Without a Dowry and Other Plays

by Alexander Ostrovsky

  ALEXANDRA. What’s done is done. There’s no point in talking about it now!

  MME NYEGIN. Maybe I’m not educated, but I know how to talk with people. And you have a teacher teaching you…

  ALEXANDRA. Why bring that up about a teacher? … You just don’t understand any of this business so you have no reason to interfere.

  MME NYEGIN. But what is there to understand? He’s a student like any other. What’s so important about him, tell me that! He’s nothing high and mighty! We’ve seen plenty from his class in life. Nothing but talk… They’re the poorest of the poor. They can only show off, but they don’t have a decent frock coat to their name.

  ALEXANDRA. What has he done to you? … Why talk like that? Why are you tormenting me?

  MME NYEGIN. Just look now, what an important man we have here! Don’t dare say a word about him! No, my dear, nobody’s going to stop me; if I want, I’ll curse a man out, right to his face. I’ll pick out the most insulting words I can think of and let him have it… I want you to know what it means to quarrel with a mother, what it means to talk with a mother.

  ALEXANDRA. Go away!

  MME NYEGIN. And now it’s “Go away!” You can go away yourself if I’m crowding you.

  ALEXANDRA. I think somebody’s just driven up… Go, Mama! Who wants to listen to the kind of stupid talk we’ve been having!

  MME NYEGIN. Just for that I’m not going to leave… Look at her, she insults her mother in the worst way and then acts high and mighty… Stupid talk. I’m no more stupid than you or that student of yours, with all that shaggy hair.

  ALEXANDRA (looking out the window). It’s Velikatov! This is the first time he’s visited us… and the way things are here…

  MME NYEGIN. Don’t worry your precious head, miss, Mamselle Nyegin, famous actress, some of us aren’t any worse in dealing with people than you are… let me remind you.

  ALEXANDRA. Nina Smelsky is with him.

  MME NYEGIN. Yes, I’ll have you know there are people who know how to…

  ALEXANDRA. What horses, what horses!

  MME NYEGIN. Nina Smelsky can go riding, but we go on foot.

  Nina Smelsky and Velikatov enter.

  MME NYEGIN. Come in, please come in, Nina Vasilyevna!

  NINA. Hello, Domna Pantelyevna! I’ve brought you a guest, Ivan Semyonych Velikatov. (Velikatov bows.)

  MME NYEGIN. I’m so pleased to meet you. I’ve known you for a long time, and I’ve seen you often at the theater, but I’ve never had a chance to meet you.

  NINA. Hello, Sasha! I was getting ready to visit you, and I’d already put on my hat when Ivan Semyonych dropped in. So he’s tagged along. You don’t mind, do you?… She’s our hermit, you know.

  ALEXANDRA (gives Velikatov her hand). Really, how can you say that! I’m very glad to meet you. You should have thought of coming much sooner, Ivan Semyonych.

  VELIKATOV. I didn’t dare, Alexandra Nikolavna. I’m a shy man.

  NINA. Yes, shy, that’s him exactly!

  ALEXANDRA. Proud would be better.

  MME NYEGIN. That’s where you’re wrong. Ivan Semyonych is pleasant with everybody, I’ve seen that myself. He’s not proud at all.

  VELIKATOV. Not at all, Domna Pantelyevna.

  MME NYEGIN. I like to tell the truth.

  VELIKATOV. So do I, Domna Pantelyevna.

  ALEXANDRA. Sit down, Ivan Semyonych.

  VELIKATOV. Don’t go to any trouble, please! You two probably have something to do, don’t pay any attention to us. I’ll have a little chat with Domna Pantelyevna. (He sits down by the table.)

  Alexandra and Nina speak in a whisper.

  ALEXANDRA. That’s how it was, Nina…

  NINA. Really?

  ALEXANDRA. Yes. I don’t know what to do.

  NINA. You don’t know what to do? You should… (She speaks in a whisper.)

  MME NYEGIN. What are you doing whispering over there? Do you call that polite?

  VELIKATOV. Don’t bother them. Everyone has their own affairs.

  MME NYEGIN. What affairs! It’s all nonsense. You see, I know what they’re talking about. About clothes. That’s what their affairs are!

  VELIKATOV. For you and me clothes may be nonsense, but for them it’s something important.

  MME NYEGIN. She doesn’t have a dress for her benefit performance nor the money for it.

  VELIKATOV. There, you see! And you say it’s nonsense. (Looking out the window.) Are those your hens?

