The Complete Works of Count Tolstoy/Volume 18/The Power of Darkness/Act 1
THE POWER OF DARKNESS
DRAMATIS PERSONÆ OF ACT I.
ACT I.
The action takes place in a large village, in autumn. The scene represents the inside of Peter's spacious hut. Peter is seated on a bench, mending a horse-collar. Anisya and Akulína are spinning.
Scene I. Peter, Anísya, and Akulína (the last two singing together).
Peter (looking through the window). The horses have gone away again. Before we know it the colt will be killed. Nikíta! Oh, Nikíta! Are you deaf? (Listens. To the women.) Stop your singing,—I can't hear a thing!
Nikíta's voice, in the yard. What?
Peter. Drive in the horses!
Nikíta's voice. I will! Only give me a chance!
Peter (shaking his head). Oh, these hired hands! If I were a well man, I would not have one for the world. There is only worry with them. (Gets up and sits down again.) Nikíta! I shall get no answer. I wish one of you would go. Akulína, go and drive them in!
Akulína. What, the horses?
Peter. What else did I say?
Akulína. Right away. (Exit.)
Scene II. Peter and Anísya.
Peter. The young scamp is not much of a farmer. It takes him an age to do a thing.
Anísya. You aren't very lively yourself. From the oven to the bench, that's as far as you can go. You are only hard on people.
Peter. If I were not hard on you, I should not be able to find a thing in a year. Oh, what people!
Anísya. You make one attend to a dozen things at once, and you scold all the while. It is easy enough to command when you are lying on the oven.
Peter (sighing). If it were not for this sickness of mine I should not keep him a day.
Akulína's voice behind the scene. Here, horsy, here, horsy! (One hears the neighing of a colt and horses running in through the gate. The gate creaks.)
Peter. All he knows is to prattle. Really, I would not keep him.
Anísya (mocking him). I won't keep him. Move about and then talk!
Scene III. The same and Akulína.
Akulína (entering). I had the hardest time driving them in. The dappled gray—
Peter. And where is Nikíta?
Akulína. Nikíta? He is standing in the street.
Peter. What is he standing there for?
Akulína. What is he standing there for? He is standing around the corner, and is talking.
Peter. I can't get anything out of her. With whom is he talking?
Akulína (not hearing him). What? (Peter waves his hand to Akulina; she goes back to her spinning.)
Scene IV. The same and Anyútka.
Anyútka (running in. To her mother). Nikita's parents have come to see him. Indeed, they are taking him home to get married.
Anísya. Are you telling the truth?
Anyútka. May I die on the spot if I am not! (Laughing.) I was going by when Nikíta called me: "Goodbye," says he, "Anna Petróvna! Come to my wedding! I," says he, "am going away from you." And he laughed.
Anísya (to her husband). They are in great need of you. There he is going away of his own accord. And you say: "I'll drive him away!"
Peter. Let him go. I will find somebody else.
Anísya. But haven't you paid the money in advance? (Anyútka walks up to the door and listens to what they are saying. Exit.)
Scene V. Anísya, Peter, and Akulína.
Peter (frowning). What money he owes me he will work off in the summer.
Anísya. Yes, you are only too glad to let him go. You save so much. In winter you want me to do all the work by myself, like a horse. The girl is not much good for work, and you will be lying on the oven. I know you!
Peter. What sense is there in wagging your tongue for nothing?
Anísya. The yard is full of cattle. You did not sell the cow, and you have left all the sheep for winter. There is enough work to do to feed and water them, and you want to send the hired hand away. I am not going to do a man's work! I will lie down on the oven, as you do, and let everything go to perdition,—I don't care what you do.
Peter (to Akulína). Go for the feed! Go for the feed! I think it is time.
Anyútka. For the feed? All right. (Puts on a caftan and takes a rope.)
Anísya. I will not work for you! You may be sure I won't. Go and work yourself.
Peter. Stop. Don't carry on like a crazy sheep!
Anísya. You are yourself a mad dog! There is no work in you, and I don't get any joy out of you. You do nothing but eat all the time. A lazy dog you are, upon my word.
Peter (spits out and puts on his coat). Pshaw, the Lord be merciful to you! I must go and find out what is up. (Exit.)
Anísya (crying after him). Rotten, long-nosed devil!
