PETUSHKoV. You were talking about your wife. How did you happen to separate?
FeDYA. Oh, that? (A pause.) It"s a rather curious story. My wife"s married.
PETUSHKoV. Oh, I see! You"re divorced.
FeDYA. No. (Smiling.) She"s a widow.
PETUSHKoV. A widow? What do you mean?
FeDYA. I mean exactly what I say. She"s a widow. I don"t exist.
PETUSHKoV (puzzled). What?
FeDYA (smiling drunkenly). I"m dead. You"re talking to a corpse.
[ARTIMIEV leans towards them and listens intently.
Funny, I seem to be able to say anything to you. And it"s so long ago, so long ago. And what is it after all to you but a story? Well, when I got to the climax of torturing my wife, when I"d squandered everything I had or could get, and become utterly rotten, then, there appeared a protector.
PETUSHKoV. The usual thing, I suppose?
FeDYA. Don"t think anything filthy about it. He was just her friend, mine too, a very good, decent fellow; in fact the opposite of myself.
He"d known my wife since she was a child, and I suppose he"d loved her since then. He used to come to our house a lot. First I was very glad he did, then I began to see they were falling in love with each other, and then--an odd thing began to happen to me at night. Do you know when she lay there asleep beside me (he laughs shrilly) I would hear him, pushing open the door, crawling into the room, coming to me on his hands and knees, grovelling, whining, begging me (he is almost shouting) for her, for her, imagine it! And I, I had to get up and give my place to him. (He covers his eyes with his hands in a.
convulsive moment.) Phew! Then I"d come to myself.
PETUSHKoV. G.o.d! It must have been horrible.
FeDYA (wearily). Well, later on I left her--and after a while, they asked me for a divorce. I couldn"t bear all the lying there was to be got through. Believe me it was easier to think of killing myself. And so I tried to commit suicide, and I tried and I couldn"t. Then a kind friend came along and said, "Now, don"t be foolish!" And she arranged the whole business for me. I sent my wife a farewell letter--and the next day my clothes and pocketbook were found on the bank of the river. Everybody knew I couldn"t swim. (Pause.) You understand, don"t you?
PETUSHKoV. Yes, but what about the body? They didn"t find that?
FeDYA (smiling drunkenly). Oh yes, they did! You just listen! About a week afterwards some horror was dragged out of the water. My wife was called in to identify it. It was in pretty bad shape, you know. She took one glance. "Is that your husband?" they asked her. And she said, "Yes." Well, that settled it! I was buried, they were married, and they"re living very happily right here in this city. I"m living here, too! We"re all living here together! Yesterday I walked right by their house. The windows were lit and somebody"s shadow went across the blind. (A pause.) Of course there"re times when I feel like h.e.l.l about it, but they don"t last. The worst is when there"s no money to buy drinks with.
[He drinks.
ARTIMIEV. (rising and approaching them). Excuse me, but you know I"ve been listening to that story of yours? It"s a very good story, and what"s more a very useful one. You say you don"t like being without money, but really there"s no need of your ever finding yourself in that position.
FeDYA. (interrupting). Look here, I wasn"t talking to you and I don"t need your advice!
ARTIMIEV. But I"m going to give it to you just the same. Now you"re a corpse. Well, suppose you come to life again!
FeDYA. What?
ARTIMIEV. Then your wife and that fellow she"s so happy with--they"d be arrested for bigamy. The best they"d get would be ten years in Siberia. Now you see where you can have a steady income, don"t you?
FeDYA. (furiously). Stop talking and get out of here!
ARTIMIEV. The best way is to write them a letter. If you don"t know how I"ll do it for you. Just give me their address and afterwards when the ruble notes commence to drop in, how grateful you"ll be!
FeDYA. Get out! Get out, I say! I haven"t told you anything!
ARTIMIEV. Oh, yes, you have! Here"s my witness! This waiter heard you saying you were a corpse!
FeDYA. (beside himself). You d.a.m.n blackmailing beast----
[Rising.
ARTIMIEV. Oh, I"m a beast, am I? We"ll see about that! (FeDYA rises to go, ARTIMIEV seizes him.) Police! Police! (FeDYA struggles frantically to escape.)
[The POLICE enter and drag him away.
CURTAIN
SCENE II
In the country. A veranda covered by a gay awning; sunlight; flowers; SOPHIA KAReNINA, LISA, her little boy and nurse.
LISA (standing C. in door. To the little boy, smiling), Who do you think is on his way from the station?
MISHA (excitedly). Who? Who?
LISA. Papa.
MISHA (rapturously). Papa"s coming! Papa"s coming!
[Exits L. through C. door.
LISA (contentedly, to SOPHIA KAReNINA). How much he loves Victor! As if he were his real father!
SOPHIA KAReNINA (on sofa L. knitting--back to audience). Tant mieux.
Do you think he ever remembers his father?
LISA (sighing). I can"t tell. Of course I"ve never said anything to him. What"s the use of confusing his little head? Yet sometimes I feel as though I ought. What do you think, Mamma?
SOPHIA KAReNINA. I think it"s a matter of feeling. If you can trust your heart, let it guide you. What extraordinary adjustments death brings about! I confess I used to think very unkindly of Fedya, when he seemed a barrier to all this. (She makes a gesture with her hand.) But now I think of him as that nice boy who was my son"s friend, and a man who was capable of sacrificing himself for those he loved. (She knits.) I hope Victor hasn"t forgotten to bring me some wool.
LISA. Here he comes. (LISA runs to the edge of the veranda.) There"s some one with him--a lady in a bonnet! Oh, it"s mother! How splendid!
I haven"t seen her for an age!
[Enter ANNA PaVLOVNA up C.
ANNA PaVLOVNA (kissing LISA). My darling. (To SOPHIA KAReNINA.) How do you do? Victor met me and insisted on my coming down.
[Sits bench L. C. beside SOPHIA.
SOPHIA KAReNINA. This is perfectly charming!