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Arms and The Man (Version 2)-George Bernard Shaw · Arms and The Man

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  Speaker 1: Act one of Arms and the Man. This is the
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  Speaker 1: librevox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
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  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
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  Speaker 1: Recording by phil Shinevert Beton Rouge, Louisiana. Arms and the
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  Speaker 1: Man by George Bernard Shaw, Act one night a ladies
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  Speaker 1: bedchamber in Bulgaria, in a small town near the Dragoman Pass.
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  Speaker 1: It is late in November the year eighteen eighty five,
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  Speaker 1: and through an open window with a little balcony on
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  Speaker 1: the left, can be seen a peak of the Balkans,
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  Speaker 1: wonderfully white and beautiful in the starlit snow. The interior
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  Speaker 1: of the room is not like anything to be seen
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  Speaker 1: in the East of Europe. It is half rich Bulgarian,
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  Speaker 1: half cheap Viennese. The counterpane and hangings of the bed,
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  Speaker 1: the window curtains, the little carpet, and all the ornamental
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  Speaker 1: textile fabrics in the room are oriental and gorgeous. The
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  Speaker 1: paper on the wall is occidental and paltry. Above the
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  Speaker 1: head of the bed, which stands against a little wall
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  Speaker 1: cutting off the right hand corner of the room diagonally
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  Speaker 1: is a painted wooden shrine blue and gold, with an
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  Speaker 1: ivory image of Christ, and the light hanging before it
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  Speaker 1: in a pierced metal ball suspended by three chains on
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  Speaker 1: the left. Further forward is an ottoman. The washstand against
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  Speaker 1: the wall on the left consists of an enameled iron
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  Speaker 1: basin with a pale beneath it in a painted metal frame,
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  Speaker 1: and a single towel on the rail at the side.
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  Speaker 1: A chair near it is Austrian bent wood with cane seat.
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  Speaker 1: The dressing table between the bed and the window is
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  Speaker 1: an ordinary pine table covered with a cloth of many colors,
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  Speaker 1: but with an expensive tarlet mirror on it. The door
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: is on the right and there is a chest of
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  Speaker 1: drawers between the door and the bed. This chest of
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  Speaker 1: drawers is also covered by a variegated native cloth, and
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  Speaker 1: on it there is a pile of paper backed novels,
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  Speaker 1: a box of chocolate creams, and a miniature easel, on
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  Speaker 1: which is a large photograph of an extremely handsome officer,
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  Speaker 1: whose lofty bearing and magnetic glance can be felt even
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  Speaker 1: from the portrait. The room is lighted by a candle
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  Speaker 1: on the chest of drawers and another on the dressing
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  Speaker 1: table with a box of matches beside it. The window
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  Speaker 1: is hinged doorwise and stands wide open, folding back to
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  Speaker 1: the left. Outside, a pair of wooden shutters opening outwards
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  Speaker 1: also stand open. On the balcony. A young woman, intensely
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  Speaker 1: conscious of the romantic beauty of the night, and of
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  Speaker 1: the fact that her own youth and beauty is a
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  Speaker 1: part of it, is on the balcony, gazing at the
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  Speaker 1: snowy Balkans. She is covered by a long mantle of
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  Speaker 1: furs worth on a moderate estimate, about three times the
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  Speaker 1: furniture of her room. Her reverie is interrupted by her mother,
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  Speaker 1: Katherine Petcough, a woman over forty, imperiously energetic, with magnificent
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  Speaker 1: black hair and eyes, who might be a very splendid
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  Speaker 1: specimen of the wife of a mountain farmer, but is
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  Speaker 1: determined to be a Viennese lady, and to that end
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  Speaker 1: wears a fashionable tea gown on all occasions. Catherine, entering
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  Speaker 1: hastily full of good news, Ryena. She pronounces it Ryena,
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  Speaker 1: with the stress on the e Ryena. She goes to
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  Speaker 1: the bed, expecting to find Ryina there. Why where Ryena
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  Speaker 1: looks into the room, heavens, child, are you out in
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  Speaker 1: the night air, instead of in your bed. You'll catch
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  Speaker 1: your death. Lucatto told me you were asleep. Rayina coming in,
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  Speaker 1: I sent her away. I wanted to be alone. The
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  Speaker 1: stars are so beautiful. What is the matter, Catherine, such
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  Speaker 1: news there has been a battle? Raina, her eyes dilating. Ah.
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  Speaker 1: She throws the cloak on the ottoman and then comes
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  Speaker 1: eagerly to Catherine in her nightgown, A pretty garment, but
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  Speaker 1: evidently the only one she has on Catherine. A great
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  Speaker 1: battle at Slivnitza, a victory, and it was won by Sergius.
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  Speaker 1: Raina with a cry of the light. Ah, rapturously, Oh, mother,
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  Speaker 1: Then with sudden anxiety, is father safe? Catherine? Of course
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  Speaker 1: he sent me the news. Sergius is the hero of
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  Speaker 1: the hour, the idol of the regiment. Reina, tell me,
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  Speaker 1: tell me how was it? Statically? Oh mother, Mother, Mother.
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  Speaker 1: Raina pulls her mother down on the ottoman and they
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  Speaker 1: kiss one another. Frantically, Catherine, with searching enthusiasm. You can't
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  Speaker 1: guess how splendid it is. A cavalry charge. Think of
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  Speaker 1: that he defied our Russian commanders, acted without orders, led
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  Speaker 1: a charge on his own responsibility, headed it himself. Was
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  Speaker 1: the first man to sweep through their guns. Can't you
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  Speaker 1: see it, Reina, our gallant, splendid Bulgarians, with their swords
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  Speaker 1: and eyes flashing, thundering down like an avalanche and scattering
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  Speaker 1: the wretched servian dandies like chaff. And you you kept
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  Speaker 1: Sergius waiting a year before you would be betrothed to him. Oh,
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  Speaker 1: if you have a drop of Bulgarian blood in your veins,
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  Speaker 1: you will worship him when he comes back. Raina, What
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  Speaker 1: will he care for my poor little worship after the
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  Speaker 1: acclamations of a whole army of heroes. But no matter,
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  Speaker 1: I am so happy, so proud. She rises and walks
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  Speaker 1: about excitedly. It proves that all our ideas were real
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  Speaker 1: after all, Catherine, indignantly, Our idea is real. What do
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  Speaker 1: you mean, Ryina? Our ideas of what Surgius would do?
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  Speaker 1: Our patriotism, our heroic ideals. Oh, what faithless little creature's
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  Speaker 1: girls are. I sometimes used to doubt whether they were
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  Speaker 1: anything but dreams. When I buckled on Sergius's sword, he
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  Speaker 1: looked so noble. It was treason to think of disillusion
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  Speaker 1: or humiliation, our failure. And yet, and yet quickly promise me.
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  Speaker 1: You'll never tell him, Catherine, don't ask me for promises
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  Speaker 1: until I know what I am promising. Ryina. Well, it
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  Speaker 1: came into my head, just as he was holding me
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  Speaker 1: in his arms and looking into my eyes, that perhaps
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  Speaker 1: we only had our heroic ideas because we are so
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  Speaker 1: fond of reading Byron and Pushkin, and because we were
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: so delighted with the opera that season at Bucharest. Real
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  Speaker 1: life is so seldom like that, indeed, never as far
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  Speaker 1: as I knew it. Then, remorsefully, only thank Mother, I
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: doubted him. I wondered whether all his heroic qualities and
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  Speaker 1: his soldiership might not prove mere imagination. When he went
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  Speaker 1: into a real battle, I had an uneasy fear that
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  Speaker 1: he might cut a poor figure there beside all those
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  Speaker 1: clever Russian officers, Catherine, a poor figure. Shame on you.
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  Speaker 1: The Serbians have Austrian officers who are just as clever
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  Speaker 1: as our Russians. But we have beaten them in every battle.
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  Speaker 1: For all that Raina laughing and sitting down again. Yes,
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  Speaker 1: that was only a prosaic little coward, Oh, to think
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  Speaker 1: that it was all true that Sergius is just as
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  Speaker 1: splendid and noble, as he looks that the world is
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  Speaker 1: really a glorious world for women who can see its
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  Speaker 1: glory and men who can act its romance. What happiness,
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  Speaker 1: what unspeakable fulfillment? Ah. She throws herself on her knees
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  Speaker 1: beside her mother and flings her arms passionately round her.
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  Speaker 1: They are interrupted by the entry of Luca, a handsome,
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  Speaker 1: proud girl in a very pretty Bulgarian peasant's dress with
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  Speaker 1: double apron, so defiant that her civility to Raina is
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  Speaker 1: almost insolent. She is afraid of Catherine, but even with her,
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  Speaker 1: goes as far as she dares. She is just now
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  Speaker 1: excited like the others, but she has no sympathy for
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  Speaker 1: Raina's raptures, and looks contemptuously at the ecstasies of the
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  Speaker 1: two before she addresses them, Luca, if you please, madam,
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  Speaker 1: all the windows are to be closed and the shutters
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  Speaker 1: made fast. They say there may be shooting in the streets.
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  Speaker 1: Raina and Catherine rise together alarmed. The servians are being
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  Speaker 1: chased right back through the pass, and they say they
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  Speaker 1: may run into the town. Our cavalry will be after them,
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  Speaker 1: and our people will be ready for them. You may
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  Speaker 1: be sure now that they are running away. She goes
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  Speaker 1: out on the balcony and pulls the outside shutters too,
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  Speaker 1: then steps back into the room. Raina, I wish our
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: people were not so cruel. What glory is there in
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  Speaker 1: killing wretched fugitives? Catherine, business like, her housekeeping instincts aroused.
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  Speaker 1: I must see that everything is made safe downstairs. Raina
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  Speaker 1: to Luca, leave the shutters so that I can just
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  Speaker 1: close them if I hear any naught, Catherine authoritatively, turning
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  Speaker 1: on her way to the door. Oh no, dear, you
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  Speaker 1: must keep them fastened. You would be sure to drop
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  Speaker 1: off to sleep and leave them open and make them
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  Speaker 1: fast Luca, Luca, yes, madam, she fastens them. Ryena, don't
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  Speaker 1: be anxious about me. The moment I hear a shot,
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  Speaker 1: I shall blow out the candles and roll myself up
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  Speaker 1: in bed with my ears well covered. Catherine, Quite the
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  Speaker 1: wisest thing you can do, My love. Good night, Ryena,
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  Speaker 1: good night. They kiss one another, and Ryena's emotion comes
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  Speaker 1: back for a moment. Wish me joy of the happiest
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  Speaker 1: night of my life, if only there are no fugitives.
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  Speaker 1: Catherine go to bed, dear, and don't think of them.
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  Speaker 1: She goes out. Luca secretly to Ryena, if you would
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  Speaker 1: like the shutters open, just give them a push like this.
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  Speaker 1: She pushes them. They open. She pulls them too again.
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  Speaker 1: One of them ought to be bolted at the bottom,
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  Speaker 1: but the bolt's gone. Reena, with dignity reproving her, thanks Luca,
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  Speaker 1: but we must do what we are told. Luca makes
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  Speaker 1: a grimace. Good night, Luca, carelessly, good night. She goes
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  Speaker 1: out swaggering. Reena, left alone, goes to the chest of
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  Speaker 1: drawers and adores the portrait there with feelings that are
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  Speaker 1: beyond all expression. She does not kiss it, or press
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  Speaker 1: it to her breast, or show it any mark of
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  Speaker 1: bodily affection. But she takes it in her hands and
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  Speaker 1: elevates it like a priestess Reina, looking up at the
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  Speaker 1: picture with worship. Oh, I shall never be unworthy of
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  Speaker 1: you any more, my hero, Never, never, never. She replaces
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  Speaker 1: it reverently and selects a novel from the little pile
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  Speaker 1: of books. She turns over the leaves dreamily finds her page,
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  Speaker 1: turns the book in sight out at it, and then
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  Speaker 1: with a happy sigh, gets into bed and prepares to
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  Speaker 1: read herself to sleep. But before abandoning her self to fiction.
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  Speaker 1: She raises her eyes once more, thinking of the blessed reality,
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  Speaker 1: and murmurs, my hero, My hero. A distant shot breaks
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  Speaker 1: the quiet of the night outside. She starts listening, and
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  Speaker 1: two more shots much nearer follow startling her so that
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  Speaker 1: she scrambles out of bed and hastily blows out the
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  Speaker 1: candle on the chest of drawers. Then putting her fingers
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  Speaker 1: in her ears, she runs to the dressing table and
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  Speaker 1: blows out the light there, and hurries back to bed.
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  Speaker 1: The room is now in darkness. Nothing is visible but
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  Speaker 1: the glimmer of the light in the pierced ball before
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  Speaker 1: the image, and the starlight scene through the slits at
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  Speaker 1: the top of the shutters. The firing breaks out again.
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  Speaker 1: There is a startling fusillade quite close at hand. Whilst
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  Speaker 1: it is still echoing, the shutters disappear, pulled open from without,
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  Speaker 1: and for an instant the rectangle of snowy starlight flashes
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  Speaker 1: out with the figure of a man in black upon it.
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  Speaker 1: The shutters close immediately and the room is dark again,
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  Speaker 1: but the silence is now broken by the sound of panting.
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  Speaker 1: Then there is a scrape and the flame of a
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  Speaker 1: match is seen in the middle of the room, raina
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  Speaker 1: crouching on the bed. Who's there? The match is out instantly,
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  Speaker 1: who's there? Who is that? A man's voice in the darkness,
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  Speaker 1: subduedly but threateningly, sh sh, don't call out or you'll
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  Speaker 1: be shot. Be good, and no harm will happen to you.
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  Speaker 1: She is heard leaving her bed and making for the door.
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  Speaker 1: Take care, there's no use in trying to run away. Remember,
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  Speaker 1: if you raise your voice, my pistol will go off commandingly.
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  Speaker 1: Strike a light and let me see you. Do you
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  Speaker 1: hear another moment of silence and darkness. Then she is
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  Speaker 1: heard retreating to the dressing table. She lights a candle,
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  Speaker 1: and the mystery is at an end. A man of
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  Speaker 1: about thirty five in a deplorable light be spattered with
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  Speaker 1: mud and blood and snow, his belt and the strap
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  Speaker 1: of his revolver case keeping together the torn ruins of
• 14:29
  Speaker 1: the blue coat of a servient artillery officer, as far
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  Speaker 1: as the candlelight and his unwashed, unkempt condition make it
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  Speaker 1: possible to judge. He is a man of middling stature
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  Speaker 1: and undistinguished appearance, with strong neck and shoulders, a roundish,
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  Speaker 1: obstinate looking head covered with short, crisp bronze curls, clear,
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  Speaker 1: quick blue eyes, and good brows and mouth, a hopelessly
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  Speaker 1: prosaic nose like that of a strong minded, baby trim soldier,
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  Speaker 1: like carriage and energy manner, and with all his wits
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  Speaker 1: about him in spite of his desperate predicament, even with
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: a sense of humor of it, without, however, the least
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  Speaker 1: intention of trifling with it or throwing away a chance.
• 15:12
  Speaker 1: He reckons up what he can guess about Rayina, her age,
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  Speaker 1: her social position, her character, the extent to which he
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: is frightened at a glance, and continues, more politely, but
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  Speaker 1: still more determinedly, Excuse my disturbing you, but you recognize
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  Speaker 1: my uniform servian. If I am caught, I shall be killed. Determinedly.
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  Speaker 1: Do you understand that Raina? Yes, man, well, I don't
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  Speaker 1: intend to get killed if I can help it. Still
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: more determinedly, do you understand that he locks the door
• 15:51
  Speaker 1: with a snap? Raina disdainfully, I suppose not. She draws
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  Speaker 1: herself up superbly and looks him right in the face, saying,
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  Speaker 1: with emphasis, some soldiers I know are afraid of death.
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  Speaker 1: Man with grim, good humor, all of them, dear lady,
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  Speaker 1: all of them believe me. It is our duty to
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  Speaker 1: live as long as we can and kill as many
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  Speaker 1: of the enemy as we can. Now, if you raise
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  Speaker 1: an alarm, Raina, cutting him short, you will shoot me.
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  Speaker 1: How do you know that I am afraid to die?
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  Speaker 1: Man cunningly? Ah, But suppose I don't shoot you. What
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  Speaker 1: will happen then? Why A lot of your cavalry, the
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: greatest blackbirds in your army, will burst into this pretty
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  Speaker 1: room of yours and slaughter me here like a pig.
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  Speaker 1: For I'll fight like a demon. They shan't get me
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  Speaker 1: into the street to amuse themselves with. I know what
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: they are. Are you prepared to receive that sort of
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: company in your present undress? Raina, suddenly conscious of her nightgown,
• 16:58
  Speaker 1: instinctively shrinks and gathers it more closely about her. He
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  Speaker 1: watches her and adds, pitilessly, it's rather a scanty a.
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: She turns to the ottoman. He raises his pistol instantly
• 17:12
  Speaker 1: and cries stop. She stops, where are you going? Raina,
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  Speaker 1: with dignified patience, only to get my cloak Man darting
• 17:24
  Speaker 1: to the ottoman and snatching the cloak, A good idea. No,
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  Speaker 1: I'll keep the cloak, and you will take care that
• 17:32
  Speaker 1: nobody comes in and sees you without it. This is
• 17:35
  Speaker 1: a better weapon than the pistol. He throws the pistol
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: down on the Ottoman, Raina revolted. It is not the
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: weapon of a gentleman man. It's good enough for a
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: man with only you to stand between him and death.
• 17:51
  Speaker 1: As they look at one another for a moment, Raina
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: hardly able to believe that even a servian officer can
• 17:58
  Speaker 1: be so cynically and selfishly unchivalrous, they are startled by
• 18:03
  Speaker 1: a sharp fusillade in the street. The chill of imminent
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: death hushes the man's voice as he adds, do you
• 18:10
  Speaker 1: hear if you are going to bring those scoundrels in
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: on me, you shall receive them as you are. Raina
• 18:18
  Speaker 1: meets his eye with unflinching scorn. Suddenly he starts listening.
• 18:24
  Speaker 1: There is a step outside. Someone tries the door and
• 18:27
  Speaker 1: then knocks hurriedly and urgently at it. Raina looks at
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: the man breathless. He throws up his head with the
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: gesture of a man who sees that it is all
• 18:37
  Speaker 1: over with him, and dropping the manner which he has
• 18:40
  Speaker 1: been assuming to intimidate her, flames the cloak to her, exclaiming,
• 18:44
  Speaker 1: sincerely and kindly, Ah, no use, I'm done for Quick,
• 18:48
  Speaker 1: wrap yourself up. They're coming, Raina, catching the cloak eagerly, Oh,
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: thank you. She wraps herself up with great relief. He
• 18:58
  Speaker 1: draws his saber and turns to the door, waiting. Luca
• 19:03
  Speaker 1: outside knocking, My lady, my lady, get up quick and
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: open the door. Raina anxiously, what will you do? Man grimly,
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: never mind, keep out of the way. It will not
• 19:17
  Speaker 1: last long. Raina impulsively, I'll help you hide yourself. Oh,
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: hide yourself quick behind the curtain. She seizes him by
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: a torn strip of his sleeve and pulls him towards
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  Speaker 1: the window. Man yielding to her, There is just half
• 19:34
  Speaker 1: a chance if you keep your head. Remember, nine soldiers
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: out of ten are born fools. He hides behind the curtain,
• 19:43
  Speaker 1: looking out for a moment to say, finally, if they
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: find me, I promise you a fight, A devil of
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: a fight. He disappears. Raina takes off the cloak and
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: throws it across the foot of the bed. Then, with
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: a sleepy, disturbed air, she opens the door. Luca enters excitedly, Luca,
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: A man has been seen climbing up the water pipe
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: to your balcony, a servian. The soldiers want to search
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: for him, and they are so wild and drunk and furious.
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: My lady says you are to dress at once, Raina,
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  Speaker 1: as if annoyed at being disturbed, they shall not search here.
