Complete works of henryk.., p.744
Complete Works of Henryk Sienkiewicz, page 744
DRAGOMIR. Why add another drop to the overflowing cup?
DOCTOR. A pretty phrase! Do you not understand what people will think of her here, if you go away suddenly, without farewell, without return. Besides, she is ill, and may not survive your departure.
DRAGOMIR. I see no escape.
DOCTOR. There is only one. Find an occasion; take farewell of her calmly, and say that you will return. Otherwise the blow may exceed her strength. You must leave her hope. She ought not to suspect anything. Afterward she may grow used to your absence, then forget it.
DRAGOMIR. Better let her forget it.
DOCTOR. I shall use all my efforts to bring that about. I shall be the first one to throw a handful of dust on your memory.
DRAGOMIR. What am I to do, then?
DOCTOR. Find a cause for taking farewell, mention your return to all, and go away. Yerzy also is’ not to - know of anything.
DRAGOMIR. When am I to take farewell of her?
DOCTOR. In a little while. I have forewarned her. I shall occupy Pretvits while you are with her. He will come here soon.
DRAGOMIR. All is so arranging itself that I would rather have a ball in my heart.
DOCTOR. NO one is sure of his to-morrow. Go now.
[DRAGOMIR goes out.
SCENE VI.
DOCTOR YOZVOVICII, later, the SERVANT.
DOCTOR. HOW hot it is here, my head is splitting! (Rings, SERVANT enters.) Ask Pan Pretvits here immediately. (SERVANT goes out.) My head is splitting, but afterward there will be a long rest.
SCENE VII.
DOCTOR YOZVOVICH, YERZY.
YERZY (entering). What didst thou wish of roe?
DOCTOR. I wish to give thee some advice touching the Princess’s health.
YERZY. How is she now?
DOCTOR. Better. I have permitted her to rise now, for she and Dragomir begged me to do so.
YERZY. And Dragomir?
DOCTOR. Yes. He wishes to talk with her. They are to come in here a quarter of an hour from now.
YERZY. Doctor, rage and pain are suffocating me. Dragomir avoids me.
DOCTOR. But still thou dost not suspect him.
YERZY. I swear that I have warded off suspicions as a dying man keeps off crows; that I have gnawed my hands from pain and despair. I ward them off yet; but I cannot do so longer. I cannot. Reality strikes me on the head with the back of a hatchet. He avoids me, he — By the mercy of God! tell me that I am fool, that I have lost my senses, for everything is breaking in me.
DOCTOR. Restrain thyself. Even if he has loved the Princess, no man controls his own heart.
YERZY. Enough, enough! Thou wert right in joining his name the first time with hers. I rejected the thought then, but it has lived here! (Striking his breast.) The grain is ripe now. Oh, what a terrible and ridiculous rôle I have played, till reality convinced me —
DOCTOR. But he saved thy life.
YERZY. TO take it when it began to have value. It is paid for already, paid for with torment, murdered happiness, broken hope, faith in him destroyed, in myself, in her. And knowest thou how many days and nights have passed; how I repress in myself the shriek of pure despair.
DOCTOR. Calm thyself.
YERZY. I loved that man. Tell me am I a maniac? But I will calm myself. Still how dreadful that it should he just he. My reason is at an end, my powers are at an end; but misfortune continues. Think that it should he just he. Forgive me all that I said before to thee, and save me; evil thoughts are coming to my head.
DOCTOR. Calm thyself, thou art mistaken.
YERZY. Show me that I am mistaken, and I will kneel before thee.
DOCTOR. Thou art mistaken. Dragomir is going away.
YERZY. He is going away! (A moment of silence.) Then I can live still like every man, not in torture, and have hope?
DOCTOR (coldly and slowly). He is not going away, it is true, for good. He said that he would return soon.
YERZY. Again thou art fastening me to the cross.
DOCTOR. Collect presence of mind, and do not let thyself be carried to madness. In every case thou wilt gain time. If he has shaken thy place in the heart of the Princess, thou canst win back what is lost.
YERZY. NO! It is all over! I will go into the abyss.
DOCTOR. Everything may be settled by his departure.
YERZY (with an outburst). But thou hast said that he will return.