Scene VI. Anísya and Akulína.
Akulína. Why are you scolding father?
Anísya Shut up, you fool!
Akulína. (walking up to the door). I know why you are. You are yourself a fool, and a dog. I am not afraid of you.
Anísya. What do you say? (Jumps up and looks around for something to throw at her.) If you don't look out I will hit you with the plough-handle.
Akulína. (opening the door). You are a dog, a devil, that's what you are! A devil, a dog, a dog, a devil! (Runs away.)
Scene VII. Anísya (alone).
Anísya (in thought). "Come to the wedding," says he. What are they up to? To marry him? Look out, Nikita! If that is your trick, I will—I cannot live without him. I will not let him.
Scene VIII. Anísya and Nikíta.
Nikíta (enters, looking about him. Seeing that Anísya is alone, he walks over to her. In a whisper). What am I to do, my dear? Father has come to take me away. He commands me to go home. "We want to marry you by all means," says he, "and have you stay at home."
Anísya. Well, get married. What is that to me?
Nikíta. I declare! I was hoping to consult with you, and you tell me to get married! What is the matter? (Winking.) Or have you forgotten?
Anísya. Get married. What do I care?
Nikíta. What are you snorting about? I declare! She won't let me pat her. What is the matter with you?
Anísya. As to your wishing to leave, go if you want to! I don't need you! That is what I have to say to you.
Nikíta. Stop, Anísya. Did I say I wanted to forget you? Not on my life. I sha'n't leave you for anything. I was thinking like this: let them marry me, but I will come back to you. If they will only not keep me at home!
Anísya. You won't be of much use to me when you are married.
Nikíta. But what am I to do, my dear? It is not possible to oppose father's will.
Anísya. You are putting it on your father, but it is your trick. You have been carrying on all the time with your sweetheart, Marína. It is she who has put you on to it. I see now why she came here the other day.
Nikíta. Marína? What do I care for her? I can't help her sticking to me!
Anísya. Then why did your father come? You told him to. You have deceived me! (Weeping.)
Nikíta. Anísya, do you believe in God, or not? I have not even dreamt of this. I have absolutely no knowledge of it. My dad thought it all out himself.
Anísya. If you did not want it yourself, could they catch you in a sling?
Anísya. Refuse, and that's all.
Nikíta. There was a fellow who did refuse, and so they gave him a walloping. I do not want that either: they say it is ticklish—
Anísya. Stop jesting. Listen, Nikíta: if you are going to take Marína for a wife, I do not know what I shall do to myself. I will take my life! I have sinned, and have violated the Law, but that cannot be remedied now. If you go away, I will do harm to myself—
Nikíta. Why should I want to go away? I could have gone long ago, if I had wanted to. The other day Iván Seménych offered me a coachman's place. What a fine life that would be! But I did not go, for I considered that others like me. If you did not love me, that would be a different matter.
Anísya. Keep this in mind! The old man can't live long, and so, I think, we might be able to cover up our sin. I thought I might wed you, and you would be the master.
Nikíta. What is the use saying this? What difference does it make to me? I work as though for myself. My master likes me, and, of course, my mistress loves me. But I can't help women's liking me,—that's all.
Anísya. Will you love me?
Nikíta. (embracing her). Like this! You are deep in my heart—
Matréna. I have neither seen nor heard a thing. You have been disporting with the woman,—what of it? A calf, you know, likes to play, too. Why not? You are young yet. My son, the master has been asking for you in the yard.
Nikíta. I just came to get the axe.
Matréna. I know, I know, my friend, what kind of an axe you mean. That kind of an axe is mostly near women.
Nikíta (bending down and picking up the axe). Well, mother, do you really intend marrying me off? I consider it all useless. And, then, I have no desire.
Matréna. My darling, what is the use of marrying? You had better go on living as you do, but it is the old man who wants it. Go, my dear, we will fix matters without you.
Nikíta. This is remarkable: now I am to marry, and now again I am not. I can't make it out at all. (Exit.)
Scene X. Anísya and Matréna.
Anísya. Well, Aunt Matréna, do you really want to get him married?
