Redemption and Two Other Plays | Page 6

the devil go with it.
FÉDYA. Do you know who that was?
MASHA. I heard his name.
FÉDYA. Ah, he's a splendid fellow. He came to take me home to my
wife. You see she loves even a fool like me, (caressing her hair) and
look what I'm doing.
MASHA. You should go back to her and be very sorry.
FÉDYA. Do you think I should? (He kisses her.) Well, I think I
shouldn't.
MASHA. Of course, you needn't go back to her if you don't love her.
Love is all that counts.
FÉDYA (smiling). How do you know that?
MASHA (looking at him timidly). I don't know, but I do.
FÉDYA. Now, let's have "No More at Evening." (As the gypsies sing,
MASHA lies on her back across his lap, looking up into his face, which
she draws down to her, and they kiss until the music begins to cease.)
That's wonderful! Divine! If I could only lie this way forever, with my
arms around the heart of joy, and sleep ... and die.... (He closes his eyes;
his voice trails away.)
[Lights dim and out, then the
CURTAIN

SCENE III
SOPHIA KARÉNINA'S boudoir. SOPHIA KARÉNINA, VICTOR'S
mother, is reading a book. She is a great lady, over fifty, but tries to
look younger. She likes to interlard her conversation with French words.
A servant enters.
SERVANT (enters R., announcing). Prince Sergius Abréskov.
SOPHIA KARÉNINA (on sofa over L.). Show him in, please.
[She turns and picks up hand mirror from table back of couch,
arranging her hair.
PRINCE SERGIUS (enters R. I. Entering). J'espère que je ne force pas
la consigne.
[Crossing to sofa L. He kisses her hand. He is a charming old diplomat
of seventy.
SOPHIA KARÉNINA. Ah, you know well que vous êtes toujours le
bien venu.... Tell me, you have received my letter?
PRINCE SERGIUS. I did. Me voilà. (Sits L. on sofa L.) Sophia
Karénina (working up to distress). Oh, my dear friend, I begin to lose
hope. She's bewitched him, positively bewitched him. Il est ensorcelé. I
never knew he could be so obstinate, so heartless, and so indifferent to
me. He's changed completely since that woman left her husband.
PRINCE SERGIUS. How do matters actually stand?
SOPHIA KARÉNINA. Well, he's made up his mind to marry her at any
cost.
PRINCE SERGIUS. And her husband?
SOPHIA KARÉNINA. He agrees to a divorce.
PRINCE SERGIUS. Really?
SOPHIA KARÉNINA. And Victor is willing to put up with all the
sordidness, the vulgarity of the divorce court, the lawyers, evidences of
guilt ... tout ça est dégoûtant. I can't understand his sensitive nature not
being repelled by it.
PRINCE SERGIUS (smiling). He's in love, and when a man's really in
love--
SOPHIA KARÉNINA (interrupting). In our time love could remain
pure, coloring one's whole life with a romantic friendship. Such love I
understand and value.
PRINCE SERGIUS (sighing). However, the present generation refuses
to live on dreams. (He coughs delicately.) La possession de l'âme ne

leur suffit plus. So what is the alternative? But tell me more of Victor.
SOPHIA KARÉNINA. There's not very much to say. He seems
bewitched, hardly my son. Did you know I'd called upon her? Victor
pressed me so it was impossible to refuse. But Dieu merci, I found her
out. So I merely left my card, and now she has asked me if I could
receive her to-day, and I am expecting her (she glances at her watch)
any moment now. I am doing all this to please Victor, but conceive my
feelings. I know you always can. Really, really, I need your help.
PRINCE SERGIUS (bowing). Thank you for the honor you do me.
SOPHIA KARÉNINA. You realize this visit decides Victor's fate. I
must refuse my consent, or---- But that's impossible.
PRINCE SERGIUS. Have you met her?
SOPHIA KARÉNINA. I've never seen her, but I'm afraid of her. No
good woman leaves her husband, especially when there's nothing
obviously intolerable about him. Why, I've seen Protosov often with
Victor, and found him even quite charming.
PRINCE SERGIUS (murmurs). So I've heard. So I've heard.
SOPHIA KARÉNINA (continuing). She should bear her cross without
complaint. And Victor must cease trying to persuade himself that his
happiness lies in defying his principles. What I don't understand is how
Victor, with his religious views, can think of marrying a divorced
woman. I've heard him say over and over again--once quite lately-- that
divorce is totally inconsistent with true Christianity. If she's been able
to fascinate him to that point, I am afraid of her.--But how stupid of me
to talk all the time! Have you spoken to him at all? What does he say?
And don't you thoroughly agree with me?
PRINCE SERGIUS. Yes, I've spoken to Victor. I think he