Without a Dowry and Other Plays

by Alexander Ostrovsky

  ALEXANDRA. Of course! Naturally… who wouldn’t like him!

  NINA. You feel that way? And what I learned about him! He’s a millionaire, he just puts on being a simple man. I just don’t know what to do. Believe me, Sasha, it’s made a wreck of me.

  ALEXANDRA. But I don’t understand any of this. Go ask Peter Yegorych.

  NINA. How can you say that! What does he understand? He’d grind out that philosophy of his, a lot I need that. And you, Sasha, dear, you’re wasting your time listening to him! Don’t listen to him, don’t listen, for your own good. He just gets you mixed up. That philosophy is good enough in books, but just let him try living it in our situation! Is there really anything worse than the situation we women are in! You’re on your way home, let’s go together.

  ALEXANDRA. I’d like to speak with Gavrilo Patrovich. I’m waiting for him.

  NINA. Then I’ll wait too.

  They approach Meluzov, who is looking at the tragedian.

  TRAGEDIAN (raises his head and speaks to Meluzov). Who are you? What are you doing here?

  ALEXANDRA. He came with me.

  TRAGEDIAN. Alexandra Nikolavna!… Sasha! Ophelia! What is he doing here?

  ALEXANDRA. He’s my fiancé, my teacher.

  TRAGEDIAN. Teacher! What does he teach you?

  ALEXANDRA. All that’s good.

  TRAGEDIAN (to Meluzov). Well now, come here!

  Meluzov approaches.

  Give me your hand!

  Meluzov gives him his hand.

  I’m a teacher too, yes, a teacher. Why are you looking at me like that? I’m teaching a rich merchant.

  MELUZOV. May I ask something?

  TRAGEDIAN. Ask away!

  MELUZOV. Exactly what are you teaching him?

  TRAGEDIAN. Nobility.

  MELUZOV. That’s a serious subject.

  TRAGEDIAN. I think it is. Yes, sir… I think it is. Not like that geography of yours. So, you and I are teachers. Wonderful. Such an occasion calls for a drink at the buffet. On you, of course.

  MELUZOV. I’m sorry. In that field I’m not your colleague. I don’t drink.

  TRAGEDIAN. Sasha, Sasha! Alexandra! Who are you bringing to us artists, to the temple of the muses!

  MELUZOV. But we can go! You drink wine, and I’ll have a glass of water.

  TRAGEDIAN. Go to hell! Take him away! (He lowers his head.) Where’s my Vasya?

  Dulyebov, Velikatov, and Vasya enter. Behind Vasya comes a waiter from the buffet with a bottle of port and some wineglasses. Some of the audience also enter and remain in the background. Dulyebov sits down on a bench on the right side, Nina sitting down next to him. Not far from them Meluzov and Alexandra sit down. Velikatov and Bakin approach them from the left side. The tragedian, sitting in his former position, is approached by Vasya and the waiter; the latter places the bottle and wineglasses on the table before going off to the side. Some of the audience stand while some sit down at the small tables in the background.

  VASYA (to the tragedian, while pouring a glass of wine). Please, I humbly beg you.

  TRAGEDIAN. Don’t beg, I don’t need that to drink. Why all those words. “Please, I humbly beg you”! Just say, “Drink!” You see how simple it is, just one word but what a deep thought.

  Migaev walks out from the theater.

  ALEXANDRA. Gavrilo Patrovich, come over here, please.

  MIGAEV (approaching Alexandra). What do you want?

  ALEXANDRA. You kept avoiding me in the theater. Now I want to have a talk with you here, in the presence of others.

  MELUZOV. Yes, it would be interesting to hear the motives for your actions.

  MIGAEV. What actions, sir?

  MELUZOV. You scheduled the benefit performance for Alexandra Nikolavna at the very end of the fair.

  MIGAEV. That’s the very best time, sir. According to the contract I’m obliged to give Miss Nyegin a benefit performance during the fair, but it doesn’t say whether it’s to be at the beginning or the end. That’s up to me, sir.

  MELUZOV. You’re within the law, I understand that. But besides the law there also exist moral obligations for men.

  MIGAEV. What is this, sir, why all this talk?

  MELUZOV. Listen. You put off the benefit performance till the last day. You gave out the playbills late. And you didn’t let Alexandra Nikolavna perform before her benefit. Those are your actions.

  MIGAEV. Quite right, sir.

  MELUZOV. But Alexandra Nikolavna didn’t deserve that because she always brought you a full take at the box office, which can’t be said for others. So try to justify your behavior.

