Brian Friel Plays 2 (21 page)

Arkady
(
calling
above
the
piano
music
)
Anybody for
icecream
?

Katya
Me, Arkady. Please.

Arkady
Fenichka?

She
signals
no.
He
goes
to
her
and
dances
her
round
the
room
in
time
to
the
music.
Anna
claps.

Anna
(
calling
)
Very good, Arkady! Lovely!

Bazarov
Exquisite.

Anna
He’s a very good dancer.

Bazarov
(
sharply
)
Altogether he’s such a nice young man.

Anna
(
calling
)
Beautiful, Arkady. Very elegant.

Arkady
Can’t hear you.

Bazarov
He can’t take his eyes off you.

Anna
Do you dance?

Bazarov
No.

Anna
I love dancing.

Bazarov
Naturally. All aristocrats love dancing.

Anna
I’ve told you, Yevgeny – I’m not an aristocrat. Tell me more about your Nihilism.

Bazarov
It’s not mine. I don’t possess it like an estate. Tell me what you believe in.

Anna
Routine; order; discipline.

Bazarov
That’s how you conduct your life, not what you believe in.

Anna
It’s adequate for me.

Bazarov
Because you have no beliefs or because your beliefs have no passion?

Anna
Passion is a luxury. I make no excursions outside what I know and can handle.

Bazarov
These new psychiatrists would say that you avoid belief because belief demands commitment and you’re afraid of commitment. And you’re afraid of commitment because it would demand everything of you. And because you’re not prepared to give everything, you give nothing. And you excuse yourself by calling passion a luxury but you know in your heart that your excuse is a lie.

Anna
I’m not a liar, Yevgeny Vassilyich.

Bazarov
I haven’t met all that many aristocrats like you in my life –

Anna
I am not an –

Bazarov
– but I’ve noticed that their brain is divided into two equal parts. One part is totally atrophied – the part that might be capable of generosity, enthusiasm, of a thirst for social change, of the desire for risk, for the big gamble, for that dangerous extreme. So they function, these aristocratic cripples, they function with the portion that is left to them; and like some mutilated organ it becomes unnaturally developed and unnaturally active. Hence your aristocrat’s irrational obsession with wheat-yield and good-management and productivity and efficiency –

Anna
And routine and order and discipline. Why are you being so difficult?

Bazarov
Perhaps I haven’t the grace for aristocratic ladies like you.

Anna
My father, my handsome, gambling, risking, reckless father died when I was twenty. Katerina was only nine. For two years we lived in penury, the kind of
grinding poverty I suspect you have never known, Yevgeny. Then I met a man who was twenty-five years older than me. He was very wealthy, eccentric, a hypochondriac, enormously fat. He had no illusions about himself. He asked me to marry him. I thought about it very carefully and then I said yes. We had six years together. I still miss him. He was a kind man.

Bazarov
So?

Anna
So that’s all. I suppose I’m trying to – Oh I don’t know why I told you that.

Bazarov
I’m afraid I’m lost here. I mean – am I to applaud your circumspection in netting a rich old eccentric – or commiserate with you on your bereavement? – or congratulate you on your sudden wealth?

Anna
Let’s not talk about it any more.

Bazarov
Or are you just teasing my appetite for the full biography? Because if you are, I’m afraid I find it less than gripping. But it does have the makings of the kind of rags-to-riches novelette that someone like Dunyasha, or indeed the very nice young Arkady, would probably find irresistible.

Anna
jumps
to
her
feet
and
would
leave
but
Bazarov
catches
her
by
the
arms.

Oh my God, Anna – forgive me – I’m sorry – I’m sorry – please, please forgive me –

The
music
has
stopped.
Everybody
is
aware
of
the
scene,
of
the
raised
voices.
Everybody
is
staring
at
them.
Bazarov
realizes
he
is
holding
her
and
lets
her
go.

(
lowering
his
voice
)
I’ve no idea why I said that – it was unpardonable, unpardonable – I’m sorry – I’m deeply sorry – please forgive me – please.

Silence.
Pavel,
the
only
person
unaware
of
the
scene,
closes
his
book
and
walks
slowly
across
the
stage
towards
Anna.

Pavel
(
applauding
the
pianists
)
Bravo! Well done! Lovely! Thank you. Your sister is a very talented pianist.

Anna
What are you reading, Pavel Petrovich?

Pavel
This?
Ne
vaut
pas
la
peine
d’être
lu.
The
Romance
of
the
Forest
by an English novelist called Mrs Ann Ward Radcliffe. A simple lady. But it kills time. Harmlessly.

As
he
goes
into
the
living-room,
Arkady
enters
carrying
two
dishes
of
ice-cream
–
one
for
Katya
and
one
for
Anna.

