AKULÍNA. Of course.
TRAMP. But here came an upset. The despotic yoke oppressing the life of the people! I got into prison; I mean, I suffered the incarceration of freedom.
MARTHA. What for?
TRAMP. For our rights.
MARTHA. What rights?
TRAMP. What rights? Why the rights that the bourgeois should not feast continually, and that the labouring proletariat might reap the rewards of labour.
AKULÍNA. And get back the land, I suppose?
TRAMP. Well naturally. The Agromoric question too.
AKULÍNA. May God and the Holy Queen of Heaven grant it. We are that pressed for land. Well, and how are things now?
TRAMP. Now? I am off to Moscow. I shall go to an exploiter of labour. Can’t be helped; I shall humble myself and say–give me what work you will, only take me.
AKULÍNA. Well, have some more tea.
TRAMP. Thank you; merci I mean.
Noise and talk in the passage outside.
AKULÍNA. Here’s Michael, just in time for tea.
MARTHA [rises] Oh, my goodness, Ignát is with him! That means he’s drunk.
Michael and Ignát stagger in.
IGNÁT. How are you all? [Crosses himself before the icon] Here we are, damn you, just in time for tea. We went to church, service was done; we went to dine, all eaten and gone; to the pub, we went in, just time to begin. Ha, ha, ha! You give us some tea and we’ll give you some vódka. That’s fair. [Laughs].
MICHAEL. Where has this swell come from? [Points to Tramp. Takes a bottle from the bosom of his coat and puts it on the table] Bring some cups.
AKULÍNA. Well, did you get on all right?
IGNÁT. Nothing could be better, damn you; drank, and had a spree, and have brought some home.
MICHAEL [fills the cups with vódka, hands one to his mother and then one to the Tramp] Drink, you too!
TRAMP [taking cup] I offer most heartfelt thanks. Your health. [Empties the cup].
IGNÁT. Fine fellow, how he swills, damn him! I should think hunger makes it run through all his veins. [Pours out some more].
TRAMP [drinks] I wish you success in all your undertakings.
AKULÍNA. Well, did you get a good price for the hay?
IGNÁT. Good or bad, we’ve drunk it all, damn you! Am I right, Michael?
MICHAEL. Why, of course. It’s not made to be looked at! One must have some fun once in a hundred years.
MARTHA. What are you swaggering for? There’s not much good in that. We’ve nothing to eat at home, and see what you’re doing.
MICHAEL [threateningly] Martha!
MARTHA. Well, what of Martha? I know I’m Martha. Oh, it makes me sick to look at you.
MICHAEL. Martha, look!
MARTHA. There’s nothing to see. I don’t want to look.
MICHAEL. Pour out the vódka and serve it round to our visitors.
MARTHA. Faugh, you bleary-eyed hound. I don’t want to speak to you.
MICHAEL. You don’t? Ah, you baggage, what did you say?
MARTHA [rocks cradle. Paráshka is frightened and comes to her] What I said? I said I do not want to talk to you, that’s all.
MICHAEL. Have you forgotten? [Jumps up from the table, strikes her on the head and knocks off her kerchief] One!
MARTHA. Oh! Oh! Oh! [Runs crying to the door].
MICHAEL. You’ll not get away, you jade! [Rushes at her].
TRAMP [jumps up from the table and seizes his arm] You have no kind of complete right.
MICHAEL [stops and looks at Tramp with surprise] Is it long since you had a thrashing?
TRAMP. You have no complete right to subject the female sex to insults.
MICHAEL. Oh, you son of a bitch! Do you see this? [Shows his fist].
TRAMP. I will not allow exploitations to be performed on the female sex.
MICHAEL. I’ll give you such an extolpation that you’ll not know which end you stand on….
TRAMP. Go on, strike away! Why don’t you? [Holds out his face].
MICHAEL [shrugs his shoulders and spreads out his arms] Suppose I really go for you?
TRAMP. I tell you, strike!
MICHAEL. Well, you are a rum chap, now I come to look at you. [Drops his arms and shakes his head].
IGNÁT [to Tramp] One sees at once that you’re pretty sweet on the women, damn you!
TRAMP. I stand up for their rights.
MICHAEL [to Martha as, breathing heavily, he steps to the table] Well Martha, you must set a big candle before the saints for his sake. But for him, I’d have beaten you to a jelly.
MARTHA. What else can one expect of you. One worries all one’s life, baking and cooking; and as soon as …
MICHAEL. Now, have done, have done! [Offers vódka to the Tramp] Drink. [To his wife] And what are you slobbering for? Mayn’t a fellow have his joke? There you are [gives her money], put it away. Here are two three-rouble notes and two twenty-copeck pieces.
MARTHA. And the tea and sugar I wanted?
