The Light Shines in Darkness Part 18

HEAD DOCTOR. Good morning!

ADJUTANT. I have brought you an interesting fellow, a certain Prince Cheremshanov, who has been conscripted, but on religious grounds refuses to serve. He was sent to the Gendarmes, but they say he does not come within their jurisdiction, not being a political conspirator. The Priest exhorted him, but also without effect.

HEAD DOCTOR [laughing] And then as usual you bring him to us, as the highest Court of Appeal. Well, let's have him.

Exit a.s.sistant Doctor.

ADJUTANT. He is said to be a highly educated young man, and he is engaged to a rich girl. It's extraordinary! I really consider this is the right place for him!

HEAD DOCTOR. Yes, it's a mania.

Boris is brought in.

HEAD DOCTOR. Glad to see you. Please take a seat and let's have a chat.

[To Adjutant] Please leave us. [Exit Adjutant].

BORiS. I should like to ask you, if possible, if you mean to lock me up somewhere, to be so good as to do it quickly and let me rest.

HEAD DOCTOR. Excuse me, we must keep the rules. Only a few questions.

What do you feel? What are you suffering from?

BORiS. Nothing. I am perfectly well.

HEAD DOCTOR. Yes, but you are not behaving like other people.

BORiS. I am behaving as my conscience demands.

HEAD DOCTOR. Well, you see you have refused to perform your military service. On what grounds do you do so?

BORiS. I am a Christian, and therefore cannot commit murder.

HEAD DOCTOR. But one must defend one's country from her foes, and keep those who want to destroy the social order from evil-doing.

BORiS. No one is attacking our country; and there are more among the governors who destroy social order, than there are among those whom they oppress.

HEAD DOCTOR. Yes? But what do you mean by that?

BORiS. I mean this: the chief cause of evil--vodka--is sold by the Government; false and fraudulent religion is also fostered by the Government; and this military service which they demand of me--and which is the chief means of demoralising the people--is also demanded by the Government.

HEAD DOCTOR. Then, in your opinion, Government and the State are unnecessary.

BORiS. That I don't know; but I know for certain that I must take no part in evil-doing.

HEAD DOCTOR. But what is to become of the world? Is not our reason given in order to enable us to look ahead.

BORiS. It is also given in order to enable us to see that social order should not be maintained by violence, but by goodness; and that one man's refusal to partic.i.p.ate in evil cannot be at all dangerous.

HEAD DOCTOR. Well now, allow me to examine you a bit. Will you have the goodness to lie down? [Begins touching him] You feel no pain here?

BORiS. No.

HEAD DOCTOR. Nor here?

BORiS. No.

HEAD DOCTOR. Take a deep breath, please. Now don't breathe. Now allow me [takes out a measure and measures forehead and nose]. Now be so good as to shut your eyes and walk.

BORiS. Are you not ashamed to do all this?

HEAD DOCTOR. What do you mean?

BORiS. All this nonsense? You know that I am quite well and that I am sent here because I refuse to take part in their evil deeds, and because they have no answer to give to the truth I told them; and that is why they pretend to think me mad. And you co-operate with them. It is horrid and it is shameful. Don't do it!

HEAD DOCTOR. Then you don't wish to walk?

BORiS. No, I don't. You may torture me, but you must do it yourself; I won't help you. [Hotly] Let me alone! [The Doctor presses b.u.t.ton of bell. Enter two Warders].

HEAD DOCTOR. Don't get excited. I quite understand that your nerves are strained. Will you please go to your ward?

Enter a.s.sistant Doctor.

a.s.sISTANT DOCTOR. Some visitors have just come to see Cheremshanov.

BORiS. Who are they?

a.s.sISTANT DOCTOR. Sarntsov and his daughter.

BORiS. I should like to see them.

HEAD DOCTOR. There is no reason why you shouldn't. Ask them in. You may see them here. [Exit, followed by a.s.sistant and Warders].

Enter Nicholas Ivanovich and Lyuba. The Princess looks in at the door and says, "_Go in, I'll come later._"

LYuBA [goes straight to Boris, takes his head in her hands and kisses him] Poor Boris.

BORiS. No, don't pity me. I feel so well, so joyful, so light. How d'you do. [Kisses Nicholas Ivanovich].

NICHOLAS IVaNOVICH. I have come to say chiefly one thing to you. First of all, in such affairs it is worse to overdo it than not to do enough.

And in this matter you should do as is said in the Gospels, and not think beforehand, "I shall say this, or do that": "When they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaketh in you." That is to say, do not act because you have reasoned out beforehand that you should do so and so, but act only when your whole being feels that you cannot act otherwise.

BORiS. I have done so. I did not think I should refuse to serve; but when I saw all this fraud, those Mirrors of Justice, those Doc.u.ments, the Police and Officers smoking, I could not help saying what I did. I was frightened, but only till I had begun, after that it was all so simple and joyful.

Lyuba sits down and cries.

NICHOLAS IVaNOVICH. Above all, do nothing for the sake of being praised, or to gain the approval of those whose opinion you value. For myself I can say definitely, that if you take the oath at once, and enter the service, I shall love and esteem you not less but more than before; because not the things that take place in the external world are valuable, but that which goes on within the soul.

BORiS. Of course, for what happens within the soul must make a change in the outside world.

NICHOLAS IVaNOVICH. Well, I have said my say. Your mother is here. She is terribly upset. If you can do what she asks, do it--that is what I wished to say to you.