Act 1 Scene 1

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_ ACT I SCENE I

Protosovs' flat in Moscow. The scene represents a small dining room. ANNA PAVLOVNA, a stout, gray-haired lady, tightly laced, is sitting alone at the tea-table on which is a samovar.

[Enter NURSE carrying a tea-pot.]

NURSE (enters R. I, over to table C.). Please, Madam, may I have some water?

ANNA PAVLOVNA (sitting R. of table C.). Certainly. How is the baby now?

NURSE. Oh, restless, fretting all the time. There's nothing worse than for a lady to nurse her child. She has her worries and the baby suffers for them. What sort of milk could she have, not peeping all night, and crying and crying?

[SASHA enters R. I, strolls to L. of table C.]

ANNA PAVLOVNA. But I thought she was more calm now?

NURSE. Fine calm! It makes me sick to look at her. She's just been writing something and crying all the time.

SASHA (to nurse). Lisa's looking for you.

[Sits in chair L. of table C.]

NURSE. I'm going.

[Exits R. I.]

ANNA PAVLOVNA. Nurse says she's always crying. Why can't she try and calm herself a little?

SASHA. Well, really, Mother, you're amazing. How can you expect her to behave as if nothing had happened when she's just left her husband and taken her baby with her?

ANNA PAVLOVNA. Well, I don't exactly, but that's all over. If I approve of my daughter's having left her husband, if I'm ever glad, well, you may be quite sure he deserved it. She has no reason to be miserable--on the contrary, she ought to be delighted at being freed from such a wretch.

SASHA. Mother! Why do you go on like this? It's not the truth and you know it. He's not a wretch, he's wonderful. Yes, in spite of all his weakness.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. I suppose you'd like her to wait till he'd spent every kopec they had, and smile sweetly when be brought his gypsy mistresses home with him.

SASHA. He hasn't any mistresses.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. There you go again. Why, the man's simply bewitched you, but I can see through him, and he knows it. If I'd been Lisa, I'd left him a year ago.

SASHA. Oh, how easily you speak of these serious things.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. Not easily, not easily at all. Do you suppose it's agreeable for me to have my daughter admit her marriage a failure? But anything's better than for her to throw away her life in a lie. Thank God, she's made up her mind to finish with him for good.

SASHA. Maybe it won't be for good.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. It would be if only he'd give her a divorce.

SASHA. To what end?

ANNA PAVLOVNA. Because she's young and has the right to look for happiness.

SASHA. It's awful to listen to you. How could she love some one else?

ANNA PAVLOVNA. Why not? There are thousands better than your Fedya, and they'd be only too happy to marry Lisa.

SASHA. Oh, it's not nice of you. I feel, I can tell, you're thinking about Victor Karenin.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. Why not? He loved her for ten years, and she him, I believe.

SASHA. Yes, but she doesn't love him as a husband. They grew up together; they've just been friends.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. Ah, those friendships! How should you know what keeps them warm! If only they were both free!

[Enter a MAID L. U.]

Well?

MAID. The porter's just come back with an answer to the note.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. What note?

MAID. The note Elizaveta Protosova sent to Victor Karenin.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. Well? What answer?

MAID. Victor Karenin told the porter he'd be here directly.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. Very well.

[MAID exits L. U.]

[To SASHA.]

Why do you suppose she sent for him? Do you know?

SASHA. Maybe I do and maybe I don't.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. You're always so full of secrets.

SASHA. Ask Lisa, she'll tell you.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. Just as I thought! She sent for him at once.

SASHA. Yes, but maybe not for the reason you think.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. Then what for?

SASHA. Why, Mother, Lisa cares just about as much for Victor Karenin as she does for her old nurse.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. You'll see. She wants consolation, a special sort of consolation.

SASHA. Really, it shows you don't know Lisa at all to talk like this.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. You'll see. Sasha. Yes, I shall see.

ANNA PAVLOVNA (alone to herself). And I am very glad. I'm very, very glad.

[Enter MAID.]

MAID. Victor Karenin.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. Show him here and tell your mistress.

[MAID shows in KARENIN and exits door R. I.]

KARENIN (goes C. and stands behind table C.). (Shaking hands with Anna Pavlovna.) Elizaveta Andreyevna sent me a note to come at once. I should have been here to-night anyway. How is she? Well, I hope.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. Not very. The baby has been upset again. However, she'll be here in a minute. Will you have some tea?

KARENIN. No, thank you.

[Sits chair R.]

ANNA PAVLOVNA. Tell me, do you know that he and she--.

KARENIN. Yes, I was here two days ago when she got this letter. Is she positive now about their separating?

