The Power of Darkness by Leo Tolstoy (best reads of all time .TXT) 📕

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, sonnie? 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 nighttime. 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, sonnie? 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.

Variation

Instead of the end of Act IV the following variation may be read, and is the one usually acted.

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! 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,7 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 kick 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? Mítritch 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 tonight. Quite a treat! Oh Lord! Gracious Nicholas! Nan Daddy! are you going to sleep? Mítritch What else? Do you think I’m