by Leo Tolstoy
ANISYA [imitating him] “Some other way?” Seems we can’t “some other way!” You should have thought about it a year ago. Do what you’re told to!
NIKITA. Oh dear, what a go!
Enter Nan.
NAN. Mother! Grandmother’s calling! I think sister’s got a baby! May I die, it screamed!
ANISYA. What are you babbling about? Plague take you! It’s kittens whining there. Go into the hut and sleep, or I’ll give it you!
NAN. Mammy dear, truly, I swear . . .
ANISYA [raising her arm as if to strike] I’ll give it you! You be off and don’t let me catch sight of you! [Nan runs into hut. To Nikita] Do as you’re told, or else mind! [Exit].
NIKITA. [alone. After a long silence] Here’s a go! Oh these women! What a fix! Says you should have thought of it a year ago. When’s one to think beforehand? When’s one to think? Why, last year this Anisya dangled after me. What was I to do? Am I a monk? The master died; and I covered my sin as was proper, so I was not to blame there. Aren’t there lots of such cases? And then those powders. Did I put her up to that? Why, had I known what the bitch was up to, I’d have killed her! I’m sure I should have killed her! She’s made me her partner in these horrors—that jade! And she became loathsome to me from that day! She became loathsome, loathsome to me as soon as mother told me about it. I can’t bear the sight of her! Well then, how could I live with her? And then it begun. . . . That wench began hanging round. Well, what was I to do! If I had not done it, someone else would. And this is what comes of it! Still I’m not to blame in this either. Oh, what a go! [Sits thinking] They are bold, these women! What a plan to think of ! But I won’t have a hand in it!
Enter Matryona with a lantern and spade, panting.
MATRYONA. Why are you sitting there like a hen on a perch? What did your wife tell you to do? You just get things ready!
NIKITA. What do you mean to do?
MATRYONA. We know what to do. You do your share!
NIKITA. You’ll be getting me into a mess!
MATRYONA. What? You’re not thinking of backing out, are you? Now it’s come to this, and you back out!
NIKITA. Think what a thing it would be! It’s a living soul.
MATRYONA. A living soul indeed! Why, it’s more dead than alive. And what’s one to do with it? Go and take it to the Foundlings’—it will die just the same, and the rumor will get about, and people will talk, and the girl be left on our hands.
NIKITA. And supposing it’s found out?
MATRYONA. Not manage to do it in one’s own house? We’ll manage it so that no one will have an inkling. Only do as I tell you. We women can’t do it without a man. There, take the spade, and get it done there,—I’ll hold the light.
NIKITA. What am I to get done?
MATRYONA [in a low voice] Dig a hole; then we’ll bring it out and get it out of the way in a trice! There, she’s calling again. Now then, get in, and I’ll go.
NIKITA. Is it dead then?
MATRYONA. Of course it is. Only you must be quick, or else people will notice! They’ll see or they’ll hear! The rascals must needs know everything. And the policeman went by this evening. Well then, you see [ gives him the spade], you get down into the cellar and dig a hole right in the corner; the earth is soft there, and you’ll smooth it over. Mother earth will not blab to any one; she’ll keep it close. Go then; go, dear.
NIKITA. You’ll get me into a mess, bother you! I’ll go away! You do it alone as best you can!
ANISYA [through the doorway] Well? Has he dug it?
MATRYONA. Why have you come away? What have you done with it?
ANISYA. I’ve covered it with rags. No one can hear it. Well, has he dug it?
MATRYONA. He doesn’t want to!
ANISYA [springs out enraged ] Doesn’t want to! How will he like feeding vermin in prison! I’ll go straight away and tell everything to the police! It’s all the same if one must perish. I’ll go straight and tell!
NIKITA [taken aback] What will you tell?
ANISYA. What? Everything! Who took the money? You! [Nikita is silent] And who gave the poison? I did! But you knew! You knew! You knew! We were in agreement!
MATRYONA. That’s enough now. Nikita dear, why are you obstinate? What’s to be done now? One must take some trouble. Go, honey.
ANISYA. See the fine gentleman! He doesn’t like it! You’ve put upon me long enough! You’ve trampled me under foot! Now it’s my turn! Go, I tell you, or else I’ll do what I said. . . . There, take the spade; there, now go!
NIKITA. Drat you! Can’t you leave a fellow alone! [Takes the spade, but shrinks] If I don’t choose to, I’ll not go!
ANISYA. Not go? [Begins to shout] neighbors! Heh! heh!
MATRYONA [closes her mouth] What are you about? You’re mad! He’ll go. . . . Go, sonnie; go, my own.
