Without a Dowry and Other Plays

by Alexander Ostrovsky

  BELOGUBOV (pours a glass). That’s for you, Akim Akimych!… You won’t refuse me what I ask? I’ll bow down at your feet.

  YUSOV. What is it?

  BELOGUBOV. You remember the last time, sir, how you danced while the gramophone played “Over the Pavement”?5

  YUSOV. What will you think of next!

  BELOGUBOV. Make me happy, Akim Akimych! I’ll remember it all my life.

  YUSOV. All right, all right. Just for you! Tell them to play “Over the Pavement.”

  BELOGUBOV. Hey, Vasily! Play “Over the Pavement.” And stand by the door. Make sure nobody comes in.

  VASILY. Yes, sir. (He winds up the gramophone.)

  YUSOV (indicating Zhadov). I don’t like that one over there. No telling what he’ll think.

  BELOGUBOV (sitting down next to Zhadov). Brother, be one of the family. Akim Akimych is embarrassed because of you.

  ZHADOV. Why is he embarrassed?

  BELOGUBOV. He wants to dance. After work, brother, a man has to have some kind of diversion. He can’t work all the time; he has to amuse himself. So what! It’s innocent pleasure; we’re not hurting anybody.

  ZHADOV. Dance all you want. I’m not in your way.

  BELOGUBOV (to Yusov). It’s all right, Akim Akimych, he’s one of the family.

  VASILY. Do you want me to start?

  YUSOV. Start.

  The gramophone plays “Over the Pavement.” Yusov dances. At the end all but Zhadov applaud.

  BELOGUBOV. No, now you can’t get out of it, sir! We have to drink champagne! Vasily, a bottle of champagne! Does it come to much for everything?

  VASILY (calculates on the abacus). It comes to fifteen rubles, sir.

  BELOGUBOV. Here. (He gives him money.) Half a ruble for the tip.

  VASILY. Thank you very much, sir. (He leaves.)

  YUSOV (loudly). I suppose you young whippersnappers are laughing at the old man!

  FIRST OFFICIAL. How could we do that, Akim Akimych? We don’t know how to thank you.

  SECOND OFFICIAL. That’s right, sir.

  YUSOV. I have the right to dance. I’ve done everything required in life. My soul is calm, my past doesn’t weigh on me, I’ve provided for my family, and now I can dance. Now I rejoice in God’s world! If I see a little bird I rejoice in it, if I see a little flower I rejoice in that too: in everything I see a wondrous wisdom.

  Vasily brings a bottle, uncorks it, and pours while Yusov continues to speak.

  When I remember my own poverty I don’t forget my brother in need. I don’t condemn others like some of our young learned whippersnappers! What man can we condemn? Who knows, we ourselves might be in the same boat! Only today you may have laughed at a drunkard, but tomorrow you might be a drunkard yourself. You condemn a thief today, but tomorrow you might be a thief. How can we know our final end, who is destined for what? We know one thing, we’ll all be in the other world. Just now you were laughing (looking at Zhadov) because I was dancing, but tomorrow you might be dancing worse. Maybe (nodding in Zhadov’s direction) you’ll even go begging for charity, and you’ll hold out your hand. That’s what pride can lead to! Pride, pride! I danced from the fullness of my soul. I have joy in my heart, I’m calm in my soul! I’m not afraid of anybody! I’d dance right on the public square in front of everybody. And the people passing by’d say, “That man is dancing, he must have a pure soul!” And each and every one of them would go about his business.

  BELOGUBOV (raising his glass). Gentlemen! To the health of Akim Akimych! Hurrah!

  THE TWO OFFICIALS. Hurrah!

  BELOGUBOV. Akim Akimych, you would make us happy if you dropped in on us sometime. My wife and I are still young, you could give us advice, some lessons in morality, how to live in wedlock and meet our obligations. A man of stone would feel things listening to you.

  YUSOV. I’ll drop in sometime. (He takes the newspaper.)

  BELOGUBOV (pours a glass and takes it over to Zhadov). You see, brother, I can’t stay away from you.

  ZHADOV. Why don’t you let me read? An interesting article turned up, and you keep pestering me.

  BELOGUBOV (sitting down next to Zhadov). Brother, it’s wrong of you to hold a grudge against me. Let’s put all this hostility aside, brother. Eat something. Drink something. You’ll feel better. On my side there’s nothing important, sir. Let’s live like relatives.

