Without a Dowry and Other Plays

by Alexander Ostrovsky

  Pilgrims pass along the road.

  KHLYNOV. We can’t have any fun with people like that, brother, it’s just a waste of time.

  They go off. Parasha and Gavrilo appear on the road.

  PARASHA. I’m so tired! I don’t have any more strength! I can’t move from the spot, I won’t make it to the next town.

  GAVRILO. Rest a minute, Praskovya Pavlinovna. Sit down here in the clearing, on the logs. Don’t sit on the grass, there’s dew. We’ll rest a bit and then catch up with the others, it’s still early. We’ll reach the town before ten.

  PARASHA. Let’s stay awhile, I can’t go on, I just can’t!

  GAVRILO. It’s not so much the road as your feelings.

  PARASHA. I’m falling, I’m falling.

  GAVRILO. Please, let me hold you by the elbow. (He leads her to the logs.)

  PARASHA. I’m just tired, but after I’ve prayed I’ll feel better. I don’t know how to thank you. Without you I’d have never made it here.

  GAVRILO. But you know I had to come myself…

  PARASHA. No, don’t say that, I know you came just for me. My head… and my legs and arms feel as though they don’t belong to me, it’s as if I’m unconscious. And there’s a noise in my head, but I don’t feel any pain, and I feel so good, and it’s so pleasant, and I’m imagining something… only what is it? There’s some noise, a kind of noise, like a stream over the rocks or a mill… I feel faint, Gavryusya, I feel faint!

  GAVRILO. But what’s the matter, my dear! I’ll go get some water, there was a spring here somewhere.

  PARASHA. Go, go!

  Gavrilo goes. Whistles sound in various places. He comes running back.

  GAVRILO. Somebody’s whistling.

  PARASHA. What? I don’t hear anything.

  GAVRILO. Somebody’s whistling in the woods.

  PARASHA. Well, it doesn’t matter, they’re just having fun… Go.

  Gavrilo goes off. The whistling intensifies. The gentleman comes out of the bushes and, catching sight of Parasha, runs up to her. She looks at him in fright. Khlynov’s men appear in several places.

  GENTLEMAN. O beauteous one! At last I’ve found thee. (He takes her by the hand.)

  Parasha wants to escape, but her strength abandons her. The gentleman supports her, embracing her with one arm.

  GAVRILO (grabbing a large branch, he throws himself at the gentleman). Don’t touch her! I’ll die on the spot, but I won’t let you touch her!

  The gentleman shoots from his pistol; Gavrilo falls.

  PARASHA. Oh, he’s killed, he’s killed! (She covers her face with her hands.)

  GAVRILO (getting up and feeling himself). No, I seem to be alive. I must have fallen from fright. It deafened me. But what’s going on, good Lord! (He gets up.)

  The gentleman makes a sign. Men run in and carry Gavrilo off.

  GENTLEMAN. You don’t recognize me? Oh I’ve loved you a long time. Why have you made me so unhappy? I left the world of people and ran off to the woods to get together a band of robbers. At last you’re in my arms. You will be mine. Oh!…

  PARASHA (tries to push him away). No, no! Vasya, Vasya!

  GENTLEMAN. Would you like some brocade? Velvet, diamonds? They’re all yours. Only love me.

  PARASHA (tries to free herself, but her strength diminishes). Oh no, no! I don’t want them, I don’t want anything! Let me go! Have pity on me… I beg you, I implore you, have pity on me! (Almost in a whisper.) I don’t belong to myself now. I belong to somebody else, I belong to Vasya… Vasya, Vasya! (She faints.)

  The gentleman places her on the bench by the shed and supports her. Khlynov and Aristarkh enter.

  KHLYNOV. What’s all that shooting?

  GENTLEMAN. Come quick! See what a beauty I’ve found! She must have gotten a big fright, she needs some help.

  KHLYNOV. That girl’s first-rate, brother. You have my approval.

  ARISTARKH (running up). Oh you barbarians! This is my goddaughter Parasha, Kuroslepov’s daughter. (To Khlynov.) Send for a carriage right away, I’ll take her home.

  Khlynov sends one of his men.