(
with
distaste
)
Good Lord.

Arkady
Good Lord, it’s lovely, Uncle Pavel. Here we are! Who ordered what? Katya – there you are – one vanilla ice-cream coated with chocolate dressing and topped with a single glistening cherry.

Katya
Thank you, Arkady. Oh, lovely!

Bazarov
(
softly
to
Anna
)
Please forgive me. I’m deeply sorry. (
He
exits
quickly
left.
)

Arkady
(
to
Katya
)
My great pleasure. (
He
comes
outside.
)
And one without dressing for Anna Sergeyevna Odintsov.

Katya
comes
down
beside
him.

Katya
Did you really make it yourself?

Arkady
Why the surprise? I’m an expert at all foods, amn’t I, Bazarov? Where’s Bazarov? In the flat we shared I did all the cooking and he did all the washing and cleaning.

Katya
(
to
Anna
)
You’re pale. Are you all right?

Anna
I’m fine – fine – we’ll soon have to go, Katerina.

Katya
No, we’re not leaving for some time. I like it here.

Nikolai
and
Fenichka
come
down.

Nikolai
I really enjoyed that. I haven’t played piano duets since Maria and I used to sit in there and – (
recovering
)
– oh, not for years and years. Did we go on too long?

Anna
Not long enough. We had a lovely evening.

Nikolai
I hope it’s the first of many. It’s beginning to get cold. Do you think the Princess is warm enough?

Anna
She’s all right. Anyway it’s time we got the carriage ready.

Nikolai
Piotr! Piotr! He must be somewhere around. Ah, Prokofyich, would you see to Madam Odintsov’s carriage?

Prokofyich
Certainly, madam.

Anna
pushes
the
parasol
aside.

Anna
Time to move, Auntie Olga. We have a long journey before us.

Princess
Long journeys – short journeys – my father always said they all end up in the same place: nowhere, nowhere, nowhere.

Anna
takes
her
arm
and
together
they
go
into
the
living-room.
Arkady
watches
Anna
as
she
goes.

Katya
You were to show me the litter of pups, Arkady.

Arkady
Sorry?

Katya
The litter of pups – you were to show me them.

Arkady
So I was. We’ll go just now. They’re in the stable.

Katya
How many are there?

Arkady
Four. Would you like one?

Katya
What do you mean – would I like one? We talked about this all morning and you said I could have the pick of the litter. Don’t you remember?

Arkady
Of course I remember. And it’s the pick of the litter you’ll get, Katerina.

Katya
Katya! Katya! Katya! We talked about that, too! I told you I loathe Katerina. Anna’s the only one who calls me Katerina.

Arkady
Sorry, Katya. The pick of the litter – your choice – whatever one you want. Or take two of them. Or three of them. Or take them all.

Katya
‘Take them all’! You’re an awful clown, you know.

Arkady
Why?

Katya
Just the way you go on. If you want my honest opinion, I think you’re not a very mature person yet.

Arkady
Really?!

Katya
But that will come in time.

Arkady
Oh, good. Then I’ll be like you.

Katya
No, no – always a little behind. But close enough. Come on – Anna wants to leave soon.

She
leads
him
off
left.
Nikolai
and
Fenichka
move
downstage.
Dunyasha
comes
into
the
living-room
and
tidies
around.
She
is
singing.

Nikolai
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Arkady has fallen
for young Katya. I noticed, when we were playing the piano, she kept watching him.

Fenichka
I think it’s Anna Sergeyevna he likes.

Nikolai
Do you think so? Oh, I would hope not. Anna Sergeyevna is a splendid young woman but much too sophisticated for Arkady. Sit down beside me. You must be tired. You had a busy day.

Fenichka
I was tired earlier but I’m fine now. When are the boys leaving?

Nikolai
The end of next week, I believe. And I’m glad – no, not that they’re leaving – (
whispers
) – but that Bazarov is finally going to his parents. Hasn’t seen them for three whole years! Can you imagine – not since he started college!

Fenichka
Some people live like that. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t care for them.

Nikolai
That’s true. Maybe it’s just a matter of being alert to certain sensibilities. He’s fond of you – Bazarov.

Fenichka
Is he?

Nikolai
Oh, yes. He’s more relaxed with you than with anybody else in the house.

Fenichka
I like him, too. Strange man.

Nikolai
And Arkady’s also fond of you, thank heaven!

Fenichka
I’m very fond of Arkady.

Dunyasha
exits.
They
are
alone.

Nikolai
And of Mitya. Calls him ‘little half-brother’.

Fenichka
I’ve heard him. It’s funny to see them playing together.