Matréna. What are we to marry him with, my dear? We have no means, you know. My old man is just atalking, without any sense whatsoever. He keeps insisting that he should marry. But this is a matter above his mind. Horses, you know, do not gallop away from oats, and people ought not to look out for other things, while they have something good at hand,—just so it is in this case. Can't I see (winking) what is up here?
Anísya. Why should I conceal it from you, Aunt Matréna? You know everything. I have sinned: I love your son.
Matréna. You did tell me some news: Aunt Matréna did not know it. But I tell you, woman, Aunt Matréna is sly, oh, so sly. Let me tell you my dear,—Aunt Matréna can see a yard below ground. I know everything, my dear! I know what women want sleeping powders for. I have brought some. (Unties the knot in her handkerchief and takes out some powders in a piece of paper.) What is good for me, I see; and what I ought not to know, I neither see nor hear. That's the way it is with me. Aunt Matréna was once young herself. You see, one must know how to get along with a fool. I know all the ropes. I see, my dear, your old man is pretty far gone. What strength has he? Stick a fork into him, and no blood will come out. I think you will bury him by spring. You will have to take somebody on your farm. And is not my son as good a peasant as any? Then, what advantage could I gain from driving him away from a good thing? You do not suppose I am my son's enemy?
Anísya. If he only would not leave us.
Matréna. He will not, my birdie. That is all nonsense. You know my old man. His brain is all cracked. At times he fills it up, and braces it with a post that you can't knock out from under him.
Anísya. What caused all this?
Matréna. You see, my dear, my boy has a weakness for women, and, it must be said, he is a fine-looking fellow. So, you see, he has worked on the railroad. At that time a certain orphan girl was serving there as a cook, and she was all the time after him.
Anísya. Marína?
Matréna. The same,—may she be paralyzed. I do not know whether anything happened or not, only my old man found it out. He heard it from others, or she herself told him—
Anísya. But she was bold,—that accursed one!
Matréna. So my old man—the stupid fellow he is—insists upon my son's marrying her so as to cover the sin. "We will take our boy home," says he, "and get him married." I tried every way to dissuade him, but all in vain. Well, thought I, let it be. I will try in a different manner. These fools, my dear, have to be enticed. You have to pretend to agree with them, but the moment it comes to business, you switch them off. A woman, you see, comes a-flying down from the oven, having thought out a hundred thoughts—so how is he to find it out? "Yes, old man," says I, "that is good; only we must consider it well. Come," says I, "let us go to our son, and let us consider the matter with Peter Ignátych. Let us hear what he has to say." And this is why we have come.
Anísya. Oh, aunty, what will happen now? If his father commands him?
Matréna. Commands? To the dogs with his command. Don't have any fears! It will not happen. I will soon thresh out the whole matter with your old man, so that nothing will be left of it. This is the very reason why I have come along with him. How stupid it would be for me to have my son marry a slut, while he is living in happiness here, and happiness is ahead of him! I am not such a fool as all that.
Anísya. Marína has been coming to see him here, too. Would you believe it, aunty,—when I was told that he was to get married, I felt as though somebody had stuck a knife into my heart. I thought he had a liking for her.
Matréna. Not at all, my dear. He is not such a fool. He would not think of loving a homeless vagabond. You must know Nikíta is a clever fellow. But you, my dear, have no fear! We sha'n't take him away in a lifetime. We will not marry him off. As long as you let him have money, let him stay here.
Anísya. I feel that if Nikíta went away I should not want to live.
Matréna. That is the way with young people! And it is no wonder. You are a healthy young woman, and have to live with such a worthless rag—
Anísya. Believe me, aunty, I am tired, dreadfully tired of my old man, that long-nosed dog. I wish my eyes did not see him.
Matréna. Yes, that is the way it goes. Come, see this. (In a whisper, looking around.) You see I went to see an old man for some powders, and he gave me two kinds. Look here. "This," says he, "is a sleeping powder. Give him one," says he. "It will make him sleep so hard that you can do anything you please. And this," says he, "is such a drug that if you give it in a drink it cannot be discovered, but its strength is great. It is to be given seven times," says he, "and every time a pinchful. Repeat it seven times. And freedom," says he, "will soon come to her."
Anísya. Oh, oh, oh! What is this?
Matréna. "It leaves no traces," says he. He took a rouble for it. "I can't do it for less," says he. Because, you see, it is hard to get. My dear, I gave him my money for it. I thought to myself I would take it down to Anísya, whether she wanted it or not.