  (To the gentleman.) And you, sir, really found someone to take advantage of. You clearly have the mind of a small child. Give her to me, you bandits, she’s too good for you drunkards! Stay away you, stay away! (He sits down on the bench next to Parasha and fans her with a kerchief.) Get some water! (Some men run for water.) How dared you touch her with your dirty paws! Her a dove and you little better than devils. Great joke! And to think I, stupid fool that I was, wanted to give you some amusement! I should know by now you can’t play a single trick without hurting somebody. Your greatest joy is to harm people who’re poor and defenseless. (They bring some water; he pours several drops on her head.) As if this girl hadn’t been hurt enough, you have to go and add your bit. They pestered her to death at home, somehow or other she got away…

  Parasha gradually comes to and listens.

  and she went off to pray to God, to ask Him for protection… So her father, sleepy eyes, being egged on by her stepmother, told the chief of police this morning to catch her and shame her by having her led on a rope by a guard through the town. Then he’d lock her up in the store room for half a year, maybe even a year.

  PARASHA (rises and talks as if in a delirium). Through the town with a guard? In the store room? Where is he, where’s the head man here? Let’s go! Let’s go together! I’ll go with you…

  GENTLEMAN AND ARISTARKH. Where? Where?

  PARASHA. To the town, to the town! I’ll go myself…(With a shout.) They can’t abuse me! They can’t make me stay in the store room! I’ll set fire to my house at all four corners. Let’s go! I’ll lead you, I’ll lead you straight there. Hand me something!… A gun… fire, fire again. (She weakens.)

  ARISTARKH. Parasha! What’s the matter! God be with you! It’s me, your godfather. (He takes off his hood.)

  PARASHA (looks at him). Godfather?

  ARISTARKH. Yes, yes, your godfather! Aristarkh. Recognize me now? We were playing a joke. That there’s the contractor Khlynov! Have you heard of him? An ugly type. But he can’t help it; he has a lot of money and has to amuse himself.

  PARASHA. But where’s Gavrilo?

  ARISTARKH (turning around). Where’s Gavrilo?

  ONE OF THE MEN. He got away from us and ran away.

  ARISTARKH. Now he’ll go running to town and get everybody there upset. But it doesn’t matter, with the horses we’ll get there first. You know, Parasha, Khlynov paid to keep Vasya out of the army.

  PARASHA. Paid for him?

  KHLYNOV. I paid four hundred silver rubles.

  ARISTARKH. But where is that Vasya? He was with us.

  Vasya comes out of the grove.

  PARASHA. Vasya! Vasya! (She throws herself on his neck.)

  VASYA. What are you doing? It’s not right with people around.

  PARASHA. You’re free?

  KHLYNOV. I’ve made him my singer now.

  PARASHA (stepping back). Singer?

  VASYA. So what, a man has to do something for his bread.

  KHLYNOV. For that money I paid out I’ve taken him into bondage for a year.

  PARASHA (with fright). Bondage?

  ARISTARKH. What a thing to brag about! Benefactor! Making clowns out of people.

  KHLYNOV. And suppose I do make them clowns, brother, who’s going to stop me? He’s bankrupt, and for my money I can make him work at anything I want, and that’s what he’ll want. I hired him as a clown, so a clown he is. Vaska, keep your distance! To the rear table! Young lady, would you like some entertainment? I can order a gay song for you right now. Hey, people! Vaska, get your tambourine, step lively!

  Vasya goes off.

  PARASHA (with tears). Vasya! Vasya!

  VASYA (going towards her). What is it?

  PARASHA. Vasya, why did you take that money?

  VASYA. What should I do, go into the army?

  PARASHA. Yes, yes. I was already praying about it… I had comm
itted myself to that. Yes, yes, into the army. It would have been a shame, but it would have been honest… You know, we had decided, we’d agreed on it, you wanted to… did you really… did you really…

  KHLYNOV. Vaska, know your place!

  Vasya goes off.

  PARASHA. Did you really… turn coward?

  Vasya is given the tambourine; he takes it silently.

  Answer! Answer me! Did you turn coward? Did you get frightened?

  Vasya shakes the tambourine angrily.

  Such a handsome boy, such a brave young lad, and he turned coward. And there he stands with the tambourine! Ha, ha, ha! It’s that that hurts. What am I? What am I? He’s a song and dance man, so what does that make me? Somebody take me away! I lived just for him, for his sake I put up with things. I, the daughter of a rich merchant, wanted to be a soldier’s wife, to live in the barracks with him, but he!… Oh, Godfather! It’s so hard for me… I need courage!… I need courage… but I don’t have it. I’ve been beaten down by fate… beaten down… and he… he has finished me off. (She falls into Aristarkh’s arms.)

