Without a Dowry and Other Plays

by Alexander Ostrovsky

  SILAN. Who? Move on, brother, move on. You don’t have any business here. Whatever there is is between the master and me. We don’t have to blow a trumpet.

  ARISTARKH. Don’t put on airs with me! The chief of police sent me. We’re looking for a witness.

  SILAN. Then why didn’t you say so! She went by, brother, she went by. (To Parasha with a bow.) You’ve been to prayers?

  PARASHA. God sent His mercy, Silanty.

  ARISTARKH (to Parasha). You go now, my beauty, into your little nest, and don’t worry about a thing, I’ll answer for you with my life. There’s going to be trouble, only not for you. Don’t be mad at your father. It wasn’t so much from spite as his weakness. What can you do when the wife rules the roost! But as for that villain, God willing, we’ll curb her tongue.

  Parasha goes off into the house.

  SILAN (loudly). Keep watch!

  Gradoboev, Vasya, Sidorenko, some policemen and invalid soldiers enter.

  GRADOBOEV (to Sidorenko). Station your command at the windows, the doors, and the gate so even a fly can’t get by. Oh ho ho! So I can’t find stolen money! Can’t find stolen money! I’ll show him how I can’t find it. I’ll find his money and stick his nose in it. Look, I’ll say, look! I can’t find it? Do you see it now? And now, so you won’t go on insulting old and deserving officers, I’ll just put this here money in my pocket. Sidorenko, do you have those papers with you, to write the decree?

  SIDORENKO. I have them, Your Honor.

  GRADOBOEV. Are the witnesses here?

  SIDORENKO. They’re behind the gate, Your Honor.

  GRADOBOEV (to Silan). Now you bring us your master.

  SILAN. You mean wake him? But what good’s that? When he’s just waked up he’s crazy!

  Kuroslepov comes out onto the porch.

  But there he is himself…Now you can do what you want with him…

  KUROSLEPOV (on the porch). That’s nuts for you! Matryona, Matryona, you haven’t seen where the nuts are, have you? (He looks up.) Oh Lord! It’s falling again! There, there… No, it’s not falling, but it’s as if cut in two…

  SILAN (to Gradoboev). You hear what he’s saying.

  KUROSLEPOV. Matryona! Silan! Hey! Anyone alive here!

  Matryona appears in the doorway of the wing.

  SIDORENKO (barring her way). It’s not permitted!

  MATRYONA. Aie! (She goes off into the wing.)

  KUROSLEPOV. So, somebody’s getting killed. Just try and live here. Stealing in the house and robbing outside. It’s clear the last days have come, that crack in the sky had a reason.

  GRADOBOEV. That’s enough of your forecasting! Come here, we’ve been waiting for you a long time.

  KUROSLEPOV. What kind of man are you?

  GRADOBOEV. Come down, I tell you! We don’t have time to waste.

  KUROSLEPOV. Ah! So it’s you! Well, now I feel a lot better. But it’s happened again, brother… a whole bag of nuts.

  GRADOBOEV. It’ll be found.

  KUROSLEPOV. Yes, that’s what you always say, it’ll be found, but nothing ever gets found. You promised…

  GRADOBOEV. Well, I have news for you. Your money’s been found, only it’s awkward to take it.

  KUROSLEPOV. How come?

  GRADOBOEV. You’ll see for yourself! Let’s go together.

  KUROSLEPOV. Let’s go.

  GRADOBOEV. Zhigunov, bring your command. Forward, march!

  Zhigunov and several soldiers march into the wing.

  KUROSLEPOV. Stop!

  GRADOBOEV (to Zhigunov). Halt!

  KUROSLEPOV. There’s something I want to ask you, to put my mind at rest… Look up.

  GRADOBOEV. I’m looking.

  KUROSLEPOV. Did the sky crack? Is it a little on the slant?

  GRADOBOEV. What do you think I am, an astronomer or something? I’m busy up to my neck without that. If it’s cracked, let them fix it. What does that have to do with us! March!

  The door to the wing opens. Matryona appears in an overcoat and hat.

  SIDORENKO (not letting her by). Not permitted.

  KUROSLEPOV. Now my death has come! Whatever wonders happened to me before, this never did. No, it’s clear enough, my friend, no matter how hard I try, I can’t get away from it all. Because, look! Here I am with you, but over there, on the threshold, there I am again.

  Matryona, catching sight of her husband, disappears into the wing.

  GRADOBOEV. You’ll see more than that, just wait! March!