Anísya. Oh, oh! But maybe something bad will come of it?
Matréna. What bad can there be, my dear? It would be different if your husband were a healthy man; but as it is he barely lives. He is not a live fellow. There are many such.
Anísya. Oh, my wretched head! I am afraid, aunty, there might be some sin in it. No, I do not like it.
Matréna. I can take it back.
Anísya. Are these to be dissolved in water, like the other?
Matréna. "In tea," says he, "it is better. It can't be detected," says he. "They leave no smell, nothing." He is a clever fellow.
Anísya (taking the powders). Oh, my wretched head! Would I have thought of such things if my life were not so hard?
Matréna. Don't forget the rouble. I promised the old fellow I would bring it to him. He is worried about it.
Anísya. Of course. (Goes to a coffer and conceals the powders.)
Matréna. You must keep them so, my dear, that people do not find them out. If, God forfend, something should be discovered, say they are for cockroaches. (Takes the rouble.) They are also good for cockroaches―(Interrupts her speech.)
Scene XI. The same, Peter, and Akím.
Akím (enter. Crosses himself before the image).
Peter (enter. Sits down). So what is it, Uncle Akím?
Akím. 'Twere better, Ignátych, 'twere better, so to speak—for, otherwise, you know, it may lead to badness―I should like, so, to take my son away, for work. And if you permit it, so—'Twere better―
Peter. All right, all right. Sit down, and let us have a chat. (Akim sits down.) Well? Do you want to get him married?
Matréna. As for marrying, Peter Ignátych, we can put it off. You know yourself, Ignátych, what want we live in. We have barely enough to live on, so how are we to get him married? How are we to marry him?
Peter. Consider what is best.
Matréna. There is no hurry about getting married. It is like this: it is not a raspberry that will drop off.
Peter. It is a good thing to get married.
Akím. I should like to, so to speak― Because, so to speak―there is some work in the city, some profitable work I have there, you know.
Matréna. Work! To clean privies. When he came home the other day, pshaw, I just vomited and vomited!
Akím That is so at first, so to speak, it takes your breath away; but when you get used to it, it is all right. It is just like the swills, so to speak, very much like it. And as to the smell, so to speak, fellows like us must not be offended by it. We can change our clothes, for all that. I wanted Nikíta to go home and, so to speak, look after things. Let him look after the house, and so I will earn something in town—
Peter. You want to leave your son at home,—that is all right. But how about the money you have taken on account?
Akím. That's so, that's so, Ignátych. You have said that correctly, so to speak, because if you have hired yourself out you have sold yourself, and you have to abide by it, so to speak. But, if he could get married, so to speak, would you let him off for awhile?
Peter. There is no objection to that.
Matréna. Only we do not agree upon it. I will lay everything before you, Peter Ignátych, as I would before God. You will judge between my old man and me. He has taken it into his head to marry him off. And to whom is it he marries him? If she were a decent girl, I would not be my son's enemy; but this one has a fault.
Akím. Now this is not right. You are accusing the girl for nothing, so to speak, for nothing. Because this girl has been wronged by my son do you see. The same girl, you see.
Peter. How has she been wronged?
Akím. It appears, so to speak, she has been wronged by Nikíta,—by Nikíta, you see.
Matréna. Stop a moment. I can express myself better than you, so let me tell it. You know yourself that our son used to work on the railroad before he came to your house. Now a girl, Marína by name, who was a cook for the workmen,—she is not very clever,—has been after him. This same girl accuses our son Nikíta of having betrayed her.
Peter. That is not good.
Matréna. She is herself not much good. She, the slut, is running around among people.
Akím. Again, old woman, you are not saying so, not at all so, so to speak, not so -
Matréna. All my eagle here can say is "so, so," but what that "so" is, he does not know himself. Peter Ignátych, ask other people about this girl, and you will hear the same as I have been telling you. She is a homeless vagabond.
Peter (to Akim). If it is like that, Uncle Akím, there is no reason for his marrying her. A daughter-in-law is not a bast shoe that you can take off your leg.
Akím (excitedly). It is false, old woman, just so, what you say about the girl is false. Because the girl is very good, so, very good, so to speak, I am sorry for her, so to speak, for the girl.