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: Why have they been let in? Katherine coming in hastily, Raina, darling,
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: are you safe? Have you seen any one or heard anything? Raina?
• 20:31
  Speaker 1: I heard the shooting. Surely the soldiers will not dare
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: come in here, Catherine, I have found a Russian officer,
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: Thank Heaven, he knows Sergius speaking through the door to
• 20:43
  Speaker 1: some one outside, Sir, will you come in now? My
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: daughter is ready. A young Russian officer in Bulgarian uniform enters,
• 20:51
  Speaker 1: sword in hand. The officer with soft feline politeness and
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: stiff military carriage. Good evening, Graciously, I am sorry to intrude,
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: but there is a fugitive hiding on the balcony. Will
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: you and the gracious lady your mother please to withdraw
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: whilst we search. Roena petulantly, nosense, sir, you can see
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: there is no one on the balcony. She throws the
• 21:17
  Speaker 1: shutters wide open and stands with her back to the
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: curtain where the man is hidden, pointing to the moonlit balcony.
• 21:24
  Speaker 1: A couple of shots are fired right under the window,
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: and the bullet shatters the glass opposite Raena, who winks
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: and gasps but stands her ground, while Catherine screams and
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: the officer rushes to the balcony. The officer on the
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: balcony shouting savagely down to the street, cease firing, there,
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: you fools, do you hear? Cease firing? Damn you? He
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: glares down for a moment, then turns to Loreena, trying
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: to resume his polite manner. Could anyone have got in
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: without your knowledge? Were you asleep? Rayena? No, I have
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: been to bed, the officer impatiently coming back into the room.
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: Your neighbors have their heads so full of runaway servians
• 22:09
  Speaker 1: that they see them everywhere. Politely, gracious, lady A thousand
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: pardons good night, military bow, which Raina returns coldly, another
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: to Catherine, who follows him out. Raina closes the shutters.
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: She turns and sees Luca, who has been watching the
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: scene curiously Reina, don't leave my mother, Luca. Whilst the
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: soldiers are here. Luca glances at Rayena at the ottoman
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: at the curtain, then purses her lips secretively, laughs to herself,
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: and goes out. Raina follows her to the door, shuts
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: it behind her with a slam, and locks it violently.
• 22:52
  Speaker 1: The man immediately steps out from behind the curtain, sheathing
• 22:56
  Speaker 1: his saber and dismissing the danger from his mind in
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: a business like way. Man, a narrow shave, but a
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: miss is as good as a mile. Dear young lady,
• 23:06
  Speaker 1: your servant until death, I wish for your sake I
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: had joined the Bulgarian army instead of the Servian. I
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: am not a native Servian, Reina, haughtily, No, you are
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: one of the Austrians who set the Servians on to
• 23:21
  Speaker 1: rob us of our national liberty, and who officer their
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: army for them. We hate them, man, Austrian. Not I
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: don't hate me, dear young lady. I'm only a Swiss,
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: fighting merely as a professional soldier. I joined servia because
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: it was nearest to me. Be generous. You've beaten us, hollow, Reina.
• 23:43
  Speaker 1: Have I not been generous? Man? Noble heroic. But I'm
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: not saved yet. This particular rush will soon pass through,
• 23:55
  Speaker 1: but the pursuit will go on all night by fits
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: and starts. I must take my chance to get off
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: during a quiet interval. You don't mind my waiting just
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: a minute or two, do you, Reina? Oh? No, I
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: am sorry. You will have to go into danger again.
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: Motioning towards Ottoman, won't you sit? She breaks off with
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: an irrepressible cry of alarm as she catches sight of
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: the pistol. The man all nerves shies like a frightened
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: horse man irritably. Don't frighten me like that? What is it, Reina?
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: Your pistol? It was staring that officer in the face
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: all the time. What an escape man vexed at being
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: unnecessarily terrified? Oh is that all reena? Staring at him
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: rather superciliously, conceiving a poorer and poor opinion of him,
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: and feeling proportionately more and more at her ease with him.
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: I am sorry, I frightened you. She takes up the
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: pistol and hands it to him. Pray, take it to
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: protect yourself against me. Man grinning wearily at the sarcasm
• 25:06
  Speaker 1: as he takes the pistol. No use, dear young lady,
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: there is nothing in it. It's not loaded. He makes
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: a grimace at it and drops it disparagingly into his
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: revolver case. Reina, load it by all means, man, I've
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: no ammunition. What use are cartridge's in battle? I always
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: carry chocolate instead, and I finished the last cake of
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: that yesterday, Reina, outraged in her most cherished ideals of manhood. Chocolate.
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: Do you stuff your pockets with sweets like a schoolboy
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: even in a field? Man? Yes, isn't it contemptible? Raina
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: stares at him, unable to utter her feelings. Then she
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: sails away, scornfully to the chest of drawers and returns
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: with the box of confectionery in her hand. Raina allow me.
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: I am sorry. I've eaten them all except these. She
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: offers him the box. Man ravenously, You're an angel. He
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: gobbles the comforts creams delicious. He looks anxiously to see
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: whether there are any more. There are none. He accepts
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: the inevitable with pathetic good humor and says, with grateful emotion,
• 26:28
  Speaker 1: bless you, dear lady. You can always tell an old
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: soldier by the insides of his holsters and cartridge boxes.
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: The young ones carry pistols and cartridges. The old ones
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: grub thank you. He hands back the box. She snatches
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: it contemptuously from him and throws it away. This impatient
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: action is so sudden that he shies again. Ugh, don't
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: do things so suddenly, gracious lady, don't revenge yourself because
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: I've frightened you just now, Reyina, superbly frighten me. Do
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: you know, sir, that though I am only a woman,
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: I think I am at heart as brave as you man,
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: I should think so. You haven't been under fire for
• 27:16
  Speaker 1: three days as I have. I can stand two days
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: without showing it much, but no man can stand three days.
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: I'm as nervous as a mouse. He sits down on
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: the ottoman and takes his head in his hands. Would
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: you like to see me cry? Reina? Quickly? No, man,
• 27:39
  Speaker 1: if you would, all you have to do is to
• 27:42
  Speaker 1: scold me, just as if I were a little boy
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: in you my nurse. If I were in camp now,
• 27:48
  Speaker 1: they'd play all sorts of tricks on me. Reina a
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: little moved, I'm sorry, I won't scold you. Touched by
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: these sympathy in her tone. He raises his head and
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: looks gratefully at her. She immediately draws back, insistively. You
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: must excuse me. Our soldiers are not like that. She
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: moves away from the Ottoman. Man. Oh, yes they are.
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: There are only two sorts of soldiers, old ones and
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: young ones. I've served fourteen years. Half of your fellows
• 28:23
  Speaker 1: never smelt powder before. Why how is it that you've
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: beaten us? Sheer ignorance of the art of war, nothing else, indignantly.
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: I never saw anything so unprofessional, Braina ironically, Oh was
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: it unprofessional to beat you? Man? Well? Come, is it
• 28:46
  Speaker 1: professional to throw a regiment of cavalry on a battery
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: of machine guns with the dead certainty that if the
• 28:53
  Speaker 1: guns go off, not a horse or man will ever
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: get within fifty yards of the fire. I couldn't believe
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: my eyes when I saw it, Raina, eagerly turning to
• 29:05
  Speaker 1: him as all her enthusiasm and her dream of glory
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: rushed back on her. Did you see the great cavalry charge? Oh?
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: Tell me about it. Describe it to me. Man. You
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: never saw a cavalry charge, did you, Rayina? How could I? Man? Ah?
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: Perhaps not, of course, well, it's a funny sight. It's
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: like slinging a handful of peas against a windowpane. First
• 29:35
  Speaker 1: one comes, then two or three close behind him, and
• 29:39
  Speaker 1: then all the rest in a lump. Raina, her eyes
• 29:43
  Speaker 1: dilating as she raises her clasped hands ecstatically. Yes, first one,
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: the bravest of the brave man, prosaically, hmm. You should
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: see the poor devil pulling at his horse. Why should
• 30:01
  Speaker 1: he pull at his horse? Man? Impatient of so stupid
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: a question. It's running away with him, of course. Do
• 30:09
  Speaker 1: you suppose the fellow wants to get there before the
• 30:12
  Speaker 1: others and be killed? Then they all come. You can
• 30:16
  Speaker 1: tell the young ones by their wildness and their slashing.
• 30:20
  Speaker 1: The old ones come bunched up under the number one guard.
• 30:23
  Speaker 1: They know that they are mere projectiles, and that it's
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: no use trying to fight. The wounds are mostly broken
• 30:30
  Speaker 1: knees from the horse's cannoning together. Reina, Oh, but I
• 30:36
  Speaker 1: don't believe the first man is a coward. I believe
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: he is a hero man. Good humoredly, that's what you'd
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: have said if you'd seen the first man in the
• 30:46
  Speaker 1: charge today, Reina, breathless. Ah, I knew it. Tell me,
• 30:51
  Speaker 1: tell me about him man. He did it like an
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: operatic tenor, a regular handsome fellow with flashing eyes and
• 31:01
  Speaker 1: lovely mustache, shouting a war cry and charging like Don
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: Quixote at the windmills. We nearly burst with laughter at him.
• 31:10
  Speaker 1: But when the sergeant ran up, as white as a
• 31:12
  Speaker 1: sheet and told us they'd sent us the wrong cartridges
• 31:16
  Speaker 1: and that we couldn't fire a shot for the next
• 31:19
  Speaker 1: ten minutes, we laughed at the other side of our mouths.
• 31:23
  Speaker 1: I never felt so sick in my life, though I've
• 31:26
  Speaker 1: been in one or two very tight places, and I
• 31:29
  Speaker 1: hadn't even a revolver cartridge. Nothing but chocolate. We'd know,
• 31:34
  Speaker 1: bayonets nothing. Of course, they just cut us to bits.
• 31:39
  Speaker 1: And there was Don Quixote, flourishing like a drum major,
• 31:43
  Speaker 1: thinking he'd done the cleverest thing ever known, whereas he
• 31:47
  Speaker 1: ought to be court martialed for it. Of all the
• 31:50
  Speaker 1: fools ever let loose on a field of battle, that
• 31:54
  Speaker 1: man must be the very maddest. He and his regiment
• 31:59
  Speaker 1: simply admitted suicide. Only the pistol missed fire, that's all. Reina,
• 32:06
  Speaker 1: deeply wounded but steadfastly loyal, to her ideals. Indeed, would
• 32:12
  Speaker 1: you know him again if you saw him? Man? Shall
• 32:16
  Speaker 1: I ever forget him? She again goes to the chest
• 32:20
  Speaker 1: of drawers. He watches her with a vague hope that
• 32:23
  Speaker 1: she may have something else for him to eat. She
• 32:26
  Speaker 1: takes the portrait from its stand and brings it to him. Reina,
• 32:31
  Speaker 1: that is a photograph of the gentleman, the patriot and
• 32:35
  Speaker 1: hero to whom I am betrothed. Man, looking at it,
• 32:42
  Speaker 1: I'm really very sorry looking at her. Was it fair
• 32:46
  Speaker 1: to lead me on? He looks at the portrait again. Yes,
• 32:51
  Speaker 1: that's him, not a doubt of it. He stifles a laugh. Reina, quickly,
• 32:57
  Speaker 1: why do you laugh? Man, shamefacedly, but still greatly tickled.
• 33:02
  Speaker 1: I didn't laugh, I assure you, at least I didn't
• 33:05
  Speaker 1: mean to. But when I think of him charging the
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: windmills and thinking he was doing the finest thing, chokes
• 33:14
  Speaker 1: with suppressed laughter. Raina sternly give me back the portraits,
• 33:19
  Speaker 1: sir man, with sincere remorse. Of course, certainly, I'm really
• 33:25
  Speaker 1: very sorry. She deliberately kisses it and looks him straight
• 33:30
  Speaker 1: in the face, before returning to the chest of drawers
• 33:33
  Speaker 1: to replace it. He follows her apologizing. Perhaps I'm quite wrong,
• 33:39
  Speaker 1: you know, no doubt I am. Most likely he got
• 33:42
  Speaker 1: wind of the cartridge business somehow and knew it was
• 33:45
  Speaker 1: a safe job, Reina. That is to say he was
• 33:49
  Speaker 1: a pretender and a coward. You did not dare say
• 33:53
  Speaker 1: that before Man with a comic gesture of despair. It's
• 33:58
  Speaker 1: no use, dear lady. I can't make you see it
• 34:01
  Speaker 1: from the professional point of view. As he turns away
• 34:04
  Speaker 1: to get back to the ottoman, the firing begins again
• 34:07
  Speaker 1: in the distance, Reina sternly as she sees him, listening
• 34:12
  Speaker 1: to the shots. So much the better for you, man turning,
• 34:18
  Speaker 1: how Reina, you are my enemy and you are at
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: my mercy. What would I do if I were a
• 34:27
  Speaker 1: professional soldier? Man? Ah? True, dear young lady, You're always right.
• 34:34
  Speaker 1: I know how good you have been to me to
• 34:37
  Speaker 1: my last hour. I shall remember those three chocolate creams.
• 34:41
  Speaker 1: It was unsoldierly, but it was angelic raina coldly thank you,
• 34:49
  Speaker 1: And now I will do the soldiery thing. You cannot
• 34:53
  Speaker 1: stay here after what you have just said about my
• 34:55
  Speaker 1: future husband, but I will go out on the balcony
• 34:58
  Speaker 1: and see whether it is safe for you to climb
• 35:00
  Speaker 1: down into the street. She turns to the window man,
• 35:04
  Speaker 1: changing countenance. Down that water pipe. Stop wait, I can't,
• 35:10
  Speaker 1: I daren't. The very thought of it makes me giddy.
• 35:14
  Speaker 1: I came up it fast enough with death behind me,
• 35:17
  Speaker 1: but to face it now in cold blood? He sinks
• 35:21
  Speaker 1: on the ottoman. It's no use, I give up. I'm beaten.
• 35:27
  Speaker 1: Give the alarm. He drops his head in his hands
• 35:31
  Speaker 1: in the deepest dejection. Ryena disarmed by pity. Come, don't
• 35:38
  Speaker 1: be disheartened. She stoops over him, almost maternally. He shakes
• 35:44
  Speaker 1: his head. Oh, you are a very poor soldier, a
• 35:48
  Speaker 1: chocolate cream soldier. Come cheer up. It takes less courage
• 35:52
  Speaker 1: to climb down than to face capture, remember that man,
• 35:57
  Speaker 1: dreamily lulled by her voice. No, capture only means death,
• 36:02
  Speaker 1: and death is sleep. Oh, sleep, sleep, sleep, undisturbed sleep. Ah,
• 36:11
  Speaker 1: Climbing down the pipe means doing something, exerting myself, thinking
• 36:16
  Speaker 1: death ten times over. First raina softly and wonderingly, catching
• 36:22
  Speaker 1: the rhythm of his weariness. Are you so sleepy as
• 36:25
  Speaker 1: that man? I've not had two hours undisturbed sleep since
• 36:32
  Speaker 1: the war began. I'm on the staff. You don't know
• 36:35
  Speaker 1: what that means I haven't closed my eyes for thirty
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: six hours, Reina desperately. But what am I to do
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: with you man staggering up? Of course I must do something.
• 36:52
  Speaker 1: He shakes himself, pulls himself together, and speaks with rallied
• 36:55
  Speaker 1: vigor and courage. You see, sleep, no sleep, hunger or
• 37:01
  Speaker 1: no hunger, tired or not tired. You can always do
• 37:05
  Speaker 1: a thing when you know it must be done well.
• 37:09
  Speaker 1: That pipe must be got down. He hits himself on
• 37:13
  Speaker 1: the chest and adds, do you hear that? You chocolate
• 37:16
  Speaker 1: cream soldier? He turns to the window. Raina anxiously. But
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: if you fall, man, I shall sleep as if the
• 37:27
  Speaker 1: stones were a featherbed. Goodbye. He makes boldly for the window,
• 37:32
  Speaker 1: and his hand is on the shutter when there is
• 37:34
  Speaker 1: a terrible burst of firing in the street beneath Raina
• 37:39
  Speaker 1: rushing to him. Stop. She catches him by the shoulder
• 37:43
  Speaker 1: and turns him quite round. They'll kill you, man, coolly
• 37:47
  Speaker 1: but attentively. Never mind, this sort of thing is all
• 37:52
  Speaker 1: in my day's work. I'm bound to take my chance decisively.
• 37:57
  Speaker 1: Now do what I tell you. Out the candles so
• 38:01
  Speaker 1: that they shan't see the light. When I open the
• 38:03
  Speaker 1: shutters and keep away from the window. Whatever you do.
• 38:06
  Speaker 1: If they see me, they're sure to have a shot
• 38:08
  Speaker 1: at me, Reina, clinging to him. They're sure to see you.
• 38:13
  Speaker 1: It's bright moonlight. I'll save you. Oh, how can you
• 38:17
  Speaker 1: be so indifferent? You want me to save you, don't you? Man,
• 38:23
  Speaker 1: I really don't want to be troublesome. She shakes him
• 38:27
  Speaker 1: in her impatience. I am not indifferent, dear young lady,
• 38:31
  Speaker 1: I assure you. But how is it to be done? Reina?
• 38:36
  Speaker 1: Come away from the window, please. She coaxes him back
• 38:40
  Speaker 1: to the middle of the room. He submits humbly. She
• 38:44
  Speaker 1: releases him and addresses him patronizingly. Now, listen, you must
• 38:49
  Speaker 1: trust to our hospitality. You do not yet know in
• 38:53
  Speaker 1: whose house you are. I am a pet cough Man.
• 38:58
  Speaker 1: What's that? Reina? Rather indignantly, I mean that I belong
• 39:03
  Speaker 1: to the family of the pet Coughs, the richest and
• 39:07
  Speaker 1: best known in our country. Man, Oh, yes, of course
• 39:12
  Speaker 1: I beg your pardon, the pet Coughs, to be sure.
• 39:15
  Speaker 1: How stupid of me, Reina, You know you never heard
• 39:20
  Speaker 1: of them until this minute. How can you stoop to pretend? Man?
• 39:25
  Speaker 1: Forgive me? I'm too tired to think, and the change
• 39:29
  Speaker 1: of subject was too much for me. Don't scold me, Reina,
• 39:33
  Speaker 1: I forgot it might make you cry. He nods quite seriously.
• 39:39
  Speaker 1: She pouts, and then resumes her patronizing tone. I must
• 39:44
  Speaker 1: tell you that my father holds the highest command of
• 39:47
  Speaker 1: any Bulgarian in our army. He is proudly a major
• 39:53
  Speaker 1: man pretending to be deeply impressed a major. Bless me.
• 39:58
  Speaker 1: Think of that, Reina. You showed great ignorance in thinking
• 40:03
  Speaker 1: that it was necessary to climb up to the balcony.
• 40:06
  Speaker 1: Because ours is the only private house that has two
• 40:09
  Speaker 1: rows of windows. There is a flight of stairs inside
• 40:13
  Speaker 1: to get up and down by man stairs. How grand
• 40:19
  Speaker 1: you live in great luxury. Indeed, dear young lady, Reina,
• 40:24
  Speaker 1: do you know what a library is, Man? A library
• 40:31
  Speaker 1: a room full of books, Reina, Yes, we have one,
• 40:35
  Speaker 1: the only one in Bulgaria. Man, actually, a real library.
• 40:41
  Speaker 1: I should like to see that, Reina. Affectedly, I tell
• 40:46
  Speaker 1: you these things to show you that you are not
• 40:48
  Speaker 1: in the house of ignorant country folk who would kill
• 40:51
  Speaker 1: you the moment they saw your survey in uniform, but
• 40:54
  Speaker 1: among civilized people. We go to Bucharest every year for
• 40:59
  Speaker 1: the opera season, and I have spent a whole month
• 41:02
  Speaker 1: in Vienna. Man, I saw that, dear young lady, I
• 41:07
  Speaker 1: saw it once that you knew the world, Reina. Have
• 41:12
  Speaker 1: you ever seen the opera of Ernani? Man? Is that
• 41:17
  Speaker 1: the one with the devil in it in red velvet
• 41:19
  Speaker 1: and a soldier's chorus? Reina contemptuously, no, Man, stifling a
• 41:26
  Speaker 1: heavy sigh of weariness. Then I don't know it, Reina.