  TRAGEDIAN. You gypsy you!

  MIGAEV. To the best of my knowledge you don’t work in our theater, and I don’t give an account of my business to outsiders, sir.

  DULYEBOV. Of course not. What kind of inquest is this! He’s the boss in his theater, so he can act in his own best interests.

  MELUZOV. Nevertheless such actions are called improper, and the gentleman who permits himself such a course of action does not have the right to consider himself a man of honor. Concerning which I have the honor to declare to you in public. Upon which we consider ourselves satisfied.

  MIGAEV. As you wish, as you wish, sir, that doesn’t matter to me. Public tastes differ, you can’t please everybody. You may not like my actions, but the Prince approves of them.

  MELUZOV. What do I care about the Prince! The moral laws are alike for all.

  Migaev approaches the Prince.

  BAKIN. Why waste rhetoric preaching honor to Migaev?! How naive can you get? For a long time now he’s considered honor a prejudice, and for him there’s no difference between an honorable or dishonorable act, not until he’s been given a thrashing. But when he gets boxed on the ear two or three times, that’ll start him thinking: I must’ve done something pretty bad if they’re beating me like this.

  TRAGEDIAN. And they’ll be beating him, you’ll see, I predicted it long ago.

  MIGAEV (approaching Alexandra). So, Miss Nyegin, is it your pleasure to be dissatisfied with me?

  ALEXANDRA. Of course. How can you still ask?

  MIGAEV. In that case what compels you to work with me? Our contract is coming to an end.

  ALEXANDRA. Yes, but you yourself asked me to renew it.

  MIGAEV. I’m sorry, miss, but I’ve changed my mind. By public demand I have to invite another actress to take your place.

  Alexandra stands in amazement.

  TRAGEDIAN. Ophelia, get thee to a nunnery!

  ALEXANDRA. You should have warned me earlier. I had offers from other managers, and I turned them all down. I believed your word.

  MIGAEV. And you’re wrong to believe words. We can’t answer for our every word. We depend on the public, and we have to fulfill its desires.

  ALEXANDRA. Now I just don’t know where to turn. You’ve put me in such a position…

  MIGAEV. I’m sorry, miss. With another actress I wouldn’t have done it, but you have so much talent you won’t be hurt at all. They’ll be glad to take you on anywhere.

  ALEXANDRA (in tears). Now you’re making fun of me… But it’s a good thing you told me before my benefit… Tomorrow I’ll say good-bye to my public… which loves me so… It should be printed up, that I’m playing for the last time.

  VASYA. We’ll spread the word even without the playbills.

  ALEXANDRA (to Velikatov). Ivan Semyonych, you’re not leaving before tomorrow, are you?

  VELIKATOV. No, I won’t be leaving yet, miss.

  ALEXANDRA. So you’ll be in the theater?

  VELIKATOV. Without fail.

  BAKIN. Only don’t you take credit for it. He’s not staying over for your benefit performance. He has some unfinished business, some operation in mind.

  VELIKATOV. That’s true. The operation’s no secret, gentlemen, I won’t keep it from you. I want to buy up Alexandra Nikolavna’s benefit. I might even make something on it.

  ALEXANDRA. What? You want to buy up my benefit? You’re not joking?
Is this some new hurt, am I being made fun of again?

  VELIKATOV. I’m not joking at all. How much is your benefit worth to you, what would you like to receive for it?

  ALEXANDRA. It isn’t worth anything to me, it has no value. God grant there’s no loss.

  VASYA. You’re wrong to be so upset, miss. Your benefit is certainly worth buying.

  VELIKATOV. How much could the beneficiary receive if the theater is full and the prices are high? Did anyone ever take in very much at his benefit?

  TRAGEDIAN (striking the table with his fist). I did.

  VASYA. At the beginning of the fair he and I took in three hundred and fifty rubles.

  VELIKATOV. Would you be willing to take three hundred and fifty rubles?

  ALEXANDRA. I can’t, that’s a lot, it’s a gift… I don’t want to take gifts. It’s not in keeping with my principles.

  VELIKATOV. What a pleasure hearing such words from a young actress! One can see right away you have a good teacher, a man with honorable and noble convictions.

  VASYA. But that’s not a high price at all, Alexandra Nikolavna, really! For if Ivan Semyonych is latching onto this business, that means you’ll have the whole fair with you tomorrow. I’ll raise the price fifty rubles. Would you take four hundred rubles?

  VELIKATOV. No, excuse me, but I won’t back out. I offer Alexandra Nikolavna five hundred rubles.