  Zhigunov and the soldiers go off into the wing, Gradoboev and Kuroslepov following.

  ARISTARKH (to Vasya). Now, Vasily, your affairs are taking a turn for the better.

  VASYA. And I’m going to be strict with him, because he shouldn’t dare put me to shame! I’ll get even with him for taking away my honor… He would have put me in the army, and all because of him I’d have been in bondage. But now, the way things have worked out, I can be bold and demand his daughter. We may be little people, but what right does that give him to stain our name! No, now he can give me his daughter. Everybody knows I climbed over the fence to see her, you can’t keep that a secret in our town. So what it means is, I’m her fiancé. That’s the custom with us.

  ARISTARKH. Do what’s best for you, brother.

  VASYA. For I’m a man with character, Aristarkh, a lot of it. And people like us aren’t going to let anyone step all over us.

  Out of the wing come Gradoboev; Kuroslepov; Matryona; Narkis, bound; Zhigunov and the soldiers.

  GRADOBOEV (to Kuroslepov). Do you understand now?

  KUROSLEPOV. Why shouldn’t I understand? I wasn’t born yesterday. Well, Matryona Kharitonovna, what do you have to say for yourself?

  MATRYONA. Do you think I did it of my own free will? You can see yourself, it was the devil mixed me up. The whole blame should be put on him. He mixed me up, mixed me up, that’s what it was…No matter how hard I fought against him, no matter how I asserted myself, you can see how strong he is… He can rock mountains, let alone us sinners in our weakness.

  KUROSLEPOV. Is that so? Mountains… Yesterday you were preaching at us that at your father’s it was better than anywhere, that they do all kinds of things for you there, so now you can just go hotfooting it to him!

  MATRYONA. Of course. And I ought to enter a complaint about you. Who is there here to stand up for me! At least I can complain to my father that you put me to shame. Since you’ve been a scoundrel to me all my life here, what more could I expect from you? And what’s more, we’ll take you to court for a big trial.

  KUROSLEPOV. That’s not so frightening. For now you ought to hide your nose in your pillow for shame. And tomorrow, as soon as it’s light, we’ll send you off.

  Matryona goes off.

  GRADOBOEV. That’s how to do it, good for you.

  KUROSLEPOV (to Narkis). And what do you say about it?

  NARKIS. A fat lot I care.

  KUROSLEPOV. You’re not going to be praised for that.

  NARKIS. Well, whatever happens, at least I’ve had some fun. It’s a shame I didn’t join up with those robbers! That’s my real calling.

  GRADOBOEV. So then, what are we going to do with him? Make a decree and get the business started in proper form?

  KUROSLEPOV. What for, why dirty up your paper? Tell them to take him to jail. We’ll put him in the army instead of Vaska, and that’s the end of it!

  GRADOBOEV. Sidorenko, take him to jail and let the witnesses go. Hey you, soldiers! March home!

  They go off, taking Narkis with them.

  VASYA. But really, what is all this! Why were you against me when I was innocent all the time? Do you think that’s good, to wrong me like this!

  KUROSLEPOV. I did wrong, brother! I was in too much of a hurry. You’ll have to be in the army, only not right away. Well, all right then, since you’re innocent, you can have fun for a while, till your turn comes.

  GRADOBOEV. So, I have your money here, you and I’ll divide it up tomorrow. You remember our convers
ation, how you insulted me, and we’ll settle that then. But right now it would be a good thing to wet our whistle after our labors, drink a toast to what we’ve recovered.

  KUROSLEPOV. Silanty, tell them to bring champagne.

  SiIan goes off.

  GRADOBOEV. So now you’ll lead a normal life, your daughter in charge of the household, and you be sure to take a good son-in-law into the house.

  KUROSLEPOV. Daughter! My daughter ran away.

  GRADOBOEV. That’s something you saw in a dream.

  KUROSLEPOV. What’s that again!

  ARISTARKH. It was a dream, Your Excellency.

  KUROSLEPOV. What are you talking about!

  Silan enters.

  Where’s my daughter?

  SILAN. Where should she be! As everybody knows, she’s home.

  Parasha enters with a bottle of champagne and a glass on a tray.

  Here she comes now with something to drink.

  KUROSLEPOV. Wait! (He leads Gradoboev aside.) Listen, be my friend, I beg you with tears in my eyes, tell me honestly: have I gone absolutely crazy or is there a spark of sanity left inside me? If I’m absolutely crazy, then you better put me behind bars so I won’t mix with people.