• 41:33
  Speaker 1: I thought you might have remembered the great scene where Ernani,
• 41:37
  Speaker 1: flying from his foes, just as you are tonight, takes
• 41:40
  Speaker 1: refuge in the castle of his bitterest enemy and old
• 41:44
  Speaker 1: Castilian noble. The noble refuses to give him up. His
• 41:48
  Speaker 1: guest is sacred to him. Man, quickly waking a little.
• 41:53
  Speaker 1: Have your people got that notion? Reina? With dignity, My
• 41:59
  Speaker 1: mother and I can understand that notion as you call it.
• 42:03
  Speaker 1: But if instead of threatening me with your pistol as
• 42:06
  Speaker 1: you did, you had simply thrown yourself as a fugitive
• 42:10
  Speaker 1: on our hospitality, you would have been as safe as
• 42:13
  Speaker 1: in your father's house. Man, quite sure, Reina, turning her
• 42:19
  Speaker 1: back on him in disgust. Oh, it is useless to
• 42:22
  Speaker 1: try and make you understand. Man, don't be angry. You
• 42:28
  Speaker 1: see how awkward it would be for me if there
• 42:30
  Speaker 1: was any mistake. My father is a very hospitable man.
• 42:34
  Speaker 1: He keeps six hotels, but I couldn't trust him as
• 42:38
  Speaker 1: far as that. What about your father, Reina, He is
• 42:43
  Speaker 1: away in Slivnitza, fighting for his country. I answer for
• 42:47
  Speaker 1: your safety. There is my hand in pledge of it.
• 42:51
  Speaker 1: Will that reassure you? She offers him her hand man
• 42:56
  Speaker 1: looking dubiously at his own hand. Better not touch my hand,
• 43:01
  Speaker 1: dear young lady, I must have a wash first, Reina touched.
• 43:07
  Speaker 1: That is very nice of you. I see that you
• 43:09
  Speaker 1: are a gentleman man puzzled, ah, Reina, you must not
• 43:15
  Speaker 1: think I am surprised. Bulgarians are really good standing. People
• 43:20
  Speaker 1: in our position wash their hands nearly every day. But
• 43:25
  Speaker 1: I appreciate your delicacy. You may take my hand, She
• 43:29
  Speaker 1: offers it again, man kissing it with his hands behind
• 43:34
  Speaker 1: his back. Thanks, gracious, young lady. I feel safe at last,
• 43:40
  Speaker 1: And now would you mind breaking the news to your mother?
• 43:43
  Speaker 1: I had better not stay here secretly longer than is necessary, Reina,
• 43:49
  Speaker 1: if you will be so good as to keep perfectly still,
• 43:52
  Speaker 1: whilst I am away. Man, certainly, He sits down on
• 43:57
  Speaker 1: the ottoman. Reina goes to the bed and wraps herself
• 44:01
  Speaker 1: in the fur cloak. His eyes close. She goes to
• 44:05
  Speaker 1: the door, but on turning for a last look at him,
• 44:08
  Speaker 1: sees that he is dropping off to sleep. Raina at
• 44:12
  Speaker 1: the door. You are not going asleep, are you? He
• 44:16
  Speaker 1: murmurs inarticulately. She runs to him and shakes him. Do
• 44:20
  Speaker 1: you hear wake up? You are falling asleep? Man, eh,
• 44:26
  Speaker 1: falling asleep? Oh no, not the least in the world.
• 44:30
  Speaker 1: I was only thinking. It's all right, I'm wide awake,
• 44:36
  Speaker 1: Raina severely. Will you please stand up while I am away?
• 44:41
  Speaker 1: He rises reluctantly all the time, mind man, standing unsteadily. Certainly, certainly,
• 44:50
  Speaker 1: you may depend on me. Raina looks doubtfully at him.
• 44:55
  Speaker 1: He smiles foolishly. She goes reluctantly, turning again at the
• 45:00
  Speaker 1: door and almost catching him in the act of yawning.
• 45:03
  Speaker 1: She goes out. Man drowsily sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep sleep.
• 45:14
  Speaker 1: The words trail off into a murmur. He wakes again
• 45:17
  Speaker 1: with a shock, on the point of falling. Where am I?
• 45:20
  Speaker 1: That's what I want to know. Where am I must
• 45:23
  Speaker 1: keep awake. Nothing keeps me awake except danger. Remember that
• 45:29
  Speaker 1: intently danger, danger, Danger. Where's danger? Must find it? He
• 45:36
  Speaker 1: starts off vaguely around the room in search of it.
• 45:40
  Speaker 1: What am I looking for? Sleep? Danger? Don't know? He
• 45:46
  Speaker 1: stumbles against the bed. Ah, yes, now I know, all right. Now,
• 45:51
  Speaker 1: I'm to go to bed, but not to sleep. Be sure,
• 45:55
  Speaker 1: not to sleep because of danger. Not to lie down either,
• 46:00
  Speaker 1: You're only sit down. He sits on the bed. A
• 46:04
  Speaker 1: blissful expression comes into his face. Ah, with a happy sigh.
• 46:11
  Speaker 1: He sinks back at full length, lifts his boots into
• 46:15
  Speaker 1: the bed with a final effort, and falls fast asleep. Instantly.
• 46:22
  Speaker 1: Catherine comes in, followed by Raina. Raina looking at the ottoman.
• 46:27
  Speaker 1: He's gone. I left him here, Catherine here, then he
• 46:31
  Speaker 1: must have climbed down from the Raina seeing him, Oh,
• 46:36
  Speaker 1: she points Catherine, scandalized well, she strides to the left
• 46:43
  Speaker 1: side of the bed, Raina following and standing opposite her
• 46:47
  Speaker 1: on the right. He's fast asleep, the brute Raina anxiously
• 46:53
  Speaker 1: sh Catherine, shaking him, Sir, shaking him again harder, Sir, vehemently,
• 47:01
  Speaker 1: shaking very hard, Sir, Raina catching her arm don't, Mamma,
• 47:07
  Speaker 1: the poor dear is worn out. Let him sleep, Catherine
• 47:10
  Speaker 1: letting him go, and turning amazed to Raina. The poor
• 47:15
  Speaker 1: dear y Ena. She looks sternly at her daughter. The
• 47:19
  Speaker 1: man sleeps profoundly. End of Act one, Act two of
• 47:33
  Speaker 1: Arms and the Man by George Bernard Shaw. This librevox
• 47:38
  Speaker 1: recording is in the public domain. Act two, the sixth
• 47:46
  Speaker 1: of March eighteen eighty six. In the garden of Major
• 47:49
  Speaker 1: Petkoff's house. It is the fine spring morning, and the
• 47:53
  Speaker 1: garden looks fresh and pretty. Beyond pealings, the tops of
• 47:58
  Speaker 1: a couple of minarets can be seen, showing that there
• 48:01
  Speaker 1: is a valley there with the little town in it.
• 48:04
  Speaker 1: A few miles further, the Balkan mountains rise and shut.
• 48:08
  Speaker 1: In the view within the garden, the side of the
• 48:10
  Speaker 1: house is seen on the right, with a garden door
• 48:14
  Speaker 1: reached by a little flight of steps. On the left,
• 48:17
  Speaker 1: the stable yard with its gateway encroaches on the garden.
• 48:21
  Speaker 1: There are fruit bushes along the palings, and house covered
• 48:25
  Speaker 1: with washing hung out to dry. A path runs by
• 48:28
  Speaker 1: the house and rises by two steps at the corner
• 48:31
  Speaker 1: where it turns out of the right along the front.
• 48:35
  Speaker 1: In the middle, a small table with two bent wood
• 48:38
  Speaker 1: chairs at it is laid for breakfast with Turkish coffee,
• 48:41
  Speaker 1: pot cups, rolls, et cetera, but the cups have been
• 48:45
  Speaker 1: used and the bread broken. There is a wooden garden
• 48:48
  Speaker 1: seat against the wall. On the left. Luca, smoking a cigarette,
• 48:54
  Speaker 1: is standing between the table and the house, turning her
• 48:57
  Speaker 1: back with angry disdain on a man servant who is
• 49:00
  Speaker 1: lecturing her. He is a middle aged man of cool
• 49:04
  Speaker 1: temperament and low but clear and keen intelligence, with the
• 49:08
  Speaker 1: complacency of the servant who values himself on his rank
• 49:11
  Speaker 1: in servility, and the imperturbability of the accurate calculator who
• 49:16
  Speaker 1: has no illusions. He wears a white Bulgarian costume jacket
• 49:22
  Speaker 1: with decorated border, sash, wide knickerbuckers and decorated garters. His
• 49:28
  Speaker 1: head is shaved up to the crown, giving him a
• 49:30
  Speaker 1: high Japanese forehead. His name is Nikola Nikolon. Be warned
• 49:37
  Speaker 1: in time, Luka, mend your manners. I know the mistress.
• 49:42
  Speaker 1: She is so grand that she never dreams that any
• 49:45
  Speaker 1: servant would dare to be disrespectful to her. But if
• 49:48
  Speaker 1: she once suspects that you are defying her. Out you go, Luca,
• 49:55
  Speaker 1: I do defy her. I will defy her. What do
• 49:58
  Speaker 1: I care for, Herniccola? If you quarrel with the family,
• 50:02
  Speaker 1: I can never marry you. It's the same as if
• 50:05
  Speaker 1: you quarreled with me. Luca, you take her part against me,
• 50:10
  Speaker 1: do you? Nicola said lately, I shall always be dependent
• 50:15
  Speaker 1: on the good will of the family. When I leave
• 50:18
  Speaker 1: their service and start a shop in Sophia, their custom
• 50:22
  Speaker 1: will be half my capital. Their bad word would ruin me. Luca,
• 50:27
  Speaker 1: you have no spirit. I should like to see them
• 50:31
  Speaker 1: dare say a word against me, Nicola, pitying. I should
• 50:36
  Speaker 1: have expected more sense from you, Luca. But you're young.
• 50:39
  Speaker 1: You're young, Luca, you have no spell? No, no, Luca. Yes,
• 50:46
  Speaker 1: and you like me the better for it, don't you.
• 50:50
  Speaker 1: But I know some family secrets they wouldn't care to
• 50:53
  Speaker 1: have told young as I am. Let them quarrel with
• 50:56
  Speaker 1: me if they dare, Nikola with compassionate superiority. Do you
• 51:03
  Speaker 1: know what they would do if they heard you talk
• 51:05
  Speaker 1: like that? Luca? What could they do, Nikola? Discharge you
• 51:12
  Speaker 1: for untruthfulness? Who would believe any stories you told after that?
• 51:17
  Speaker 1: Who would give you another situation. Who in this house
• 51:21
  Speaker 1: would dare be seen speaking to you ever? Again? How
• 51:26
  Speaker 1: long would your father be left on his little farm?
• 51:29
  Speaker 1: She impatiently throws away the end of her cigarette and
• 51:32
  Speaker 1: stamps on it. Child, You don't know the power such
• 51:36
  Speaker 1: high people have over the like of you and me
• 51:39
  Speaker 1: when we try to rise out of our poverty against them.
• 51:43
  Speaker 1: He goes close to her and lowers his voice. Look
• 51:46
  Speaker 1: at me ten years in their service? Do you think
• 51:50
  Speaker 1: I know no secrets? I know things about the Mistress
• 51:54
  Speaker 1: that she wouldn't have the Master know for a thousand levers.
• 51:58
  Speaker 1: I know things about him that she wouldn't let him
• 52:01
  Speaker 1: hear the last of for six months if I blabbed
• 52:04
  Speaker 1: them to her. I know things about Rhena that would
• 52:08
  Speaker 1: break off her match with Sergius if Luca turning on
• 52:11
  Speaker 1: him quickly. How do you know I never told you,
• 52:15
  Speaker 1: Niccola opening his eyes cunningly. So that's your little secret,
• 52:20
  Speaker 1: is it? I thought it might be something like that. Well,
• 52:25
  Speaker 1: you take my advice and be respectful and make the
• 52:28
  Speaker 1: mistress feel that no matter what you know or don't know,
• 52:32
  Speaker 1: they can depend on you to hold your tongue and
• 52:35
  Speaker 1: serve the family faithfully. That's what they like, and that's
• 52:40
  Speaker 1: how you make most out of them, Luca, with searching scorn,
• 52:45
  Speaker 1: you have the soul of a servant, Niccola. Niccola complacently, Yes,
• 52:52
  Speaker 1: that's the secret of success in service. A loud knocking
• 52:56
  Speaker 1: with a whip handle on a wooden door outside. On
• 52:59
  Speaker 1: the left is her hed male voice outside. Hello, Hello there,
• 53:04
  Speaker 1: nikolaw Luca master back from the war, Nikola quickly, my
• 53:12
  Speaker 1: word for it, Luca, the war is over. Off with you,
• 53:14
  Speaker 1: and gets some fresh coffee. He runs into the stable yard. Luca,
• 53:20
  Speaker 1: as she puts the coffee pot and the cups upon
• 53:22
  Speaker 1: the tray and carries it into the house, You'll never
• 53:25
  Speaker 1: put the soul of a servant into me. Major Petkov
• 53:30
  Speaker 1: comes from the stable yard, followed by Nikola. He is
• 53:34
  Speaker 1: a cheerful, excitable, insignificant, unpolished man of about fifty, naturally
• 53:40
  Speaker 1: unambitious except as to his income and his importance in
• 53:43
  Speaker 1: local society, but just now greatly pleased with the military
• 53:48
  Speaker 1: rank which the war has thrust on him as a
• 53:50
  Speaker 1: man of consequence in his town. The fever of plucky
• 53:55
  Speaker 1: patriotism which the Servian attack roused in all the Bulgarians
• 53:59
  Speaker 1: has pulled him through the war, but he is obviously
• 54:02
  Speaker 1: glad to be home again. Petkough, pointing to the table
• 54:07
  Speaker 1: with his whip. Breakfast out here, eh, Nikola, Yes, sir,
• 54:12
  Speaker 1: the mistress and miss rain I have just gone in
• 54:15
  Speaker 1: pet cough, sitting down and taking a roll. Go in
• 54:20
  Speaker 1: and say I've come and get me some fresh coffee. Nikola,
• 54:23
  Speaker 1: it's coming, sir. He goes to the house door. Luca,
• 54:27
  Speaker 1: with fresh coffee, a clean cup and a brandy bottle
• 54:30
  Speaker 1: on her tray, meets him. Have you told the mistress, Luca? Yes,
• 54:35
  Speaker 1: she's coming. Nikola goes into the house. Luca brings the
• 54:38
  Speaker 1: coffee to the table. Pet Cough. Well the servians haven't
• 54:43
  Speaker 1: run away with you, have they, Luca, No, sir, pet cough,
• 54:48
  Speaker 1: that's right. Have you brought me some cognac? Luka, putting
• 54:52
  Speaker 1: the bottle on the table here, sir, pet cough, that's right.
• 54:57
  Speaker 1: He pours some into his coffee. Katherine, who has at
• 55:02
  Speaker 1: this early hour made only a very perfunctory toilet and
• 55:06
  Speaker 1: wears a bulgarian apron over a once brilliant but now
• 55:09
  Speaker 1: half worn out, red dressing gown, and a colored handkerchief
• 55:13
  Speaker 1: tied over her thick black hair, with Turkish slippers on
• 55:16
  Speaker 1: her bare feet, comes from the house, looking astonishingly handsome
• 55:20
  Speaker 1: and stately under all the circumstances. Luca goes into the house. Catherine,
• 55:27
  Speaker 1: my dear Paul, what a surprise for us. She stoops
• 55:32
  Speaker 1: over the back of his chair to kiss him. Have
• 55:34
  Speaker 1: they brought you fresh coffee? Pet cough, Yes, Luca's been
• 55:38
  Speaker 1: looking after me. The war's over. The treaty was signed
• 55:42
  Speaker 1: three days ago at Bucharest, and the decree for our
• 55:45
  Speaker 1: army to demobilize was issued yesterday. Catherine, springing erect with
• 55:50
  Speaker 1: flashing eyes, The war over, Paul. Have you let the
• 55:56
  Speaker 1: Austrians force you to make peace? Pet coaff said admissively,
• 56:01
  Speaker 1: My dear, they didn't consult me. What could I do?
• 56:05
  Speaker 1: She sits down and turns away from him. But of
• 56:08
  Speaker 1: course we saw to it that the treaty was an
• 56:11
  Speaker 1: honorable one. It declares peace. Catherine outraged, Peace pekkof appeasing her,
• 56:19
  Speaker 1: but not friendly relations. Remember that they wanted to put
• 56:23
  Speaker 1: that in, but I insisted on it being struck out.
• 56:26
  Speaker 1: What more could I do, Catherine? You could have annexed
• 56:30
  Speaker 1: Servia and made Prince Alexander Emperor of the Balkans that
• 56:34
  Speaker 1: what I would have done, petkough. I don't doubt it
• 56:39
  Speaker 1: in the least, my dear, But I should have had
• 56:41
  Speaker 1: to subdue the whole Austrian Empire first, and that would
• 56:45
  Speaker 1: have kept me too long away from you. I missed
• 56:48
  Speaker 1: you greatly, Catherine, relenting Ah stretches her hand affectionately across
• 56:55
  Speaker 1: the table to squeeze his pekough. And how have you been,
• 56:59
  Speaker 1: my dear Catherine, Oh, my usual sore throats, that's all
• 57:06
  Speaker 1: pet cough, with conviction that comes from washing your neck
• 57:10
  Speaker 1: every day. I've often told you so, Catherine. Nonsense, Paul
• 57:16
  Speaker 1: pet cough over his coffee and cigarette. I don't believe
• 57:20
  Speaker 1: in going too far with these modern customs. All this
• 57:24
  Speaker 1: washing can't be good for the health. It's not natural.
• 57:28
  Speaker 1: There was an Englishman at Philipopoulos who used to wet
• 57:31
  Speaker 1: himself all over with cold water every morning when he
• 57:34
  Speaker 1: got up. Disgusting. It all comes from the English. Their
• 57:38
  Speaker 1: climate makes them so dirty that they have to be
• 57:41
  Speaker 1: perpetually washing themselves. Look at my father. He never had
• 57:46
  Speaker 1: a bath in his life, and he lived to be
• 57:48
  Speaker 1: ninety eight, the healthiest man in Bulgaria. I don't mind
• 57:52
  Speaker 1: a good wash once a week to keep up my position,
• 57:56
  Speaker 1: but once a day is carrying the thing to a
• 57:58
  Speaker 1: ridiculous extreme. Catherine, you are a barbarian at Hartsteel, Paul.
• 58:06
  Speaker 1: I hope you behaved yourself before all those Russian officers
• 58:10
  Speaker 1: pet cough. I did my best. I took care to
• 58:14
  Speaker 1: let them know that we had a library, Katherine. Ah,
• 58:18
  Speaker 1: but you didn't tell them that we have an electric
• 58:21
  Speaker 1: bell in it. I have had one put up, pet cough.
• 58:25
  Speaker 1: What's an electric bell, Katherine? You touch a button, something
• 58:30
  Speaker 1: tinkles in the kitchen, and then Nikola comes up, pet cough.
• 58:35
  Speaker 1: Why not shout for him, Katherine. Civilized people never shout
• 58:38
  Speaker 1: for their servants. I've learned that while you were away,
• 58:43
  Speaker 1: pet cough. Well, I'll tell you something I've learned, too.