MICHAEL [takes parcel from his pocket and hands it to his wife. Martha takes the money and the parcel and goes into the little room, silently arranging the kerchief on her head] What an unreasonable lot these women are. [He again offers vódka to the Tramp] There, drink.
TRAMP [declining it] Drink it yourself.
MICHAEL. Come now, don’t fuss.
TRAMP [drinking] Success to you.
IGNÁT [to Tramp] You must have seen many a strange sight, I suppose. Oh, what a fine coat you’ve got! Latest fashion. Where did you get it from? [pointing to Tramp’s tattered jacket]. Don’t you mend it, it’s fine as it is! It’s getting on in years, I fancy. Well, it can’t be helped. If I had one like it, the women would be sweet on me too! [To Martha] Ain’t that true?
AKULÍNA. You should not, Ignát Iványch. Before seeing anything of him, why go and hold up a man to laughter?
TRAMP. It comes of his uneducatedness.
IGNÁT. I’m doing it friendly-like. Drink [offers vódka].
AKULÍNA. He says himself–it’s the cause of all evil–and he’s been in prison because of it.
MICHAEL. What were you in prison for?
TRAMP [very drunk] I’ve suffered for expropriation.
MICHAEL. What’s that?
TRAMP. Why, this way. Came up to a fat paunch: “Give up your money, else here’s a levolver.”[4] He tries this way and that, but forks out 2,300 roubles.
[4] As usual he mispronounces his word and calls a “revolver” “a levolver.”
AKULÍNA. Oh Lord!
TRAMP. We meant to dispose of it the proper way. Zembrikóf was our leader. Then those ravens swooped down on us. At once under arrest, and into prison.
IGNÁT. And took the money away?
TRAMP. Of course. Only they could not convict me. At the trial the procurator said these words to me: “You’ve stolen money” says he; and I answer him straight: “Thieves steal, but we have performed an expropriation for our Party.” And he didn’t know what to say. He tried this way and that, but couldn’t answer me. “Lead him,” says he, “to prison,” that is–to the incarceration of free life.
IGNÁT. Clever dog! A regular brick! [Offering vódka] Drink, damn you.
AKULÍNA. Fie, how nastily you speak!
IGNÁT. I, Grannie? I don’t mean it for abuse; it’s a manner of speech of mine. Damn you, damn you!… Your good health, Grannie.
MARTHA [returns and stands at the table pouring out tea].
MICHAEL. That’s right. Fancy taking offence! I say, it’s thanks to him. [To Tramp] What do you think? [Embraces Martha] I cherish my old woman. See, how I cherish her. In a word, my old woman is first-rate. I would not change her for anybody.
IGNÁT. There, that’s good. Grannie, drink! I stand treat.
TRAMP. What it means–the power of enershy! One was in a state of melancholy, and now there’s nothing but pleasantness and friendly disposition. Grannie, I feel much love for you and for everybody. Brothers dear [sings revolutionary song].
MICHAEL. It has got right hold of him in his hunger.
ACT II
Same hut. Morning
Martha and Akulína. Michael is asleep
MARTHA [takes hatchet] I must go and chop some firewood.
AKULÍNA [with a pail] He’d have beaten you black and blue yesterday, had it not been for that fellow. I don’t see him. Has he gone? I suppose he has. [Exit one after the other].
MICHAEL [climbs down from the top of the oven] Just look, the sun’s already quite high. [Puts on his boots] She must have gone to fetch water with mother. How my head aches! I won’t do it again; the devil take it! [Crosses himself before the icon, prays, and then washes his hands and face] I’ll go and harness.
Enter Martha with firewood.
MARTHA. And yesterday’s beggar? Has he gone?
MICHAEL. Must have gone. Can’t see him.
MARTHA. Oh well, let him go. He seemed a clever chap though.
MICHAEL. He took your part!
MARTHA. What of that!
Michael puts on his coat.
MARTHA. And the tea and sugar? Did you put them away last night, eh?
MICHAEL. I thought you did.
Enter Akulína with a pail of water.
MARTHA [to Akulína] Mother, have you taken the parcel?
AKULÍNA. No, I know nothing about it. I haven’t seen it.
MARTHA. Last night, I put it on the window-sill.
AKULÍNA. Yes, I saw it there.
MARTHA. Where can it be? [They look for it].
AKULÍNA. Dear me, what a shame!
Enter Neighbour.
NEIGHBOUR. Well Michael Tikhónych, are we to go for the wood?
MICHAEL. Yes, of course. I’m just going to harness; but you see we’ve lost something.
NEIGHBOUR. Dear me! What is it?
MARTHA. Why, you see, my old man brought a parcel from town yesterday, with tea and sugar in it, and I put it down here on the window-sill and didn’t remember