  GRADOBOEV. Look me in the eye! No, it’s too early for you yet behind bars, you can still have some fun. I’ll tell you when.

  KUROSLEPOV. Well, all right. (To Parasha.) Serve our guests. You’d better get used to being lady of the house.

  Parasha pours a glass and gives it to Aristarkh.

  That just shows how little you know. Serve people in order of rank.

  PARASHA. I don’t know those ranks of yours, I’m serving first the one who loves me most. If I’m lady of the house then don’t give me lessons. (She serves Gradoboev.)

  GRADOBOEV (drinks). Really, brother, you ought to marry her off, it’s time. Everything tells me it’s time.

  Parasha serves her father.

  KUROSLEPOV. Do you want to get married?

  PARASHA. Why not! Only I’ll tell you ahead of time, so we won’t have an argument! Give me the man I love myself. Don’t you try forcing me against my will! For if I get married against my will, then, with the kind of heart I have, don’t expect any good from it.

  GRADOBOEV. So that’s what she’s like! I say, marry her off quick!

  A loud knock at the gate.

  SILAN. Now who! (He opens up.)

  Gavrilo runs in.

  GAVRILO (not noticing Parasha). Good Lord! I’m exhausted! Pavlin Pavlinych! I’m all out of breath! There’s trouble!

  KUROSLEPOV. What happened, did you break loose from the gallows?

  GAVRILO. Worse than that! They took her away, they took her out of my hands!

  KUROSLEPOV. Who?

  GAVRILO. Your daughter, your Praskovya Pavlinovna! I was running to help her, but he took a shot at me with a pistol. But that doesn’t matter! I’d gladly give my life for her, but he didn’t kill me, he didn’t kill me.

  KUROSLEPOV. I can see he didn’t kill you.

  GAVRILO. I organized two villages, and we searched the whole woods, but there wasn’t anyone, he’d carried her off. They took her out of my hands, out of my hands… Pavlin Pavlinych! (He bows.)

  KUROSLEPOV. Now what should I do with him? Try water from the tub on him?

  GAVRILO. Oh God, my friends! It was an evil fate that made me take her along, fool that I was! What for me was dearer than anything in the world, what I would guard like the apple of my eye… I think I could spend all day just blowing every speck of dust off her. And here just like that they took her from me…

  KUROSLEPOV. Well, Gavrilka, I can see you and I’ll have to be chained together!

  GAVRILO. You forgive me, for God’s sake! I just ran in to tell you, and so for me there’s only one thing left…From the bridge, from the bridge! From the very middle and with a rock. Forgive me, Orthodox Christians, if in some way there’s somebody I’ve… (Catching sight of Parasha.) Oh! (He wants to run away.)

  SILAN (stopping him). Hold on there! Where are you going? That’s quite a joke, your bridge there!… Some calamity you thought up! But I’m not going to let you… There’s no good in that, believe me.

  Aristarkh goes up to Gavrilo and whispers in his ear.

  PARASHA. It’s all right, it’ll pass off. He’s unhappy because they took away his job. (She serves Gradoboev.) Please!

  KUROSLEPOV. You ought to have another bottle brought for us.

  PARASHA. It’ll be brought right away. Silanty! Get a bottle from the hallway.

  Silan goes off.

  Just now I began to say something, but I didn’t finish. (To her father.) You give me your absolute promise you won’t make me marry somebody who’s not dear to me.

  GRADOBOEV. Yes, and we’ll be witnesses.

  KUROSLEPOV. I’ll give it to you right now if you want. Tell me the man you love, and you can marry him.

  PARASHA. The man I love? Tell you that? Well, all right, I’ll tell! (She takes Vasya by the hand.) Here’s the man I love.

  GAVRILO (wipes away tears). Well, thank God!

  VASYA. Yes, now you can speak right out.

  PARASHA. And now I will speak right out. (To her father.) Here’s how much I love this man. When you wanted to send him into the army, even then I wanted to marry him, I wasn’t afraid to be a soldier’s wife.

  GAVRILO. That’s good, everything’s fine now.

  PARASHA. And now, when he’s free, and I have the money, and there’ll be a dowry, and nobody to stop us…

  GAVRILO. God grant it!

  PARASHA. Now I’d marry him only I’m afraid he’d leave his wife to become a dancer. So I won’t marry him even if you cover me with gold from head to foot. He couldn’t manage to take me when I was poor, so he won’t when I’m rich. But here is the man I’m going to marry. (She takes Gavrilo.)

