Максим Горький - The Lower Depths стр 2.

NASTYA [stretching out her hand] Give it back give it back! Stop fooling!

[The Baron looks at her and waves the book in the air]

KVASHNYA [to Kleshtch] You crimson goat, you calling me a liar! How dare you be so rude to me?

THE BARON [hitting Nastya on the head with the book] Nastya, you little fool!

NASTYA [reaching for the book] Give it back!

KLESHTCH. Oh what a great lady.. but youll marry Abramka just the same thats all youre waiting for.

KVASHNYA. Sure! Anything else? You nearly beat your wife to death!

KLESHTCH. Shut up, you old bitch! Its none of your business!

KVASHNYA. Ho-ho! cant stand the truth, can you?

THE BARON. Theyre off again! Nastya, where are you?

NASTYA [without lifting her head] Hey go away!

ANNA [putting her head through the curtains] The day has started. For Gods sake, dont row!

KLESHTCH. Whining again!

ANNA. Every blessed day.. let me die in peace, cant you?

BUBNOFF. Noise wont keep you from dying.

KVASHNYA [walking up to Anna] Little mother, how did you ever manage to live with this wretch?

ANNA. Leave me alone get away from me..

KVASHNYA. Well, well! You poor soul.. hows the pain in the chest any better?

THE BARON. Kvashnya! Time to go to market..

KVASHNYA. Well go presently. [To Anna] Like some hot dumplings?

ANNA. No, thanks. Why should I eat?

KVASHNYA. You must eat. Hot food good for you! Ill leave you some in a cup. Eat them when you feel like it. Come on, sir! [To Kleshtch] You evil spirit! [Goes into kitchen]

ANNA [coughing] Lord, Lord.

THE BARON [painfully pushing forward Nastyas head] Throw it away little fool!

NASTYA [muttering] Leave me alone I dont bother you.

[The Baron follows Kvashnya, whistling.]

SATINE [sitting up in his bunk] Who beat me up yesterday?

BUBNOFF. Does it make any difference who?

SATINE. Suppose they did but why did they?

BUBNOFF. Were you playing cards?

SATINE. Yes!

BUBNOFF. Thats why they beat you.

SATINE. Scoundrels!

THE ACTOR [raising his head from the top of the stove] One of these days theyll beat you to death!

SATINE. Youre a jackass!

THE ACTOR. Why?

SATINE. Because a man can die only once!

THE ACTOR [after a silence] I dont understand

KLESHTCH. Say! You crawl from that stove and start cleaning house! Dont play the delicate primrose!

THE ACTOR. None of your business!

KLESHTCH. Wait till Vassilisa comes shell show you whose business it is!

THE ACTOR. To hell with Vassilisa! To-day is the Barons turn to clean Baron!

[The Baron comes from the kitchen.]

THE BARON. Ive no time to clean.. Im going to market with Kvashnya.

THE ACTOR. That doesnt concern me. Go to the gallows if you like. Its your turn to sweep the floor just the same Im not going to do other peoples work.

THE BARON. Go to blazes! Nastya will do it. Hey there fatal love! Wake up! [Takes the book away from Nastya]

NASTYA [getting up] What do you want? Give it back to me! You scoundrel! And thats a nobleman for you!

THE BARON [returning the book to her] Nastya! Sweep the floor for me will you?

NASTYA [goes to kitchen] Not sos youll notice it!

KVASHNYA [to the Baron through kitchen door] Come on you! They dont need you! Actor! You were asked to do it, and now you go ahead and attend to it it wont kill you.

THE ACTOR. Its always I.. I dont understand why..

[The Baron comes from the kitchen, across his shoulders a wooden beam from which hang earthen pots covered with rags.]

THE BARON. Heavier than ever!

SATINE. It paid you to be born a Baron, eh?

KVASHNYA [to Actor] See to it that you sweep up! [Crosses to outer door, letting the Baron pass ahead]

THE ACTOR [climbing down from the stove] Its bad for me to inhale dust. [With pride] My organism is poisoned with alcohol. [Sits down on a bunk, meditating]

SATINE. Organism organon..

ANNA. Andrei Mitritch..

KLESHTCH. What now?

ANNA. Kvashnya left me some dumplings over there you eat them!

KLESHTCH [coming over to her] And you dont you want any?

ANNA. No. Why should I eat? Youre a workman you need it.

KLESHTCH. Frightened, are you? Dont be! Youll get all right!

ANNA. Go and eat! Its hard on me I suppose very soon.

KLESHTCH [walking away] Never mind maybe youll get well you can never tell! [Goes into kitchen]

THE ACTOR [loud, as if he had suddenly awakened] Yesterday the doctor in the hospital said to me: Your organism, he said, is entirely poisoned with alcohol.

SATINE [smiling] Organon.

THE ACTOR [stubbornly] Not organon organism!

SATINE. Sibylline..

THE ACTOR [shaking his fist at him] Nonsense! Im telling you seriously.. if the organism is poisoned.. that means its bad for me to sweep the floor to inhale the dust.

SATINE. Macrobistic.. hah!

BUBNOFF. What are you muttering?

SATINE. Words and heres another one for you transcendentalistic.

BUBNOFF. What does it mean?

SATINE. Dont know I forgot.

BUBNOFF. Then why did you say it?

SATINE. Just so! Im bored, brother, with human words all our words. Bored! Ive heard each one of them a thousand times surely.

THE ACTOR. In Hamlet they say: Words, words, words! Its a good play. I played the grave-digger in it once..

[Kleshtch comes from the kitchen.]

KLESHTCH. Will you start playing with the broom?

THE ACTOR. None of your business. [Striking his chest] Ophelia! O remember me in thy prayers!

[Back stage is heard a dull murmur, cries, and a police whistle. Kleshtch sits down to work, filing screechily.]

SATINE. I love unintelligible, obsolete words. When I was a youngster and worked as a telegraph operator I read heaps of books..

BUBNOFF. Were you really a telegrapher?

SATINE. I was. There are some excellent books and lots of curious words.. Once I was an educated man, do you know?

BUBNOFF. Ive heard it a hundred times. Well, so you were! That isnt very important! Me well once I was a furrier. I had my own shop what with dyeing the fur all day long, my arms were yellow up to the elbows, brother. I thought Id never be able ever to get clean again that Id go to my grave, all yellow! But look at my hands now theyre plain dirty thats what!

SATINE. Well, and what then?

BUBNOFF. Thats all!

SATINE. What are you trying to prove?

BUBNOFF. Oh, well just matching thoughts no matter how much dye you get on yourself, it all comes off in the end yes, yes

SATINE. Oh my bones ache!

THE ACTOR [sits, nursing his knees] Education is all rot. Talent is the thing. I knew an actor who read his parts by heart, syllable by syllable but he played heroes in a way that.. why the whole theatre would rock with ecstasy!