The Power of Darkness, Leo Tolstoy [ebook reader screen .TXT] 📗

marry me, Akoulína? Akoulína Who, you? Perhaps I might have afore, but I won’t now. Nikíta And why not now? Akoulína ’Cos you wouldn’t love me. Nikíta Why not? Akoulína ’Cos you’d be forbidden to. Laughs. Nikíta Who’d forbid it? Akoulína Who? My stepmother. She does nothing but grumble, and is always staring at you. Nikíta Laughing. Just hear her! Ain’t she cute? Akoulína Who? Me? What’s there to be cute about? Am I blind? She’s been rowing and rowing at dad all day. The fat-muzzled witch! Goes into closet. Nan Looking out of the window. Look, Nikíta, she’s coming! I’m blest if she isn’t! I’ll go away. Exit. Marína Enters. What are you doing with me? Nikíta Doing? I’m not doing anything. Marína You mean to desert me. Nikíta Gets up angrily. What does this look like, your coming here? Marína Oh, Nikíta! Nikíta Well, you are strange! What have you come for? Marína Nikíta! Nikíta That’s my name. What do you want with Nikíta? Well, what next? Go away, I tell you! Marína I see, you do want to throw me over. Nikíta Well, and what’s there to remember? You yourself don’t know. When you stood out there round the corner and sent Nan for me, and I didn’t come, wasn’t it plain enough that you’re not wanted? It seems pretty simple. So there⁠—go! Marína Not wanted! So now I’m not wanted! I believed you when you said you would love me. And now that you’ve ruined me, I’m not wanted. Nikíta Where’s the good of talking? This is quite improper. You’ve been telling tales to father. Now, do go away, will you? Marína You know yourself I never loved anyone but you. Whether you married me or not, I’d not have been angry. I’ve done you no wrong, then why have you left off caring for me? Why? Nikíta Where’s the use of baying at the moon? You go away. Goodness me! what a duffer! Marína It’s not that you deceived me when you promised to marry me that hurts, but that you’ve left off loving. No, it’s not that you’ve stopped loving me either, but that you’ve changed me for another, that’s what hurts. I know who it is! Nikíta Comes up to her viciously. Eh! what’s the good of talking to the likes of you, that won’t listen to reason? Be off, or you’ll drive me to do something you’ll be sorry for. Marína What, will you strike me, then? Well then, strike me! What are you turning away for? Ah, Nikíta! Nikíta Supposing someone came in. Of course, it’s quite improper. And what’s the good of talking? Marína So this is the end of it! What has been has flown. You want me to forget it? Well then, Nikíta, listen. I kept my maiden honour as the apple of my eye. You have ruined me for nothing, you have deceived me. You have no pity on a fatherless and motherless girl! Weeping. You have deserted, you have killed me, but I bear you no malice. God forgive you! If you find a better one you’ll forget me, if a worse one you’ll remember me. Yes, you will remember, Nikíta! Goodbye, then, if it is to be. Oh, how I loved you! Goodbye for the last time. Takes his head in her hands and tries to kiss him. Nikíta Tossing his head back. I’m not going to talk with the likes of you. If you won’t go away I will, and you may stay here by yourself. Marína Screams. You are a brute. In the doorway. God will give you no joy. Exit, crying. Akoulína Comes out of closet. You’re a dog, Nikíta! Nikíta What’s up? Akoulína What a cry she gave! Cries. Nikíta What’s up with you? Akoulína What’s up? You’ve hurt her so. That’s the way you’ll hurt me also. You’re a dog. Exit into closet. Silence. Nikíta Here’s a fine muddle. I’m as sweet as honey on the lasses, but when a fellow’s sinned with ’em it’s a bad lookout!

Curtain.

Act II

The scene represents the village street. To the left the outside of Peter’s hut, built of logs, with a porch in the middle; to the right of the hut the gates and a corner of the yard buildings. Anísya is beating hemp in the street near the corner of the yard. Six months have elapsed since the First Act.

Anísya Stops and listens. Mumbling something again. He’s probably got off the stove. Akoulína enters, carrying two pails on a yoke. Anísya He’s calling. You go and see what he wants, kicking up such a row. Akoulína Why don’t you go? Anísya Go, I tell you! Exit Akoulína into hut. He’s bothering me to death. Won’t let out where the money is, and that’s all about it. He was out in the passage the other day. He must have been hiding it there. Now, I don’t know myself where it is. Thank goodness he’s afraid of parting with it, so that at least it will stay in the house. If only I could manage to find it. He hadn’t it on him yesterday. Now I don’t know where it can be. He has quite worn the life out of me. Enter Akoulína, tying her kerchief over her head. Anísya Where are you off to? Akoulína Where? Why, he’s told me to go for Aunt Martha. “Fetch my sister,” he says. “I am going to die,” he says. “I have a word to say to her.” Anísya Aside. Asking for his sister? Oh my poor head! Sure he wants to give it her. What shall I do? Oh! To Akoulína. Don’t go! Where are you off to? Akoulína To call Aunt. Anísya Don’t go I tell you, I’ll go myself. You go and take the clothes to the river to rinse. Else you’ll not have finished by the evening. Akoulína But he told me to go. Anísya You go and do as you’re bid. I tell you I’ll fetch Martha myself. Take the shirts off the