  ARISTARKH. Bring the horses quick! God grant we can get her there alive! You poor thing, you poor martyr!

  ACT FIVE

  Scenery of Act One. It’s ten p.m. Matryona comes down from the porch and walks in the yard. A little later Kuroslepov comes out onto the porch. Silan is at the gate.

  KUROSLEPOV. Matryona!

  MATRYONA. What next! I have to babysit him like a little boy. Seems he’s waked up, his eyes are open.

  KUROSLEPOV. Come here!

  MATRYONA (turning). Well?

  KUROSLEPOV. Why do you leave me alone! It’s nighttime…

  MATRYONA. If it’s nighttime then go to sleep! What more do you want?

  KUROSLEPOV. It’s time to sleep, that’s right… but I’m troubled… where’s Narkis?

  MATRYONA. Don’t worry, he’ll turn up. Narkis isn’t a needle; you lose that and you won’t find it right away.

  KUROSLEPOV. But what’s going on? How could he do such a thing! I ought to throw him out by the neck. Sent on his master’s business, and I gave him orders…

  MATRYONA. And if he’s home?

  KUROSLEPOV. Then why doesn’t he show himself?

  MATRYONA. And what if he’s asleep! He’s a human being, or isn’t he?

  KUROSLEPOV. What you’re saying is he’s drunk.

  MATRYONA. And were you sober when you came home from Khlynov’s? A servant sitting there in front of you holding you up by the shoulders. And in the daytime too, through the town.

  KUROSLEPOV. Everybody knows I’m the master. But what’s he?

  MATRYONA. What the master’s like his people are like. Who sets the example if not the master?

  KUROSLEPOV. Don’t try to pull the wool over my eyes! I’m not in my second childhood yet. When a man’s sent on a business, should he give an accounting or not? Speak, should he?

  MATRYONA. As if tomorrow’s not going to be a day for you! You two can talk things out then. Let’s hope they’re not affairs of state.

  KUROSLEPOV (with horror). Matryona! Matryona!

  MATRYONA. What’s the matter with you?

  KUROSLEPOV. Look up! Look!

  MATRYONA. Oh! How sudden you are for us women, Pavlin Pavlinych! How frightening you can be! We women are so weak any little thing can grow to anything! Some day you’ll turn me into a monster. My heart sunk. I’m hardly alive, I feel empty.

  KUROSLEPOV. Look up there! I’m telling you!

  MATRYONA. What for?

  KUROSLEPOV Is it falling?

  MATRYONA. What falling, you nut?

  KUROSLEPOV. The sky.

  MATRYONA. All right, that’s enough! Now you’ve said it, let it go at that. Go to bed! You’ve worn me out! They ought to tie you up and put you in the crazy house! How can the sky fall when it’s fixed firm? That’s what they call it, the firmament! Go to bed! Go without arguing. With you there’s not a moment’s peace.

  KUROSLEPOV (going off). Then to bed it is. I’m off.

  MATRYONA. What’s that you’re hiding in your boot?

  KUROSLEPOV. Money.

  MATRYONA. Is it a lot?

  KUROSLEPOV. Add a ruble, and it’ll be six hundred and forty.

  MATRYONA. You lose that from your boot, and you’ll start another hullabaloo.

  KUROSLEPOV. No, do you know where I’m going to put it now? In the bedroom there’s a bag with nuts, so I’ll put it under the nuts, on the very bottom, and it can stay there till tomorrow. It’ll be safer there, in those nuts. (He goes off.)

  MATRYONA. Silanty!

  SILAN (approaching). What do you want?

  MATRYONA. How’s Narkis?

  SILAN. He’s all right, he’s come around. He’s combing his hair now.

  MATRYONA. But where was he?

  SILAN. Are there only a few places for him? He goes where he wants! He was bargaining with the peasants, the whole community there.

  MATRYONA. Then what?

  SILAN. The same old thing. The peasants don’t have a duma or senate building. They have only one building for judging their community business.

  MATRYONA. So that’s what it was!

  SILAN. What else? It’s been the custom, and they’re not about to change it. So you figure it all out for yourself since he’s got a weakness for the stuff. But there he is now, Narkis himself. (Silan goes off from Matryona and out through the gate. Narkis enters.)

  MATRYONA. You’re debauched, you’re just a debauched man! You wait, you’re going to get if from the master.