• 58:47
  Speaker 1: Civilized people don't hang out there washing to dry where
• 58:50
  Speaker 1: visitors can see it. So you'd better have all that
• 58:54
  Speaker 1: indicating the clothes on the bushes put somewhere else. Katherine. Oh,
• 59:00
  Speaker 1: that's absurd, Paul. I don't believe really refined people notice
• 59:04
  Speaker 1: such things. Someone is heard knocking at the stable gates,
• 59:09
  Speaker 1: pet kough. They're Sergius shouting hello Nikola. Katherine. Oh, don't shout, Paul,
• 59:16
  Speaker 1: it really isn't nice. Pet Cough, Bosh, he shouts louder
• 59:21
  Speaker 1: than before. Nikola Nikola appearing at the house door. Yes, sir, Petkaugh,
• 59:29
  Speaker 1: if that is Major Saranov, bring him round this way.
• 59:33
  Speaker 1: He pronounces the name with a stress on the second syllable,
• 59:37
  Speaker 1: Saranov Nikola, Yes, sir. He goes into the stable yard. Petkough,
• 59:47
  Speaker 1: You must talk to him, my dear, until Raina takes
• 59:50
  Speaker 1: him off our hands. He bores my life out about
• 59:54
  Speaker 1: our not promoting him over my head, mind you, Katherine,
• 1:00:00
  Speaker 1: He certainly ought to be promoted when he marries Rahina. Besides,
• 1:00:04
  Speaker 1: the country should insist on having at least one native
• 1:00:07
  Speaker 1: general Petkough, Yes, so that he could throw away whole
• 1:00:11
  Speaker 1: brigades instead of regiments. It's no use, my dear. He
• 1:00:16
  Speaker 1: has not the slightest chance of promotion until we are
• 1:00:19
  Speaker 1: quite sure that the peace will be a lasting one.
• 1:00:22
  Speaker 1: Nikola at the gate, announcing Major Sergius Saranov. He goes
• 1:00:27
  Speaker 1: into the house and returns presently with a third chair,
• 1:00:31
  Speaker 1: which he places at the table. He then withdraws Major
• 1:00:36
  Speaker 1: Sergius Saranov the original of the portrait in ray in
• 1:00:40
  Speaker 1: his room is a tall, romantically handsome man, with the
• 1:00:45
  Speaker 1: physical hardihood, the high spirit, and the susceptible imagination of
• 1:00:50
  Speaker 1: an untamed mountaineer chieftain. But his remarkable personal distinction is
• 1:00:55
  Speaker 1: of a characteristically civilized type of his eyebrows curving with
• 1:01:02
  Speaker 1: a ram's horn twist round the marked projections at the
• 1:01:05
  Speaker 1: outer corners, his jealously observant eye, his nose thin, keen
• 1:01:11
  Speaker 1: and apprehensive in spite of the pugnacious high bridge and
• 1:01:15
  Speaker 1: large nostril. His assertive chin would not be out of
• 1:01:19
  Speaker 1: place in a Paris salon. In short, the clever, imaginative
• 1:01:24
  Speaker 1: Barbarian has an acute critical faculty which has been thrown
• 1:01:29
  Speaker 1: into intense activity by the arrival of Western civilization in
• 1:01:34
  Speaker 1: the Balkans, and the result is precisely what the advent
• 1:01:38
  Speaker 1: of nineteenth century thought first produced in England. To wit Byronism,
• 1:01:45
  Speaker 1: why his brooding on the perpetual failure not only of
• 1:01:49
  Speaker 1: others but of himself to live up to his imaginative ideals,
• 1:01:54
  Speaker 1: his consequent cynical scorn for humanity, the jejune credulity as
• 1:01:59
  Speaker 1: to the absolute validity of his ideals, and the unworthiness
• 1:02:04
  Speaker 1: of the world in disregarding them, his wincings and mockeries,
• 1:02:08
  Speaker 1: under the sting of the petty dissolusions, which every hour
• 1:02:12
  Speaker 1: spent among men, bringing to his infallibly quick observation, he
• 1:02:16
  Speaker 1: has acquired the half tragic, half ironic air, the mysterious moodiness,
• 1:02:22
  Speaker 1: the suggestion of a strange and terrible history that has
• 1:02:26
  Speaker 1: left him nothing but undying remorse by which child Harold
• 1:02:31
  Speaker 1: fascinated the grandmothers of his English contemporaries. Altogether, it is
• 1:02:37
  Speaker 1: clear that here are nowhere is Rhina's ideal hero. Catherine
• 1:02:43
  Speaker 1: is hardly less enthusiastic, and much less reserved in showing
• 1:02:47
  Speaker 1: her enthusiasm. As he enters from the stable gate, she
• 1:02:52
  Speaker 1: rises effusively to greet him. Petkov is distinctly less disposed
• 1:02:57
  Speaker 1: to make a fuss about him. Petkough here already, Sergius,
• 1:03:03
  Speaker 1: glad to see you, Catherine, My dear Sergius. She holds
• 1:03:09
  Speaker 1: out both her hands, Sergius, kissing them with scrupulous gallantry.
• 1:03:15
  Speaker 1: My dear mother, if I may call you so, Petkoff, dryly,
• 1:03:20
  Speaker 1: mother in law, Sergius, Mother in law, sit down and
• 1:03:24
  Speaker 1: have some coffee, Sergius. Thank you, none for me. He
• 1:03:29
  Speaker 1: gets away from the table with a certain distaste for
• 1:03:32
  Speaker 1: Petkoff's enjoyment of it, and posts himself with conscious grace
• 1:03:36
  Speaker 1: against the rail of the steps leading to the house. Catherine,
• 1:03:41
  Speaker 1: you look superb splendid. The campaign has improved you. Everyone
• 1:03:48
  Speaker 1: here is mad about you. We are all wild with
• 1:03:52
  Speaker 1: enthusiasm about that magnificent cavalry charge. Sergius with grave irony, Madam.
• 1:04:00
  Speaker 1: It was the cradle and the grave of my military reputation, Catherine,
• 1:04:06
  Speaker 1: how so, Sirchius, I won the battle the wrong way
• 1:04:12
  Speaker 1: when our worthy Russian generals were losing it the right way.
• 1:04:16
  Speaker 1: That have set their plans and wounded their self esteem.
• 1:04:20
  Speaker 1: Two of their colonels got their regiments driven back on
• 1:04:24
  Speaker 1: the correct principles of scientific warfare. Two major generals got
• 1:04:28
  Speaker 1: killed strictly according to military etiquette. Those two colonels are
• 1:04:33
  Speaker 1: now major generals, and I am still a simple major. Catherine.
• 1:04:39
  Speaker 1: You shall not remain so surgious. The women are on
• 1:04:43
  Speaker 1: your side, and they will see that justice has done you. Serchius.
• 1:04:48
  Speaker 1: It is too late. I have only waited for the
• 1:04:51
  Speaker 1: peace to send in my resignation. Petkov, dropping his cup
• 1:04:56
  Speaker 1: in his amazement, your resignation, Catherine, Oh, you must withdraw it, Sergius,
• 1:05:04
  Speaker 1: with resolute, measured emphasis, folding his arms. I never withdraw
• 1:05:12
  Speaker 1: pet coough vexed now, who could have supposed you were
• 1:05:16
  Speaker 1: going to do such a thing? Sergius with fire everyone
• 1:05:21
  Speaker 1: that knew me. But enough of myself and my affairs.
• 1:05:25
  Speaker 1: How is Raina? And where is Raina? Reina suddenly coming
• 1:05:31
  Speaker 1: round the corner of the house and standing at the
• 1:05:33
  Speaker 1: top of the steps in the path. Reina is here.
• 1:05:38
  Speaker 1: She makes a charming picture as they all turn to
• 1:05:41
  Speaker 1: look at her. She wears an underdress of pale green silk,
• 1:05:45
  Speaker 1: draped with an overdress of thin or crew canvas embroidered
• 1:05:49
  Speaker 1: with gold. On her head, she wears a pretty pretty
• 1:05:52
  Speaker 1: in cap of gold tinsel. Sergius, with an exclamation of pleasure,
• 1:05:58
  Speaker 1: goes impulsively to meet her. She stretches out her hand.
• 1:06:02
  Speaker 1: He drops chivalrously on one knee and kisses it. Petkof
• 1:06:08
  Speaker 1: a sigh to Catherine, beaming with parental pride. Brttee, isn't
• 1:06:12
  Speaker 1: it she always appears at the right moment, Catherine impatiently, Yes,
• 1:06:19
  Speaker 1: she listens for it. It is an abominable habit Sergius
• 1:06:24
  Speaker 1: leads Rayina forward with splendid gallantry, as if she were
• 1:06:27
  Speaker 1: a queen. When they come to the table, she turns
• 1:06:31
  Speaker 1: to him with a bend of the head. He bows,
• 1:06:34
  Speaker 1: and thus they separate. He comeing to his place, She
• 1:06:38
  Speaker 1: going behind her father's chair, Raina, stooping and kissing her father,
• 1:06:43
  Speaker 1: dear father, welcome home, petkough, patting her cheek, my little
• 1:06:49
  Speaker 1: pet girl, He kisses her. She goes to the chair
• 1:06:53
  Speaker 1: left by Nicola for Sergius and sits down. Catherine, and
• 1:06:59
  Speaker 1: so your no longer a soldier, Sergius. Sergius, I am
• 1:07:05
  Speaker 1: no longer a soldier. Soldiering, my dear Madam, is the
• 1:07:09
  Speaker 1: coward's art of attacking mercilessly when you are strong, and
• 1:07:13
  Speaker 1: keeping out of harm's way when you were a weak.
• 1:07:16
  Speaker 1: That is the whole secret of successful fighting. Get your
• 1:07:20
  Speaker 1: enemy at a disadvantage, and never, on any account fight
• 1:07:24
  Speaker 1: him on equal terms. A major pet cough. They wouldn't
• 1:07:29
  Speaker 1: let us make a fair stand up fight of it. However,
• 1:07:32
  Speaker 1: I suppose soldiering has to be a trade like any
• 1:07:35
  Speaker 1: other trade. Sergius precisely, but I have no ambition to
• 1:07:41
  Speaker 1: succeed as a tradesman. So I have taken the advice
• 1:07:45
  Speaker 1: of that bag man of a captain that's settled the
• 1:07:48
  Speaker 1: exchange of prisoners with us at Pirot and given it
• 1:07:51
  Speaker 1: up pet cough. What that Swiss fellow, Sergius. I've often
• 1:07:59
  Speaker 1: thought of that exchange since he overreached us about those horses. Sergius,
• 1:08:05
  Speaker 1: of course he overreached us. His father was a hotel
• 1:08:09
  Speaker 1: and livery stable keeper, and he owed his first step
• 1:08:12
  Speaker 1: to his knowledge of horse dealing with mock enthusiasm. Ah.
• 1:08:17
  Speaker 1: He was a soldier, every inch of soldier. If only
• 1:08:21
  Speaker 1: I had bought the horses from my regiment instead of
• 1:08:24
  Speaker 1: foolishly leading it into danger, I should have been a
• 1:08:27
  Speaker 1: field marshal. Now Catherine a Swiss. What was he doing
• 1:08:33
  Speaker 1: in the Servian army? Petkoff a volunteer, of course, keen
• 1:08:40
  Speaker 1: on picking up his profession chuckling. We shouldn't have been
• 1:08:44
  Speaker 1: able to begin fighting if these foreigners hadn't shown us
• 1:08:48
  Speaker 1: how to do it. We knew nothing about it, and
• 1:08:51
  Speaker 1: neither did the Servians. He gad, there'd have been no
• 1:08:55
  Speaker 1: war without them, Raina. Are there many Swiss officers in
• 1:09:00
  Speaker 1: the Servian army? Petkoff, no, all Austrians, just as our
• 1:09:06
  Speaker 1: officers were all Russians. This was the only Swiss I
• 1:09:09
  Speaker 1: came across. I'll never trust a Swiss again. He cheated us,
• 1:09:15
  Speaker 1: humbugged us into giving him fifty able bodied men for
• 1:09:18
  Speaker 1: two hundred confounded, worn out charges. They weren't even edible, Sergius.
• 1:09:26
  Speaker 1: We were two children in the hands of that concep
• 1:09:28
  Speaker 1: its soldier major, simply two innocent little children. Raina. What
• 1:09:35
  Speaker 1: was he like, Katherine, oh Reina, What a silly question, Sergius.
• 1:09:42
  Speaker 1: He was like a commercial traveler in uniform boushe wah
• 1:09:46
  Speaker 1: to his boots, pet coof grinning. Sergius. Tell Katherine that
• 1:09:53
  Speaker 1: queer story his friend told us about him, how he
• 1:09:56
  Speaker 1: escaped after Slivnitzai. You remember about his being hit by
• 1:10:00
  Speaker 1: two women, Sergius with bitter irony. Oh, yes, quite a romance.
• 1:10:07
  Speaker 1: He was serving in the very battery eye, so unprofessionally charged.
• 1:10:13
  Speaker 1: Being a thorough soldier, he ran away like the rest
• 1:10:16
  Speaker 1: of them, with our cavalry at his heels, to escape
• 1:10:19
  Speaker 1: their attentions. He had the good taste to take refuge
• 1:10:23
  Speaker 1: in the chamber of some patriotic young Bulgarian lady. The
• 1:10:27
  Speaker 1: young lady was enchanted by his persuasive commercial traveling manners.
• 1:10:32
  Speaker 1: She very modestly entertained him for an hour or so,
• 1:10:36
  Speaker 1: and then called in her mother, lest her conductor should
• 1:10:39
  Speaker 1: appear unmaidenly. The old lady was equally fascinated, and the
• 1:10:44
  Speaker 1: fugitive was sent on his way in the morning, disguised
• 1:10:48
  Speaker 1: in an old coat belonging to the master of the house,
• 1:10:51
  Speaker 1: who was away at the war. Raina rising with marked stateliness.
• 1:10:57
  Speaker 1: Your life in the camp has made you coarse, Sergius.
• 1:11:02
  Speaker 1: I did not think you would have repeated such a
• 1:11:04
  Speaker 1: story before me. She turns away coldly. Catherine also rising.
• 1:11:10
  Speaker 1: She is right, Sergius. If such women exist, we should
• 1:11:15
  Speaker 1: be spared the knowledge of them. Petkof poor nonsense. What
• 1:11:20
  Speaker 1: does it matter, Sergius, ashamed, No, petkof, I was wrong
• 1:11:28
  Speaker 1: to Reina with earnest humility, I beg your pardon. I
• 1:11:33
  Speaker 1: have behaved abominably. Forgive me, Reina. She bows reservedly, and
• 1:11:40
  Speaker 1: you too, Madam. Catherine bows graciously and sits down. He
• 1:11:45
  Speaker 1: proceeds solemnly, again, addressing Rayina. The glimpses I have had
• 1:11:51
  Speaker 1: of the seamy side of life during the past few
• 1:11:54
  Speaker 1: months have made me cynical. But I should not have
• 1:11:57
  Speaker 1: brought my cynicism here, least of all into your presence. Rayhena,
• 1:12:03
  Speaker 1: I here, turning to the others, He is evidently about
• 1:12:07
  Speaker 1: to begin a long speech when the major interrupts him.
• 1:12:10
  Speaker 1: Petkov stuff and nonsense. Sergius, that's quite enough fuss about nothing.
• 1:12:18
  Speaker 1: A soldier's daughter should be able to stand up without
• 1:12:21
  Speaker 1: flinching to a little strong conversation. He rises, Come, it's
• 1:12:26
  Speaker 1: time for us to get to business. We have to
• 1:12:29
  Speaker 1: make up our minds how those three regiments are to
• 1:12:32
  Speaker 1: get back to Philipopoulos. There's no forage for them on
• 1:12:36
  Speaker 1: the Sofia route. He goes toward the house. Come along.
• 1:12:41
  Speaker 1: Sergius is about to follow him when Catherine rises and intervenes. Catherine, Oh, Paul,
• 1:12:48
  Speaker 1: can't you spare Sergius for a few moments. Raina has
• 1:12:52
  Speaker 1: hardly seen him yet. Perhaps I can help you to
• 1:12:55
  Speaker 1: settle about the regiments. Sergius protesting, my dear Madam. Impossible, you, Catherine,
• 1:13:02
  Speaker 1: stopping him playfully. You stay here, my dear Sergius. There
• 1:13:07
  Speaker 1: is no hurry. I have a word or two to
• 1:13:09
  Speaker 1: say to Paul. Sergius instantly bows and steps back. Now, dear,
• 1:13:16
  Speaker 1: taking Petcof's arm, come and see the electric bell. Pet cough, Oh,
• 1:13:22
  Speaker 1: very well, very well. They go into the house together affectionately. Sergius,
• 1:13:28
  Speaker 1: left alone with Rayena, looks anxiously at her, fearing that
• 1:13:32
  Speaker 1: she may still be offended. She smiles and stretches out
• 1:13:35
  Speaker 1: her arms to him. Exit right into house, followed by Catherine.
• 1:13:41
  Speaker 1: Sergius hastening to her, but refraining from touching her without
• 1:13:45
  Speaker 1: express permission? Am I forgiven? Rayena, placing her hands on
• 1:13:51
  Speaker 1: his shoulders as she looks up at him with admiration
• 1:13:54
  Speaker 1: and worship, my hero, my king, Sergius, my queen. He
• 1:14:02
  Speaker 1: kisses her on the forehead with holy awe reina. How
• 1:14:07
  Speaker 1: I have envied you, Sergius. You have been out in
• 1:14:10
  Speaker 1: the world, on the field of battle, able to prove
• 1:14:14
  Speaker 1: yourself there worthy of any woman in the world, whilst
• 1:14:18
  Speaker 1: I have had to sit at home, inactive, dreaming, useless,
• 1:14:22
  Speaker 1: doing nothing that could give me the right to call
• 1:14:25
  Speaker 1: myself worthy of any man. Sergius, dearest, all my deeds
• 1:14:31
  Speaker 1: have been yours. You inspired me. I have gone through
• 1:14:35
  Speaker 1: the war like a night at a tournament, with his
• 1:14:38
  Speaker 1: lady looking on at him, Raina, and you have never
• 1:14:42
  Speaker 1: been absent from my thoughts for a moment. Very solemnly, Sergius,
• 1:14:49
  Speaker 1: I think we too have found the higher love. When
• 1:14:53
  Speaker 1: I think of you, I feel that I could never
• 1:14:56
  Speaker 1: do a base deed or think an ignoble thought, Sirchius,
• 1:15:02
  Speaker 1: my lady and my saint clasping her reverently, Raina returning
• 1:15:09
  Speaker 1: his embrace, my lord and my Sergius, sh let me
• 1:15:15
  Speaker 1: be the worshiper. Dear you little know how unworthy even
• 1:15:19
  Speaker 1: the best man is of a girl's pure passion. Raina.
• 1:15:25
  Speaker 1: I trust you, I love you. You will never disappoint me, Sergius.
• 1:15:30
  Speaker 1: Luca is heard singing within the house. They quickly release
• 1:15:33
  Speaker 1: each other. Hush. I can't pretend to talk indifferently before her.
• 1:15:39
  Speaker 1: My heart is too full. Luca comes from the house
• 1:15:43
  Speaker 1: with her tray. She goes to the table and begins
• 1:15:46
  Speaker 1: to clear it with her back turned to them. I
• 1:15:49
  Speaker 1: will go and get my hat and then we can
• 1:15:51
  Speaker 1: go out into lunchtime. Wouldn't you like that, Sirgius. Be quick.
