MATRYoNA. What is it, sonny?
NIKiTA. Mother, my own mother, I can"t do any more! Can"t do any more!
My own mother, have some pity on me!
MATRYoNA. Oh dear, how frightened you are, my darling! Come, come, drink a drop to give you courage!
NIKiTA. Mother, mother! It seems my time has come! What have you done with me? How the little bones crunched, and how it whimpered! My own mother! What have you done with me?
[Steps aside and sits down on the sledge.
MATRYoNA. Come, my own, have a drink! It certainly does seem uncanny at night-time. But wait a bit. When the day breaks, you know, and one day and another pa.s.ses, you"ll forget even to think of it. Wait a bit; when the girl"s married we"ll even forget to think of it. But you go and have a drink; have a drink! I"ll go and put things straight in the cellar myself.
NIKiTA (rouses himself). Is there any drink left? Perhaps I can drink it off!
[Exit.
[ANiSYA, who has stood all the time by the door, silently makes way for him.
MATRYoNA. Go, go, honey, and I"ll set to work! I"ll go down myself and dig! Where has he thrown the spade to? (Finds the spade, and goes down into the cellar.) Anisya, come here! Hold the light, will you?
ANiSYA. And what of him?
MATRYoNA. He"s so frightened! You"ve been too hard with him. Leave him alone, he"ll come to his senses. G.o.d help him! I"ll set to work myself. Put the lantern down here. I can see.
[MATRYoNA disappears into the cellar.
ANiSYA. (looking towards the door by which Nikita entered the hut).
Well, have you had enough spree? You"ve been puffing yourself up, but now you"ll know how it feels! You"ll lose some of your bl.u.s.ter!
NIKiTA (rushes out of the hut towards the cellar). Mother! Mother, I say!
MATRYoNA (puts out her head). What is it, sonny?
NIKiTA (listening) Don"t bury it, it"s alive? Don"t you hear? Alive!
There--it"s whimpering! There ... quite plain!
MATRYoNA. How can it whimper? Why, you"ve flattened it into a pancake!
The whole head is smashed to bits!
NIKiTA. What is it then? (Stops his ears.) It"s still whimpering! I am lost! Lost! What have they done with me?... Where shall I go?
[Sits down on the step.
CURTAIN
VARIATION
Instead of the end of Act IV. (from the words, "ANiSYA. I"ll find one.
I know how to do it. [Exit]") the following variation may be read, and is the one usually acted.
SCENE II
The interior of the hut as in Act I.
NAN lies on the bench, and is covered with a coat. MiTRITCH is sitting on the oven smoking.
MiTRITCH. Dear me! How they"ve made the place smell I Drat "em!
They"ve been spilling the fine stuff. Even tobacco don"t get rid of the smell! It keeps tickling one"s nose so. Oh Lord! But it"s bedtime, I guess.
[Approaches the lamp to put it out.
NAN (jumps up, and remains sitting up). Daddy dear,[7] don"t put it out!
MiTRITCH. Not put it out? Why?
NAN. Didn"t you hear them making a row in the yard? (Listens.) D"you hear, there in the barn again now?
MiTRITCH. What"s that to you? I guess no one"s asked you to mind! Lie down and sleep! And I"ll turn down the light.
[Turns down lamp.
NAN. Daddy darling! Don"t put it right out; leave a little bit if only as big as a mouse"s eye, else it"s so frightening!
MiTRITCH (laughs). All right, all right. (Sits down by her.) What"s there to be afraid of?
NAN. How can one help being frightened, daddy! Sister did go on so!
She was beating her head against the box! (Whispers.) You know, I know ... a little baby is going to be born.... It"s already born, I think....
MiTRITCH. Eh, what a little busybody it is! May the frogs tick her!
Must needs know everything. Lie down and sleep! (NAN lies down.) That"s right! (Tucks her up.) That"s right! There now, if you know too much you"ll grow old too soon.
NAN. And you are going to lie on the oven?
Mitrich. Well, of course! What a little silly you are, now I come to look at you! Must needs know everything. (Tucks her up again, then stands up to go.) There now, lie still and sleep!
[Goes up to the oven.
NAN. It gave just one cry, and now there"s nothing to be heard.
MiTRITCH. Oh Lord! Gracious Nicholas! What is it you can"t hear?
NAN. The baby.
MiTRITCH. There is none, that"s why you can"t hear it.