The Power of Darkness Part 20

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. G.o.d 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 bl.u.s.ter!

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.

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,[7] don't put it out!

[7] Nan calls Mitritch "daddy" merely as a term of endearment.

MiTRITCH. Not put it out? Why?

NAN. Didn't you hear them making a row 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! Blest if I didn't hear 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! they're digging--don't you hear? Blest if they're not, 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 ... truly, truly, 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!