ANÍSYA stands by the cellar.
MATRYÓNA (sits looking at her and discourses). Oh, oh, oh! How frightened he was: well, but what of that? If it is hard, it’s the only thing to be done. Where was one to put it? And just think, how often it happens that people pray to God to have children! But no, God gives them none; or they are all still-born. Look at our priest’s wife now…. And here, where it’s not wanted, here it lives. (Looks towards the cellar.) I suppose he’s finished. (To ANÍSYA.) Well?
ANÍSYA (looking into the cellar). He’s put a board on it and is sitting on it. It must be finished!
MATRYÓNA. Oh, oh! One would be glad not to sin, but what’s one to do?
Re-enter NIKÍTA from cellar, trembling all over.
NIKÍTA. It’s still alive! I can’t! It’s alive!
ANÍSYA. If it’s alive, where are you off to?
Tries to stop him.
NIKÍTA (rushes at her). Go away! I’ll kill you! (Catches hold of her arms; she escapes, he runs after her with the spade. MATRYÓNA runs towards him and stops him. ANÍSYA runs into the porch. MATRYÓNA tries to wrench the spade from him. To his mother.) I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you! Go away! (MATRYÓNA runs to ANÍSYA in the porch. NIKÍTA stops.) I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you all!
MATRYÓNA. That’s because he’s so frightened! Never mind, it will pass!
NIKÍTA. What have they made me do? What have they made me do? How it whimpered…. How it crunched under me! What have they done with me?… And it’s really alive, still alive! (Listens in silence.) It’s whimpering… There, it’s whimpering.
Runs to the cellar.
MATRYÓNA (to ANÍSYA). He’s going; it seems he means to bury it. Nikíta, you’d better take the lantern!
NIKÍTA (does not heed her, but listens by the cellar door). I can hear nothing! I suppose it was fancy! (Moves away, then stops.) How the little bones crunched under me. Krr … kr…. What have they made me do? (Listens again.) Again whimpering! It’s really whimpering! What can it be? Mother! Mother, I say!
Goes up to her.
MATRYÓNA. What is it, sonny?
NIKÍTA. Mother, my own mother, I can’t do any more! Can’t do any more! My own mother, have some pity on me!
MATRYÓNA. Oh dear, how frightened you are, my darling! Come, come, drink a drop to give you courage!
NIKÍTA. Mother, mother! It seems my time has come! What have you done with me? How the little bones crunched, and how it whimpered! My own mother! What have you done with me?
Steps aside and sits down on the sledge.
MATRYÓNA. Come, my own, have a drink! It certainly does seem uncanny at night-time. But wait a bit. When the day breaks, you know, and one day and another passes, you’ll forget even to think of it. Wait a bit; when the girl’s married we’ll even forget to think of it. But you go and have a drink; have a drink! I’ll go and put things straight in the cellar myself.
NIKÍTA (rouses himself). Is there any drink left? Perhaps I can drink it off!
Exit.
ANÍSYA, who has stood all the time by the door, silently makes way for him.
MATRYÓNA. Go, go, honey, and I’ll set to work! I’ll go down myself and dig! Where has he thrown the spade to? (Finds the spade, and goes down into the cellar.) Anísya, come here! Hold the light, will you?
ANÍSYA. And what of him?
MATRYÓNA. He’s so frightened! You’ve been too hard with him. Leave him alone, he’ll come to his senses. God help him! I’ll set to work myself. Put the lantern down here. I can see.
MATRYÓNA disappears into the cellar.
ANÍSYA. (looking towards the door by which Nikíta entered the hut). Well, have you had enough spree? You’ve been puffing yourself up, but now you’ll know how it feels! You’ll lose some of your bluster!
NIKÍTA (rushes out of the hut towards the cellar). Mother! Mother, I say!
MATRYÓNA (puts out her head). What is it, sonny?
NIKÍTA (listening) Don’t bury it, it’s alive? Don’t you hear? Alive! There — it’s whimpering! There … quite plain!
MATRYÓNA. How can it whimper? Why, you’ve flattened it into a pancake! The whole head is smashed to bits!
NIKÍTA. What is it then? (Stops his ears.) It’s still whimpering! I am lost! Lost! What have they done with me?… Where shall I go?
Sits down on the step.
CURTAIN
Scene II
The interior of the hut as in Act I.
NAN lies on the bench, and is covered with a coat. MÍTRITCH is sitting on the oven smoking.
MÍTRITCH. Dear me! How they’ve made the place smell I Drat ‘em! They’ve been spilling the fine stuff. Even tobacco don’t get rid of the smell! It keeps tickling one’s nose so. Oh Lord! But it’s bedtime, I guess.
Approaches the lamp to put it out.
NAN (jumps up, and remains sitting up). Daddy dear, don’t put it out!
MÍTRITCH. Not put it out? Why?
NAN. Didn’t you hear them making a row in the yard? (Listens.) D’you hear, there in the barn again now?