  MME NYEGIN. Which ones?

  VELIKATOV. Those Cochins there.

  MME NYEGIN. No, how could we ever breed Cochins! We did have four hens and a rooster—an eagle he was, not a rooster—but they were all stolen.

  VELIKATOV. And do you like hens, Domna Pantelyevna?

  MME NYEGIN. I’m crazy about them, sir. I love all kinds of birds.

  Meluzov enters.

  ALEXANDRA (to Velikatov). Allow me to introduce you. Peter Yegorych Meluzov. Ivan Semyonych Velikatov.

  NINA. You know what, Ivan Semyonych? Peter Yegorych is a student, he’s Sasha’s fiancé.

  VELIKATOV (giving his hand). I’m very pleased to meet you.

  MELUZOV. But why should you be pleased? That’s just an empty expression. We were introduced, now we’re acquainted, that’s all.

  VELIKATOV (politely). That’s quite true. Very many empty words get spoken, I agree with you there. But what I said, pardon me, was not an empty expression. I am pleased that actresses are marrying the right and proper people.

  MELUZOV. Well, if that’s the way it is… thank you! (He approaches and shakes Velikatov’s hand warmly.)

  ALEXANDRA. Come, Nina, I’ll show you my dress! Take a look and see if anything can be made of it. (To Velikatov.) Excuse us for leaving you. But I know you won’t be bored; you’ll be talking with an educated man, not the same as with us. Mama, come with us, open up the dresser.

  Alexandra, Nina and Mme. Nyegin go off.

  VELIKATOV (noticing the books on the table). Books and notebooks.

  MELUZOV. Yes, we’re learning little by little.

  VELIKATOV. There’s some progress?

  MELUZOV. Some, relatively speaking.

  VELIKATOV. Even that’s sufficient. Alexandra Nikolavna has little time. Almost every day a new play, and she has to prepare her role, to think about her costume. I don’t know how you feel about it, but it seems to me that it’s rather difficult to learn roles and grammar at the same time.

  MELUZOV. Yes, it doesn’t make for much comfort.

  VELIKATOV. At least there’s the urge, the desire. That in itself is a great thing. Honor and glory to you.

  MELUZOV. But what’s the glory for, may I ask?

  VELIKATOV. For your noble intentions. Who would ever take it into his head to teach grammar to an actress!

  MELUZOV. You’re not making fun of me, are you?

  VELIKATOV. No, not at all, I never permit myself that, I’m very fond of young people.

  MELUZOV. Really?

  VELIKATOV. I love to listen to them… it renews the spirit. Such high and noble plans… I’m even envious.

  MELUZOV. But what’s there to be envious about? Who’s stopping you from having your own high and noble plans?

  VELIKATOV. No, how could people like us have them, really! The prose of life has overwhelmed us. I’d be happy to be in such a heaven, but my sins won’t let me.

  MELUZOV. What kind of sins?

  VELIKATOV. Serious ones. Practical considerations, material calculations, those are the sins of people like me. I’m constantly moving in the sphere of the possible and the attainable. In that realm a man’s soul becomes petty, and high and noble plans don’t enter his head.

  MELUZOV. And what do you call noble plans?

  VELIKATOV. Plans that have very noble intentions and very little chance of success.

  Alexandra, Nina, and Mme. Nyegin enter.

  NINA (to Alexandra). All that, my dear, won’t be any use.

  ALEXANDRA. I see that too. Making a
new dress will be very expensive.

  NINA. But what can be done! It’s just impossible!… Let’s go, Ivan Semyonych.

  VELIKATOV. At your service. (He gives his hand to Alexandra.) I have the honor to present my regards!

  ALEXANDRA. What horses you have! I’d love to ride with them sometime.

  VELIKATOV. Whenever you want, just say the word. (He gives his hand to Meluzov, then to Mme. Nyegin.) Domna Pantelyevna, my respects! You know, you resemble my dear aunt!

  MME NYEGIN. Really?

  VELIKATOV. It’s quite amazing… such a resemblance… I almost called you “Aunty.”

  MME NYEGIN. Then call me that, what’s in the way!

  NINA. All right, then, let’s go. Good-bye, Sasha. Good-bye. (She bows to all.)

  VELIKATOV (to Mme. Nyegin). Good-bye, Aunty.

  Nina and Velikatov leave. Mme. Nyegin sees them to the door.

  MME NYEGIN. Oh, what a mischievous boy he is! (To Alexandra.) And you say he’s proud! He’s not proud at all. He’s just very well mannered. (She goes off.)

