The Lower Depths

VASSILISA [to her husband] Come.

BUBNOFF. For three kopecks? Well – look out, old man – they may even do it for one!

KOSTILYOFF [to Bubnoff] You have a habit of jumping up like a jack-in-the-box!

VASSILISA. The world is full of shady people and crooks —

LUKA. Hope you’ll enjoy your tea!

VASSILISA [turning] Shut up! You rotten toadstool!

[Leaves with her husband.]

LUKA. I’m off to-night.

BUBNOFF. That’s right. Don’t outstay your welcome!

LUKA. True enough.

BUBNOFF. I know. Perhaps I’ve escaped the gallows by getting away in time.

LUKA. Well?

BUBNOFF. That’s true. It was this way. My wife took up with my boss. He was great at his trade – could dye a dog’s skin so that it looked like a raccoon’s – could change cat’s skin into kangaroo – muskrats, all sorts of things. Well – my wife took up with him – and they were so mad about each other that I got afraid they might poison me or something like that – so I commenced beating up my wife – and the boss beat me.. we fought savagely! Once he tore off half my whiskers – and broke one of my ribs.. well, then I, too, got enraged… I cracked my wife over the head with an iron yard-measure – well – and altogether it was like an honest-to-God war! And then I saw that nothing really could come of it.. they were planning to get the best of me! So I started planning – how to kill my wife – I thought of it a whole lot.. but I thought better of it just in time.. and got away.

LUKA. That was best! Let them go on changing dogs into raccoons!

BUBNOFF. Only – the shop was in my wife’s name.. and so I did myself out of it, you see? Although, to tell the truth, I would have drunk it away.. I’m a hard drinker, you know.

LUKA. A hard drinker – oh.

BUBNOFF. The worst you ever met! Once I start drinking, I drink everything in sight, I’ll spend every bit of money I have – everything except my bones and my skin.. what’s more, I’m lazy.. it’s terrible how I hate work!

[Enter Satine and the Actor, quarreling.]

SATINE. Nonsense! You’ll go nowhere – it’s all a damned lie! Old man, what did you stuff him with all those fairy-tales for?

THE ACTOR. You lie! Grandfather! Tell him that he lies! – I am going away. I worked to-day – I swept the streets.. and I didn’t have a drop of vodka. What do you think of that? Here they are – two fifteen kopeck pieces – and I’m sober!

SATINE. Why – that’s absurd! Give it to me – I’ll either drink it up – or lose it at cards.

THE ACTOR. Get out – this is for my journey.

LUKA [to Satine] And you – why are you trying to lead him astray?

SATINE. Tell me, soothsayer, beloved by the Gods, what’s my future going to be? I’ve gone to pieces, brother – but everything isn’t lost yet, grandfather.. there are sharks in this world who got more brains than I!

LUKA. You’re cheerful, Constantine – and very agreeable!

BUBNOFF. Actor, come over here! [The Actor crosses to window, sits down on the sill before Bubnoff, and speaks in a low voice with him]

SATINE. You know, brother, I used to be a clever youngster. It’s nice to think of it. I was a devil of a fellow.. danced splendidly, played on the stage, loved to amuse people.. it was awfully gay.

LUKA. How did you get to be what you are?

SATINE. You’re inquisitive, old man! You want to know everything? What for?

LUKA. I want to understand the ways of men – I look at you, and I don’t understand. You’re a bold lad, Constantine, and you’re no fool.. yet, all of a sudden.

SATINE. It’s prison, grandfather – I spent four years and seven months in prison.. afterwards – where could I go?

LUKA. Aha! What were you there for?

SATINE. On account of a scoundrel – whom I killed in a fit of rage.. and despair.. and in prison I learned to play cards.

LUKA. You killed – because of a woman?

SATINE. Because of my own sister… But look here – leave me alone! I don’t care for these cross-examinations – and all this happened a long time ago. It’s already nine years since my sister’s death… Brother, she was a wonderful girl.

LUKA. You take life easily! And only a while ago that locksmith was here – and how he did yell!

SATINE. Kleshtch?

LUKA. Yes – “There’s no work,” he shouted; “there isn’t anything.”

SATINE. He’ll get used to it. What could I do?

LUKA [softly] Look – here he comes!

[Kleshtch walks in slowly, his head bowed low.]

SATINE. Hey, widower! Why are you so down in the mouth? What are you thinking?

KLESHTCH. I’m thinking – what’ll I do? I’ve no food – nothing – the funeral ate up all.

SATINE. I’ll give you a bit of advice.. do nothing! Just be a burden to the world at large!

KLESHTCH. Go on – talk – I’d be ashamed of myself.

SATINE. Why – people aren’t ashamed to let you live worse than a dog. Just think.. you stop work – so do I – so do hundreds, thousands of others – everybody – understand? – everybody’ll quit working.. nobody’ll do a damned thing – and then what’ll happen?

KLESHTCH. They’ll all starve to death.

LUKA [to Satine] If those are your notions, you ought to join the order of Begunes – you know – there’s some such organization.

SATINE. I know – grandfather – and they’re no fools.

[Natasha is heard screaming behind Kostilyoff’s window: “What for? Stop! What have I done?”]