  ZHADOV. It’s impossible for us to live like relatives.

  BELOGUBOV. But why, sir?

  ZHADOV. We’re not equals.

  BELOGUBOV. Yes, of course, every man to his own fate. Right now I’m living well, and you’re living in poverty. So what, I’m not proud of that. After all, that’s what fate does to some people. I’m supporting a whole family now and Mama too. I know you’re in need, brother. Maybe you need money, don’t be offended, I’ll give you as much as I can. I won’t even consider it a debt. What are accounts between relatives!

  ZHADOV. Where’d you get the idea of offering me money!

  BELOGUBOV. Brother, I’m well off now. It’s my duty to try and help you. I can see your poverty, brother.

  ZHADOV. What kind of a brother am I to you! Leave me alone.

  BELOGUBOV. If that’s how you want it! I meant well. I won’t hold it against you, brother. Only I feel sorry looking at you and your wife. (He goes off to Yusov.)

  YUSOV (throwing the newspaper aside). The things they write these days! Not a thing that’s morally uplifting! (He pours for Belogubov.) Drink it up, and let’s go.

  BELOGUBOV (drinks up). Let’s go.

  Vasily and Grigory hand them their coats.

  VASILY (hands Belogubov two packages). Here you are, sir.

  BELOGUBOV (sweetly). They’re for my wife, sir. I love her, sir.

  They leave. Dosuzhev enters.

  DOSUZHEV. “‘Tis not a flock of ravens that flew together there!”6

  ZHADOV. Right you are.

  DOSUZHEV. Let’s go to Marya’s Grove7 and have a good time.

  ZHADOV. I can’t.

  DOSUZHEV. Why not? You have a family? You have to take care of children?

  ZHADOV. I don’t have to take care of any children. My wife is waiting for me at home.

  DOSUZHEV. Has it been long since you saw each other?

  ZHADOV. What do you mean, long? This morning.

  DOSUZHEV. Well, that’s not so long. I was thinking you hadn’t seen each other for three days or so.

  Zhadov looks at him.

  Why do you look at me like that! I know what you’re thinking about me. You think I’m like those dandies who just left, but you’re wrong. They’re asses in lions’ skins! The skin alone is frightening. All the same, they frighten the common run of folk.

  ZHADOV. I have to admit, I can’t figure you out.

  DOSUZHEV. It’s like this. In the first place, I like to have a good time. And in the second place, I’m an awfully good lawyer. You were a student, I can see that, and I was a student too. I took a job with a small salary. I can’t take bribes, that just isn’t my nature, but a man has to have something to live on. Then I had an inspiration. I took up law and went in for writing up touching legal requests for merchants. So if you don’t want to go with me then let’s have a drink. Vasily, some vodka!

  Vasily goes off.

  ZHADOV. I don’t drink.

  DOSUZHEV. What country were you born it? That’s a lot of nonsense! It’s all right to do it with me. So, sir, I went in for writing those touching requests. You have no idea what these people are like! I’ll tell you.

  Vasily enters.

  Pour two glasses. This is for the whole bottle. (He gives some money.)

  ZHADOV. And from me for the tip. (He gives some money.)

  Vasily goes off.

  DOSUZHEV. Let’s drink!

  ZHADOV. All right, just for you. Only I really don’t drink.

  They clink glasses and drink. Dosuzhev pours some more.

  DOSUZHEV. If you write a request for some beardy old merchant and charge a little, then
he’ll ride all over you. He’ll get familiar and tell you, “Here, you pen-pusher you, here’s a tip for you.” I’ve come to have unlimited spite towards them. Let’s drink! As the saying goes, “If you drink you’ll die and if you don’t drink you’ll die, so you might as well drink and die.”

  They drink.

  So I started writing them to suit their taste. For example, you have to write a bill for one of them, and all it takes is ten strokes of the pen. But for him you write four pages. I begin this way: “Being encumbered with a multitudinous family numbering a quantity of members…” And you put in all the ornaments. You write it so he cries and his whole family cries to the point of hysterics. You have a good laugh at his expense, take a pile of money from him, and there he is respecting you and bowing to you from the waist. You can wrap him round your little finger. And all their fat mothers-in-law and grandmothers will try to hunt up a rich bride for you. That’s the kind of man they like. Let’s drink!