  ALEXANDRA (at the window). How they drove off! What style! She’s lucky, that Nina! One has to envy her.

  Meluzov embraces her.

  Oh, you and your bear hugs!… I don’t like them at all. No, Petya, stop bothering me.

  MELUZOV. Sasha, you haven’t shown me any tenderness at all. A fine engaged couple we make!

  ALEXANDRA. Later, Petya, later. Let me calm down a bit. I can’t think about that now.

  MELUZOV. If you can’t think about that then let’s get down to our studies.

  ALEXANDRA. Studies! I can’t get the benefit performance out of my mind. I don’t have a dress, that’s what’s so awful.

  MELUZOV. Let’s not talk about the dress, that’s not my field, I’m no good as a teacher in that line.

  ALEXANDRA. What I need now is not teaching but money.

  MELUZOV. I’m weak in that line too. As soon as I get a position I’ll buckle down to work, and then we’ll live in comfort. But now, Sasha, it’s time for our confession!

  ALEXANDRA. Oh, that’s always so hard for me!

  MELUZOV. Do you feel ashamed with me?

  ALEXANDRA. No, but somehow it’s painful… unpleasant.

  MELUZOV. You have to master that unpleasant feeling in yourself. After all, it was you who asked me to teach you how to live. So, how can I teach you if I don’t give you lessons? Simply tell me what you’ve felt, said and done, and then I’ll tell you how you ought to feel, talk and act. That way you’ll improve gradually, and in time you’ll be…

  ALEXANDRA. What’ll I be, my dear?

  MELUZOV. You’ll be an absolutely good woman, the kind that’s needed, the kind that’s required nowadays by your fellow man.

  ALEXANDRA. Yes, I feel grateful to you. I’ve already become so much better, I can feel it myself… And I owe it all to you, my darling… All right, let’s start.

  MELUZOV (sits down by the table). Sit next to me.

  ALEXANDRA (sits down next to him. Meluzov puts an arm around her). Listen. This morning Prince Dulyebov dropped in on me. He said my apartment’s no good, that’s it’s not proper to live like this. Well, that offended me, and I told him that if he didn’t like my apartment nobody was forcing him to stay here.

  MELUZOV. Good for you, Sasha! Go on.

  ALEXANDRA. Then he proposed that I move into another apartment, a good one.

  MELUZOV. Why does he want that?

  ALEXANDRA. Because he has a lot of tenderness in his soul and nobody to shower his affection on.

  MELUZOV (laughs loudly). Now there’s a syllogism for you! Since I don’t have anybody to shower my affection on but need to shower my affection, then this apartment is no good, and you have to move to a new apartment. (He laughs loudly.) Good work, Prince, we’re much obliged!

  ALEXANDRA. You can laugh all you want, but I was crying.

  MELUZOV. Which is how it should be. I should laugh, and you should cry.

  ALEXANDRA. But why?

  MELUZOV. Just think. If such conversations should make you laugh and me cry, would that be good?

  ALEXANDRA (thinking). Yes, that would be very bad. Oh, what a brain you have! (She strokes his head.) Tell me, Petya, why is it you’re so smart?

  MELUZOV. Whether I’m smart or not is an open question, but there’s no doubt I’m smarter than a lot of you. And that’s because I think more than I talk, but you people talk more than you think.

  ALEXANDRA. Well, now I’ll tell you something very secret… Only please, don’t you get mad at me. This is a vice we women have. Today I was envious.

  MELUZOV. Who can you be envious of, my dear? What for?

  ALEXANDRA. But don’t get mad! I’m envious of Nina… because she has so much fun, she goes riding with such horses. That’s bad, I know it’s bad.

  MELUZOV. Envy and jealously are dangerous feelings. Men know that all too well and take advantage of your weakness. Because of envy and jealousy a woman can do bad things.

  ALEXANDRA. I know, I know, I’ve known cases. It just came into my head for a moment, then I got the better of it.

  MELUZOV. We need just one thing, Sasha. You and I want to live a life of honest work, so why should we think about horses!

  ALEXANDRA. Yes, of course! And a life of work has its own pleasures. That’s so, isn’t it, Petya?

  MELUZOV. Exactly!

  ALEXANDRA. You have dinner with us. And after dinner I’ll read a role to you. That way we can have the whole day together. We’ll be getting used to a quiet family life.

  MELUZOV. What could be better!

  ALEXANDRA (listening). What’s that? Somebody drove up.

