Redemption and two other plays Part 81

quarters. SIMON appears behind him in the doorway.

SIMON. You'd better leave her alone!

GREGORY. You rascal! I'll teach you how to fight, you scamp, you!

ANNA PaVLOVNA. What do you mean? Do you think you are in a public-house?

GREGORY. This coa.r.s.e peasant makes life impossible for me.

ANNA PaVLOVNA (provoked). You've lost your senses. Don't you see? (To COUNTESS.) Merci, mille fois merci. A mardi! [21]

[Exeunt COUNTESS and FIRST FOOTMAN.

ANNA PaVLOVNA (to GREGORY). What is the meaning of this?

GREGORY. Though I do occupy the position of a footman, still I won't allow every peasant to hit me; I have my pride too.

ANNA PaVLOVNA. Why, what has happened?

GREGORY. Why, this Simon of yours has got so brave, sitting with the gentlemen, that he wants to fight!

ANNA PaVLOVNA. Why? What for?

GREGORY. Heaven only knows!

ANNA PaVLOVNA (to SIMON). What is the meaning of it?

SIMON. Why does he bother her?

ANNA PaVLOVNA. What has happened?

SIMON (smiles). Well, you see, he is always catching hold of Tanya, the lady's-maid, and she won't have it. Well, so I just moved him aside a bit, just so, with my hand.

GREGORY. A nice little bit! He's almost caved my ribs in, and has torn my dress-coat, and he says, "The same power as came over me yesterday comes on me again," and he begins to squeeze me.

ANNA PaVLOVNA (to SIMON). How dare you fight in my house?

THEODORE IVaNITCH. May I explain it to you, ma'am? I must tell you Simon is not indifferent to Tanya, and is engaged to her. And Gregory --one must admit the truth--does not behave properly, nor honestly, to her. Well, so I suppose Simon got angry with him.

GREGORY. Not at all! It is all his spite, because I have discovered their trickery.

ANNA PaVLOVNA. What trickery?

GREGORY. Why, at the seance. All those things, last night,--it was not Simon but Tanya who did them! I saw her getting out from under the sofa with my own eyes.

ANNA PaVLOVNA. What is that? From under the sofa?

GREGORY. I give you my word of honor. And it was she who threw the paper on the table. If it had not been for her the paper would not have been signed, nor the land sold to the peasants.

ANNA PaVLOVNA. And you saw it yourself?

GREGORY. With my own eyes. Shall I call her? She'll not deny it.

ANNA PaVLOVNA. Yes, call her.

[Exit GREGORY.

[Noise behind the scenes. The voice of the DOORKEEPER, "No, no, you cannot." DOORKEEPER is seen at the front door, the three PEASANTS rush in past him, the SECOND PEASANT first; the THIRD one stumbles, falls on his nose, and catches hold of it.

DOORKEEPER. You must not go in!

SECOND PEASANT. Where's the harm? We are not doing anything wrong. We only wish to pay the money!

FIRST PEASANT. That's just it; as by laying on the signature the affair is come to a conclusion, we only wish to make payment with thanks.

ANNA PaVLOVNA. Wait a bit with your thanks. It was all done by fraud!

It is not settled yet. Not sold yet.... Leonid.... Call Leonid Fyodoritch.

[Exit DOORKEEPER.

[LEONiD FYoDORITCH enters, but, seeing his wife and the PEASANTS, wishes to retreat.

ANNA PaVLOVNA. No, no, come here, please! I told you the land must not be sold on credit, and everybody told you so, but you let yourself be deceived like the veriest blockhead.

LEONiD FYoDORITCH. How? I don't understand who is deceiving?

ANNA PaVLOVNA. You ought to be ashamed of yourself! You have grey hair, and you let yourself be deceived and laughed at like a silly boy. You grudge your son some three hundred roubles which his social position demands, and let yourself be tricked of thousands--like a fool!

LEONiD FYoDORITCH. Now come, Annette, try to be calm.

FIRST PEASANT. We are only come about the acceptation of the sum, for example....

THIRD PEASANT (taking out the money). Let us finish the matter, for Christ's sake!

ANNA PaVLOVNA. Wait, wait!

[Enter TaNYA and GREGORY.

ANNA PaVLOVNA (angrily). You were in the small drawing-room during the seance last night?

[TaNYA looks around at THEODORE IVaNITCH, LEONiD FYoDORITCH, and SIMON, and sighs.

GREGORY. It's no use beating about the bush; I saw you myself....

ANNA PaVLOVNA. Tell me, were you there? I know all about it, so you'd better confess! I'll not do anything to you. I only want to expose him (pointing to LEONiD FYoDORITCH) your master.... Did you throw the paper on the table?

TaNYA. I don't know how to answer. Only one thing,--let me go home.

[Enter BETSY un.o.bserved.