MiTRITCH. That girl? Oh yes. That girl turned out all right!
NAN. How was it? You were saying you found her?
MiTRITCH. Well, we just found her!
NAN. But where did you find her? Do tell!
MiTRITCH. Why, in their own house; that"s where! We came to a village, the soldiers began hunting about in the house, when suddenly there"s that same little girl lying on the floor, flat on her stomach. We were going to give her a knock on the head, but all at once I felt that sorry, that I took her up in my arms; but no, she wouldn"t let me!
Made herself so heavy, quite a hundredweight, and caught hold where she could with her hands, so that one couldn"t get them off! Well, so I began stroking her head. It was so bristly,--just like a hedgehog! So I stroked and stroked, and she quieted down at last. I soaked a bit of rusk and gave it her. She understood that, and began nibbling. What were we to do with her? We took her; took her, and began feeding and feeding her, and she got so used to us that we took her with us on the march, and so she went about with us. Ah, she was a fine girl!
NAN. Yes, and not baptized?
MiTRITCH. Who can tell! They used to say, not altogether. "Cos why, those people weren"t our own.
NAN. Germans?
MiTRITCH. What an idea! Germans! Not Germans, but Asiatics. They are just the same as Jews, but still not Jews. Polish, yet Asiatics. Curls ... or, Curdlys is their name.... I"ve forgotten what it is![8] We called the girl Sashka. She was a fine girl, Sashka was! There now, I"ve forgotten everything I used to know! But that girl--the deuce take her--seems to be before my eyes now! Out of all my time of service, I remember how they flogged me, and I remember that girl.
That"s all I remember! She"d hang round one"s neck, and one "ud carry her so. That was a girl,--if you wanted a better you"d not find one!
We gave her away afterwards. The captain"s wife took her to bring up as her daughter. So--she was all right! How sorry the soldiers were to let her go!
NAN. There now, daddy, and I remember when father was dying,--you were not living with us then. Well, he called Nikita and says, "Forgive me, Nikita!" he says, and begins to cry. (Sighs.) That also felt very sad!
MiTRITCH. Yes; there now, so it is....
NAN. Daddy! Daddy, I say! There they are again, making a noise in the cellar! Oh gracious heavens! Oh dear! Oh dear! Oh, daddy! They"ll do something to it! They"ll make away with it, and it"s so little! Oh, oh!
[Covers up her head and cries.
MiTRITCH (listening). Really they"re up to some villainy, blow them to shivers! Oh, these women are vile creatures! One can"t say much for men either; but women!... They are like wild beasts, and stick at nothing!
NAN (rising). Daddy; I say, daddy!
MiTRITCH. Well, what now?
NAN. The other day a traveller stayed the night; he said that when an infant died its soul goes up straight to heaven. Is that true?
MiTRITCH. Who can tell? I suppose so. Well?
NAN. Oh, it would be best if I died too.
[Whimpers.
MiTRITCH. Then you"d be off the list!
NAN. Up to ten one"s an infant, and maybe one"s soul would go to G.o.d.
Else one"s sure to go to the bad!
MiTRITCH. And how to the bad? How should the likes of you not go to the bad? Who teaches you? What do you see? What do you hear? Only vileness! I, though I"ve not been taught much, still know a thing or two. I"m not quite like a peasant woman. A peasant woman, what is she?
Just mud! There are many millions of the likes of you in Russia, and all as blind as moles--knowing nothing! All sorts of spells: how to stop the cattle-plague with a plough, and how to cure children by putting them under the perches in the hen-house! That"s what they know!
NAN. Yes, mother also did that!
MiTRITCH. Yes,--there it is,--just so! So many millions of girls and women, and all like beasts in a forest! As she grows up, so she dies!
Never sees anything; never hears anything. A peasant,--he may learn something at the pub, or maybe in prison, or in the army,--as I did.
But a woman? Let alone about G.o.d, she doesn"t even know rightly what Friday it is! Friday! Friday! But ask her what"s Friday? She don"t know! They"re like blind puppies, creeping about and poking their noses into the dungheap.... All they know are their silly songs. Ho, ho, ho, ho! But what they mean by ho-ho, they don"t know themselves!
NAN. But I, daddy, I do know half the Lord"s Prayer!
MiTRITCH. A lot you know! But what Can one expect of you? Who teaches you? Only a tipsy peasant--with the strap perhaps! That"s all the teaching you get! I don"t know who"ll have to answer for you. For a recruit, the drill-sergeant or the corporal has to answer; but for the likes of you there"s no one responsible! Just as the cattle that have no herdsman are the most mischievous, so with you women--you are the stupidest cla.s.s! The most foolish cla.s.s is yours!
NAN. Then what"s one to do?
MiTRITCH. That"s what one has to do.... You just cover up your head and sleep! Oh Lord!
[Silence. The cricket chirps.
NAN (jumps up). Daddy! Some one"s screaming awfully! Blest if some one isn"t screaming! Daddy darling, it"s coming here!
MiTRITCH. Cover up your head, I tell you!
[Enter NIKiTA, followed by MATRYoNA.
NIKiTA. What have they done with me? What have they done with me?
MATRYoNA. Have a drop, honey; have a drop of drink! What"s the matter?
[Fetches the spirits and sets the bottle before him.
NIKiTA. Give it here! Perhaps the drink will help me!
MATRYoNA. Mind! They"re not asleep! Here you are, have a drop!
NIKiTA. What does it all mean? Why did you plan it? You might have taken it somewhere!
MATRYoNA (whispers). Sit still a bit and drink a little more, or have a smoke. It will ease your thoughts!
NIKiTA. My own mother! My turn seems to have come! How it began to whimper, and how the little bones crunched ... krr.... I"m not a man now!
MATRYoNA. Eh, now, what"s the use of talking so silly! Of course it does seem fearsome at night, but wait till the daylight comes, and a day or two pa.s.ses, and you"ll forget to think of it!
[Goes up to NIKiTA and puts her hand on his shoulder.
NIKiTA. Go away from me! What have you done with me?
MATRYoNA. Come, come, sonny! Now, really, what"s the matter with you?
[Takes his hand.
NIKiTA. Go away from me! I"ll kill you! It"s all one to me now! I"ll kill you!