DOCTOR (with power). Listen, I will agree that thou hast paid Dragomir for thy life with suffering. Dragomir has betrayed and broken friendship by taking her heart from thee; but I reject the thought that he is going away to save his person from thy revenge.
YERZY. But to give her time to break with me! That is it! So I am cursed already to the hour of death; I will suspect him now of everything. He is fleeing from me.
DOCTOR. Yerzy!
YERZY. May God forgive me if something terrible happens here to Dragomir.
DOCTOR. Poor Yerzy!
YERZY. Enough, enough! I will go to ask him when he returns. He saved me one life and killed ten.
[Wishes to go out.
DOCTOR. Where art thou going?
YERZY. TO ask him how long he will be gone.
DOCTOR. One moment. Of what dost thou wish to ask, madman? He may be innocent; but pride will close his lips and destroy both of you. Stay here, thou wilt pass only over my corpse. I am not afraid of thee — dost understand! In a moment they are to talk here. If thou need proofs, thou shalt have them. From the garden porch thou wilt not hear, but thou wilt see them; thou wilt convince thyself with thy own eyes, and perhaps regret violent words.
YERZY (after a while). Agreed! that is well. O God grant that there is no fault there! I thank thee, but do not leave me now.
DOCTOR. One word more: Whatever happens, it would be contemptible if thou shouldst endanger her life with an outburst.
YERZY. Agreed, let us go.
DOCTOR. They will be here alone.
YERZY. I shall correct everything yet. Whither shall we go?
DOCTOR. TO the garden porch.
YERZY. May God have mercy on me, and on them.
DOCTOR. YOU are feverish. You are trembling already as in a fever.
YERZY. I will stuff my mouth with a handkerchief. Then from the porch —
DOCTOR. Yes, among the cypresses.
YERZY. I lack breath. Some one is coming. Let us go out.
SCENE VIII.
DRAGOMIR, then, STELLA.
DRAGOMIR. The last evening, and the last time. (After a while.) Let the will of God be done; let all suffering fall on me.
STELLA (enters). The doctor told me that you wished to see me.
DRAGOMIR. Yes, important reasons call me home for a time. I have come to take farewell of you.
STELLA. TO take farewell?
DRAGOMIR. To-day I go to Svetlenitse, and to-morrow farther. (A moment of silence.)
STELLA. SO, it is necessary.
DRAGOMIR. Life has passed like a dream here; it is time to wake up.
STELLA. But you say that we shall see each other again?
DRAGOMIR. If God permits.
STELLA. Then I give you my hand in parting, and with it eternal friendship. Friendship, like an immortelle, is a pale flower, but it never withers. May God conduct and guard you. The heart of a sister will go with you everywhere, I beg you to remember —
DRAGOMIR. I take farewell of you. —
STELLA. I take farewell of you as if forever. (She goes away and then returns with tears in her voice.) Count, why do you deceive me, you are going away forever.
DRAGOMIR. Have pity on me!
STELLA. You are going away forever?
DRAGOMIR. Yes, it is true.
STELLA. I divined that. But perhaps it is better for us both.
DRAGOMIR. Oh, yes, there are things which cannot he told, though the heart should be rent. A moment ago you said that you would remember me; recall that gift, forget.
STELLA. I shall not be able. (She bursts into tears.)
DRAGOMIR. Then I love thee, angel, as if mad, and that is why I flee from thee and from myself. (He presses her to his breast.)
STELLA (wakening). O God! — [She runs away.
SCENE IX.
DRAGOMIR, YOZVOVICH, YERZY. YERZY stops with the DOCTOR near the door.
DRAGOMIR. Ah! is that thou, Yerzy?
YERZY. DO not approach me. I saw all! Thou art contemptible and a coward!
DRAGOMIR. Yerzy!
YERZY. Broken friendship, trampled happiness, lost faith in God and man, perfect contempt for thee and myself, — these I cast, in thy face, so as not to soil my hands by slapping it.
DRAGOMIR. Enough!
YERZY. Do not approach me, or I shall lose presence of mind and sprinkle these walls with thy brains. No! No! I do not want that; I have promised. I slap thee on the face, contemptible! Dost hear? —
DRAGOMIR (after a moment’s struggle with himself). Before God and men, I declare that blood will wash out such words.