• 1:15:58
  Speaker 1: If you are away five minutes, it will seem like
• 1:16:00
  Speaker 1: five hours. Raina runs to the top of the steps
• 1:16:05
  Speaker 1: and turns there to exchange a look with him, and
• 1:16:08
  Speaker 1: wave him a kiss with both hands. He looks after
• 1:16:12
  Speaker 1: her with emotion for a moment, then turns slowly away,
• 1:16:17
  Speaker 1: his face radiant with the exultation of the scene which
• 1:16:20
  Speaker 1: has just passed. The movement shifts his field of vision
• 1:16:25
  Speaker 1: into the corner of which there now comes the tail
• 1:16:28
  Speaker 1: of Luca's double apron. His eye gleams at once. He
• 1:16:34
  Speaker 1: takes a stealthy look at her and begins to twirl
• 1:16:37
  Speaker 1: his mustache nervously with his left hand, akimbo on his hip,
• 1:16:42
  Speaker 1: finally striking the ground with both heels in something of
• 1:16:44
  Speaker 1: a cavalry swagger, strolls over to the left of the
• 1:16:48
  Speaker 1: table opposite her and says, Luca, do you know what
• 1:16:52
  Speaker 1: the higher love is? Luca astonished, No, sir, Sergius, very
• 1:17:00
  Speaker 1: fatiguing thing to keep up for any length of time, Luca,
• 1:17:04
  Speaker 1: one feels the need of some relief after it, Luca innocently,
• 1:17:10
  Speaker 1: perhaps you would like some coffee, sir. She stretches her
• 1:17:13
  Speaker 1: hand across the table for the coffee pot, Sergius taking
• 1:17:17
  Speaker 1: her hand. Thank you, Luca, Luca, pretending to pull Oh, sir,
• 1:17:23
  Speaker 1: you know I didn't mean that. I'm surprised at you, Sergius,
• 1:17:28
  Speaker 1: coming clear of the table and drawing her with him.
• 1:17:31
  Speaker 1: I am surprised at myself, Luca. What would Sergius, the
• 1:17:35
  Speaker 1: hero of Slivnitza say if he saw me? Now? What
• 1:17:40
  Speaker 1: would Sergius, the apostle of the Higher Love say if
• 1:17:44
  Speaker 1: he saw me? Now? What would the half dozen Sergiuses
• 1:17:48
  Speaker 1: who keep popping in and out of this handsome figure
• 1:17:50
  Speaker 1: of mine say if they caught us here? Letting go
• 1:17:53
  Speaker 1: her hand and slipping his arm dexterously round her waist.
• 1:17:58
  Speaker 1: Do you consider my figure handsome, Luca? Luca, let me go, Sir,
• 1:18:04
  Speaker 1: I shall be disgraced. She struggles. He holds her inexorably.
• 1:18:09
  Speaker 1: Oh will you let go, Sergius, looking straight into her eyes. No, Luca,
• 1:18:18
  Speaker 1: then stand back where we can't be seen. Have you
• 1:18:21
  Speaker 1: no common sense? Sergius? Ah, that's reasonable. He takes her
• 1:18:27
  Speaker 1: into the stable yard gateway, where they are hidden from
• 1:18:30
  Speaker 1: the house, Luca complaining, I may have been seen from
• 1:18:34
  Speaker 1: the windows. Miss Rain is sure to be spying about
• 1:18:38
  Speaker 1: after you, Sergius, stung letting her go. Take care, Luca.
• 1:18:43
  Speaker 1: I may be worthless enough to betray the horror love,
• 1:18:47
  Speaker 1: but do not you insult it, Luca demurely. Not for
• 1:18:52
  Speaker 1: the world, sir, I'm sure. May I go on with
• 1:18:55
  Speaker 1: my work please now, Sergius again, putting his arm around her.
• 1:19:01
  Speaker 1: You are a provoking little witch, Luca. If you were
• 1:19:05
  Speaker 1: in love with me, would use spy out of windows
• 1:19:08
  Speaker 1: on me. Luca, Well, you see, sir, Since you say
• 1:19:13
  Speaker 1: you are a half dozen different gentlemen all at once,
• 1:19:17
  Speaker 1: I should have a great deal to look after. Sergius charmed,
• 1:19:22
  Speaker 1: witty as well as pretty. He tries to kiss her,
• 1:19:27
  Speaker 1: Luca avoiding him. No, I don't want your kisses. Gentle
• 1:19:31
  Speaker 1: folk are all alike. You making love to me behind
• 1:19:35
  Speaker 1: miss Raina's back, and she doing the same behind yours.
• 1:19:39
  Speaker 1: Sergius recarding a step Luca, Luca, it shows how little
• 1:19:45
  Speaker 1: you really care, Sergius, dropping his familiarity and speaking with
• 1:19:51
  Speaker 1: freezing politeness. If our conversation is to continue, Luca, you
• 1:19:57
  Speaker 1: will please remember that a gentleman does not discuss the
• 1:20:01
  Speaker 1: conduct of the lady he is engaged to with her maid, Luca,
• 1:20:07
  Speaker 1: it's so hard to know what a gentleman considers, right,
• 1:20:11
  Speaker 1: I thought from your trying to kiss me that you
• 1:20:13
  Speaker 1: had given up being so particular Sirtius, turning from her
• 1:20:18
  Speaker 1: and striking his forehead as he comes back into the
• 1:20:21
  Speaker 1: garden from the gateway. Devil, devil, Luca, ha ha, I
• 1:20:29
  Speaker 1: expect one of the six of you is very like me, sir,
• 1:20:33
  Speaker 1: though I am only miss rains Maid. She goes back
• 1:20:36
  Speaker 1: to her work at the table, taking no further notice
• 1:20:39
  Speaker 1: of him. Sirtius speaking to himself, which of the six
• 1:20:45
  Speaker 1: is the real man? That's the question that torments me.
• 1:20:50
  Speaker 1: One of them is a hero, another a buffoon, another
• 1:20:54
  Speaker 1: a humbug, another perhaps a bit of a blackuird. He
• 1:20:59
  Speaker 1: pauses and looks furtively at Luca as he adds with
• 1:21:02
  Speaker 1: deep bitterness, and one at least is a coward, jealous
• 1:21:08
  Speaker 1: like all cowards. He goes to the table, Luca, Luca, Yes, Sergius,
• 1:21:15
  Speaker 1: who is my rival? Luca? You shall never get that
• 1:21:21
  Speaker 1: out of me for love or money? Sergius, Why, Luca?
• 1:21:28
  Speaker 1: Never mind? Why? Because you would tell that I told you,
• 1:21:32
  Speaker 1: and I should lose my place. Sergius, holding out his
• 1:21:37
  Speaker 1: right hand in affirmation. No, on the honor of a
• 1:21:41
  Speaker 1: He checks himself and his hand drops nervelessly as he concludes, sardonically,
• 1:21:47
  Speaker 1: of a man capable of behaving as I have been
• 1:21:50
  Speaker 1: behaving for the last five minutes. Who is he, Luca,
• 1:21:56
  Speaker 1: I don't know. I never saw him. I only heard
• 1:21:59
  Speaker 1: his voice through the door of her room, Sergius, damn nation,
• 1:22:04
  Speaker 1: How dare you, Luca retreating? Oh? I mean no harm.
• 1:22:11
  Speaker 1: You've no right to take up my words like that.
• 1:22:13
  Speaker 1: The mistress knows all about it. And I tell you
• 1:22:16
  Speaker 1: that if that gentleman ever comes here again, Miss Raina
• 1:22:20
  Speaker 1: will marry him, whether he likes it or not. I
• 1:22:24
  Speaker 1: know the difference between the sort of manner you and
• 1:22:27
  Speaker 1: she put on before one another and the real manner.
• 1:22:31
  Speaker 1: Sergius shivers as if she has stabbed him. Then, setting
• 1:22:35
  Speaker 1: his face like iron, he strides grimly to her and
• 1:22:39
  Speaker 1: grips her above the elbows with both hands. Sergius, Now
• 1:22:44
  Speaker 1: listen you to me, Luca wincing, not so tight you're
• 1:22:50
  Speaker 1: hurting me, Sergius, that doesn't matter. You have stained my
• 1:22:56
  Speaker 1: honor by making me a party to your eavesdropping, and
• 1:23:01
  Speaker 1: you have betrayed your mistress. Luca writhing, please, Sergius, that
• 1:23:08
  Speaker 1: shows that you are an abominable little clod of common
• 1:23:12
  Speaker 1: clay with the soul of a servant. He lets her
• 1:23:16
  Speaker 1: go as if she were an unclean thing, and turns away,
• 1:23:20
  Speaker 1: dusting his hands of her, to the bench by the wall,
• 1:23:23
  Speaker 1: where he sits down with averted head, meditating gloomily. Luca
• 1:23:28
  Speaker 1: whimpering angrily with her hands up her sleeves, feeling her
• 1:23:32
  Speaker 1: bruised arms. You know how to hurt with your tongue
• 1:23:36
  Speaker 1: as well as with your hands. But I don't care
• 1:23:39
  Speaker 1: now I've found out that whatever clay I'm made of,
• 1:23:42
  Speaker 1: you're made of the same as for her. She's a liar,
• 1:23:47
  Speaker 1: and her fine airs are a cheat, and I'm worth
• 1:23:50
  Speaker 1: six of her. She shakes the pain off heartily, tosses
• 1:23:55
  Speaker 1: her head, and sets to work to put the things
• 1:23:58
  Speaker 1: on the tray. He looked stoubtfully at her once or twice.
• 1:24:02
  Speaker 1: She finishes packing the tray and laps the cloth over
• 1:24:05
  Speaker 1: the edges so as to carry all out together. As
• 1:24:09
  Speaker 1: she stoops to lift it, he rises, Sergius Luca. She
• 1:24:15
  Speaker 1: stops and looks defiantly at him, with the tray in
• 1:24:18
  Speaker 1: her hands. A gentleman has no right to hurt a
• 1:24:22
  Speaker 1: woman under any circumstances, with profound humility, uncovering his head,
• 1:24:29
  Speaker 1: I beg your pardon, Luca. That sort of apology may
• 1:24:35
  Speaker 1: satisfy a lady, of what use is it to a servant. Sergius,
• 1:24:41
  Speaker 1: thus rudely crossed in his chivalry, throws it off with
• 1:24:44
  Speaker 1: a bitter laugh and says, slightingly, Oh, you wish to
• 1:24:48
  Speaker 1: be paid for the hurt? He puts on his shako
• 1:24:52
  Speaker 1: and takes some money from his pocket. Luca, her eyes
• 1:24:56
  Speaker 1: filling with tears in spite of herself, No, I want
• 1:25:00
  Speaker 1: my hurt made well. Sergius, sobered by her tone, how
• 1:25:08
  Speaker 1: she rolls up her left sleeve, clasps her arm with
• 1:25:11
  Speaker 1: the thumb and fingers of her right hand, and looks
• 1:25:14
  Speaker 1: down at the bruise. Then she raises her head and
• 1:25:18
  Speaker 1: looks straight at him. Finally, with a superb gesture, she
• 1:25:23
  Speaker 1: presents her arm to be kissed. Amazed, he looks at her,
• 1:25:28
  Speaker 1: at the arm, at her again, hesitates, and then with
• 1:25:32
  Speaker 1: shuddering intensity, exclaims, Sergius never and gets away as far
• 1:25:39
  Speaker 1: as possible from her. Her arm drops without a word,
• 1:25:44
  Speaker 1: and with unaffected dignity. She takes her tray, and it's
• 1:25:48
  Speaker 1: approaching the house when Reina returns, wearing a hat and
• 1:25:51
  Speaker 1: jacket in the height of the Vienna fashion of the
• 1:25:54
  Speaker 1: previous year, eighteen eighty five. Luca makes way proudly for her,
• 1:25:59
  Speaker 1: and then goes into the house. Reina, I'm ready. What's
• 1:26:05
  Speaker 1: the matter, Gaily? Have you been flirting with Luca? Sergius hastily, No, No,
• 1:26:12
  Speaker 1: how can you think such a thing? Reina, ashamed of herself.
• 1:26:16
  Speaker 1: Forgive me, dear, it was only a jest. I am
• 1:26:19
  Speaker 1: so happy today. He goes quickly to her and kisses
• 1:26:23
  Speaker 1: her hand remorsefully. Catherine comes out and calls to them
• 1:26:27
  Speaker 1: from the top of the steps. Catherine, coming down to them,
• 1:26:31
  Speaker 1: I am sorry to disturb you, children, but Paul is
• 1:26:35
  Speaker 1: distracted over those three regiments. He does not know how
• 1:26:39
  Speaker 1: to get them to Philipopoulos, and he objects to every
• 1:26:42
  Speaker 1: suggestion of mine. You must go and help him, Sergius,
• 1:26:46
  Speaker 1: he is in the library, Reina disappointed. But we were
• 1:26:50
  Speaker 1: just going out for a walk. Sergius, I shall not
• 1:26:55
  Speaker 1: be long. Wait for me just five minutes. He runs
• 1:26:58
  Speaker 1: up the steps to the door, Reina following him to
• 1:27:03
  Speaker 1: the foot of the steps and looking up at him
• 1:27:04
  Speaker 1: with timid coquetry. I shall go round and wait in
• 1:27:08
  Speaker 1: full view of the library windows. Be sure you draw
• 1:27:12
  Speaker 1: father's attention to me. If you are a moment longer
• 1:27:15
  Speaker 1: than five minutes, I shall go in and fetch you.
• 1:27:18
  Speaker 1: Regiments are no regiments, Sergius, laughing very well, he goes in.
• 1:27:26
  Speaker 1: Reina watches him until he is out of her sight. Then,
• 1:27:30
  Speaker 1: with a perceptible relaxation of manner, she begins to pace
• 1:27:34
  Speaker 1: up and down about the garden in a brown study. Catherine,
• 1:27:40
  Speaker 1: imagine their meeting. That's Swiss and hearing the whole story.
• 1:27:44
  Speaker 1: The very first thing your father asked for was the
• 1:27:47
  Speaker 1: old coat. We sent him off in a nice mess.
• 1:27:50
  Speaker 1: You've got us into. Reina, gazing thoughtfully at the gravel
• 1:27:55
  Speaker 1: as she walks. The little beast, Catherine, little beast, What
• 1:28:02
  Speaker 1: little beast? Reina? To go and tell, oh, if I
• 1:28:07
  Speaker 1: had him here, I'd stuff him with chocolate creams till
• 1:28:11
  Speaker 1: he couldn't ever speak again. Catherine, don't talk nonsense. Tell
• 1:28:16
  Speaker 1: me the truth, Reina. How long was he in your
• 1:28:19
  Speaker 1: room before you came to me? Reina, whisking round and
• 1:28:23
  Speaker 1: recommencing her march in the opposite direction. Oh, I forget, Catherine,
• 1:28:29
  Speaker 1: you cannot forget. Did he really climb up after the
• 1:28:33
  Speaker 1: soldiers were gone? Or was he there when that officer
• 1:28:36
  Speaker 1: searched the room, Reina, No, yes, I think he must
• 1:28:41
  Speaker 1: have been there, then, Catherine, you think, oh, Reina ray Ena,
• 1:28:47
  Speaker 1: will anything ever make you straight forward? If Sergius finds out,
• 1:28:52
  Speaker 1: it is all over between you, Reina with cool impertinence. Oh,
• 1:28:57
  Speaker 1: I know, Sergius is your pet. I sometimes wish you
• 1:29:01
  Speaker 1: could marry him instead of me. You would just suit him,
• 1:29:05
  Speaker 1: You would pat him and spoil him and mother him
• 1:29:08
  Speaker 1: to perfection. Catherine, opening her eyes very wildly. Indeed, well
• 1:29:15
  Speaker 1: upon my word, Reina capriciously after herself. I always feel
• 1:29:22
  Speaker 1: a longing to do or say something dreadful to him,
• 1:29:25
  Speaker 1: to shock his propriety, to scandalize the five senses out
• 1:29:30
  Speaker 1: of him. To Catherine, perversely, I don't care whether he
• 1:29:35
  Speaker 1: finds out about the chocolate cream soldier or not. I
• 1:29:38
  Speaker 1: half hope he may. She again turns flippantly away and
• 1:29:42
  Speaker 1: strolls up the path to the corner of the house. Catherine,
• 1:29:47
  Speaker 1: and what should I be able to say to your father? Pray,
• 1:29:52
  Speaker 1: Reina over his shoulder from the top of the two steps, Oh,
• 1:29:56
  Speaker 1: poor father, as if he could help himself. She turns
• 1:30:00
  Speaker 1: the corner and passes out of sight. Catherine looking after
• 1:30:05
  Speaker 1: her her fingers itching. Oh, if you were only ten
• 1:30:09
  Speaker 1: years younger. Luca comes from the house with a salver,
• 1:30:13
  Speaker 1: which she carries hanging down by her side. Well, Luca,
• 1:30:19
  Speaker 1: there's a gentleman just called, Madame, a serviant officer, Catherine flaming,
• 1:30:26
  Speaker 1: a servian. How dare he checking herself? Bitterly? Oh, I
• 1:30:31
  Speaker 1: forgot we are at peace now. I suppose we shall
• 1:30:36
  Speaker 1: have them calling every day to pay their compliments. Well,
• 1:30:39
  Speaker 1: if he is an officer, why don't you tell your
• 1:30:41
  Speaker 1: master he is in the library with Major Soronov. Why
• 1:30:45
  Speaker 1: do you come to me, Luca? But he s for you, Madam,
• 1:30:51
  Speaker 1: And I don't think he knows who you are, he
• 1:30:54
  Speaker 1: said the lady of the house. He gave me this
• 1:30:57
  Speaker 1: little ticket for you. She takes it card out of
• 1:31:00
  Speaker 1: her bosom, puts it on the salver, and offers it
• 1:31:03
  Speaker 1: to Catherine. Catherine, reading captain blunchly, that's a German name,
• 1:31:11
  Speaker 1: Luca Swiss, Madam, I think Katherine with a bound. That
• 1:31:16
  Speaker 1: makes Luca jump back. Swiss? What is he like? Luca? Timidly,
• 1:31:22
  Speaker 1: he has a big carpet bag, Madam Katherine, Oh, heavens,
• 1:31:28
  Speaker 1: he's come to return the coat. Send him away, say
• 1:31:31
  Speaker 1: we're not at home. Ask him to leave his address
• 1:31:34
  Speaker 1: and I'll write to him. Oh stop, that will never do. Wait.
• 1:31:39
  Speaker 1: She throws herself into a chair to think it out.
• 1:31:42
  Speaker 1: Luca waits. The Master and Major sadan Off are busy
• 1:31:46
  Speaker 1: in the library, aren't they, Luca, Yes, Madam Catherine, decisively
• 1:31:53
  Speaker 1: bring the gentleman out here at once, imperatively, and be
• 1:31:57
  Speaker 1: very polite to him. Don't delay here impatiently snatching the
• 1:32:02
  Speaker 1: salver from her, leave that here and go straight back
• 1:32:04
  Speaker 1: to him. Luca, Yes, Madam going, Catherine, Luca, Luca stopping. Yes,
• 1:32:13
  Speaker 1: Madam Catherine. Is the library door shut, Luca, I think so,
• 1:32:19
  Speaker 1: Madam Catherine, If not, shut it as you pass through, Luca, yes,
• 1:32:24
  Speaker 1: Madam going, Catherine, stop. Luca stops. He will have to
• 1:32:31
  Speaker 1: go out that way, indicating the gait of the stable yard.
• 1:32:35
  Speaker 1: Tell Nicolott to bring his bag here after him. Don't forget,
• 1:32:39
  Speaker 1: Luca surprised his bag. Catherine, Yes, here as soon as possible, vehemently,
• 1:32:47
  Speaker 1: be quick. Luca runs into the house. Catherine snatches her
• 1:32:52
  Speaker 1: apron off and throws it behind a bush. She then
• 1:32:55
  Speaker 1: takes up the salver and uses it as a mirror
• 1:32:58
  Speaker 1: with the result that the hankerchief tied round her head
• 1:33:01
  Speaker 1: follows the apron. A touch to her hair and a
• 1:33:04
  Speaker 1: shake to her dressing gown makes her presentable. Oh how, how,
• 1:33:09
  Speaker 1: how can a man be such a fool, such a
• 1:33:13
  Speaker 1: moment to select. Luca appears at the door of the house,
• 1:33:16
  Speaker 1: announcing Captain Blunchly and standing aside at the top of
• 1:33:21
  Speaker 1: the steps to let him pass before she goes in again.
• 1:33:26
  Speaker 1: He is the man of the adventure in Raina's room.