  VASYA. Count me out, I won’t go higher. That’s a real price.

  ALEXANDRA. But what are you doing, gentlemen? You know that after expenses I get half the profit.

  VASYA. People like us won’t lose a thing, miss, we’re businessmen. By eleven tomorrow there won’t be a single ticket left. (To Velikatov.) Please, give me a share! Let me have two boxes and a dozen orchestra seats.

  VELIKATOV. Get them at the box office, and tell the ticket seller to send me right away the money for what he’s sold, also to send me all remaining tickets except those in the high balcony. I’ll wait here.

  VASYA. Fine, I’ll tell him, sir. Let me pay you for the two boxes and the dozen orchestra seats. (He gives the money.)

  VELIKATOV (taking the money). There’s a hundred rubles here.

  VASYA. Exactly, sir. You know, we have four of our merchants here, so maybe there’ll be some takers among them. I’ll run along now. (He goes off through the rear of the stage.)

  VELIKATOV. I still haven’t received your consent, Alexandra Nikolavna.

  ALEXANDRA (to Meluzov). What should I do, Peter Yegorych? I don’t know. Whatever you say I’ll do.

  MELUZOV. I don’t know either. I don’t have any competence in such matters. For now it looks as though everything’s legitimate. Agree.

  ALEXANDRA (to Velikatov). I agree. Thank you.

  VELIKATOV. There’s nothing to thank me for, I’ll be making money. I ought to thank you.

  MIGAEV (to Dulyebov). And you, Your Excellency, wanted to make a bet.

  DULYEBOV. Well, no one could have expected this. It’s a completely special case.

  BAKIN (to Velikatov). Set aside a ticket for me! This will be an interesting performance.

  Vasya returns.

  VASYA. The ticket seller’s going to bring the tickets and the money right away, he’s just counting the receipts. I took ten more orchestra seats at five rubles each. Here’s your money. (He gives Velikatov fifty rubles.)

  VELIKATOV. Isn’t that a high price?

  VASYA. It’s not high at all. Just now I sold four tickets at five rubles each. Tomorrow my first-row tickets will go for ten rubles, and even at ten rubles they’ll be a gift.

  DULYEBOV. A man would have to be an absolute fool to pay ten rubles for an orchestra seat in a provincial theater.

  VASYA. But they’re in the first row, Your Excellency. The box office has only one seat left there.

  DULYEBOV. In that case, Ivan Semyonych, set that one aside for me.

  VELIKATOV. At ten rubles, Prince?

  DULYEBOV. It can’t be helped since everyone’s gone out of his mind.

  VASYA. So, Gavrilo Petrovich, you can close up shop! As soon as Alexandra Nikolavna leaves, you won’t be in business any more! That’ll be the end! You won’t be able to lure them into the theater for love or money, so now you know what to expect!

  ALEXANDRA. Give me my coat, Peter Yegorych. Good-bye, gentlemen. Thank you! You gave me such comfort, when I was on the point of crying. Really, gentlemen, it was such a blow to me, such a blow…

  Meluzov gives her her coat, and she puts it on.

  TRAGEDIAN. Vasya, ask for champagne!

  VASYA. Is that really necessary?

  TRAGEDIAN. You’re something, brother, how can you ask such a thing? You’ve acted nobly, so we have to congratulate you.

  VASYA. You should have said so in the first place. Waiter, a bottle of champagne!

  ALEXANDRA. Good-bye, gentlemen.

  VELIKATOV. Allow me to offer you my carriage.

  NINA. You’re offering her your carriage, and I suppose you’re offering yourself to accompany her?

  VELIKATOV. No, why that! Alexandra Nikolavna will ride with her fiancé. (To Meluzov.) The coachman will drive you home too, and then you can send him back.

  MELUZOV. Excuse me, but I consider your concern for me unnecessary. (He wraps himself up in his plaid, Velikatov helping him.) You’re troubling yourself to no good purpose, I’m used to managing without other people’s help. That’s my principle.

  VELIKATOV. But that’s hard to maintain. People can’t get along without mutual aid.

  ALEXANDRA (to Velikatov). You’re such a noble person, and so tactful… I’m so grateful to you, I can’t express it… I’ll give you a kiss tomorrow.

  VELIKATOV. That will make me very happy.

  NINA. Tomorrow? That’s a long time to wait. (To Dulyebov.) Prince, I’ll give you a kiss today, right now.

  DULYEBOV. At your service, my beauty. I’m at your disposal!