  NARKIS. I’m not awfully afraid. Don’t try to scare me. I’ve just seen horrors a lot worse than that, and I didn’t get scared. If you’d seen all that horror I’d like to see what you’d say. One of them had on such boots, just from the boots alone you’d have been scared stiff. And you should have seen the hats! All with feathers. And one had a cloth bag on his head.

  MATRYONA. When a man goes on a spree like you there’s nothing he can’t dream up. Enough to talk about for two days.

  NARKIS. I ought to know whether I dreamed it or not. Even if it didn’t scare me much, I’m still a bit shaken up. What I need now is a good remedy.

  MATRYONA. What kind of remedy?

  NARKIS. A bottle of rum, or better two…That’ll warm me up for the night.

  MATRYONA. Lime blossom would be better for you.

  NARKIS. More nonsense! And why shouldn’t I drink a little rum? My belly has an awful need for some dampness. I told you, rum. I know my constitution better than you.

  MATRYONA. But where can I get rum?

  NARKIS. Look for it! Since you won’t find it in the dark, light a lantern.

  MATRYONA. This world has never created a man mean as you.

  NARKIS. And while you’re at it, along with that rum grab me off a thousand rubles. By my count what I’m lacking now is exactly a thousand.

  MATRYONA. No, no, no! Not for anything! Don’t even talk about it!

  NARKIS. I’m not talking about it, I’m just telling you in plain language. If you don’t do it then I won’t let you come to me, not even to the threshold. And tomorrow, when I give my accounting to the master, I’ll tell him all about your doings, the whole business.

  MATRYONA. And aren’t I the one who’s been doing favors everywhere for your ugly mug? Don’t you have any pity for your benefactor?

  NARKIS. How many times have I told you there’s no pity in me? Don’t ever pin your hopes on pity from me.

  MATRYONA. Oh, you’ve destroyed me, you’ve destroyed me!

  NARKIS. Now look, speak quieter, don’t make a scandal before you have to.

  MATRYONA. But where can I get so much money?

  NARKIS. Well, if there’s a little lacking, I’ll forgive you.

  MATRYONA. And how can I come to you? What if Silanty sees me?

  NARKIS. Here’s what to do. Take your husband’s long cloak or overcoat and put it on, then his hat on your head. If Silanty sees you, he’ll think it’s the mas
ter himself come to bawl me out. And I’ll go heat up the samovar so I can have something warm…

  He goes off into the wing, and Matryona goes into the house. Silan enters through the gate.

  SILAN. They’ve left each other and gone their ways. That’s something new! And the chief of police is waiting out there. I’d better go and tell him to go home. You’ve been out enough nights, I’ll tell him. Go home, I’ll say, poor old man, go home. What a job they have! You have to be sorry for the man! The master is asleep, but the chief of police has to protect him. And who is it he’s protecting? What kind of man? And yet they make all those demands. They tell him, “You weren’t watching out; you failed again.” The master needs his rest but why? What’s he done, overworked himself? He’s filled himself up with food and drink, and then it’s plop on his feather bed like some log or stump. He never had any army service, never wore himself out in campaigns from beginning to end, never looked at the cup of death. So there he lies like a boar and says, “You guard me from misfortune!” No, they can say what they want, but I’m sorry for our old chief of police. In the first place, he’s old, and then he was wounded…

  Matryona comes out in an overcoat and hat.

  What wonder is this! The master came out! I can’t get over it, because at this time you can only get him up with a lever or a pulley. (He goes up to Matryona.) What do you want? Can’t you sleep? Don’t worry, I’m here.

  MATRYONA (changing her voice). Go outside the gate. There’s nothing you haven’t seen here.

  SILAN. Outside the gate? I was outside the gate.

  MATRYONA. Get going, I told you.

  SILAN (to himself). Aha! So that’s it! (To Matryona.) I’m going, I’m going, master. I’ll stay all night by the gate… don’t worry about a thing. (He goes to the gate. Matryona goes in to Narkis.) No, you’re playing tricks! You can’t fool me. You take short steps, and your feet are mixed up. What does she have in her hands? Some sort of bag. She must be carrying nuts to Narkis, so they can enjoy themselves. (He goes to the gate and opens it.)

  Aristarkh and Parasha enter.

  SILAN. How did you get here?

  ARISTARKH. A magpie brought us on its tail. Did she go by?