Matréna. He is just like Maremyána the mendicant, who weeps for the whole world, and sits breadless at home. You are sorry for the girl, but you are not sorry for your son. Tie her around your neck, and walk about with her. What good is there in talking such nonsense?
Akím. No, it is not nonsense.
Matréna. Don't interrupt me! Let me finish!
Akím (interrupting her). No, it is not nonsense. You are coming back to yourself, so to speak, whether you are speaking of the girl or of yourself; you are coming back to yourself, but God will come back to His own, that's so. And so it is in this case.
Matréna. Oh, it only makes my tongue ache to speak with you.
Akím. She is a hard-working girl, and, so to speak, looking well after herself, so to speak. And, so, in our poverty she would be a great hand for us. The wedding expense is not great; but the wrong done is great to the girl, so to speak. The girl is an orphan, that's it. And there was a wrong done.
Matréna. They all tell the same story.
Anísya. Uncle Akím, you ought to hear what we women have to say. We can tell you something.
Akím. Lord, O Lord! Is not the girl a human being? Before God, so to speak, she is a human being, too. What do you think?
Matréna. There is no stopping him—
Peter. Uncle Akím, you cannot believe everything the girls say. The young fellow is alive. He has something to say about it. Let us send for him and ask him whether it is true. He will not ruin a soul. Call the young fellow! (Anísya gets up.) Tell him his father wants to see him. (Anísya exit.)
Scene XII. The same, without Anísya.
Matréna. Now, our protector, this was a wise judgment to let the son decide. Nowadays they don't get people married by force. The young man ought to be considered. He will not be willing to marry her for anything in the world, for that would only disgrace him. It is my opinion that he had better stay with you and serve his master. There is no reason for taking him away in the summer,—we can hire somebody. You give us ten roubles, and let him stay with you.
Peter. That is still ahead. Let us take everything in order. First end one thing, and then take up another.
Akím. I have been saying all this, Peter Ignátych, because, so to speak, things happen like this: You, so to speak, arrange matters so as to be best for yourself, and so forget about God. You think it is better to look out for yourself, but, behold, you have only burdened yourself with trouble. We, so to speak, think that it is better without considering God, but it is worse.
Peter. Of course, we must think of God.
Akím. It is really worse; but if everything is done according to the Law, according to God's way, it, so to speak, makes your heart glad. It, so to speak, was before me like a dream. And so I guessed, so to speak, that I had better get my son married, in order, so to speak, to save him from sin and so he will be at home, so to speak, according to the Law, while I will try, so to speak, to find something to do in town. It is a work of love, and it is proper. According to God's way, so to speak, it is better. And she is an orphan at that. For example, last year they took some wood from the clerk in just such a manner. They thought they would cheat him. And so they did, but God, so to speak, they did not cheat, well, and—
Scene XIII. The same, Nikíta, and Anyútka.
Nikíta. Did you call me? (Sits down, and takes out his tobacco.)
Peter (softly and reproachfully). Don't you know the proprieties? Your father sent for you, and you take out your tobacco, and seat yourself. Come here, and stand up!
- (Nikita stands up near the table, leaning carelessly against it, and smiling.)
Akím. There is, so to speak, Nikíta, a complaint against you.
Nikíta. Who complains?
Akím. Who? A girl, an orphan, so to speak, complains. There is a complaint against you, so to speak, from that same Marína.
Nikíta (laughing). Marvellous! What kind of a complaint is it? Who has told you about it? Maybe she herself?
Akím. I am now putting the questions, so to speak; and you must give the answers, so to speak. Did you tie yourself, so to speak, with the girl?
Nikíta. I can't positively make out what it is you are asking.
Akím. That is foolishness, so to speak, foolishness, I say; was there any foolishness between her and you, so to speak?
Nikíta. How do you mean it? Feeling lonely, I passed the time with the cook: I would play the accordion, and she would dance. What other foolishness do you mean?
Peter. Nikíta, don't beat about the bush. Answer straight to your father's questions.
Akím (solemnly). Nikíta! You may conceal it from men, but you will not conceal it from God. Nikíta, you must not, so to speak, lie! She is an orphan, so to speak, and it is easy to offend her. She is an orphan, so to speak. You tell me how it was.