YERZY. Blood! (Pointing to the DOCTOR.) Here is the witness of those words.
DOCTOR. I am at your service, gentlemen.
(Curtain falls.)
END OF FOURTH ACT.
ACT V.
The same drawing-room.
SCENE I.
DOCTOR (enters reading a despatch). “The result as far as known: Yozvovich, 613 votes; Husarski, 604. Ten o’clock: Yozvovich, 700; Husarski, 700. Eleven: Yozvovich, 814; Husarski, 750. The battle an obstinate one. Final result will be known about three o’clock.” (He looks at his watch.)
SCENE II.
YOZVOVICH, YERZY.
DOCTOR. Thou art here!
YERZY. Thou withdrawest before the ghost?
DOCTOR. But is it to-day?
YERZY. I go straight from here to the place of meeting. I have one hour yet. The duel will be in Dombrova on the land of the Milishevskis, so not far off.
DOCTOR. It is too near.
YERZY. Milishevski, as second, insisted. Besides, thou art in the affair, so that the news should be known in this house as late as possible. —
DOCTOR. But Doctor Krytski will be on the spot according to agreement.
YERZY. Yes.
DOCTOR. Beg him once more to send me the news immediately. I would go with you, but I must be here.
YERZY. Very properly. If I die —
DOCTOR. DO not admit that in advance.
YERZY. There are people condemned by fate at birth, for whom the only ransom is death. I am one of those. I have thought over everything long and calmly. God knows that I fear life more than death. There is no escape for me; even should I survive what will happen, tell me, what awaits me if I kill a man whom she loves? I shall live without her and be cursed by her. Dost know that when I think of my position, when I think of what has happened, it seems to me that some demon has come between us, and so involved all things, that death alone can straighten them.
DOCTOR. A duel ends frequently in maiming.
YERZY. I gave the lie to Dragomir cruelly, and such an insult is not washed out by a wound. Believe me that one of us must die. But I have come to speak of something else.
DOCTOR. I hear thee.
YERZY. TO tell the truth, since I know not whether I shall be alive in an hour, I have come to look once more on her, for I loved her above everything in the world. I was perhaps too abrupt for her, too unhappy, too dull, but — I loved her. Then let God, who is looking now into my heart, condemn me forever if I did not desire her happiness. As thou seest me here this moment, I am grieved most because of her, and I suffer greatly when I think of her future. Listen! whether I perish or not, she is lost to me; Dragomir will not marry her, for he cannot marry a woman whose betrothed he has killed. Of us three, thou alone wilt remain near her, guard her, watch over her. She was the only treasure which I had; I give her into thy honest hands.
DOCTOR. I will carry out all thy wishes.
YERZY. And now, since I may die, I wish to die as a Christian. If thou hast any feeling against me, if I have been to blame regarding thee at any time, forgive me!
[He presses the DOCTOR’S hand and goes out.
DOCTOR (alone). Yes! Of us three, I alone remain near her.
SCENE III.
ANTONI, YOZVOVICH.
ANTONI (rushing in quickly). Man, you are mad! Every moment there is precious, and thou art sitting here. The cause is trembling; new hand-bills are posted up. Husarski’s partisans are seizing people by their coats. In God’s name come with me! A drosky is waiting below. Why art thou sitting here?
DOCTOR. I must stay here. I will not go for anything on earth; I will not go, let happen what may.
ANTONI. But I swear, if I expected this! Show thyself even for a moment, and thou wilt win surely! Lungs and voice are gone from me. Art thou mad? There they are working for him, and shouting for him, and this man is clinging to a petticoat, and sitting here. We are choosing a pretty deputy!
DOCTOR. Antoni! Even though the election were to be lost, I would not move a step. I cannot, I will not go!
ANTONI. Is this true?
DOCTOR. It is!
ANTONI. Well, do what may please thee. Well! I wish — (He walks through the room, after a while puts his hands in his pockets, and stands before the DOCTOR.) Well, what does this mean?
DOCTOR. It means that I must he here. At this moment Dragomir and Pretvits are face to face with arms in their hands. If news should reach the Princess, she might pay for it with her life.
ANTONI. Are they shooting?
DOCTOR. For life and death. News will be here in a moment telling which of the two is dead.