• 1:33:30
  Speaker 1: He is now clean, well brushed, smartly uniformed, and out
• 1:33:34
  Speaker 1: of trouble, but still unmistakably the same man. The moment
• 1:33:40
  Speaker 1: Luca's back is turned, Catherine swoops on him with hurried, urgent,
• 1:33:44
  Speaker 1: coaxing appeal. Captain Blunchlely, I am very glad to see you,
• 1:33:50
  Speaker 1: but you must leave this house at once. He raises
• 1:33:54
  Speaker 1: his eyebrows. My husband has just returned with my future
• 1:33:58
  Speaker 1: son in law, and they know oh nothing. If they did,
• 1:34:02
  Speaker 1: the consequences would be terrible. You are a foreigner. You
• 1:34:06
  Speaker 1: do not feel our national animosities as we do. We
• 1:34:09
  Speaker 1: still hate the Serbians. The only effect of the peace
• 1:34:13
  Speaker 1: on my husband is to make him feel like a lion.
• 1:34:16
  Speaker 1: Balked of his prey. If he discovered our secret, he
• 1:34:19
  Speaker 1: would never forgive me, and my daughter's life would hardly
• 1:34:22
  Speaker 1: be safe. Will you like these chivalrous gentlemen and soldier
• 1:34:26
  Speaker 1: you are leave it once before he finds you here,
• 1:34:30
  Speaker 1: Blunchly disappointed but philosophical at once, gracious lady, I only
• 1:34:36
  Speaker 1: came to thank you and return the coat you lent me.
• 1:34:39
  Speaker 1: If you will allow me to take it out of
• 1:34:41
  Speaker 1: my bag and leave it with your servant as I
• 1:34:43
  Speaker 1: pass out, I need detain you no further. He turns
• 1:34:47
  Speaker 1: to go into the house, Catherine catching him by the sleeve.
• 1:34:52
  Speaker 1: Oh you must not think of going back that way,
• 1:34:55
  Speaker 1: coaxing him across to the stable gates. This is the
• 1:34:58
  Speaker 1: sharpest way out. Many thanks, so glad to have been
• 1:35:02
  Speaker 1: of service to you. Goodbye, Blunchly. But my bag, Catherine,
• 1:35:08
  Speaker 1: it will be sent on. You will leave me your address,
• 1:35:11
  Speaker 1: Blunchly true, allow me. He takes out his card case
• 1:35:16
  Speaker 1: and stops to write his address, keeping Katherine in an
• 1:35:19
  Speaker 1: agony of impatience. As he hands her the card. Petcough
• 1:35:24
  Speaker 1: hatless rushes from the house, and a fluster of hospitality,
• 1:35:28
  Speaker 1: followed by Sergius pet Cough as he hurries down the steps,
• 1:35:33
  Speaker 1: my dear Captain Blunchlely. Catherine, oh, heavens, She sinks on
• 1:35:39
  Speaker 1: the seat against the wall. Petkough too preoccupied to notice
• 1:35:44
  Speaker 1: her as he shakes Blunchly's hand heartily. Those stupid people
• 1:35:48
  Speaker 1: of mine thought I was out here instead of in
• 1:35:50
  Speaker 1: the uugh library. He cannot mention the library without betraying
• 1:35:56
  Speaker 1: how proud he is of it. I saw you through
• 1:35:59
  Speaker 1: the window. I was wondering why you didn't come in.
• 1:36:02
  Speaker 1: So Ronov is with me. You remember him, don't you, Sergius,
• 1:36:07
  Speaker 1: saluting humorously and then offering his hand with great charm
• 1:36:11
  Speaker 1: of manner. Welcome our friend, the enemy, Petkof no longer
• 1:36:16
  Speaker 1: the enemy, happily, rather anxiously. I hope you've come as
• 1:36:20
  Speaker 1: a friend and not on business. Catherine, Oh, quite as
• 1:36:25
  Speaker 1: a friend. Paul I was just asking Captain Blenchley to
• 1:36:29
  Speaker 1: stay to lunch, but he declares he must go at once.
• 1:36:33
  Speaker 1: Sergius sardonically impossible, Blunchley. We want you here badly. We
• 1:36:41
  Speaker 1: have to send on three cavalry regiments to Philipopoulos, and
• 1:36:44
  Speaker 1: we don't in the least know how to do it.
• 1:36:48
  Speaker 1: Blenchley suddenly attentive and businesslike Philip Popoulos. The forage is
• 1:36:54
  Speaker 1: the trouble, eh Petkoff eagerly, yes, that's it. To Sergius,
• 1:37:00
  Speaker 1: he sees the whole thing at once. Blunchly, I think
• 1:37:04
  Speaker 1: I can show you how to manage that, Sergius, invaluable man.
• 1:37:10
  Speaker 1: Come along, Towering over Blunchley, he puts his hand on
• 1:37:14
  Speaker 1: his shoulder and takes him to the steps. Pet Cough
• 1:37:17
  Speaker 1: following as Blunchlely puts his foot on the first step,
• 1:37:21
  Speaker 1: Raina comes out of the house. Reina completely losing her
• 1:37:25
  Speaker 1: presence of mind. Oh the chocolate cream Soldier. Blunchley stands rigid. Sergius, amazed,
• 1:37:34
  Speaker 1: looks at Reina, vin at Petkough, who looks back at him,
• 1:37:38
  Speaker 1: and then at his wife Catherine, with commanding presence of mind.
• 1:37:43
  Speaker 1: My dear Reina, don't you see that we have a
• 1:37:45
  Speaker 1: guest here, Captain Blunchley, one of our new servian friends.
• 1:37:49
  Speaker 1: Raina bows. Blunchy bows, Reina, How silly of me. She
• 1:37:57
  Speaker 1: comes down into the center of the group, between Blunchley
• 1:38:00
  Speaker 1: and pet Cough. I made a beautiful ornament this morning
• 1:38:03
  Speaker 1: for the ice pudding, and that stupid Nikola has just
• 1:38:07
  Speaker 1: put down a pile of plates on it and spoiled
• 1:38:10
  Speaker 1: it to Blunchley, winningly, I hope you didn't think that
• 1:38:14
  Speaker 1: you were the chocolate cream soldier, Captain Blunchley. Blunchley laughing,
• 1:38:20
  Speaker 1: I assure you I did, stealing a whimsical glance at her.
• 1:38:25
  Speaker 1: Your explanation was a relief. Pet cough suspiciously to Raina.
• 1:38:31
  Speaker 1: And since when, pray, have you taken to cooking? Catherine? Oh,
• 1:38:37
  Speaker 1: whilst you were away? It's her latest fancy pet Cough
• 1:38:41
  Speaker 1: testaling and has Niccola taken to drinking? He used to
• 1:38:46
  Speaker 1: be careful enough. First he shows Captain Blenchley out here
• 1:38:50
  Speaker 1: when he knew quite well I was in the HM library.
• 1:38:54
  Speaker 1: And then he goes downstairs and breaks rain as chocolate soldier.
• 1:38:58
  Speaker 1: He must. At this moment, Nikola appears at the top
• 1:39:01
  Speaker 1: of the steps right with a carpet bag. He descends,
• 1:39:05
  Speaker 1: places it respectfully before Blinchley and waits for further orders
• 1:39:10
  Speaker 1: general amazement. Niccola, unconscious of the effect he is producing,
• 1:39:16
  Speaker 1: looks perfectly satisfied with himself. When Petkof recovers his power
• 1:39:20
  Speaker 1: of speech, he breaks out at him with are you mad? Nikola?
• 1:39:27
  Speaker 1: Nikola taken aback, sir, Petkof, What have you brought that for? Nikola?
• 1:39:35
  Speaker 1: My lady's orders, Sir Luca told me that, Catherine interrupting
• 1:39:40
  Speaker 1: him my orders? Why should I order you to bring
• 1:39:43
  Speaker 1: Captain Blinchley's luggage out here? What were you thinking of, Nicola? Nikola,
• 1:39:49
  Speaker 1: after a moment's bewilderment, picking up the bag as he
• 1:39:52
  Speaker 1: addresses Blunchly with the very perfection of servile discretion, I
• 1:39:56
  Speaker 1: beg your pardon, Sir. I am sure to Catherine my fault, Madam.
• 1:40:01
  Speaker 1: I hope you'll overlook it. He bows and is going
• 1:40:04
  Speaker 1: to the steps with the bag when Petkof addresses him angrily. Petkof,
• 1:40:10
  Speaker 1: you'd better go and slam that bag too, down on
• 1:40:12
  Speaker 1: Miss rain A's ice pudding. This is too much for Nicola.
• 1:40:17
  Speaker 1: The bag drops from his hands on Petkoff's corns, eliciting
• 1:40:22
  Speaker 1: a roar of anguish from him. Begone, you butter fingered donkey, Nicola,
• 1:40:28
  Speaker 1: snatching up the bag and escaping into the house. Yes,
• 1:40:31
  Speaker 1: Sir Catherine, Oh, never mind, Paul, don't be angry, Petkof,
• 1:40:38
  Speaker 1: muttering scoundrel. He's got out of hand while I was away.
• 1:40:42
  Speaker 1: I'll teach him recollecting his guests. Oh well, never mind,
• 1:40:47
  Speaker 1: come Blenchley, let us have no more nonsense about you
• 1:40:50
  Speaker 1: having to go away. You know very well you're not
• 1:40:53
  Speaker 1: going back to Switzerland yet. Until you do go back,
• 1:40:57
  Speaker 1: you'll stay with us. Raina, Oh do Captain Blenchely, petkof
• 1:41:03
  Speaker 1: to Catherine. Now, Catherine, it's of you that he is afraid.
• 1:41:07
  Speaker 1: Press him and he'll stay. Catherine. Of course, I shall
• 1:41:11
  Speaker 1: be only too delighted if appealingly Captain Blenchely really wishes
• 1:41:17
  Speaker 1: to stay. He knows my wishes. Blunchly, in his driest
• 1:41:22
  Speaker 1: military manner, I am at Madame's orders. Sergius cordially. That
• 1:41:30
  Speaker 1: settles it. Petcough heartily, of course, Raina, you see you
• 1:41:36
  Speaker 1: must stay, Blunchly smiling. Well, if I must, I must
• 1:41:42
  Speaker 1: gesture of despair from Catherine. End of Act two, Act
• 1:41:53
  Speaker 1: three of Arms and the Man by George Bernard Shaw.
• 1:41:56
  Speaker 1: This Liebrevox recording is in the public domain Act three.
• 1:42:03
  Speaker 1: In the Library after Lunch, it is not much of
• 1:42:07
  Speaker 1: a library, its literary equipment consisting of a single fixed
• 1:42:12
  Speaker 1: shelf stocked with old paper covered novels, broken back to
• 1:42:16
  Speaker 1: coffee stained, torn and thumbed and a couple of little
• 1:42:19
  Speaker 1: hanging shelves with a few gift books on them. The
• 1:42:23
  Speaker 1: rest of the wall space being occupied by trophies of
• 1:42:26
  Speaker 1: war and the chase, but it is a most comfortable
• 1:42:30
  Speaker 1: sitting room. A row of three large windows in the
• 1:42:34
  Speaker 1: front of the house show a mountain panorama, which is
• 1:42:38
  Speaker 1: just now seen in one of its softest aspects in
• 1:42:41
  Speaker 1: the mellowing afternoon light. In the left hand corner a
• 1:42:45
  Speaker 1: square earthenware stove. A perfect tower of colored pottery rises
• 1:42:51
  Speaker 1: nearly to the ceiling and guarantees plenty of warmth. The
• 1:42:55
  Speaker 1: ottoman in the middle is a circular bank of decorated cushions,
• 1:42:59
  Speaker 1: and the window seats are well upholstered. Divans. Little Turkish tables,
• 1:43:05
  Speaker 1: one of them with an elaborate hookah on it, and
• 1:43:08
  Speaker 1: a screen to match them complete the handsome effect of
• 1:43:11
  Speaker 1: the furnishing. There is one object, however, which is hopelessly
• 1:43:16
  Speaker 1: out of keeping with its surroundings. This is a small
• 1:43:20
  Speaker 1: kitchen table, much the worse for wear, fitted as a
• 1:43:24
  Speaker 1: writing table, with an old canister full of pins, an
• 1:43:28
  Speaker 1: egg cup filled with ink, and a deplorable scrap of
• 1:43:32
  Speaker 1: severely used pink blotting paper. At the side of this table,
• 1:43:37
  Speaker 1: which stands on the right, Blutchley is hard at work
• 1:43:40
  Speaker 1: with a couple of maps before him, writing orders. At
• 1:43:44
  Speaker 1: the head of it sits Sergius, who is also supposed
• 1:43:47
  Speaker 1: to be at work, but it was actually gnawing the
• 1:43:50
  Speaker 1: feather of a pin and contemplating Blenchley's quick, sure, businesslike
• 1:43:55
  Speaker 1: progress with a mixture of envious irritation at its own incapacity.
• 1:43:59
  Speaker 1: And are struck wonder at an ability which seems to
• 1:44:03
  Speaker 1: him almost miraculous, though its prosaic character forbids him to
• 1:44:07
  Speaker 1: esteem it. The Major is comfortably established on the ottoman,
• 1:44:11
  Speaker 1: with a newspaper in his hand and the tube of
• 1:44:14
  Speaker 1: the hookah within his reach. Catherine sits at the stove
• 1:44:18
  Speaker 1: with her back to them, embroadering. Rhena, reclining on the
• 1:44:22
  Speaker 1: divan under the left hand window, is gazing in a
• 1:44:26
  Speaker 1: day dream out at the Balkan landscape, with a neglected
• 1:44:29
  Speaker 1: novel in her lap. The door is on the left.
• 1:44:33
  Speaker 1: The button of the electric bell is between the door
• 1:44:36
  Speaker 1: and the fireplace. Petkoff looking up from his paper to
• 1:44:41
  Speaker 1: watch how they are getting on at the table. Are
• 1:44:43
  Speaker 1: you sure I can't help you in any way? Blunchlely. Blunchley,
• 1:44:48
  Speaker 1: without interrupting his writing or looking up. Quite sure, thank you, Saranov,
• 1:44:53
  Speaker 1: and I will manage it, Sergius grimly, Yes, we'll manage it.
• 1:45:00
  Speaker 1: He finds out what to do, draws up the orders,
• 1:45:03
  Speaker 1: and I sign him the vision of labor. Major Blunchley
• 1:45:07
  Speaker 1: passes him a paper another one, thank you. He plants
• 1:45:11
  Speaker 1: the paper squarely before him, sets his chair carefully parallel
• 1:45:15
  Speaker 1: to them, and signs with the air of a man
• 1:45:18
  Speaker 1: resolutely performing a difficult and dangerous feet. This hand is
• 1:45:23
  Speaker 1: more accustomed to the sword than to the pen. Pet Cough.
• 1:45:28
  Speaker 1: It's very good of you, Blunchly, it is indeed to
• 1:45:31
  Speaker 1: let yourself be put upon in this way. Are you
• 1:45:33
  Speaker 1: quite sure I can do nothing? Catherine, in a low
• 1:45:38
  Speaker 1: warning tone, You can stop interrupting, Paul pet Cough, starting
• 1:45:44
  Speaker 1: and looking round at her. Eh, oh quite right, my love,
• 1:45:48
  Speaker 1: quite right. He takes his newspaper off, but lets it
• 1:45:51
  Speaker 1: drop again. Ah, you haven't been campaigning, Catherine. You don't
• 1:45:55
  Speaker 1: know how pleasant it is for us to sit here
• 1:45:58
  Speaker 1: after a good lunch, with nothing to do but enjoy ourselves.
• 1:46:02
  Speaker 1: There's only one thing I want to make me thoroughly comfortable. Katherine,
• 1:46:08
  Speaker 1: what is that petkof my old coat? I'm not at
• 1:46:13
  Speaker 1: home in this one. I feel as if I were
• 1:46:16
  Speaker 1: on parade, Katherine, My dear Paul, how absurd you are
• 1:46:22
  Speaker 1: about that old coat. It must be hanging in the
• 1:46:25
  Speaker 1: blue closet where you left it. Pekof my dear Catherine.
• 1:46:29
  Speaker 1: I tell you I've looked there. Am I to believe
• 1:46:32
  Speaker 1: my own eyes or not? Katherine quietly rises and presses
• 1:46:37
  Speaker 1: the button of the electric bell by the fireplace. What
• 1:46:40
  Speaker 1: are you showing off that bell for? She looks at
• 1:46:44
  Speaker 1: him majestically and silently resumes her chair and her needlework.
• 1:46:49
  Speaker 1: My dear, if you think the obstinacy of your sex
• 1:46:52
  Speaker 1: can make a coat out of two old dressing gowns
• 1:46:55
  Speaker 1: of Rhina's, you're a waterproof In my mackintosh, you're mistaken.
• 1:47:00
  Speaker 1: That's exactly what the blue closet contains. At the present,
• 1:47:04
  Speaker 1: Nikola presents himself Katherine, unmoved by Petkoff's sally, Nikola, go
• 1:47:12
  Speaker 1: to the blue closet and bring your master's old coat here,
• 1:47:15
  Speaker 1: the braided one he usually wears in the house. Nikola, yes, Madam.
• 1:47:21
  Speaker 1: Nikola goes out, pekof Katherine, Katherine, Yes, Paul Pekof, I
• 1:47:30
  Speaker 1: bet you any piece of jewelry you like to order
• 1:47:33
  Speaker 1: from Sophia against a week's housekeeping money. That the coat
• 1:47:38
  Speaker 1: isn't there. Katherine done. Paul Petkof, excited by the prospect
• 1:47:45
  Speaker 1: of a gamble. Come, here's an opportunity for some sport.
• 1:47:49
  Speaker 1: Who'll bet on it? Blenchly, I'll give you six to one,
• 1:47:53
  Speaker 1: Blunchley imperturbably, it would be robbing you, Major, Madame is
• 1:47:59
  Speaker 1: sure to be right. Without looking up, he passes another
• 1:48:03
  Speaker 1: batch of papers to Sergius. Sergius also excited. Bravo Switzerland, Major,
• 1:48:10
  Speaker 1: I bet my best charger against an Arab mayor for
• 1:48:14
  Speaker 1: Raina that Nicola finds the coat in the blue closet.
• 1:48:19
  Speaker 1: Pet Cough eagerly, your best, chuck, Katherine hastily interrupts him.
• 1:48:25
  Speaker 1: Don't be foolish, Paul, an Arabian mayor will cost you
• 1:48:29
  Speaker 1: fifty thousand levas. Raina suddenly coming out of her picturesque reverie. Really, mother,
• 1:48:36
  Speaker 1: if you are going to take the jewelry, I don't
• 1:48:38
  Speaker 1: see why you should grudge me my Arab Nicola comes
• 1:48:42
  Speaker 1: back with the coat and brings it to Petcough. Who
• 1:48:45
  Speaker 1: can hardly believe his eyes. Katherine, where was it Nikola?
• 1:48:51
  Speaker 1: Nicola hanging in the blue closet, Madam pet Cough, Well,
• 1:48:57
  Speaker 1: I am dick, Katherine, stop helping him, Paul pet Cough,
• 1:49:03
  Speaker 1: I could have sworn it wasn't there. Hage is beginning
• 1:49:07
  Speaker 1: to tell on me. I'm getting hallucinations to Nicola here,
• 1:49:12
  Speaker 1: help me change, excuse me, blunchly, he begins changing coats,
• 1:49:17
  Speaker 1: Nicola acting as valet. Remember I didn't take that bet
• 1:49:22
  Speaker 1: of yours. Sergius, you'd better give Reina that arab steed yourself,
• 1:49:26
  Speaker 1: since you've roused her expectations. Ah, Reina. He looks round
• 1:49:31
  Speaker 1: at her, but she is again wrapped in the landscape
• 1:49:34
  Speaker 1: with a little gush of paternal affection and pride. He
• 1:49:38
  Speaker 1: points her out to them and says she's dreaming as usual.
