Works of Ivan Turgenev (Illustrated) (437 page)

EPILOGUE

(Ten years later) Scene: The office of an important official. Discovered: The secretary at the table.

[Don Pablo Sangre and Count Torreno enter.] Count Pablo [busily, to the secretary]: Are my papers ready? It is time for me . . .

Secretary [respectfully]: Here they are, Your Highness. [Both go out.]

Curtain

A Comedy in One Act

Translated by M.S. Mandell

CONTENTS

CHARACTERS

BROKE

CHARACTERS

Timofei (Timosha) Petrovich Zhazikov, a young man

Matvei, his servant, an old man

Vasili Vasilevich Blinov, a land - owner from the steppes

A Russian merchant

A German shoemaker

A French artist

A girl A driver

An unknown man

A dog fancier

A lithographer’s clerk

Scene:
 
A reasonably well - furnished room.

[Zhazikov is sleeping in the bed behind the screen.’]

BROKE

Matvei [entering and going up to the led]: Timofei Petrovich! Please get up. Timofei Petrovich! [Silence.] Timofei Petrovich! Timofei Petrovieh!

Zhazikov: M - m - m.

Matvei: Please get up, sir; it is time.

Zhazikov: What time is it?

Matvei: Quarter past ten.

Zhazikov [unusually provoked]: Why didn’t you wake me up before this? I told you yesterday Matvei: I did wake you, but you wouldn’t get up.

Zhazikov: You should have pulled the comfortable off. [Comes out from behind the screen, dressed in a bath - robe. Goes up to the window and looks out.~\ Brrr! It must be cold out. It is cold here too. Matvei, make the fire.

Matvei: There is no wood.

Zhazikov: How is that? Is it all gone?

Matvei: It is over a week since it is gone.

Zhazikov: What nonsense! What are you heating with?

Matvei: I am not heating.

Zhazikov [after a short silence]: That’s why I nearly froze to death. . . . You must get wood. However, about that later. Have you made tea?

Matvei: I have.

Zhazikov: Very well; let’s have some tea.

Matvei: All right. Only, there is no sugar.

Zhazikov: Sugar gone too? Every bit of it?

Matvei: Every piece of it.

Zhazikov [indignantly]: I can’t get along without tea. Go, and get sugar somewhere! Go!

Matvei: Where shall I get it, Timofei Petrovich?

Zhazikov: In the store. Have it charged. Say that I will pay to - morrow.

Matvei: He won’t trust any more, Timofei Petrovich. He scolds now.

Zhazikov: How much do we owe him?

Matvei: Seven rubles and sixty kopecks.

Zhazikov: Mean thing! Go and try once more; maybe he will give you some.

Matvei: He won’t, Timofei Petrovich.

Zhazikov: Tell him that in a couple of days your master will receive money from home, and that he will pay immediately. Go!

Matvei: There is no use going, Timofei Petrovich; he will not give any more without money. I know -

Zhazikov: He won’t give credit because you are a fool! You ask him for it as a favor: “Please trust us.” You haven’t got the least bit of — what do they call it in Kus - sian? . . . Well, what’s the difference, you wouldn’t understand it anyway. [Bell rings. Zhazikov runs behind the screen. In a low voice.] Don’t let anyone in; don’t let anyone in! Do you hear me? Say that I went out of town early this morning. [Stops up his ears with his fingers.] [Matvei goes out.]

Shoemaker’s Voice: Master home?

Matvei’s Voice: No.

Shoemaker’s Voice: Gott Donnerwetter! No?

Matvei’s Voice: No, he is not home, I tell you. Shoemaker’s Voice: Will he be home soon? Matvei’s Voice: I don’t know! no, not soon. Shoemaker’s Voice: How is that? That’s not right. I need money.

Matvei’s Voice: He went away. I tell you, he went away. He went away on business.

Shoemaker’s Voice: Mm! I’ll wait. Matvei’s Voice: You can’t wait here. Shoemaker’s Voice: I’ll wait.

Matvei’s Voice: No, you can’t wait here, you can’t. Go. I’ll go myself, pretty soon. Shoemaker’s Voice: I’ll wait. Matvei’s Voice: You can’t wait, I tell you. Shoemaker’s Voice: I need money; money I need. I won’t go away.

Matvei’s Voice: Go, go, I tell you. Shoemaker’s Voice: Shame, shame! A nice man and makes such things! Shame. . . .

Matvei’s Voice: Go to the devil! I can’t talk to you for an hour.

Shoemaker’s Voice: When money? When money? Matvei’s Voice: Come the day after to - morrow. Shoemaker’s Voice: What time? Matvei’s Voice: About this time. Shoemaker’s Voice: Well, good - bye. Matvei’s Voice: Good - bye.

[Clink of the door closing is heard. Matvei enters.] Zhazikov [timidly looking out from behind the screen]: Has he gone? Matvei: Yes, sir.

Zhazikov: Very well, very well. What a cursed German,!

All he wants is money, money. ... I don’t like Germans. Now go for sugar.

Matvei: But, Timofei Petrovich
         

Zhazikov: I don’t want to know anything! You want me to go without tea? Steal it, but bring it. . . . Go, go, go!