ANISYA. I’ll cry murder!
NIKITA. Now stop! Oh what people! You’d better be quick. . . . As well be hung for a sheep as a lamb! [Goes towards the cellar].
MATRYONA. Yes, that’s just it, honey. If you know how to amuse yourself, you must know how to hide the consequences.
ANISYA [still excited ] He’s trampled on me . . . he and his slut! But it’s enough! I’m not going to be the only one! Let him also be a murderer! Then he’ll know how it feels!
MATRYONA. There, there! How she flares up! Don’t you be cross, lass, but do things quietly little by little, as it’s best. You go to the girl, and he’ll do the work. [Follows Nikita to the cellar with a lantern. He descends into the cellar].
ANISYA. And I’ll make him strangle his dirty brat! [Still excited ] I’ve worried myself to death all alone, with Peter’s bones weighing on my mind! Let him feel it too! I’ll not spare myself; I’ve said I’ll not spare myself !
NIKITA [ from the cellar] Show a light!
MATRYONA [holds up the lantern to him. To Anisya] He’s digging. Go and bring it.
ANISYA. You stay with him, or he’ll go away, the wretch! And I’ll go and bring it.
MATRYONA. Mind, don’t forget to baptize it, or I will if you like. Have you a cross?
ANISYA. I’ll find one. I know how to do it. [Exit].
See at end of Act, Variation, which may be used instead of the following.
MATRYONA. How the woman bristled up! But one must say she’s been put upon. Well, but with the Lord’s help, when we’ve covered this business, there’ll be an end of it. We’ll shove the girl off without any trouble. My son will live in comfort. The house, thank God, is as full as an egg. They’ll not forget me either. Where would they have been without Matryona? They’d not have known how to contrive things. [Peering into the cellar] Is it ready, sonnie?
NIKITA [puts out his head ] What are you about there? Bring it quick! What are you dawdling for? If it is to be done, let it be done.
MATRYONA [ goes towards door of the hut and meets Anisya. Anisya comes out with a baby wrapped in rags] Well, have you baptized it?
ANISYA. Why, of course! It was all I could do to take it away—she wouldn’t give it up! [Comes forward and hands it to Nikita].
NIKITA [does not take it] You bring it yourself !
ANISYA. Take it, I tell you! [Throws the baby to him].
NIKITA [catches it] It’s alive! Gracious me, it’s moving! It’s alive! What am I to . . .
ANISYA [snatches the baby from him and throws it into the cellar] Be quick and smother it, and then it won’t be alive! [Pushes Nikita down] It’s your doing, and you must finish it.
MATRYONA [sits on the doorstep of the hut] He’s tenderhearted. It’s hard on him, poor dear. Well, what of that? Isn’t it also his sin?
Anisya stands by the cellar.
MATRYONA [sits looking at her and discourses] Oh, oh, oh! How frightened he got: well, but what of that? If it is hard, it’s the only thing to be done. Where was one to put it? And just think, how often it happens that people pray to God to have children! But no, God gives them none; or they are all still-born. Look at our priest’
s wife now. . . . And here, where it’s not wanted, here it lives. [Looks towards the cellar] I suppose he’s finished. [To Anisya] Well?
ANISYA [looking into the cellar] He’s put a board on it and is sitting on it. It must be finished!
MATRYONA. Oh, oh! One would be glad not to sin, but what’s one to do?
Re-enter Nikita from cellar, trembling all over.
NIKITA. It’s still alive! I can’t! It’s alive!
ANISYA. If it’s alive, where are you off to? [Tries to stop him].
NIKITA [rushes at her] Go away! I’ll kill you! [Catches hold of her arms; she escapes, he runs after her with the spade. Matryona runs towards him and stops him. Anisya runs into the porch. Matryona tries to wrench the spade from him. To his mother] I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you! Go away! [Matryona runs to Anisya in the porch. Nikita stops] I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you all!
MATRYONA. That’s because he’s so frightened! Never mind, it will pass!
NIKITA. What have they made me do? What have they made me do? How it whimpered. . . . How it crackled under me! What have they done with me? . . . And it’s really alive, still alive! [Listens in silence] It’s whimpering . . . There, it’s whimpering. [Runs to the cellar].
MATRYONA [to Anisya] He’s going; it seems he means to bury it. Nikita, you’d better take the lantern!
NIKITA [does not heed her, but listens by the cellar door] I can hear nothing! I suppose it was fancy! [Moves away, then stops] How the little bones crackled under me. Krr . . . kr . . . What have they made me do? [Listens again] Again whimpering! It’s really whimpering! What can it be? Mother! Mother, I say! [Goes up to her].