ANTONI. Yozvovich, who did this?
DOCTOR. I! I crushed those who stood in my road, and I shall crush them always. Thou seest me as I am.
ANTONI. Well, if that is so, neither am I in a hurry. Dost thou know what I will say?
DOCTOR. Withdraw for a while; the Princess is coming. (He opens the door of a side chamber.) Go in there.
SCENE IV.
YOZVOVICH, STELLA.
STELLA. My doctor, what is happening in this house?
DOCTOR. Of what do you ask, Princess?
STELLA. Pan Yerzy came to me somehow excited; he took farewell of me, begged me to forgive him if he had ever offended me —
DOCTOR (aside). Sentimental fool!
STELLA. He told me that he might be forced to go away for a number of days. I have the feeling that you are hiding something from me. What does this mean, doctor? Do not torture me longer. I am so weak already that, in truth, it is proper to have a little pity on me.
DOCTOR. Be not concerned. What could happen? Pure imagination. The care of tender hearts surrounds you. Whence could such a strange supposition come? Go now to your own room, and receive nobody. I will come soon.
STELLA. Then there is really no trouble, doctor?
DOCTOR. And what is this again! I beg you to believe that I should be able to set aside everything which might threaten your happiness.
STELLA (giving him her hand). Oh, Pan Stanislav, happiness is too difficult a thing; but let peace not desert us.
[She wishes to go out through the room where ANTONI is.
DOCTOR. This way, Princess. In that room a man is waiting for me. I will come to you soon. Receive no one, I beg you. Antoni! — [PRINCESS goes out.
SCENE V.
ANTONI, DOCTOR YOZVOVICH, afterwards, SERVANT.
ANTONI. Poor, poor child!
DOCTOR. For her sake I cannot go away. I must be here and not let news of the misfortune reach her, that might kill her.
ANTONI. How? — knowing this, thou art exposing her? Thou lovest her, and art sacrificing her to thyself?
DOCTOR (feverishly). I love her and must have her, even if this house were to fall on our heads.
ANTONI. Man, thou art speaking like one who has lost his mind.
DOCTOR. Man, thou speakest like an incompetent, not like a man. Thou hast a mouthful of phrases and strength, but knowest not how to look facts in the eyes. Who dares say to me, “Thou hast not the right to defend thyself”?
ANTONI. Farewell!
DOCTOR. Where art thou going?
ANTONI. I return to the city.
DOCTOR. Art thou with me, or against me? I am an honest man.
SERVANT (Enters). A messenger has brought a letter from Milishevski.
DOCTOR. Give it here! (SERVANT goes out; he breaks the seal and reads.) “The duel has taken place. Pretvits is no longer living.” (After a while.) Ah! —
ANTONI. Before I go, I owe thee an answer, for thou hast inquired what my going means. I have served thee as faithfully as a dog, for I believed in thee. Thou hast known how to use, and perhaps to abuse me. I knew that I was a tool, but I care not for such things; still now —
DOCTOR. NOW thou wilt leave the cause?
ANTONI. Thou dost not know me. What should I do in the world if I were to desert it? And finally dost thou think that thou alone art the cause? I will not leave the cause because I was deceived in thee. But for me, it is a question of something else. I was so foolish as to attach myself to thee, and now I am sorry; for as a private man, I must tell thee, thou hast exceeded the measure, thou hast used for evil the power which is in thee. Oh, I know, I know, perhaps for me it would be more profitable not to say this to thee. Perhaps to cling to thee would be a future for a ragged man like me, who has not very much at home to give wife and children to eat. But I cannot, I cannot! I am naked, and naked I shall remain; let me have at least a clear conscience. This is what I will say: Thou wert as near to me as my wife and children, nearer too! From this day forward thou art only a political figure; but as to friendship, seek some one else. Know that I am not particular; a man rubs against people, and rubs more than one thing into himself; but thou hast exceeded the measure. Hang me, if I do not prefer to love people rather than crush them. Men say that honesty and politics are different. Here and there it may be so. But with us those things must be connected. Why should they not go together? I shall not desert the cause; but there is an end to the friendship between me and thee, for the man who says that he loves people, and lurks and strikes them on the head by deceit, is a liar, dost understand?
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