[Matvei goes out.~\ Zhazikov [alone]: That old fool is positively good - for - nothing! I must write for a younger one. [Short silence.] I must get money somewhere. ... Of whom shall I borrow? That’s the question. [Bell rings.] The devil! Another creditor! And Matvei has gone after sugar. [Rings again.] I can’t open the door for that devil. . . . [Bell rings.] It is surely some creditor — beast! [Bell.] How insolent he is! . . . [Starts to go to the door.] No, I mustn’t; and it is not proper. [Desperate ringing.] Burst, I don’t care. . . . [Shudders.] I think he has broken the bell. . . . How dare he? . . . Suppose it wasn’t a creditor? Suppose it was the letter - carrier with a money order? No, the letter - carrier wouldn’t ring like that. ... He would come later.

[Matvei enters.] Zhazikov: Where did you get lost? Someone broke the bell in your absence. It’s monstrous, awful! Well, did you bring sugar?

Matvei [taking a small package in gray paper from his pocket]: Here it is.

Zhazikov [opening it]: Is that all? There are only four pieces here, and they are full of dust. . . . Matvei: I had hard work getting that, sir. Zhazikov: Well, it’ll have to do. Let’s have the tea. [Begins to hum an Italian aria.] Matvei! Matvei: Yes, sir?

Zhazikov: Matvei, I want to order a livery for you.

Matvei: As you please, sir.

Zhazikov: What do you think? I want to order a livery of the very latest style for you, a purple - gray, with blue shoulder knots. . . . [Bell.] Hell! [Runs behind the screen.]

[Matvei goes out.]

Merchant’s Voice: Is your esteemed master still asleep?

Matvei’s Voice: No, he’s gone out.

Merchant’s Voice: Gone out?

Matvei’s Voice: Gone out.

Merchant’s Voice: So; got up quite early. How about money? Is there any lying around here?

Matvei’s Voice: I must say, not just now, but there will be soon.

Merchant’s Voice: That is, when? If not long, I’ll wait.

Matvei’s Voice: No, you had better come in two or three days.

Merchant’s Voice: So; so there is none lying around now?

Matvei’s Voice: Not now.

Merchant’s Voice: He doesn’t owe very much; but I declare, I have worn out my boots trying to collect it.

Matvei’s Voice: In about two days.

Merchant’s Voice: That is, on Thursday? I’d rather come in Friday or Saturday.

Matvei’s Voice: Well, all right; make it Saturday.

Merchant’s Voice: There is no money lying around now?

Matvei’s Voice: No, not just now.

Merchant’s Voice: So; then when shall I come?

Matvei’s Voice: I have told you — Saturday. Merchant’s Voice: Saturday? Well, all right, I’ll come Saturday. And so, you haven’t any now? Matvei’s Voice: Oh, Christ! We haven’t any. Merchant’s Voice: Not even twenty - five rubles? Matvei’s Voice: No, no; not even a copper. Merchant’s Voice: Not even twenty? Matvei’s Voice: Where should I get it? Merchant’s Voice: So you haven’t any money? Matvei’s Voice: I haven’t, I haven’t, I haven’t! Merchant’s Voice: Then when shall I come? Matvei’s Voice: Saturday, Saturday! Merchant’s Voice: Not before?

Matvei’s Voice: You can come before if you like; it won’t make any difference.

Merchant’s Voice: I’ll come Friday. Matvei’s Voice: All right, come Friday. Merchant’s Voice: And I’ll get the money? Matvei’s Voice: You’ll get it. Merchant’s Voice: Now you haven’t any? Matvei’s Voice: No, no. Merchant’s Voice: So! Friday? Matvei’s Voice: Yes. Merchant’s Voice: About this time? Matvei’s Voice: Yes, yes.

Merchant’s Voice: Or would it be better Saturday? Matvei’s Voice: You know best.

Merchant’s Voice: So, I’ll come Friday or Saturday, as I find it handier. You know, as I find it handier. Matvei’s Voice: Just as you see fit. Merchant’s Voice: Perhaps Friday. . . . And now, it isn’t possible to get any money?

Matvei’s Voice: 0 Lord, 0 Lord! 0 Lord!

Merchant’s Voice: Then Saturday. Excuse me.

Matvei’s Voice: Good - bye.

Merchant’s Voice: Good - bye. I’ll come in Friday or Saturday about this time. Excuse me.

[Click of door closing is heard. Matvei enters. He is pale and all in a perspiration.]

Zhazikov [coming out from behind the screen]: You ought to be ashamed of yourself, talking to that fool for an hour! Who was it?

Matvei [surlily]: The furnichure (furniture) man.

Zhazikov: Do I owe him anything?

Matvei: Fifty - two rubles.

Zhazikov: Is that so? For what? The desk has all gone to pieces. See. It doesn’t look like anything. In the future, I shall buy my furniture of Hambs. I hate Russian - made furniture. Russians know how to grow long beards, but not to make furniture. It is cheap but rotten. [Bell.] The devil take it! Again! They don’t let me do anything. I can’t even drink my tea in peace . . . it’s terrible. [Disappears behind the screen.]

[Matvei goes to the vestibule.]

Girl’s Voice: Is your master home?

[Zhazikov looks out from behind the screen quickly.]

Matvei’s Voice: No, he went away this morning.

Zhazikov [loudly]: Who is there?

Girl’s Voice: Why did you say he wasn’t home?

Matvei’s Voice: Well, go in ... If he himself . . .