• 1:49:44
  Speaker 1: Sergius assuredly she shall not be the loser pet Cough,
• 1:49:50
  Speaker 1: So much the better for her. I shan't come off
• 1:49:54
  Speaker 1: so cheap. I expect change is now complete. Nicola goes
• 1:49:59
  Speaker 1: out with the discos art a coat. Ah, Now I
• 1:50:02
  Speaker 1: feel at home at last. He sits down and takes
• 1:50:06
  Speaker 1: his newspaper with a grunt of relief. Lunchly to Sergius,
• 1:50:10
  Speaker 1: handing a paper. That's the last order, pet Cough jumping up,
• 1:50:16
  Speaker 1: what finished? Blunchley finished? Pet Cough goes beside Sergius, looks
• 1:50:23
  Speaker 1: curiously over his left shoulder as he signs, and says
• 1:50:27
  Speaker 1: with childlike envy, haven't you anything for me to sign? Blunchley?
• 1:50:34
  Speaker 1: Not necessary? His signature, will do, pet Cough. Ah, Well,
• 1:50:39
  Speaker 1: I think we've done a thundering good day's work. He
• 1:50:42
  Speaker 1: goes away from the table. Can I do anything more? Blunchley?
• 1:50:47
  Speaker 1: You had better both see the fellows that are to
• 1:50:49
  Speaker 1: take these to Sergius, pack them off at once, and
• 1:50:53
  Speaker 1: show them that I've marked on the arders the time
• 1:50:56
  Speaker 1: they should hand them in by tell them that if
• 1:50:58
  Speaker 1: they stop to drink or tell stories, if they're five
• 1:51:01
  Speaker 1: minutes late, they'll have the skin taken off their backs. Sergius,
• 1:51:07
  Speaker 1: rising indignantly, I'll say so, and if one of them
• 1:51:11
  Speaker 1: is man enough to spit in my face for insulting him,
• 1:51:14
  Speaker 1: I'll buy his discharge and give him a pension. He
• 1:51:18
  Speaker 1: strides out his humanity, deeply outraged. Blunchley confidentially, just see
• 1:51:24
  Speaker 1: that he talks to them properly, Major, will you pet
• 1:51:28
  Speaker 1: Cough officiously, quite right, Blenchley, quite right, I'll see to it.
• 1:51:33
  Speaker 1: He goes to the door importuntly, but hesitates on the threshold.
• 1:51:37
  Speaker 1: By the bye, Catherine, you may come as well to
• 1:51:40
  Speaker 1: They'll be far more frightened of you than of me, Catherine,
• 1:51:44
  Speaker 1: putting down her embroidery, I dare say I had better?
• 1:51:49
  Speaker 1: You will only splutter at them. She goes out, Petkough
• 1:51:53
  Speaker 1: holding the door for her and following her. Blunchley, what
• 1:51:58
  Speaker 1: a country They make cannons out of cherry trees, and
• 1:52:02
  Speaker 1: the officers send for their wives to keep discipline. He
• 1:52:06
  Speaker 1: begins to fold and dock at the papers. Raina, who
• 1:52:09
  Speaker 1: has risen from the divan, strolls down the room with
• 1:52:12
  Speaker 1: her hands clasped behind her, and looks mischievously at him. Raina,
• 1:52:18
  Speaker 1: you look ever so much nicer than when we last met.
• 1:52:22
  Speaker 1: He looks up, surprised. What have you done to yourself? Blunchlely, washed, brushed,
• 1:52:29
  Speaker 1: good night's sleep and breakfast, that's all, Raina? Did you
• 1:52:34
  Speaker 1: get back safely that morning? Blunchley, quite thanks, Raina? Were
• 1:52:41
  Speaker 1: they angry with you for running away from Sergius's charge? Blunchley, No,
• 1:52:47
  Speaker 1: they were glad because that I'll just run away themselves,
• 1:52:51
  Speaker 1: Raina going to the table and leaning over it toward him.
• 1:52:54
  Speaker 1: It must have made a lovely story for them, all
• 1:52:58
  Speaker 1: that about me and my room, Blinchley capital story. But
• 1:53:04
  Speaker 1: I only told it to one of them, a particular friend, Raina,
• 1:53:08
  Speaker 1: on whose discretion you could absolutely rely Blnchley. Absolutely, Raina, humph.
• 1:53:17
  Speaker 1: He told it to my father and Sergius the day
• 1:53:20
  Speaker 1: you exchanged the prisoners. She turned away in strolls carelessly
• 1:53:25
  Speaker 1: across to the other side of the room. Blunchley, deeply
• 1:53:28
  Speaker 1: concerned and half incredulous. No, you don't mean that, do you, Raina,
• 1:53:34
  Speaker 1: turning with sudden eagerness. I do, indeed, But they don't
• 1:53:39
  Speaker 1: know that it was in this house that you hid.
• 1:53:42
  Speaker 1: If Sergius knew, he would challenge you and kill you
• 1:53:44
  Speaker 1: in a duel. Blinchley, bless me, then don't tell him
• 1:53:51
  Speaker 1: Raina full of reproach for his levity. Can you realize
• 1:53:55
  Speaker 1: what it is to me to deceive him? I want
• 1:53:58
  Speaker 1: to be quite perfect with Sergius. No meanness, no smallness,
• 1:54:02
  Speaker 1: no deceit. My relation to him is the one really
• 1:54:06
  Speaker 1: beautiful and noble part of my life. I hope you
• 1:54:09
  Speaker 1: can understand that, Blunchley skeptically. You mean that you wouldn't
• 1:54:15
  Speaker 1: like him to find out that the story about the
• 1:54:17
  Speaker 1: ice pudding was a a you know, raina wincing Ah,
• 1:54:24
  Speaker 1: don't talk of it in that flippant way. I lied,
• 1:54:27
  Speaker 1: I know it, but I did it to save your life.
• 1:54:31
  Speaker 1: He would have killed you. That was the second time
• 1:54:34
  Speaker 1: I ever uttered a falsehood. Blunchley rises quickly and looks
• 1:54:38
  Speaker 1: doubtfully and somewhat severely at her. Do you remember the
• 1:54:42
  Speaker 1: first time, Blunchley, I no, was I present? Raina, Yes?
• 1:54:50
  Speaker 1: And I told the officer who was searching for you
• 1:54:53
  Speaker 1: that you were not present, Blunchly, true, I should have
• 1:54:58
  Speaker 1: remembered it. Ryina great encouraged, Ah, it is natural that
• 1:55:03
  Speaker 1: you should forget it first. It cost you nothing. It
• 1:55:06
  Speaker 1: cost me a lie, a lie. She sits down on
• 1:55:12
  Speaker 1: the ottoman, looking straight before her, with her hands clasped
• 1:55:16
  Speaker 1: on her knee. Blenchley, quite touched, goes to the ottoman
• 1:55:20
  Speaker 1: with a particularly reassuring and considerate air, and sits down
• 1:55:24
  Speaker 1: beside her. Bluchley, my dear young lady, don't let this
• 1:55:29
  Speaker 1: worry you. Remember I'm a soldier. Now, what are the
• 1:55:34
  Speaker 1: two things that happened to a soldier so often that
• 1:55:37
  Speaker 1: he comes to think nothing of them. One is hearing
• 1:55:40
  Speaker 1: people tell lies, Raina recoils. The other is getting his
• 1:55:45
  Speaker 1: life saved in all sorts of ways, by all sorts
• 1:55:48
  Speaker 1: of people. Raina rising in indignant protest, and so he
• 1:55:54
  Speaker 1: becomes a creature incapable of faith and of gratitude, Blunchley,
• 1:55:59
  Speaker 1: making a wry face. Do you like gratitude? I don't.
• 1:56:04
  Speaker 1: If pity is akin to love, gratitude is akin to
• 1:56:08
  Speaker 1: the other thing. Raina, gratitude, turning to him. If you
• 1:56:13
  Speaker 1: are incapable of gratitude, you are incapable of any noble sentiment.
• 1:56:20
  Speaker 1: Even animals are grateful. Oh, I see now exactly what
• 1:56:24
  Speaker 1: you think of me. You were not surprised to hear
• 1:56:27
  Speaker 1: me lie to you. It was something I probably did
• 1:56:30
  Speaker 1: every day, every hour. That is how men think of women.
• 1:56:35
  Speaker 1: She walks up the room melodramatically, blunchly dubiously. There is
• 1:56:41
  Speaker 1: reason in everything you said. You told only two lies
• 1:56:46
  Speaker 1: in your whole life, dear young lady. Isn't that rather
• 1:56:50
  Speaker 1: a short allowance? I'm quite a straightforward man myself, but
• 1:56:54
  Speaker 1: it wouldn't last me a whole morning. Raina staring haughtily
• 1:56:58
  Speaker 1: at him. Do you know, sir, that you are insulting me? Bluchely,
• 1:57:05
  Speaker 1: I can't help it when you get into that noble
• 1:57:09
  Speaker 1: attitude and speak with that thrilling voice. I admire you,
• 1:57:13
  Speaker 1: but I find it impossible to believe a single word
• 1:57:17
  Speaker 1: you say, Raina, superbly Captain Blunchlely, Bluchey unmoved, Yes, Raina,
• 1:57:27
  Speaker 1: coming a little towards him, as if she could not
• 1:57:29
  Speaker 1: believe her senses. Do you mean what you said just now?
• 1:57:35
  Speaker 1: Do you know what you said just now? Blenchley, I do, Raina,
• 1:57:41
  Speaker 1: gasping I I she points to herself, incredulously, meaning I
• 1:57:48
  Speaker 1: Raina Petcock tell lies. He meets her gaze unflinchingly. She
• 1:57:54
  Speaker 1: suddenly sits down beside him and adds, with a complete
• 1:57:58
  Speaker 1: change of manner, from the heroic to the familiar, how
• 1:58:01
  Speaker 1: did you find me out, Blunchley, promptly instinct, dear young lady,
• 1:58:07
  Speaker 1: instinct and experience of the world, Raina, wonderingly, do you
• 1:58:13
  Speaker 1: know you are the first man I ever met who
• 1:58:16
  Speaker 1: did not take me seriously? Bluchley? You mean, don't you
• 1:58:22
  Speaker 1: that I am the first man that has ever taken
• 1:58:25
  Speaker 1: you quite seriously? Raina. Yes, I suppose I do mean
• 1:58:30
  Speaker 1: that cozily quite at her ease with him. How strange
• 1:58:34
  Speaker 1: it is to be talked to in such a way.
• 1:58:37
  Speaker 1: You know, I've always gone on like that. I mean,
• 1:58:39
  Speaker 1: the noble attitude and the thrilling voice. I did it
• 1:58:42
  Speaker 1: when I was a tiny child to my nurse. She
• 1:58:46
  Speaker 1: believed in it. I do it before my parents, they
• 1:58:49
  Speaker 1: believe in it. I do it before Sergius. He believes
• 1:58:53
  Speaker 1: in it. Blunchley, Yes, he's a little in that line himself,
• 1:58:58
  Speaker 1: isn't he ray startled? Do you think so? Blunchley, you
• 1:59:04
  Speaker 1: know him better than I do, Reina. I wonder, I
• 1:59:09
  Speaker 1: wonder is he if I thought that? Discouraged? Ah? Well,
• 1:59:15
  Speaker 1: what does it matter? I suppose now that you've found
• 1:59:18
  Speaker 1: me out, you despise me, Blunchly warmly rising, No, my
• 1:59:24
  Speaker 1: dear young lady, No, no, no, A thousand times. It's
• 1:59:29
  Speaker 1: part of your youth, part of your charm. I'm like
• 1:59:33
  Speaker 1: all the rest of them, the nurse, your parents, Sergius,
• 1:59:36
  Speaker 1: I'm your infatuated admirer. Reina pleased, Really, Blunchley slapping his
• 1:59:45
  Speaker 1: breast smartly with his hand. German fashion hung off huts
• 1:59:49
  Speaker 1: really and truly, Raina very happy. But what did you
• 1:59:55
  Speaker 1: think of me for giving you my portrait? Blnchley, astonished
• 2:00:00
  Speaker 1: your portrait? You never gave me your portrait, Raina quickly,
• 2:00:06
  Speaker 1: Do you mean to say you never got it? Blunchley? No.
• 2:00:12
  Speaker 1: He sits down beside her with renewed interest, and says,
• 2:00:15
  Speaker 1: with some complacency, when did you send it to me? Raina? Indignantly,
• 2:00:21
  Speaker 1: I did not send it to you. She turns her
• 2:00:24
  Speaker 1: hat away and adds reluctantly, it was in the pocket
• 2:00:27
  Speaker 1: of that coat. Blunchley, pursing his lips and rounding his eyes. Oh,
• 2:00:35
  Speaker 1: I never found it. It must be there still, Raina,
• 2:00:40
  Speaker 1: springing up there still for my father to find the
• 2:00:44
  Speaker 1: first time he puts his hand in his pocket. Oh,
• 2:00:47
  Speaker 1: how could you be so stupid? Blunchley rising, Also, it
• 2:00:52
  Speaker 1: doesn't matter. It's only a photograph. How can he tell
• 2:00:55
  Speaker 1: who it was intended for? Tell him he put it
• 2:00:58
  Speaker 1: there himself, Raina impatiently. Yes, that is so clever, so clever.
• 2:01:05
  Speaker 1: What shall I do? Blnchley? Ah, I see you wrote
• 2:01:12
  Speaker 1: something on it that was rash Reina, annoyed, almost to tears,
• 2:01:20
  Speaker 1: Oh to have done such a thing for you, who
• 2:01:23
  Speaker 1: care no more except to laugh at me. Oh are
• 2:01:27
  Speaker 1: you sure nobody has touched it? Blunchley. Well I can't
• 2:01:32
  Speaker 1: be quite sure. You see. I couldn't carry it about
• 2:01:35
  Speaker 1: with me all the time. One can't take much luggage
• 2:01:38
  Speaker 1: on active service, Raina, What did you do with it? Blunchley?
• 2:01:45
  Speaker 1: When I got through to Peter Wrought, I had to
• 2:01:47
  Speaker 1: put it in safe keeping. Somehow. I thought of the
• 2:01:50
  Speaker 1: railway cloak room, but that's the surest place to get
• 2:01:53
  Speaker 1: looted in modern warfare. So I pawned it. Raina pawned it, Blenchley.
• 2:02:02
  Speaker 1: I know it doesn't sound nice, but it was much
• 2:02:04
  Speaker 1: the safest plan. I redeemed it the day before yesterday.
• 2:02:09
  Speaker 1: Heaven only knows whether the pawnbroker cleared out the pockets
• 2:02:12
  Speaker 1: or not. Raina, furious, throwing the words right into his face.
• 2:02:18
  Speaker 1: You have a low shop keeping mind. You think of
• 2:02:23
  Speaker 1: things that would never come into a gentleman's head, Blenchley phlegmatically.
• 2:02:29
  Speaker 1: That's the Swiss national character. Dear lady Raina, Oh I
• 2:02:35
  Speaker 1: wish I had never met you. She flounces away and
• 2:02:38
  Speaker 1: sits at the window fume. Luca comes in with a
• 2:02:43
  Speaker 1: heap of letters and telegrams. On her salver and crosses
• 2:02:46
  Speaker 1: with her bold free gate to the table. Her left
• 2:02:50
  Speaker 1: sleeve is looped up to the shoulder with a brooch
• 2:02:53
  Speaker 1: showing her naked arm with a broad gilt bracelet covering
• 2:02:57
  Speaker 1: the bruise. Luca, too Blunchley for you. She empties the
• 2:03:03
  Speaker 1: salver recklessly on the table. The messenger is waiting. She
• 2:03:08
  Speaker 1: is determined not to be civil to a servian, even
• 2:03:11
  Speaker 1: if she must bring him his letters. Blunchley to Reinea.
• 2:03:16
  Speaker 1: Will you excuse me? The last postal delivery that reached
• 2:03:20
  Speaker 1: me was three weeks ago. These are these subsequent accumulations.
• 2:03:25
  Speaker 1: Four telegrams a week old. He opens one, Oh, oh,
• 2:03:30
  Speaker 1: bad news, Raina, rising and advancing a little remorsefully bad news, Blunchley,
• 2:03:39
  Speaker 1: my father's dead. He looks at the telegram with his
• 2:03:43
  Speaker 1: lips pursed, musing on the unexpected change in his arrangements. Raina, Oh,
• 2:03:49
  Speaker 1: how very sad. Blunchley. Yes, I shall have to start
• 2:03:53
  Speaker 1: for home in an hour. He has left a lot
• 2:03:56
  Speaker 1: of big hotels behind him to be looked after. Takes
• 2:04:00
  Speaker 1: up a heavy letter in a long blue envelope. Here's
• 2:04:04
  Speaker 1: a whacking letter from the family solicitor. He pulls out
• 2:04:08
  Speaker 1: the enclosures and glances over them great heavens seventy two hundred,
• 2:04:15
  Speaker 1: in a crescendo of dismay, four hundred, four thousand, nine thousand,
• 2:04:21
  Speaker 1: six hundred, What on earth shall I do with them all?
• 2:04:26
  Speaker 1: Raina timidly nine thousand hotels, Blunchley hotels. Nonsense, if you
• 2:04:34
  Speaker 1: only knew. Oh, it's too ridiculous. Excuse me, I must
• 2:04:38
  Speaker 1: give my fellow orders about starting. He leaves the room
• 2:04:41
  Speaker 1: hastily with the documents in his hand. Luca taunting, ling
• 2:04:47
  Speaker 1: he has not much heart that Swiss. Though he is
• 2:04:50
  Speaker 1: so fond of the Serbians, he has not a word
• 2:04:53
  Speaker 1: of grief for his poor father. Reina bitterly grief a
• 2:04:59
  Speaker 1: man who who has been doing nothing but killing people
• 2:05:02
  Speaker 1: for years? What does he care? What does any soldier care?
• 2:05:07
  Speaker 1: She goes to the door, evidently restraining her tears with difficulty.
• 2:05:11
  Speaker 1: Luca Major Saranov has been fighting too, and he has
• 2:05:16
  Speaker 1: plenty of heart left. Raina at the door, looks haughtily
• 2:05:20
  Speaker 1: at her and goes out. Ah, I thought you wouldn't
• 2:05:24
  Speaker 1: get much feeling out of your soldier. She is following
• 2:05:28
  Speaker 1: Arena when Nikola comes with an armful of logs for
• 2:05:31
  Speaker 1: the fire, Nikola, grinning amorously at her, I've been trying
• 2:05:37
  Speaker 1: all the afternoon to get a minute alone with you,
• 2:05:39
  Speaker 1: my girl. His countenance changes as he notices her arm.
• 2:05:45
  Speaker 1: Why what fashion is that of wearing your sleeve, child, Luca? Proudly,
• 2:05:51
  Speaker 1: my own fashion, Nikola. Indeed, if the mistress catches you,
• 2:05:57
  Speaker 1: she'll talk to you. He throws the logs down on
• 2:06:00
  Speaker 1: the ottoman and sits comfortably beside them. Luca, is that
• 2:06:05
  Speaker 1: any reason why you should take it on yourself to
• 2:06:07
  Speaker 1: talk to me? Nikola? Calm, don't be so contrary with me.
• 2:06:14
  Speaker 1: I've some good news for you. He takes out some
• 2:06:16
  Speaker 1: paper money. Luca, with an eager gleam in her eyes,
• 2:06:20
  Speaker 1: comes close to look at it. See a twenty live bill.
• 2:06:25
  Speaker 1: Sergius gave me that out of pure swagger. A fool
• 2:06:29
  Speaker 1: and his money are soon parted. There's ten leave us more.
• 2:06:34
  Speaker 1: The Swiss gave me that for backing up the mistresses
• 2:06:36
  Speaker 1: and rains lies about him. He's no fool, he isn't
• 2:06:41
  Speaker 1: You should have heard old Catherine downstairs, as polite as
• 2:06:45
  Speaker 1: you please to me, telling me not to mind the
• 2:06:48
  Speaker 1: major being a little impatient, for they knew what a
• 2:06:51
  Speaker 1: good servant I was, after making a fool and a
• 2:06:54
  Speaker 1: liar of me before them. All the twenty will go
• 2:06:58
  Speaker 1: to our savings, and you shall have the ten to spend,
• 2:07:01
  Speaker 1: if you'll only talk to me so as to remind
• 2:07:04
  Speaker 1: me I'm a human being. I get tired of being
• 2:07:07
  Speaker 1: a servant occasionally, Luca scornfully. Yes, sell your manhood for
• 2:07:14
  Speaker 1: thirty livas and buy me for ten. Keep your money.
