Redemption and two other plays Part 8

FeDYA (interrupting her). You know why I don't want to.

MASHA. Nonsense. They're right when they say you're no good. It's your mind that you can never make up comfortably causing you all the worry.

FeDYA. You know perfectly well that the only joy I've got in life is being in love with you.

MASHA. Oh, it's always "My joy," "Your love." Where's your love and my joy?

FeDYA (a little wearily). Well, Masha, after all, you've got all I can give, the best I've ever had to give, perhaps, because you're so strong, so beautiful, that sometimes you've made me know how to make you glad. So why torture yourself?

MASHA (kneels and puts her arms around his neck). I won't if you're sure you love me.

FeDYA (coming closer to her). My beautiful young Masha.

MASHA (tearfully, searching his face). You do love me?

FeDYA. Of course, of course.

MASHA. Only me, only me?

FeDYA (kissing her). Darling, only you.

MASHA (with a return to brightness). Now read me what you've written.

FeDYA. It may bore you.

MASHA (reproachfully). How could it?

FeDYA (reads).

"The snow was flooded in moonlight and the birch trees wavered their stark shadows across it like supplicating arms. Suddenly I heard the soft padded sound of snow falling upon snow, to slowly perceive a figure, the slender figure of a young child attempting to arouse itself almost at my feet--I----"

[Enter IVaN and NASTASA. They are two old gypsies, MASHA'S parents.

NASTASA (stepping up to MASHA). So here you are--you cursed little stray sheep. No disrespect to you, sir. (To MASHA.) You black-hearted, ungrateful little snake. How dare you treat us like this, how dare you, eh?

Ivan (to FeDYA). It's not right, sir, what you've done, bringing to her ruin our only child. It's against G.o.d's law.

NASTASA (to MASHA). Come and get out of here with me. You thought you'd skip, didn't you? And what was I supposed to tell the troupe while you dangled around here with this tramp? What can you get out of him, tell me that? Did you know he hasn't got a kopek to his name, didn't you?

[During scene with parents, FeDYA sits dumbly on the bed, bewildered.

He puts his forehead against MASHA'S face and clings to her like a child.

MASHA (sullenly). I haven't done anything wrong. I love this gentleman, that's all. I didn't leave the troupe either. I'll go on singing just the same.

Ivan. If you talk any more, I'll pull your hair all out for you, you loose little beast, you. (To FeDYA, reproachfully.) And you, sir, when we were so fond of you--why, often and often we used to sing for you for nothing and this is how you pay us back.

NASTASA (rocking herself to and fro). You've ruined our daughter, our very own, our only one, our best beloved, our diamond, our precious one, (with sudden fury). You've stamped her into the dirt, you have.

Where's your fear of G.o.d?

FeDYA. Nastasa, Nastasa, you've made a mistake. Your daughter is like a sister to me. I haven't harmed her at all. I love her, that's true. But how can I help it?

IVaN. Well, why didn't you love her when you had some money? If you'd paid us ten thousand rubles, you could have owned her, body and soul.

That's what respectable gentlemen do. But you--you throw away every kopek you've got and then you steal her like you'd steal a sack of meal. You ought to be ashamed, sir.

MASHA (rising, puts her arm around his neck). He didn't steal me. I went to him myself, and if you take me away now, I'll come right back.

If you take me away a thousand times, I'll come back to him. I love him and that's enough. My love will break through anything--through anything. Through anything in the whole d.a.m.n world.

NASTASA (trying to soothe her). Now, Mashenka darling, don't get cross. You know you haven't behaved well to your poor old parents.

There, there, come along with us now.

[With greedy fingers that pretend to caress, NASTASA seizes her savagely and suddenly at the end of this speech and draws her to the door. MASHA cries out "FeDYA! FeDYA!" as she exits R.

IVaN (alongside). You open your mouth again and I'll smash you dumb.

(To FeDYA.) Good-bye, your worship.

[All exit R. I.

[FeDYA sits as though stupefied. The gypsies exit noisily. There is a pause. He drinks; then PRINCE SERGIUS appears, very quiet and dignified, at the door.

PRINCE. Excuse me. I'm afraid I'm intruding upon a rather painful scene.

FeDYA (getting up). With whom have I the honor---- (recognizing the Prince). Ah, Prince Sergius, how do you do?

[They shake hands.

PRINCE (in a distinguished manner). I repeat that I am afraid to be most inopportune. I would rather not have heard, but since I have, it's my duty to say so. When I arrived I knocked several times, but I presume you could not have heard through such uproar.

FeDYA. Do sit down. (PRINCE sits chair R.C.) Thanks for telling me you heard. (Sits on bed up C.) It gives me a chance to explain it all.

Forgive me for saying your opinion of me can't concern me, but I want to tell you that the way her parents talked to that young girl, that gypsy singer, was absolutely unjust. She's as pure as your own mother.

My relations with her are simply friendly ones. Possibly there is a ray of poetry in them, but that could hardly degrade her. However, what can I do for you?

PRINCE SERGIUS. Well, to begin----

FeDYA (interrupting). Excuse me, Prince, but my present social position hardly warrants a visit from you.

[Smiling.

PRINCE SERGIUS. I know that, but I ask you to believe that your changed position does not influence me in what I am about to tell you.

FeDYA (interrogatively). Then?

PRINCE SERGIUS. To be as brief as possible, Victor Karenin, the son of my old friend, Sophia Karenina, and she herself, have asked me to discover from you personally what your present relations are with your wife, and what intentions you have regarding them.

FeDYA. My relations with my wife--I should say my former wife--are several.

PRINCE SERGIUS. As I thought, and for this reason accepted my somewhat difficult mission.

FeDYA (quickly). I wish to say first of all that the fault was entirely mine. She is, just as she always was, absolutely stainless, faultless.