Savva and the Life of Man Part 73

_[They utter a low and suppressed laugh._

--Oh my! Oh my!

_[The drunkards have all gone. Their places are taken by the Old Women. The light grows steady and very faint. The figure of the Unknown is sharply outlined, and so is Man's gray head, on which a, faint light falls from above._

OLD WOMEN'S CONVERSATION.

--Good evening.

--Good evening. What a splendid night!

--Here we are together again. How are you feeling?

--I cough a little.

_[They laugh suppressedly._

--It won't take long now. He'll die soon.

--Look at the candle. The flame is blue and thin and spreading sideways. There's no more wax. It's only the wick that's burning.

--It doesn't want to go out.

--When did you ever see a flame that did want to go out?

--Don't dispute, don't dispute. Whether it wants to go out, or doesn't want to go out, time is flying.

--Do you remember his motor car? He once almost ran me down.

--And his fifteen rooms?

--I was there a little while ago. The rats almost ate me up, and I caught a cold in the draught. Someone had stolen the window frames, and the wind was blowing through the whole house.

--Did you try the bed in which his wife died? Isn't it soft and nice?

--Yes, I went through all the rooms and let my fancy play a little.

They have such a pretty nursery. It's a pity the window frames are knocked out there too, and the wind makes a racket with the litter on the floor. And the child's bed too is so dear. Now the rats have made their nest in it and breed their children there.

--Such dear, naked little rats.

_[They t.i.tter._

--And in his study the toys are lying on the table: a horse without a tail, a soldier's cap, and a red-nosed clown. I played a little with them. I put on the soldier's cap. It was very becoming to me. But there's such a lot of dust on the things. I got all dirty.

--But did you go into the drawing-room where the ball was given? It's so gay there.

--Yes, I did. Fancy what I saw. It was dark, the windows were broken, and the wind was playing with the wall-paper--

--Making a sound as of music.

--And in the darkness the guests were squatting on their knees at the wall--and you should have seen how they looked!

--We know.

--And they barked: "How rich! How magnificent! How brilliant! How rich!"

--You're joking, of course.

--Of course I'm joking. You know I have a funny disposition.

--How rich! How magnificent!

--How gay!

_[They t.i.tter._

--Let's remind him of it!

--How rich! How magnificent!

--Do you remember how the music played at your ball?

--He's going to die soon.

--The dancers circled about, circled about, and the music played so gently, so beautifully. They played this way.

_[They make a semicircle about Man and hum the tune played by the musicians at the ball._

--Let's get up a ball. It's so long since I've danced.

--Imagine that this is a palace, a magnificent, an exquisitely beautiful palace.

--Call the musicians. Why, you can't have a ball without music.

--Musicians!

--You remember?

_[They sing. At that instant the three musicians who played at the ball come down the stairs. The one with the violin adjusts his handkerchief on his shoulder with great precision, and all three begin to play, making an exaggerated effort. But the notes are soft and gentle as in a dream._

--There you have the ball.

--How rich! How magnificent!

--How brilliant!

--You remember, don't you?