MATRYoNA. What do you mean, honey? Lord help you! Why are you turning it on to me? Mind, la.s.s, don"t go twisting matters from the sick on to the healthy. If anything were to happen, I stand aside! I know nothing! I"m aware of nothing! I"ll kiss the cross on it; I never gave you any kind of powders, never saw any, never heard of any, and never knew there were such powders. You think about yourself, la.s.s. Why, we were talking about you the other day. "Poor thing, what torture she endures. The step-daughter an idiot; the old man rotten, sucking her lifeblood. What wouldn"t one be ready to do in such a case!"
ANiSYA. I"m not going to deny it. A life such as mine could make one do worse than that. It could make you hang yourself or throttle him.
Is this a life?
MATRYoNA. That"s just it. There"s no time to stand gaping; the money must be found one way or other, and then he must have his tea.
ANiSYA. O-oh, my head, my head! I can"t think what to do. I am so frightened; he"d better die of himself. I don"t want to have it on my soul.
MATRYoNA (viciously). And why doesn"t he show the money? Does he mean to take it along with him? Is no one to have it? Is that right? G.o.d forbid such a sum should be lost all for nothing. Isn"t that a sin?
What"s he doing? Is he worth considering?
ANiSYA. I don"t know anything. He"s worried me to death.
MATRYoNA. What is it you don"t know? The business is clear. If you make a slip now, you"ll repent it all your life. He"ll give the money to his sister and you"ll be left without.
ANiSYA. O--oh dear! Yes, and he did send for her--I must go.
MATRYoNA. You wait a bit and light the samovar first. We"ll give him some tea and search him together--we"ll find it, no fear.
ANiSYA. Oh dear, oh dear; supposing something were to happen.
MATRYoNA. What now? What"s the good of waiting? Do you want the money to slip from your hand when it"s just in sight? You go and do as I say.
ANiSYA. Well, I"ll go and light the samovar.
MATRYoNA. Go, honey, do the business so as not to regret it afterwards. That"s right!
[ANiSYA turns to go. MATRYoNA calls her back.
MATRYoNA. Just a word. Don"t tell Nikita about the business. He"s silly. G.o.d forbid he should find out about the powders. The Lord only knows what he would do. He"s so tender-hearted. D"you know, he usen"t to be able to kill a chicken. Don"t tell him. "Twould be a fine go, he wouldn"t understand things.
[Stops horror-struck as PETER appears in the doorway.
PETER (holding on to the wall, creeps out into the porch and calls with a faint voice). How"s it one can"t make you hear? Oh, oh, Anisya!
Who"s there?
[Drops on the bench.
ANiSYA (steps from behind the corner). Why have you come out? You should have stayed where you were lying.
PETER. Has the girl gone for Martha? It"s very hard.... Oh, if only death would come quicker!
ANiSYA. She had no time. I sent her to the river. Wait a bit, I"ll go myself when I"m ready.
PETER. Send Nan. Where"s she? Oh, I"m that bad! Oh, death"s at hand!
ANiSYA. I"ve sent for her already. Peter. Oh, dear! Then where is she?
ANiSYA. Where"s she got to, the plague seize her!
PETER. Oh, dear! I can"t bear it. All my inside"s on fire. It"s as if a gimlet were boring me. Why have you left me as if I were a dog? ...
no one to give me a drink.... Oh ... send Nan to me.
ANiSYA. Here she is. Nan, go to father.
[NAN runs in. ANiSYA goes behind the corner of the house.
PETER. Go you. Oh ... to Aunt Martha, tell her father wants her; say she"s to come, I want her.
NAN. All right.
PETER. Wait a bit. Tell her she"s to come quick. Tell her I"m dying.
O--oh!
NAN. I"ll just get my shawl and be off.
[Runs off.
MATRYoNA (winking). Now, then, mind and look sharp, la.s.s. Go into the hut, hunt about everywhere, like a dog that"s hunting for fleas: look under everything, and I"ll search him.
ANiSYA (to MATRYoNA). I feel a bit bolder, somehow, now you"re here.
(Goes up to porch. To PETER.) Hadn"t I better light the samovar?
Here"s Mother Matryona come to see her son; you"ll have a cup of tea with her?
PETER. Well, then, light it.
[ANiSYA goes into the house. MATRYoNA comes up to the porch.
PETER. How do you do?
MATRYoNA (bowing). How d"you do, my benefactor; how d"you do, my precious ... still ill, I see. And my old man, he"s that sorry! "Go,"
says he, "see how he"s getting on." He sends his respects to you.
[Bows again.
PETER. I"m dying.
MATRYoNA. Ah, yes, Peter Ignat.i.tch, now I look at you I see, as the saying has it, "Sickness lives where men live." You"ve shrivelled, shrivelled, all to nothing, poor dear, now I come to look at you.
Seems illness does not add to good looks.
PETER. My last hour has come.
MATRYoNA. Oh well, Peter Ignat.i.tch, it"s G.o.d"s will you know, you"ve had communion, and you"ll have unction, G.o.d willing. Your missus is a wise woman, the Lord be thanked; she"ll give you a good burial, and have prayers said for your soul, all most respectable! And my son, he"ll look after things meanwhile.
PETER. There"ll be no one to manage things! She"s not steady. Has her head full of folly--why, I know all about it, I know. And my girl is silly and young. I"ve got the homestead together, and there"s no one to attend to things. One can"t help feeling it.
[Whimpers.