MÍTRITCH. What’s that to you? I guess no one’s asked you to mind! Lie down and sleep! And I’ll turn down the light.
Turns down lamp.
NAN. Daddy darling! Don’t put it right out; leave a little bit if only as big as a mouse’s eye, else it’s so frightening!
MÍTRITCH (laughs). All right, all right. (Sits down by her.) What’s there to be afraid of?
NAN. How can one help being frightened, daddy! Sister did go on so! She was beating her head against the box! (Whispers.) You know, I know … a little baby is going to be born…. It’s already born, I think….
MÍTRITCH. Eh, what a little busybody it is! May the frogs tick her! Must needs know everything. Lie down and sleep! (NAN lies down.) That’s right! (Tucks her up.) That’s right! There now, if you know too much you’ll grow old too soon.
NAN. And you are going to lie on the oven?
Mitrich. Well, of course! What a little silly you are, now I come to look at you! Must needs know everything. (Tucks her up again, then stands up to go.) There now, lie still and sleep!
Goes up to the oven.
NAN. It gave just one cry, and now there’s nothing to be heard.
MÍTRITCH. Oh Lord! Gracious Nicholas! What is it you can’t hear?
NAN. The baby.
MÍTRITCH. There is none, that’s why you can’t hear it.
NAN. But I heard it! Blest if I didn’t hear it! Such a thin voice!
MÍTRITCH. Heard indeed! Much you heard! Well, if you know, — why then it was just such a little girl as you that the bogey popped into his bag and made off with.
NAN. What bogey?
MÍTRITCH. Why, just his very self! (Climbs up on to the oven.) The oven is beautifully warm to-night. Quite a treat! Oh Lord! Gracious Nicholas!
NAN. Daddy! are you going to sleep?
MÍTRITCH. What else? Do you think I’m going to sing songs?
Silence.
NAN. Daddy! Daddy, I say! They are digging! they’re digging — don’t you hear? Blest if they’re not, they’re digging!
MÍTRITCH. What are you dreaming about? Digging! Digging in the night! Who’s digging? The cow’s rubbing herself, that’s all. Digging indeed! Go to sleep I tell you, else I’ll just put out the light!
NAN. Daddy darling, don’t put it out! I won’t … truly, truly, I won’t. It’s so frightful!
MÍTRITCH. Frightful? Don’t be afraid and then it won’t be frightful. Look at her, she’s afraid, and then says it’s frightful. How can it help being frightful if you are afraid? Eh, what a stupid little girl!
Silence. The cricket chirps.
NAN (whispers). Daddy! I say, daddy! Are you asleep?
MÍTRITCH. Now then, what d’you want?
NAN. What’s the bogey like?
MÍTRITCH. Why, like this! When he finds such a one as you, who won’t sleep, he comes with a sack and pops the girl into it, then in he gets himself, head and all, lifts her dress, and gives her a fine whipping!
NAN. What with?
MÍTRITCH. He takes a birch-broom with him.
NAN. But he can’t see there — inside the sack!
MÍTRITCH. He’ll see, no fear!
NAN. But I’ll bite him.
MÍTRITCH. No, friend, him you can’t bite!
NAN. Daddy, there’s some one coming! Who is it? Oh gracious goodness! Who can it be?
MÍTRITCH. Well, if some one’s coming, let them come! What’s the matter with you? I suppose it’s your mother!
Enter ANÍSYA.
ANÍSYA (NAN pretends to be asleep). Mítritch!
MÍTRITCH. What?
ANÍSYA. What’s the lamp burning for? We are going to sleep in the summer-hut.
MÍTRITCH. Why, you see I’ve only just got straight. I’ll put the light out all right.
ANÍSYA (rummages in her box and grumbles). When a thing’s wanted one never can find it!
MÍTRITCH. Why, what is it you are looking for?
ANÍSYA. I’m looking for a cross. Suppose it were to die unbaptized! It would be a sin, you know!
MÍTRITCH. Of course it would! Everything in due order…. Have you found it?
ANÍSYA. Yes, I’ve found it.
Exit.
MÍTRITCH. That’s right, else I’d have lent her mine. Oh Lord!
NAN (jumps up trembling). Oh, oh, daddy! Don’t go to sleep; for goodness’ sake, don’t! It’s so frightful!
MÍTRITCH. What’s frightful?
NAN. It will die — the little baby will! At Aunt Irene’s the old woman also baptized the baby, and it died!
MÍTRITCH. If it dies, they’ll bury it!
NAN. But maybe it wouldn’t have died, only old Granny Matryóna’s there! Didn’t I hear what granny was saying? I heard her! Blest if I didn’t!
MÍTRITCH. What did you hear? Go to sleep, I tell you. Cover yourself up, head and all, and let’s have an end of it!
NAN. If it lived, I’d nurse it!
MÍTRITCH (roars). Oh Lord!
NAN. Where will they put it?
MÍTRITCH. In