  ZHADOV. I’ve had enough!

  DOSUZHEV. To my health!

  ZHADOV. Well, if it’s to your health.

  They drink.

  DOSUZHEV. You need a lot of will power not to take bribes from them. They laugh at an honest official, and they’re only too ready to humiliate him because they find him inconvenient. So you have to be hard as flint! But really now, what’s the point in being a hero! Just worm a fur coat out of him and be done with it. The trouble is, I can’t do that. So I just take money from them for their ignorance, and I drink it up. Oh, why did you have to get married! Let’s drink. What’s your name?

  ZHADOV. Vasily.

  DOSUZHEV. That’s my name too. Let’s drink, Vasya.

  They drink.

  I can see you’re a good man.

  ZHADOV. What kind of a man am I! I’m still a child, with no idea of life at all. What you’ve told me is all new to me. It’s so hard on me! I just don’t know how I can bear it! Corruption all around, and I have so little strength! What did they educate us for?

  DOSUZHEV. Drink, it’ll make things easier.

  ZHADOV. No, no! (He lowers his head onto his arms.)

  DOSUZHEV. So you won’t go with me?

  ZHADOV. I won’t go. Why did you make me drink like this? What have you done to me!

  DOSUZHEV. Good-bye then. From now on we’ll be friends. You’re a bit high, my friend! (He shakes Zhadov’s hand.) Vasily, my coat! (He puts on his coat.) Don’t judge me too harshly. I’m a lost man. Try to be better than me, if you can. (He goes to the door and returns.) Yes! Here’s some more advice for you. Maybe you’ll take after me and start drinking. Don’t drink wine, drink vodka. People like you and me can’t afford wine, but vodka, my friend, is the best thing. You’ll forget your troubles, and it’s cheap! Adieu! (He leaves.)

  ZHADOV. No! Drinking’s no good! It doesn’t make things easier but even worse! (He becomes thoughtful. Vasily, following an order from the other room, starts up the gramophone. It plays the folk song “O Splinter.” Zhadov sings.) “O splinter, splinter of mine, splinter from birchwood!…”8

  VASILY. Sir, please! That’s not good, sir! It’s not proper, sir!

  Zhadov puts on his coat mechanically and leaves.

  ACT FOUR

  A very poor room. A window on the right, a table near the window. A mirror on the left wall.

  PAULINE. (alone, looking out the window). It’s so dull, I’m bored to death! (She sings.) “Mother mine, so dear to me, sun so warm and mild! Mother mine, caress your own tiny baby child.”9 (She laughs.) What a song to come into my head! (Again she becomes thoughtful.) I could get lost just from boredom. Should I tell my fortune from cards? Why not, there’s nothing to stop me. That’s possible, possible. Whatever else, that’s left to us. (She gets the cards from out of the table.) I feel so much like talking with somebody. If only somebody would come, I’d be happy, I’d cheer up right away. But the way it is, I’m all by myself, always by myself… And there’s no getting around it, I do like to talk. When we were at Mama’s morning would come, and we’d chatter away, chatter away, and not notice how the time passed. But now there’s not a soul to talk to. Should I run over to sister’s? It’s too late for that. What a fool I was not to think of that before. (She sings.) “Mother mine, so dear to me…” Oh, I forgot I was going to tell my fortune… What should I ask about? I’ll ask if I’m going to get a new hat. (She lays out the cards.) I’m going to get it, I’m going to get it… I’ll get it, I’ll get it. (She claps her hands, becomes thoughtful, and then sings.) “Mother mine, so dear to me, sun so warm and mild! Mother mine, caress your own tiny baby child.”

  Julie enters.

  Hello, hello!

  They kiss each other.

  How glad I am to see you. Take off your hat.

  JULIE. No, I just came for a minute.

  PAULINE. Oh sis, how nice you look!

  JULIE. Yes. Now I buy nothing but the best and latest from abroad.

  PAULINE. You’re lucky, Julie.

  JULIE. Yes, I can say that for myself, I’m lucky. But with you, Polly, things are just awful. You’re not in style at all. Nowadays everyone is supposed to live in luxury.

  PAULINE. But what can I do? It’s not my fault, is it?

  JULIE. And yesterday we were in the park.10 What fun, it was wonderful! Some merchant treated us to supper, champagne, different kinds of fruit.

  PAULINE. And I stay home alone all the time, dying from boredom.