MATRYONA. What is it, sonnie?
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 crackled, 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 passes, 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. God 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 bluster!
NIKITA [rushes out of the hut towards the cellar] Mother! mother, I say!
MATRYONA [puts out her head ] What is it, sonnie?
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.
* * *
1 Where not otherwise mentioned in the stage directions, it is always the winter half of the hut that is referred to as “the hut.” The summer half is not heated, and not used in winter under ordinary circumstances.
2 The Foundlings’ Hospital in Moscow, where 80 to 90 percent of the children die.
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 2.
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! 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,3 don’t put it out!
MITRITCH. Not put it out? Why?
NAN. Didn’t you hear them rowing about 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 kick 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?
MITRITCH. 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.
NAN. But I heard it! May I die, I heard it! Such a thin voice!
MITRITCH. Heard indeed! Much you heard! Well, if you know,—why then it was just such a little girl as you that the bogey popped into his bag and made off with.
NAN. What bogey?
MITRITCH. Why, just his very self ! [Climbs up on to the oven] The oven is beautifully warm to-night. Quite a treat! Oh Lord! Gracious Nicholas!
NAN. Daddy! are you going to sleep?
MITRITCH. What else? Do you think I’m going to sing songs?
Silence.
NAN. Daddy! Daddy, I say! They are digging! S’help me, they’re digging—don’t you hear? May I die, they’re digging!
MITRITCH. What are you dreaming about? Digging! Digging in the night! Who’s digging? The cow’s rubbing herself, that’s all. Digging indeed! Go to sleep I tell you, else I’ll just put out the light!
NAN. Daddy darling, don’t put it out! I won’t . . . s’help me, I won’t. It’s so frightful!
MITRITCH. Frightful? Don’t be afraid and then it won’t be frightful. Look at her, she’s afraid, and then says it’s frightful. How can it help being frightful if you are afraid? Eh, what a stupid little girl!
Silence. The cricket chirps.
NAN [whispers] Daddy! I say, daddy! Are you asleep?
MITRITCH. Now then, what d’you want?
NAN. What’s the bogey like?
MITRITCH. Why, like this! When he finds such a one as you, who won’t sleep, he comes with a sack and pops the girl into it, then in he gets himself, head and all, lifts her dress, and gives her a fine wh
ipping!
NAN. What with?
MITRITCH. He takes a birch-broom with him.
NAN. But he can’t see there—inside the sack!
MITRITCH. He’ll see, no fear!
NAN. But I’ll bite him.
MITRITCH. No, friend, him you can’t bite!
NAN. Daddy, there’s some one coming! Who is it? Oh gracious goodness! Who can it be?
MITRITCH. Well, if some one’s coming, let them come! What’s the matter with you? I suppose it’s your mother!
Enter Anisya.
ANISYA. Nan! [Nan pretends to be asleep] Mitritch!
MITRITCH. What?
ANISYA. What’s the lamp burning for? We are going to sleep in the summer-hut.
MITRITCH. Why, you see I’ve only just got straight. I’ll put the light out all right.
ANISYA [rummages in her box and grumbles] When a thing’s wanted one never can find it!
MITRITCH. Why, what is it you are looking for?
ANISYA. I’m looking for a cross. Suppose it were to die unbaptized! It would be a sin, you know!
MITRITCH. Of course it would! Everything in due order. . . . Have you found it?
ANISYA. Yes, I’ve found it. [Exit].
MITRITCH. That’s right, else I’d have lent her mine. Oh Lord!
NAN [ jumps up trembling] Oh, oh, daddy! Don’t go to sleep; for goodness’ sake, don’t! It’s so frightful!
MITRITCH. What’s frightful?
NAN. It will die—the little baby will! At Aunt Irene’s the old woman also baptized the baby, and it died!
MITRITCH. If it dies, they’ll bury it!
NAN. But maybe it wouldn’t have died, only old Granny Matryona’s there! Didn’t I hear what granny was saying? May I die, I heard her!
MITRITCH. What did you hear? Go to sleep, I tell you. Cover yourself up, head and all, and let’s have an end of it!
NAN. If it lived, I’d nurse it!
MITRITCH [roars] Oh Lord!
NAN. Where will they put it?
MITRITCH. In the right place! It’s no business of yours! Go to sleep I tell you, else mother will come; she’ll give it you! [Silence].
NAN. Daddy! Eh, daddy! That girl, you know, you were telling about—they didn’t kill her?
