Redemption and Two Other Plays | Page 4

thought of you. Tell him, tell him I've
forgotten everything and that I'm here waiting for him to come home.
(Crosses to KARÉNIN--a little pause.) Do it out of love for him, Victor,
and out of friendship for me.
[Another pause.
KARÉNIN. I'll do all I can.
[He bows to her and goes out L.U. Enter SASHA L.U., goes L. over
near table C.
SASHA. Has the letter gone? (LISA nods.) He had no objections to
taking it himself?
[LISA, R. C., shakes head.
SASHA (L.C.). Why did you ask him? I don't understand it.
LISA. Who else was there?
SASHA. But you know he's in love with you.
LISA. Oh, that's all past. (Over to table C.) Do you think Fédya will
come back?
SASHA. I'm sure he will, but--
[Enter ANNA PÁVLOVNA.
ANNA PÁVLOVNA. Where's Victor Karénin?
LISA. Gone.
ANNA PÁVLOVNA. Gone?
LISA. I've asked him to do something for me.
ANNA PÁVLOVNA. What was it? Another secret?
LISA. No, not a secret. I simply asked him to take a letter to Fédya.
ANNA PÁVLOVNA. To Fedor Protosov?
LISA. Oh, to Fédya, Fédya.
ANNA PÁVLOVNA. Then it's not going to be over?
LISA. I can't let him leave me.
ANNA PÁVLOVNA. Oh, so we shall commence all over again?
LISA. I'll do anything you like, but I can't give him up.

ANNA PÁVLOVNA. You don't mean you want him to come back?
LISA. Yes, yes.
ANNA PÁVLOVNA. Let that reptile into the house again!
LISA. Please don't talk like that. He's my husband.
ANNA PÁVLOVNA. Was your husband.
LISA. No. He's still my husband.
ANNA PÁVLOVNA. Spendthrift. Drunkard. Reprobate. And you'll
not part from him!
LISA. Oh, Mother, why do you keep on hurting me! You seem to enjoy
it.
ANNA PÁVLOVNA. Hurt you, do I? Enjoy it, do I? Very well, then, if
that's the case, I'd better go.
[Pause.
I see I'm in your way. You want me to go. Well, all I can say is I can't
make you out. I suppose you're being "modern" and all that. But to me,
it's just plain disgusting. First, you make up your mind to separate from
your husband, and then you up and send for another man who's in love
with you--
LISA. Mother, he's not.
ANNA PÁVLOVNA. You know Karénin proposed to you, and he's the
man you pick out to bring back your husband. I suppose you do it just
to make him jealous.
LISA. Oh, Mother, stop it. Leave me alone.
ANNA PÁVLOVNA. That's right. Send off your mother. Open the
door to that awful husband. Well, I can't stand by and see you do it. I'll
go. I'm going. And God be with you and your extraordinary ways.
[Exit L. U. with suppressed rage.
LISA (sinking into a chair R. of table C.). That's the last straw.
SASHA. Oh, she'll come back. We'll make her understand. (Going to
the door and following after her mother.) Now, Mother darling, listen--
listen--
[Exit L. U.
[All lights dim to black out.
CURTAIN

SCENE II
A room at the gypsies', dark but beautifully lit. The actual room is

scarcely seen, and although at first it appears squalid, there are flaring
touches of Byzantine luxury. Gypsies are singing. FÉDYA is lying on
the sofa, his eyes closed, coat off. An OFFICER sits at the table, on
which there are bottles of champagne and glasses. Beside him sits a
musician taking down the song.
AFRÉMOV (standing L. U.). Asleep?
FÉDYA (on couch L. Raising his hand warningly). Sh! Don't talk!
Now let's have "No More at Evening."
GYPSY LEADER. Impossible, Fedor Protosov. Masha must have her
solo first.
FÉDYA. Afterwards. Now let's have "No More at Evening."
[Gypsies sing.
GYPSY WOMAN (R. C., when they finish singing, turning to
Musician who is sitting at table R., with his back to audience). Have
you got it?
MUSICIAN. It's impossible to take it down correctly. They change the
tune each time, and they seem to have a different scale, too. (He calls a
gypsy woman.) Is this it?
[He hums a bar or two.
GYPSY WOMAN (clapping her hands). Splendid! Wonderful! How
can you do it?
FÉDYA (rising. Goes to table L. back of couch and pours out glass of
wine). He'll never get it. And even if he did and shovelled it into an
opera, he'd make it seem absolutely meaningless.
AFRÉMOV. Now we'll have "The Fatal Hour."
[Gypsies sing quartette. During this song, FÉDYA is standing down R.,
keeping time with the wine glass from which he has drunk. When they
finish he returns to the couch and falls into MASHA'S arms.
FÉDYA. God! That's it! That's it! That's wonderful. What lovely things
that music says. And where does it all come from, what does it all
mean?
[Another