  GAVRILO. No, no, Miss! You made a mistake. That’s not it at all, Miss.

  PARASHA (to her father). If you won’t give me to him, then we’ll run off and get married. He doesn’t have any money nor do I. But we won’t let that frighten us. We’ll manage somehow. At least we could deal in rotten apples at bazaars, but we won’t go into bondage to anybody! But what means most to me is to know for sure that he’ll love me. I saw him for one day, but I’ll entrust myself to him for the rest of my life.

  GAVRILO. But that’s impossible, how can you say that!

  PARASHA. And why is it impossible?

  GAVRILO. What kind of a match am I for you! Am I really an honest-to-goodness man, like the others?

  PARASHA. And why aren’t you an honest-to-goodness man?

  GAVRILO. That’s how it is, Miss, I’m not a complete man. I’ve been grabbed a lot by the back of the neck, from the very start to this very day, so I’ve a lot of feelings knocked out of me, the kind a man ought to have. I can’t walk straight ahead, can’t look people in the eye, can’t do anything.

  GRADOBOEV. That’s all right. You’ll get straightened out after a while.

  KUROSLEPOV. Well, all right then, marry Gavrilka. There’ll be more honor in the house than there’s been so far.

  PARASHA. Thank you, Daddy, for remembering me, a poor orphan. It’s been many years now, but this is the first I can bow to you with the feeling a daughter ought to have. For a long time I’ve been a stranger to you, but it wasn’t my fault. I don’t want to force my love on you, but if you want my love, then try to cherish it. Godfather, we’ll take you on as assistant in place of Narkis. You can move in tomorrow.

  Silan brings some wine.

  KUROSLEPOV. You didn’t even ask me.

  PARASHA. If it’s something I don’t know about, I’ll ask, but if it’s something I know about, why should I ask?

  KUROSLEPOV. Well, all right, you do the managing, you do the managing.

  PARASHA (serving the wine). Please!

  GRADOBOEV. Congratulate the bride and groom!

  KUROSLEPOV. So, children, may God grant you a better fate than ours.

 
GAVRILO. We humbly thank you, sir. (To Parasha.) But is this all really true, Miss?

  GRADOBOEV. Now that we’ve drunk to it, that means it’s all settled.

  KUROSLEPOV. How many days are there in this month, thirty-seven or thirty-eight?

  GRADOBOEV. Whatever it is, it seemed like a long month.

  KUROSLEPOV. It was long all right.

  GRADOBOEV. But why keep count! No matter how many days it adds up to, you still have to live to the next month.

  KUROSLEPOV. Yes, of course, you have to. Only it’s been an unlucky month for me. What’ll the new one be like? What only didn’t happen to me this month! Money stolen, people not paying their debts; yesterday I thought the end of the world was here, today the sky kept falling, and twice I dreamed I was in hell.

  GRADOBOEV. Did they judge you worthy of acceptance?

  PARASHA. Well, dear guests, I can see it’s Daddy’s bedtime. He’s already begun to say this, that, and the other.

  GRADOBOEV. Well, good-bye. When’s the betrothal going to be?

  PARASHA. Give us a little time to put things in order, and we’ll send out invitations. Good-bye, Godfather. Good-bye, Vasya. Don’t be mad at us, visit us.

  All leave.

  (To her father.) So, good night, Daddy. Sleep, and God be with you! And now I’ve lived to see beautiful days, now I’m going to stay out in the open all night long with my darling under our little tree, and I’ll tell him openly whatever I, a young maiden, want to say. He and I’ll chirp together like the swallows till the clear dawn itself. Then the little birds will wake up, and they’ll start chirping their way, it’ll be their turn, and then we’ll part and go home.

  She embraces Gavrilo. They sit down on the bench under the tree.

  CURTAIN

  NOTES

  1. F.A. Burdin, a friend of Ostrovsky and an actor in St. Petersburg, was responsible for the predating of the play’s action. The censor felt that the portrayal of the chief of police had too much contemporary relevance. Burdin managed to get the play through censorship by predating the action on his own, notifying Ostrovsky later. We need not take too seriously the fact that the office of gorodnichii (chief of police) was abolished in 1862, and we can safely assume that the play reflects the recent past relative to 1869. It is of incidental interest that the play reflects a certain amount of social change in the decade following Ostrovsky’s writing of The Thunderstorm. See next note.