ANNA PAVLOVNA. Oh, absolutely. It would be impossible to begin it all over again.

KARENIN. Yes. To cut into living things and then draw back the knife is terrible. But are you sure she knows her mind?

ANNA PAVLOVNA. I should think so. To come to this decision has caused her much pain. But now it's final, and he understands perfectly that his behavior has made it impossible for him to come back on any terms.

KARENIN. Why?

ANNA PAVLOVNA. After breaking every oath he swore to decency, how could he come back? And so why shouldn't he give her her freedom?

KARENIN. What freedom is there for a woman still married?

ANNA PAVLOVNA. Divorce. He promised her a divorce and we shall insist upon it.

KARENIN. But your daughter was so in love with him?

ANNA PAVLOVNA. Her love has been tried out of existence. Remember she had everything to contend with: drunkenness, gambling, infidelity-- what was there to go on loving in such a person?

KARENIN. Love can do anything.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. How can one love a rag torn by every wind? Their affairs were in dreadful shape; their estate mortgaged; no money anywhere. Finally his uncle sends them two thousand rubles to pay the interest on the estate. He takes it, disappears, leaves Lisa home and the baby sick--when suddenly she gets a note asking her to send him his linen.

KARENIN. I know.

[Enter LISA R.I. KARENIN crosses to LISA.]

I'm sorry to have been a little detained.

[Shakes hands with LISA.]

LISA. Oh, thank you so much for coming. I have a great favor to ask of you. Something I couldn't ask of anybody else.

KARENIN. I'll do everything I can.

[LISA moves away a few steps down R.]

LISA. You know all about this.

[Sits chair R.]

KARENIN. Yes, I know.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. Well, I think I'll leave you two young people to yourselves. (To SASHA.) Come along, dear, you and I will be just in the way.

[Exit L. U. ANNA PAVLOVNA and SASHA.]

LISA. Fedya wrote to me saying it was all over between us. (She begins to cry.) That hurt me so, bewildered me so, that--well, I agreed to separate. I wrote to him saying I was willing to give him up if he wanted me to.

KARENIN. And now you're sorry?

LISA (nodding). I feel I oughtn't to have said yes. I can't. Anything is better than not to see him again. Victor dear, I want you to give him this letter and tell him what I've told you, and--and bring him back to me.

[Gives VICTOR a letter.]

KARENIN. I'll do what I can.

[Takes letter, turns away and sits chair R. of table C.

LISA. Tell him I will forget everything if only he will come back. I thought of mailing this, only I know him: he'd have a good impulse, first thwarted by some one, some one who would finally make him act against himself.

[Pause.]

Are you--are you surprised I asked you?

KARENIN. No. (He hesitates.) But--well, candidly, yes. I am rather surprised.

LISA. But you are not angry?

KARENIN. You know I couldn't be angry with you.

LISA. I ask you because I know you're so fond of him.

KARENIN. Of him--and of you too. Thank you for trusting me. I'll do all I can.

LISA. I know you will. Now I'm going to tell you everything. I went to-day to Afremov's, to find out where he was. They told me he was living with the gypsies. Of course that's what I was afraid of. I know he'll be swept off his feet if he isn't stopped in time. So you'll go, won't you?

KARENIN. Where's the place?

LISA. It's that big tenement where the gypsy orchestra lives, on the left bank below the bridge. I went there myself. I went as far as the door, and was just going to send up the letter, but somehow I was afraid. I don't know why. And then I thought of you. Tell him, tell him I've forgotten everything and that I'm here waiting for him to come home. (Crosses to KARENIN--a little pause.) Do it out of love for him, Victor, and out of friendship for me.

[Another pause.]

KARENIN. 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 Fedya will come back?

SASHA. I'm sure he will, but--

[Enter ANNA PAVLOVNA.]

ANNA PAVLOVNA. Where's Victor Karenin?

LISA. Gone.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. Gone?

LISA. I've asked him to do something for me.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. What was it? Another secret?

LISA. No, not a secret. I simply asked him to take a letter to Fedya.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. To Fedor Protosov?

LISA. Oh, to Fedya, Fedya.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. Then it's not going to be over?

LISA. I can't let him leave me.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. Oh, so we shall commence all over again?

LISA. I'll do anything you like, but I can't give him up.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. You don't mean you want him to come back?

LISA. Yes, yes.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. Let that reptile into the house again!

LISA. Please don't talk like that. He's my husband.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. Was your husband.

LISA. No. He's still my husband.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. 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 PAVLOVNA. 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 PAVLOVNA. You know Karenin 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 PAVLOVNA. 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] _

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