  JULIE. Yes, Pauline, I’m a completely new woman. You just can’t imagine how money and the good life ennoble a person. I don’t bother any more with housework, that’s vulgar. All I bother with now is my looks. But you! You! This is awful! Tell me, please, just what is your husband doing?

  PAULINE. He doesn’t even let me visit you. He tells me to stay home and work.

  JULIE. How stupid! He makes himself out to be a smart man, but he doesn’t know the latest style. He ought to know that man is made for society.

  PAULINE. What was that?

  JULIE. Man is made for society. Who doesn’t know that? Nowadays absolutely everybody knows that.

  PAULINE. Good, I’ll tell him that.

  JULIE. Should you try arguing with him?

  PAULINE. I’ve tried that, but it doesn’t do any good. He always comes out right, and I’m wrong.

  JULIE. But he loves you, doesn’t he?

  PAULINE. He loves me very much.

  JULIE. And you love him?

  PAULINE. I love him too.

  JULIE. So, it’s your own fault, dear. You won’t get anything from men with affection. You give him affection, and he’ll just sit there not doing a thing, not thinking about you or himself.

  PAULINE. He works hard.

  JULIE. But what good comes from that work? My husband doesn’t work much, and you should see how we live. I must say, Onisim Panfilych is a perfect man for the house, a real head of the household. What we don’t have! And in such a short time! Where does he get it from! But your man? Really and truly, it’s a disgrace the way you’re living.

  PAULINE. What he always says is, “Stay home and work. Don’t envy the others. We’ll live well too.”

  JULIE. But when will that be? You’ll get old waiting, a lot of pleasure you’ll get from it then! Everyone’s patience can be exhausted.

  PAULINE. But what can I do?

  JULIE. He’s a tyrant, that’s all. Why waste words on him! Tell him you don’t love him, and that’s it. Or here’s what’s even better. You tell him you’re fed up with this kind of life, that you don’t want to live with him, that you’re moving to Mama’s, that he shouldn’t have any more to do with you. And I’ll let Mama know about it.

  PAULINE. Good, good! I’ll pull it off with style.

  JULIE. Do you think you can?

  PAULINE. Of course! I can play a scene as well as any actress. After all, we were trained for that at home from childhood. But now I’m home alone all the time, and working’s no fun. I talk to myself all the time; it’s amazing how well
I’ve caught onto it. Still, I’m going to feel a little sorry for him.

  JULIE. Don’t you show him any pity! I brought you a hat, Polly. (She takes it out of the box.)

  PAULINE. Oh, how charming! Thanks, sis, you’re a darling! (She kisses her.)

  JULIE. Your old one has gotten ugly.

  PAULINE. It’s disgusting! I hate to go out onto the street. But now I can tease my husband. Look, my dear, I’ll say, somebody bought this for me, and you guess who.

  JULIE. There’s no way out of it, Polly, and Mama and I’ll back you up as much as we can. Only please, don’t listen to your husband. Make it very clear to him you’re not about to love him just for the fun of it. You get this into your stupid little head, why should we love our husbands for nothing? A fine thing! Tell him, “Make sure I’ll shine in society, and then I can start loving you.” Because of some crazy whim he doesn’t want you to be happy, and you keep quiet. All he has to do is ask his uncle, and they’ll give him a position just as profitable as the one my husband has.

  PAULINE. I’ll start working on him right away.

  JULIE. Just imagine now. You’re so pretty, dressed in style, and you’re sitting in a theater… near a light… all the men have their opera glasses on you, staring at you.

  PAULINE. Don’t talk about it, sis, I’ll start to cry.

  JULIE. Here’s some money for you (she gets it out of her purse); some time you might need something, and with this you can manage without your husband. We have the means, so we’ve decided to help others.

  PAULINE. Thanks, sis! Only maybe he’ll get mad.

  JULIE. A lot that matters! Why pay any attention to him! It’s coming from relatives, not strangers. Why, just because of him, should you go hungry! Good-bye, Pauline.

  PAULINE. Good-bye, sis. (She sees her off. Julie leaves.) How clever our Julie is! But I’m an idiot, an idiot! (Seeing the box.) A new hat! A new hat! (She claps her hands.) I’ll be happy now for a whole week, if only my husband doesn’t get upset. (She sings.) “Mother mine, so dear to me…” (Etc.)