The Lower Depths

LUKA. Boy, listen to me. Send that woman out of your life! Don’t let her near you! Her husband – she’ll get rid of him herself – and in a shrewder way than you could – yes! Don’t you listen to that devil! Look at me! I am bald-headed – know why? Because of all these women… Perhaps I knew more women than I had hair on the top of my head – but this Vassilisa – she’s worse than the plague..

PEPEL. I don’t understand.. I don’t know whether to thank you – or – well.

LUKA. Don’t say a word! You won’t improve on what I said. Listen: take the one you like by the arm, and march out of here – get out of here – clean out.

PEPEL [sadly] I can’t understand people. Who is kind and who isn’t? It’s all a mystery to me.

LUKA. What’s there to understand? There’s all breeds of men.. they all live as their hearts tell them.. good to-day, bad to-morrow! But if you really care for that girl.. take her away from here and that’s all there is to it. Otherwise go away alone.. you’re young – you’re in no hurry for a wife.

PEPEL [taking him by the shoulder] Tell me! Why do you say all this?

LUKA. Wait. Let me go. I want a look at Anna .. she was coughing so terribly.. [Goes to Anna’s bed, pulls the curtains, looks, touches her. Pepel thoughtfully and distraught, follows him with his eyes] Merciful Jesus Christ! Take into Thy keeping the soul of this woman Anna, new-comer amongst the blessed!

PEPEL [softly] Is she dead?

[Without approaching, he stretches himself and looks at the bed.]

LUKA [gently] Her sufferings are over! Where’s her husband?

PEPEL. In the saloon, most likely.

LUKA. Well – he’ll have to be told.

PEPEL [shuddering] I don’t like corpses!

LUKA [going to door] Why should you like them? It’s the living who demand our love – the living.

PEPEL. I’m coming with you.

LUKA. Are you afraid?

PEPEL. I don’t like it.

[They go out quickly. The stage is empty and silent for a few moments. Behind the door is heard a dull, staccato, incomprehensible noise. Then the Actor enters.]

THE ACTOR [stands at the open door, supporting himself against the jamb, and shouts] Hey, old man – where are you – ? I just remembered – listen.. [Takes two staggering steps forward and, striking a pose, recites]

“Good people! If the world cannot find
A path to holy truth,
Glory be to the madman who will enfold all humanity
In a golden dream.”

[Natasha appears in the doorway behind the Actor]

Old man! [recites]

“If to-morrow the sun were to forget
To light our earth,
To-morrow then some madman’s thought
Would bathe the world in sunshine..”

NATASHA [laughing] Scarecrow! You’re drunk!

THE ACTOR [turns to her] Oh – it’s you? Where’s the old man, the dear old man? Not a soul here, seems to me.. Natasha, farewell – right – farewell!

NATASHA [entering] Don’t wish me farewell, before you’ve wished me how-d’you-do!

THE ACTOR [barring her way] I am going. Spring will come – and I’ll be here no longer —

NATASHA. Wait a moment! Where do you propose going?

THE ACTOR. In search of a town – to be cured – And you, Ophelia, must go away! Take the veil! Just imagine – there’s a hospital to cure – ah – organisms for drunkards – a wonderful hospital – built of marble – with marble floors.. light – clean – food – and all gratis! And a marble floor – yes! I’ll find it – I’ll get cured – and then I shall start life anew… I’m on my way to regeneration, as King Lear said. Natasha, my stage name is.. Svertchkoff – Zavoloushski.. do you realize how painful it is to lose one’s name? Even dogs have their names.

[Natasha carefully passes the Actor, stops at Anna’s bed and looks.]

To be nameless – is not to exist!

NATASHA. Look, my dear – why – she’s dead..

THE ACTOR [shakes his head] Impossible.

NATASHA [stepping back] So help me God – look.

BUBNOFF [appearing in doorway] What is there to look at?

NATASHA. Anna – she’s dead!

BUBNOFF. That means – she’s stopped coughing! [Goes to Anna’s bed, looks, and returns to his bunk] We must tell Kleshtch – it’s his business to know.

THE ACTOR. I’ll go – I’ll say to him – she lost her name – [Exit]

NATASHA. [in centre of room] I, too – some day – I’ll be found in the cellar – dead..

BUBNOFF [spreading out some rags on his bunk] What’s that? What are you muttering?

NATASHA. Nothing much.

BUBNOFF. Waiting for Vaska, eh? Take care – Vassilisa’ll break your head!

NATASHA. Isn’t it the same who breaks it? I’d much rather he’d do it!

BUBNOFF [lying down] Well – that’s your own affair.

NATASHA. It’s best for her to be dead – yet it’s a pity.. oh, Lord – why do we live?

BUBNOFF. It’s so with all.. we’re born, live, and die – and I’ll die, too – and so’ll you – what’s there to be gloomy about?

[Enter Luka, the Tartar, Zob, and Kleshtch. The latter comes after the others, slowly, shrunk up.]