Nikíta. I have nothing to tell. I am positively telling you everything, and there is nothing to tell. (Getting excited.) Of course, she may tell anything she pleases. Say anything you wish,—it does not affect me. Why did she not tell on Fédka Mikishkin? How is it nowadays? A person may not jest even. Nothing prevents her talking.
Akím. O Nikíta, look out! The lie will come to the surface. Was there anything or not?
Nikíta (aside). I declare he is persistent! (To Akím.) I told you that I know nothing. There has been nothing between us. (Angrily.) May Christ not allow me to come off this plank. (Crosses himself.) I know absolutely nothing. (Silence. Nikita proceeds more excitedly.) Why do you insist on my marrying her? This is really a scandal There is no law to compel a man to marry against his will. I have sworn that I know nothing.
Matréna (to her husband). You foolish, stupid man! You believe everything they tell you. You have disgraced your son for nothing. Better let him stay with the master, as he has been doing. The master will now give us ten roubles in advance. When the time comes—
Peter. Well, how is it now, Uncle Akím?
Akím (clicking his tongue, to his son). Look out, Nikíta! A tear of offence does not flow past, but, so to speak, upon a man's head. Look out, or the same will happen with you.
Nikíta. I have nothing to look out for. You had better look out yourself. (Sits down.)
Anyútka. I shall run and tell mother. (Runs away.)
Scene XIV. Peter, Akím, Matréna, and Nikíta.
Matréna (to Peter). So this is all there is to it, Peter Ignátych. He is a riotous fellow: if something gets into his head, you can't drive it out. We have troubled you in vain. Let my son live with you as he has heretofore. Keep my son,―he is your servant.
Peter. How is it now, Uncle Akím?
Akím. I did not force my son,―if only it is not so! I wanted, so to speak―
Matréna. You don't know yourself what you are talking about. Let him stay here, as he has until now. Our son does not want to go to the house. And we do not need him: we shall get along without him.
Peter. I must say this much, Uncle Akím: if you take him away for the summer, I do not need him in winter. If he is to stay here, it must be for a year.
Matréna. He will hire out for a year. If we need anybody during harvest time, we shall hire somebody. Let our son stay here, and you give us ten roubles now—
Peter. Is it, then, for another year?
Akím (sighing). Well, if it has to be, I suppose, so to speak.
Matréna. Again for a year, from the Saturday of St. Demetrius. You will not offend us about the price, but in the meantime let us have ten roubles. Excuse us now. (Rises and bows.)
Scene XV. The same, Anísya, and Anyútka.
Anísya (sits down at a distance away).
Peter. Well? If it is thus, let us go to the inn and celebrate the occasion. Come, Uncle Akím, and have some brandy.
Akím. I do not drink, that is, no liquor.
Peter. Well, then you will have some tea.
Akím. Tea is my weakness. I will take some.
Peter. And the women, too, will drink tea. You, Nikíta, drive in the sheep, and pick up the straw.
Nikíta. All right. (All exeunt, except Nikita. It is growing dark.)
Scene XVI. Nikíta alone.
Nikíta (lighting a cigarette). I declare, they insisted upon my telling them how I passed my time with the girls. It would take a long time to tell about that. "Marry her," says he. If I were to marry them all, I should have plenty of wives. What sense is there in my marrying, when I am living better than any married man, and people envy me? It was as though somebody pushed me to swear by the holy image. And thus I put a stop to the whole matter. They say it is dangerous to swear to an untruth. That is all foolishness,—nothing but talk. That is all.
Scene XVII. Nikíta and Akulína.
Akulína (enter, in caftan. Puts down the rope, takes off her caftan, and goes into the storeroom). Why don't you strike a light?
Nikíta. To look at you? I can see you without a light.
Akulína. Go to!
Scene XVIII. The same and Anyútka.
Anyútka (running in, in a whisper to Nikíta). Nikíta, go quickly, there is some one asking for you truly.
Nikíta. Who?
Anyútka. Marína from the railroad. She is standing around the corner.
Nikíta. You are fibbing.
Anyútka. Truly.
Nikíta. What does she want?
Anyútka. She wants you to come out. "I have but a word to say to Nikíta," says she. I began to ask her what it was, but she would not tell me. She asked me whether it was true that you are going to leave us. I told her that it was not true, that your father wanted to take you home and get you married, but that you had refused, and would stay another year with us. Then says she: "Send him to me, for Christ's sake. I must by all means speak one word to him." She has been waiting for quite awhile. Go to her.
