Home > Authors Index > August Strindberg > Road to Damascus: A Trilogy > This page
The Road to Damascus: A Trilogy, a play by August Strindberg |
||
Part 2 - Act 3 - Scene 3. The 'Rose' Room |
||
| < Previous |
Table of content |
Next > |
|
________________________________________________
_ PART II ACT III SCENE III. THE 'ROSE' ROOM [The same scene as Act I. The kneeling Sisters of Mercy are now reading their prayer books, '... exules filii Evae; Ad to suspiramus et flentes In hac lacrymarum aalle.' The MOTHER is by the door at the back; the FATHER by the door on the right.] MOTHER (going towards him). So you've come back again? FATHER (humbly). Yes. MOTHER. Your lady-love's left you? FATHER. Don't be more cruel than you need! MOTHER. You say that to me, you who gave my wedding presents to your mistress. You, who were so dishonourable as to expect me, your wife, to choose presents for her. You, who wanted my advice about colour and cut, in order to educate her taste in dress! What do you want here? FATHER. I heard that my daughter... MOTHER. Your daughter's lying there, between life and death; and you know that her feelings for you have grown hostile. That's why I ask you to go; before she suspects your presence. FATHER. You're right, and I can't answer you. But let me sit in the kitchen, for I'm tired. Very tired. MOTHER. Where were you last night? FATHER. At the club. But I wanted to ask you if the husband weren't here? MOTHER. Am I to lay bare all this misery? Don't you know your daughter's tragic fate? FATHER. Yes... I do. And what a husband! MOTHER. What men! Go downstairs now and sleep off your liquor. FATHER. The sins of the fathers.... MOTHER. You're talking nonsense. FATHER. Of course I don't mean my sins... but those of our parents. And now they say the lake up there's to be drained, so that the river will rise.... MOTHER (pushing him out of the door). Silence. Misfortune will overtake us soon enough, without you calling it up. MAID (from the bedroom at the back). The lady's asking for the master. MOTHER. She means her husband. MAID. Yes. The master of the house, her husband. MOTHER. He went out a little while ago. (The STRANGER comes in.) STRANGER. Has the child been born? MOTHER. No. Not yet. STRANGER (putting his hand to his forehead). What? Can it take so long? MOTHER. Long? What do you mean? STRANGER (looking about him). I don't know what I mean. How is it with the mother? MOTHER. She's just the same. STRANGER. The same? MOTHER. Don't you want to get back to your gold making? STRANGER. I can't make head or tail of it! But there's still hope my worst dream was nothing but a dream. MOTHER. You really look as if you were walking in your sleep. STRANGER. Do I? Oh, I wish I were! The one thing I fear I'd fear no longer. MOTHER. He who guides your destiny seems to know your weakest spots. STRANGER. And when there was only one left, he found that too; happily for me only in a dream! Blind Powers! Powerless Ones! MAID (coming in again). The lady asks you to do her a service. STRANGER. There she lies like an electric eel, giving shocks from a distance. What kind of service is it to be now? MAID. There's a letter in the pocket of her green coat. STRANGER. No good will come of that! (He takes the letter out of the green coat, which is hanging near the dress by fireplace.) I must be dead. I dreamed this, and now it's happening. My children have a stepfather! MOTHER. Who are you going to blame? STRANGER. Myself! I'd rather blame no one. I've lost my children. MOTHER. You'll get a new one here. STRANGER. He might be cruel to them.... MOTHER. Then their sufferings will burden your conscience, if you have one. STRANGER. Supposing he were to beat them? MOTHER. Do you know what I'd do in your place? STRANGER. Yes, I know what you'd do; but I don't know what I'll do. MOTHER (to the Sisters of Mercy). Pray for this man! STRANGER. No, no. Not that! It'll do no good, and I don't believe in prayer. MOTHER. But you believe in your gold? STRANGER. Not even in that. It's over. All over! (The MIDWIFE comes out of the bedroom.) MIDWIFE. A child's born. Praise the Lord! MOTHER. Let the Lord be praised! SISTERS. Let the Lord be praised! MIDWIFE (to the STRANGER). Your wife's given you daughter. MOTHER (to the STRANGER). Don't you want to see your child? STRANGER. No. I no longer want to tie myself anything on earth. I'm afraid I'd get to love her, and then you'd tear the heart from my body. Let me get out of this atmosphere, which is too pure for me. Don' t let that innocent child come near me, for I'm a man already damned, already sentenced, and for me there's no joy, no peace, and no... forgiveness! MOTHER. My son, now you're speaking words of wisdom! Truthfully and without malice: I welcome your decision. There's no place for you here, and amongst us women you'd be plagued to death. So go in peace. STRANGER. There'll be no more peace, but I'll go. Farewell! MOTHER. Exules filii Evae; on earth you shall be a fugitive and a vagabond. STRANGER. Because I have slain my brother. [Curtain.] _ |
||