Ericcson now hurriedly explains the facts to the King and his son, while Frigga recovers. She rushes between them and pleads with Ericcson for silence. The King says: “Too late. You have sacrificed yourself but you have not saved your father.”
The prince turns to the King and stretches out his hand in appeal. The King says “I cannot pardon your father.”
Ericcson says “You are right. God pardoned him, he died last night.”
Gretel comes forward and says “However I have lived, I can die like a queen”, and injects herself with aconitine and falls dead.
(Note, Aconitine shewn previously in her possession; in one of her fits of despair she contemplates its use.)
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