Nikíta. God be with her,—I won't go.
Anyútka. She says that if you do not come she will go into the house to you. "Truly, I will," says she.
Nikíta. Never mind. She will stay there awhile, and then she will go away.
Anyútka. She asked me whether they wanted to marry you to Akulína.
Akulína (walks up to Nikita, back of her spinning-wheel). Who is to marry Akulína?
Anyútka. Nikíta.
Akulína. I declare! Who says so?
Nikíta. Evidently people say so. (Looks at her and laughs.) Akulína, will you marry me?
Akulína. You? Sometime ago I might have married you perhaps, but now I won't.
Nikíta. Why not now?
Akulína. Because you will not love me.
Nikíta. Why not?
Akulína. Because you are told not to. (Laughs.)
Nikíta. Who tells me not to?
Akulína. My stepmother. She is scolding all the time, and all the time watching you.
Nikíta (laughing). I declare! But you are shrewd.
Akulína. Who, I? Why shrewd? Am I blind? She gave father a terrible tongue-lashing to-day, that big-snouted witch. (Exit to the storeroom.)
Anyútka. Nikíta! Look there. (Looks through the window.) She is coming. Truly, she is. I am going away. (Exit.)
Scene XIX. Nikíta, Akulína (in the storeroom), and Marína.
Marína (enter). What are you doing with me?
Nikíta. What am I doing? Nothing.
Marína. You want to abandon me.
Nikíta (getting up, angrily). What good is there in your coming?
Marína. Ah, Nikíta!
Nikíta. Really, you are all queer— What did you come for?
Marína. Nikíta!
Nikíta. What about Nikíta? I am Nikíta. What do you want? Come now, talk!
Marína. I see you want to give me up and forget me.
Nikíta. What is there to remember? You don't know yourself. There you were standing around the corner, and you sent Anyútka for me. I did not come, so you ought to have known that I did not want you, very simply. Go away now!
Marína. You don't want me! Now you don't want me. And I believed you that you would love me. First you ruin me, and then you do not want me.
Nikíta. You are saying all this to no purpose and in vain. You have been talking to my father, too. Do me a favour and go away.
Marína. You know yourself that I have not loved anybody but you. I would not feel any worse for it, if you did not marry me. I am not guilty of anything before you, so why do you no longer love me? Why?
Nikíta. There is no sense in threshing out all this. Go away! O foolish women!
Marína. I am not pained because you have deceived me, having promised to marry me, but because you no longer love me. And not so much because you no longer love me as because you have exchanged me for another,—I know for whom.
Nikíta (angrily walks up to her). What good is there in discussing matters with a woman? She won't listen to reason. Go away, I say, or something bad will come of it.
Marína. Something bad? Well, you will beat me? Strike me! Don't turn your face away. O Nikíta!
Nikíta. It is not good. People might come upon us. What good is there in such useless talk?
Marína. So this is the end. What has been is not to be. You command me to forget. Remember, Nikíta! I had guarded my maiden honour like the apple of my eye; you have ruined me for nothing,—you have deceived me. You have not taken pity on an orphan (weeping); you have abandoned me. You have killed me, but I wish you no evil. God be with you! If you find some one better, you will forget me; if some one worse, you will think of me— You will think of me, Nikíta! Good-bye, if it has to be so. I have loved you so much! Good-bye for the last time. (Wants to embrace him, and grasps his head.)
Nikíta (tearing himself away). Oh, what a bother you are! If you do not go away, I will, and you can stay here.
Marína (crying aloud). You are a beast! (In the door.) God will not give you happiness! (Goes away weeping.)
Scene XX. Nikíta and Akulína.
Akulína (coming out of the storeroom). You are a dog, Nikita!
Nikíta. How so?
Akulína. How she wept! (Weeps.)
Nikíta. What is the matter with you?
Akulína. What? You have wronged her. You will wrong me the same way, you dog! (Goes into the storeroom.)
Scene XXI. Nikíta alone.
Nikíta (after a silence). It is a muddle. I love women like sugar; but when you have sinned with them it is terrible!
Curtain.