  Nina kisses Dulyebov.

  ALEXANDRA. So, good-bye, gentlemen, good-bye! (She sends a kiss with her hand.)

  TRAGEDIAN. Ophelia! O nymph! Remember me in thy orisons.

  ACT THREE

  Scenery of Act One. Evening. Two candles on the table.

  MATRYONA (at the door). Who is it? (Voice of Mme. Nyegin off stage: “It’s me, Matryona!”) I’ll open up right away. (Mme. Nyegin enters.) Has the the-AYter crowd left yet?

  MME NYEGIN. Not yet, not completely. It’ll take about a half hour more. I came home early on purpose, to get the tea ready. I don’t want Sasha to wait when she comes. Do you have the samovar ready?

  MATRYONA. I lit it. Any time now it’ll start making its noises.

  MME NYEGIN. When it starts making noises, cover it up.

  MATRYONA. Why cover it up! That samovar of ours may start making noises, but it’s not about to boil soon. First it’s got to sing, sing all kinds of tunes, huff and puff away. But all that’s little use, and if you try blowing up the fire, it gets worse, like it’s making fun of you. I’ve used lots of bad words with it.

  MME NYEGIN. I got tired out in that theater, it was so hot and stuffy. I was really glad when I could rush out of there.

  MATRYONA. That’s how it is, sitting inside four walls in the summer. A big crowd was there?

  MME NYEGIN. The theater was absolutely full, jam packed.

  MATRYONA. You don’t say! And they kept beating their hands together?

  MME NYEGIN. The whole works. You go take a look at the samovar and set it up in her room. But wait, somebody’s come. It’s too soon for Sasha.

  Matryona opens the door, and Velikatov enters. Matryona goes off.

  VELIKATOV. Hello, Domna Pantelyevna.

  MME NYEGIN. Hello, Ivan Semyonych. What brings you here?

  VELIKATOV. I have some business, Domna Pantelyevna.

  MME NYEGIN. Then it should wait till tomorrow. It’s late now, it’s out of place, we don’t have men here at this hour.

  VELIKATOV. Don’t worry, Domna Pantelyevna, I won’t be waiting
for Alexandra Nikolavna. And nobody’s going to say anything bad about you and me.

  MME NYEGIN. Oh you joker you!

  VELIKATOV. So, Aunty, you don’t have anything to be afraid of.

  MME NYEGIN. But what kind of an aunty am I to you?

  VELIKATOV. Do you mean I’m not good enough to be your nephew?

  MME NYEGIN. It’s not that, who could be better! Such a fine fellow, our handsome lad!

  VELIKATOV. I’ve brought you the money from the benefit performance, Domna Pantelyevna.

  MME NYEGIN. Thank you, thank you very much! I just can’t tell you how much we need it. The first thing, Ivan Semyonych, is the debts. How can one live without them? Is that possible?

  VELIKATOV. It’s not possible.

  MME NYEGIN. We’re all people.

  VELIKATOV. All human beings, Domna Pantelyevna.

  MME NYEGIN. And those debts we have, even if they’re small, still, if a person has a conscience, then it’s a worry.

  VELIKATOV. A worry, Domna Pantelyevna, a worry. (Giving a package with money.) Here, give this to Alexandra Nikolavna.

  MME NYEGIN. We’re grateful, very grateful to you, Ivan Semyonych! Wouldn’t you like some tea?

  VELIKATOV. Thank you very much, but I can’t. Spare me from tea, Domna Pantelyevna. For some reason nothing agrees with me now, especially tea. It’s as though I have some kind of melancholy, Domna Pantelyevna, as if I’m all upset.

  MME NYEGIN. It’s what’s called the pachondria.

  VELIKATOV. Yes, Domna Pantelyevna, the pachondria.

  MME NYEGIN. A lot of money and nothing to do. That’s when it latches onto people.

  VELIKATOV. You hit it right on the head. That’s exactly what it comes from.

  MME NYEGIN. If it wasn’t for that, you wouldn’t have any reason for melancholy.

  VELIKATOV. You’re quite right, no reason. But I am suffering from melancholy, Domna Pantelyevna, and I’ve been rushing about at the fair from tavern to tavern. Could you believe it, this is the second week running that I’ve been drunk twice a day… What I think, Domna Pantelyevna, is this: either it’s from evil spirits or it’s God’s will.

  MME NYEGIN. It’s from loneliness.

  VELIKATOV. Loneliness, Domna Pantelyevna. Your words are pure gold, no more to be said, it’s loneliness.