  Nina enters carrying two packages.

  NINA. Here, Sasha, this is for you! (She gives her one of the packages.) Ivan Semyonych bought these pieces of material for a dress for each of us. That one’s for you, and this one’s for me.

  They unwrap the packages and look at the two pieces of material.

  MELUZOV. But what right does he have to give presents to Alexandra Nikolavna?

  NINA. Oh please, lay off your sermons! Your philosophy’s out of place here. It’s not a gift at all. He’s giving it to her in return for a ticket to her benefit performance.

  MELUZOV. And what’s he giving you yours for?

  NINA. What business is that of yours! It’s because he loves me.

  ALEXANDRA. It’s exactly what I need, Nina. Oh, how nice!

  NINA. You know, I picked it out, I know what you need. Well, let’s go Sasha, let’s go quickly.

  ALEXANDRA. Where?

  NINA. For a ride. I have Ivan Semyonych’s horses. And after that we’ll have dinner at the railroad station restaurant. He’s invited the whole company, he wants to say good-bye to everybody. He’s leaving soon.

  ALEXANDRA (pensively). I really don’t know what to say.

  NINA. But what’s gotten into you! What’s there to think about! How can you say “no”? You really ought to thank him.

  MELUZOV. I’m curious. What are you going to do in this case?

  ALEXANDRA. Do you know what, Peter Yegorych? I think I must go. Otherwise it would be impolite. I could get all of the public against me. The Prince is already mad at me, and Velikatov could take offense too.

  MELUZOV. And just when are we going to get used to the quiet family life?

  NINA. That’ll come after the benefit performance, Peter Yegorych. This is hardly the time to think about family life. That’s even funny. There’ll still be time for family life to bore you, but now we have to take advantage of an opportunity.

  ALEXANDRA (decisively). No, Peter Yegorych, I’m going. It would really be bad to refuse.

  MELUZOV. Do what you want. It’s your affair.

  ALEXANDRA. It’s not a question of what I want. Maybe I don’t want it, but it’s necessary that I go. It’s really necessary, and there’s nothing to discuss.

  MELUZOV. Then go!

  NINA. Come on, get ready.

  ALEXANDRA. Rig
ht away. (She goes off behind the partition with her package.)

  NINA. You haven’t taken it into your head to get jealous, have you? Then don’t worry about it, for he’s leaving the day after tomorrow. And anyway, I’m not going to give him up to Sasha.

  MELUZOV. “I’m not going to give him up.” You’ll have to excuse me, but I don’t understand such relations between men and women.

  NINA. And how could you understand! You don’t really know life at all. But you just live with us awhile, and you’ll learn to understand everything.

  Alexandra enters dressed up.

  Well, let’s go! Good-bye. (She leaves.)

  ALEXANDRA. Petya, you come here tonight. We’ll study, and I’ll be smart. I’ll always obey you in everything, but this time forgive me. Well, good-bye, my dear! (She kisses him and rushes out.)

  MELUZOV (pulls his hat down low on his forehead). Hmm! (Thinking.) Time to walk home! What else is there to do!

  ACT TWO

  A town garden. To the right of the actors is the rear corner of a wooden theater with a stage-entrance door. Closer to the front of the stage is a garden bench. On the left, in the foreground and under trees, are a bench and a table. In the background under trees are small tables and garden furniture. The tragedian is sitting at a table, head lowered on hands. Narokov comes out of the theater.

  TRAGEDIAN. Martyn, is it the intermission?

  NAROKOV. The intermission. Are you on another binge?6

  TRAGEDIAN. Where’s my Vasya? Where’s my Vasya?

  NAROKOV. How should I know?

  TRAGEDIAN. Martyn, come here!

  NAROKOV (approaching). Well, here I am. What is it?

  TRAGEDIAN. Have you any money?

  NAROKOV. Not even a kreutzer.

  TRAGEDIAN. Martyn… for a friend! That’s a sublime word!

  NAROKOV. I don’t even have a sou. You can turn my pockets inside out.

  TRAGEDIAN. That’s disgusting.

  NAROKOV. It’s even worse.

  TRAGEDIAN (shaking his head). O people, people!…7

  Silence.

  Martyn!

  NAROKOV. What now?

  TRAGEDIAN. Go borrow some money.

  NAROKOV. Who from? You and I don’t have a lot of credit.

  TRAGEDIAN. O people, people!

  NAROKOV. Yes, it really is a case of “O people, people!”

  TRAGEDIAN. And you, Martyn, is something bothering you?