• 2:07:19
  Speaker 1: You were born to be a servant. I was not.
• 2:07:23
  Speaker 1: When you set up your shop. You will only be
• 2:07:25
  Speaker 1: everybody's servant instead of somebody's servant. Nikola picking up his
• 2:07:30
  Speaker 1: logs and going to the stove. Ah, wait till you see.
• 2:07:35
  Speaker 1: We shall have our evenings to ourselves, and I shall
• 2:07:38
  Speaker 1: be master in my own house, I promise you. He
• 2:07:42
  Speaker 1: throws the logs down and kneels at the stove. Luca,
• 2:07:47
  Speaker 1: you shall never be master in mine. She sits down
• 2:07:51
  Speaker 1: on Sergeus's chair, Nikola turning still on his knees and
• 2:07:55
  Speaker 1: squatting down rather forlornly on his calves, daunted by her
• 2:07:59
  Speaker 1: employe lack of disdain. You have a great ambition in you, Luca.
• 2:08:05
  Speaker 1: Remember if any luck comes to you, it was I
• 2:08:08
  Speaker 1: that made a woman of you, Luca, You, Nikola was
• 2:08:14
  Speaker 1: dogged self assertion? Yes, me, who was? It made you
• 2:08:18
  Speaker 1: give up wearing a couple of pounds of false black
• 2:08:21
  Speaker 1: hair on your head and reddening your lips and cheeks
• 2:08:24
  Speaker 1: like any other Bulgarian girl? I did? Who taught you
• 2:08:29
  Speaker 1: to trim your nails and keep your hands clean and
• 2:08:32
  Speaker 1: be dainty about yourself like a fine Russian lady? Me?
• 2:08:36
  Speaker 1: Do you hear that? Me? She tosses her head defiantly,
• 2:08:41
  Speaker 1: and he rises ill humoredly, adding more coolly. I've often
• 2:08:46
  Speaker 1: thought that if Rhina were out of the way, and
• 2:08:49
  Speaker 1: you just a little less of a fool and surge
• 2:08:52
  Speaker 1: us just a little more of one, you might come
• 2:08:55
  Speaker 1: to be one of my grandest customers, instead of only
• 2:08:58
  Speaker 1: being my wife and costing me money. Luca, I believe
• 2:09:03
  Speaker 1: you would rather be my servant than my husband. You
• 2:09:06
  Speaker 1: would make more out of me. Oh, I know that
• 2:09:09
  Speaker 1: soul of yours, Nikola, going up close to her for
• 2:09:13
  Speaker 1: greater emphasis. Never you mind my soul, but just listen
• 2:09:19
  Speaker 1: to my advice. If you want to be a lady,
• 2:09:23
  Speaker 1: your present behavior to me won't do it all an
• 2:09:26
  Speaker 1: less When we are alone. It's too sharp and impudent
• 2:09:30
  Speaker 1: and impudence is a sort of familiarity. It shows affection
• 2:09:34
  Speaker 1: for me. And don't you try being high and mighty
• 2:09:38
  Speaker 1: with me either. You're like all country girls. You think
• 2:09:42
  Speaker 1: it's genteel to treat a servant the way I treat
• 2:09:45
  Speaker 1: a stable boy. That's only your ignorance. And don't you
• 2:09:49
  Speaker 1: forget it. Don't be so ready to defy everybody. Act
• 2:09:54
  Speaker 1: as if you expected to have your own way, not
• 2:09:57
  Speaker 1: as if you expected to be ordered about. The way
• 2:10:00
  Speaker 1: get on as a lady is the same as the
• 2:10:02
  Speaker 1: way to get on as a servant. You've got to
• 2:10:04
  Speaker 1: know your place. That's the secret of it. And you
• 2:10:08
  Speaker 1: may depend on me to know my place if you
• 2:10:10
  Speaker 1: get promoted. Think it over, my girl, I'll stand by you.
• 2:10:15
  Speaker 1: One servant should always stand by another. Luca rising impatiently. Oh,
• 2:10:22
  Speaker 1: I must behave in my own way. You take all
• 2:10:26
  Speaker 1: the courage out of me with your cold blooded wisdom.
• 2:10:29
  Speaker 1: Go and put those logs on the fire. That's the
• 2:10:32
  Speaker 1: sort of thing you understand. Before Nikola can retort, Sergius
• 2:10:37
  Speaker 1: comes in. He checks himself a moment on seeing Luca,
• 2:10:41
  Speaker 1: then goes to the stove. Sergius to Nicola, I am
• 2:10:46
  Speaker 1: not in the way of your work, I hope Nicola
• 2:10:49
  Speaker 1: in a smooth, elderly manner. Oh no, sir, thank you kindly.
• 2:10:54
  Speaker 1: I was only speaking to this foolish girl about her
• 2:10:57
  Speaker 1: habit of running up here to the library whenever she
• 2:11:00
  Speaker 1: gets a chance to look at the books. That's the
• 2:11:02
  Speaker 1: worst of her education, sir. It gives her habits above
• 2:11:05
  Speaker 1: her station to Luca, make that table tidy, Luca, for
• 2:11:09
  Speaker 1: the major He goes out sedately. Luca, without looking at Sergius,
• 2:11:15
  Speaker 1: begins to arrange the papers on the table. He crosses
• 2:11:18
  Speaker 1: slowly to her and studies the arrangement of her sleeve reflectively. Sergius,
• 2:11:25
  Speaker 1: let me see is there a mark there? He turns
• 2:11:28
  Speaker 1: up the bracelet and sees the bruise made by his grasp.
• 2:11:32
  Speaker 1: She stands motionless, not looking at him, fascinated, but on
• 2:11:36
  Speaker 1: her guard. Who does it hurt, Luca? Yes, Sergius, Shall
• 2:11:44
  Speaker 1: I cure it? Luca instantly, withdrawing herself proudly, but still
• 2:11:50
  Speaker 1: not looking at him. No, you cannot cure it now, Sergius, masterfully,
• 2:11:57
  Speaker 1: quite sure, He makes a move as if to take
• 2:12:01
  Speaker 1: her in his arms. Luca, don't trifle with me, please,
• 2:12:06
  Speaker 1: an officer should not trifle with a servant. Sergius, touching
• 2:12:10
  Speaker 1: the arm with a merciless stroke of his forefinger. That
• 2:12:14
  Speaker 1: was no trifle, Luca, Luca no, looking at him for
• 2:12:19
  Speaker 1: the first time. Are you sorry, Sergius with measured emphasis,
• 2:12:25
  Speaker 1: folding his arms. I am never sorry, Luca, wistfully. I
• 2:12:32
  Speaker 1: wish I could believe a man could be so unlike
• 2:12:35
  Speaker 1: a woman as that. I wonder, are you really a
• 2:12:39
  Speaker 1: brave man? Sergius, unaffectedly, relaxing his attitude. Yes, I am
• 2:12:46
  Speaker 1: a brave man. My heart jumped like a woman's at
• 2:12:49
  Speaker 1: the first shot. But in the charge I found that
• 2:12:52
  Speaker 1: I was brave. Yes, that at least is real about me. Luca.
• 2:12:59
  Speaker 1: Did you find in the charge that the men whose
• 2:13:02
  Speaker 1: fathers are poor like mine were any less brave than
• 2:13:05
  Speaker 1: the men who are rich like you? Sergius with bitter levity,
• 2:13:10
  Speaker 1: not a bit. They all slashed and cursed and yelled
• 2:13:14
  Speaker 1: like heroes. Pshah. The courage to rage and kill is cheap.
• 2:13:20
  Speaker 1: I have an English bull terrier who has as much
• 2:13:23
  Speaker 1: of that sort of courage as the whole Bulgarian nation
• 2:13:26
  Speaker 1: and the whole Russian nation at its back. But he
• 2:13:29
  Speaker 1: lets my groom thrash him all the same. That's your
• 2:13:33
  Speaker 1: soldier all over. No, Luca, your poor men can cut throats,
• 2:13:39
  Speaker 1: but they are afraid of their officers. They put up
• 2:13:42
  Speaker 1: with insults and blows. They stand by and see one
• 2:13:46
  Speaker 1: another punished like children. Aye, and help to do it
• 2:13:49
  Speaker 1: when they are ordered, and the officers well with a
• 2:13:53
  Speaker 1: short bitter laugh. I am an officer. Oh, fervently, give
• 2:13:59
  Speaker 1: me the man who will defy to the death any
• 2:14:02
  Speaker 1: power or on earth or in heaven, that sets hisself
• 2:14:05
  Speaker 1: up against his own will and conscience. He alone is
• 2:14:08
  Speaker 1: the brave man, Luca. How easy it is to talk.
• 2:14:14
  Speaker 1: Men never seem to me to grow up. They all
• 2:14:17
  Speaker 1: have schoolboy's ideas. You don't know what true courage is, Sergius. Ironically, indeed,
• 2:14:26
  Speaker 1: I am willing to be instructed, Luca. Look at me.
• 2:14:32
  Speaker 1: How much am I allowed to have my own will?
• 2:14:35
  Speaker 1: I have to get your room ready for you, to
• 2:14:38
  Speaker 1: sweep in dust to fetch and carry. How could that
• 2:14:41
  Speaker 1: degrade me? If it did not degrade you to have
• 2:14:44
  Speaker 1: it done for you but with subdued passion. If I
• 2:14:49
  Speaker 1: were Empress of Russia above everyone in the world, then ah,
• 2:14:54
  Speaker 1: then though according to you, I could show no courage
• 2:14:58
  Speaker 1: at all. You should say, you should see Sergius. What
• 2:15:04
  Speaker 1: would you do, most noble Empress, Luca, I would marry
• 2:15:10
  Speaker 1: the man I loved, which no other queen in Europe
• 2:15:14
  Speaker 1: has the courage to do. If I loved you, though
• 2:15:18
  Speaker 1: you would be as far beneath me as I am
• 2:15:20
  Speaker 1: beneath you, I would dare to be the equal of
• 2:15:23
  Speaker 1: my inferior. Would you dare as much if you loved me? No,
• 2:15:29
  Speaker 1: if you felt the beginnings of love for me, you
• 2:15:32
  Speaker 1: would not let it grow. You dare not You would
• 2:15:35
  Speaker 1: marry a rich man to daughter because you would be
• 2:15:39
  Speaker 1: afraid of what other people would say of you. Sergius
• 2:15:43
  Speaker 1: carried away you lie. It is not so, by all
• 2:15:47
  Speaker 1: the stars. If I loved you, and I was the
• 2:15:50
  Speaker 1: Tsar of Russia himself, I would set you on the
• 2:15:54
  Speaker 1: throne by my side. You know that I love another woman,
• 2:15:57
  Speaker 1: a woman as high above you as Heaven is above earth,
• 2:16:01
  Speaker 1: and you are jealous of her, Luca, I have no
• 2:16:06
  Speaker 1: reason to be. She will never marry you. Now the
• 2:16:09
  Speaker 1: man I told you of has comeback. She will marry
• 2:16:13
  Speaker 1: the Swiss Sergius, recarling the Swiss Luca, a man worth
• 2:16:21
  Speaker 1: ten of you. Then you can come to me and
• 2:16:24
  Speaker 1: I will refuse you. You are not good enough for me.
• 2:16:28
  Speaker 1: She turns to the door, Sergius springing after her and
• 2:16:32
  Speaker 1: catching her fiercely in his arms. I will kill the Swiss,
• 2:16:35
  Speaker 1: and afterwards I will do as I please with you, Luca,
• 2:16:40
  Speaker 1: in his arms, passive and steadfast. The Swiss will kill you.
• 2:16:45
  Speaker 1: Perhaps he has beaten you in love, he may beat
• 2:16:48
  Speaker 1: you in war, Sergius, tormentedly, do you think I believe
• 2:16:54
  Speaker 1: that she, she whose worst thoughts are higher than your
• 2:16:59
  Speaker 1: best ones, is capable of trifling with another man behind
• 2:17:03
  Speaker 1: my back? Luca? Do you think she would believe the
• 2:17:07
  Speaker 1: Swiss if he told her now that I am in
• 2:17:10
  Speaker 1: your arms? Sergius releasing her in despair. Damnation, Oh, damnation. Mockery,
• 2:17:19
  Speaker 1: mockery everywhere. Everything I think is mocked by everything I do.
• 2:17:25
  Speaker 1: He strikes himself frantically on the breast. Coward, liar, fool.
• 2:17:31
  Speaker 1: Shall I kill myself like a man, or live and
• 2:17:34
  Speaker 1: pretend to laugh at myself? She again turns to go, Luca.
• 2:17:40
  Speaker 1: She stops near the door. Remember you belong to me,
• 2:17:45
  Speaker 1: Luca quietly, What does that mean? An insult? Sergius commandingly.
• 2:17:53
  Speaker 1: It means that you love me, and that I have
• 2:17:56
  Speaker 1: had you here in my arms, and will perhaps have
• 2:17:59
  Speaker 1: you there again. Whether that is an insult, I neither
• 2:18:03
  Speaker 1: know nor care. Take it as you please, but vehemently
• 2:18:07
  Speaker 1: I will not be a coward and a trifler. If
• 2:18:11
  Speaker 1: I choose to love you, I dare marry you in
• 2:18:14
  Speaker 1: spite of all Bulgaria. If these hands ever touch you again,
• 2:18:19
  Speaker 1: they shall touch my affianced bride, Luca. We shall see
• 2:18:25
  Speaker 1: whether you dare keep your word, but take care. I
• 2:18:28
  Speaker 1: will not wait long, Sergius, again, folding his arms and
• 2:18:34
  Speaker 1: standing motionless in the middle of the room. Yes, we
• 2:18:38
  Speaker 1: shall see, and you shall wait my pleasure. Blunchly, much
• 2:18:42
  Speaker 1: preoccupied with his paper still in his hand, enters, leaving
• 2:18:46
  Speaker 1: the door open for Luca to go out. He goes
• 2:18:49
  Speaker 1: across to the table, glancing at her as he passes. Sergius,
• 2:18:54
  Speaker 1: without altering his resolute attitude, watches him steadily. Luca goes out,
• 2:19:00
  Speaker 1: leaving the door open. Blenchley absently sitting at the table
• 2:19:04
  Speaker 1: as before and putting down his papers. That's a remarkable
• 2:19:08
  Speaker 1: looking young woman, Sergius gravely, without moving Captain Blenchley. Bluchley eh, Sergius,
• 2:19:19
  Speaker 1: you have deceived me. You are my rival. I brook
• 2:19:24
  Speaker 1: no rivals. At six o'clock, I shall be in the
• 2:19:28
  Speaker 1: drilling ground on the Glesora road, alone, on horseback, with
• 2:19:32
  Speaker 1: my saber. Do you understand Blunchley staring but sitting quite
• 2:19:39
  Speaker 1: at his ease? Oh? Thank you, that's a cowalrymn's proposal.
• 2:19:45
  Speaker 1: I'm in the artillery, and I have the choice of weapons.
• 2:19:48
  Speaker 1: If I go, I shall take a machine gun, and
• 2:19:50
  Speaker 1: there shall be no mistake about the cartridges this time,
• 2:19:54
  Speaker 1: Sergius flushing, but with deadly coldness. Take care, sir. It
• 2:20:00
  Speaker 1: is not our custom in Bulgaria to allow invitations of
• 2:20:04
  Speaker 1: that kind to be trifled with. Blunchley warmly pooh, don't
• 2:20:09
  Speaker 1: talk to me about Bulgaria. You don't know what fighting is,
• 2:20:14
  Speaker 1: but have it your own way. Bring your saber along,
• 2:20:17
  Speaker 1: I'll meet you, Sergius, fiercely delighted to find his opponent
• 2:20:22
  Speaker 1: a man of spirit, well said Switzer. Shall I lend
• 2:20:26
  Speaker 1: you my best horse, Blunchley, No, damn your horse. Thank
• 2:20:31
  Speaker 1: you all the same. My dear fellow Raina comes in,
• 2:20:34
  Speaker 1: and here's the next sentence. I shall fight you on foot.
• 2:20:38
  Speaker 1: Horseback's too dangerous. I don't want to kill you if
• 2:20:41
  Speaker 1: I can help it. Raina, hurrying forward anxiously, I have
• 2:20:47
  Speaker 1: heard what Captain Blinchley said, Sergius, you are going to fight. Why?
• 2:20:52
  Speaker 1: Sergius turns away in silence and goes to the stove,
• 2:20:55
  Speaker 1: where he stands watching her as she continues to Blunchley.
• 2:20:59
  Speaker 1: What about t Lunchley, I don't know. He hasn't told
• 2:21:03
  Speaker 1: me better. Not interfere, dear young lady. No harm will
• 2:21:07
  Speaker 1: be done. I have often acted as sword instructor. He
• 2:21:11
  Speaker 1: won't be able to touch me, and I'll not hurt him.
• 2:21:14
  Speaker 1: It will save explanations. In the morning, I shall be
• 2:21:17
  Speaker 1: off home and you'll never see me or hear of
• 2:21:19
  Speaker 1: me again. You and he will then make it up
• 2:21:22
  Speaker 1: and live happily ever after, Reina, turning away deeply hurt,
• 2:21:27
  Speaker 1: almost with a sob in her voice. I never said
• 2:21:31
  Speaker 1: I wanted to see you again, Sergius striding forward, Ah,
• 2:21:37
  Speaker 1: that is a confession, Reina, haughtily, What do you mean, Sergius,
• 2:21:45
  Speaker 1: you love that man? Raina scandalized Sergius. Sergius, you allow
• 2:21:53
  Speaker 1: him to make love to you behind my back, just
• 2:21:57
  Speaker 1: as you accept me as your affianced husband behind his Blunchley,
• 2:22:03
  Speaker 1: you knew our relations and you deceived me. It is
• 2:22:06
  Speaker 1: for that that I call you to account, not for
• 2:22:09
  Speaker 1: having received favors that I never enjoyed, Bluchley, jumping up indignantly,
• 2:22:15
  Speaker 1: stuff rubbish, I received no favors. Why the young lady
• 2:22:20
  Speaker 1: doesn't even know whether I'm married or not? Raina? Forgetting herself? Oh,
• 2:22:26
  Speaker 1: collapsing on the ottoman, Are you, Sergius? You see the
• 2:22:32
  Speaker 1: young lady's concern, Captain Blenchley, denial is useless. You have
• 2:22:37
  Speaker 1: enjoyed the privilege of being received in her own room
• 2:22:40
  Speaker 1: late at night, Blunchley, interrupting him peperily, Yes, you blockhead.
• 2:22:46
  Speaker 1: She received me with a pistol at her head. Your
• 2:22:49
  Speaker 1: cavalry were at my heels. I'd have blown out her
• 2:22:52
  Speaker 1: brains if she'd uttered a cry. Sergius taken aback, Blunchley. Raina,
• 2:22:59
  Speaker 1: is this true? Raina rising in wrathful majesty? Oh? How
• 2:23:05
  Speaker 1: dare you? How dare you? Blenchley apologized, man apologize? He
• 2:23:12
  Speaker 1: resumes his seat at the table. Sergius with the old
• 2:23:16
  Speaker 1: measure emphasis, folding his arms. I never apologize, Raina, passionately,
• 2:23:25
  Speaker 1: this is the doing of that friend of yours, Captain Blinchley.
• 2:23:29
  Speaker 1: It is he who is spreading this horrible story about me.
• 2:23:33
  Speaker 1: She walks about excitedly. Blenchley. No, he's dead, burnt alive,
• 2:23:41
  Speaker 1: Raina stopping, shocked, burnt alive. Blnchley shot in the hip
• 2:23:47
  Speaker 1: in a woodyard, couldn't drag himself out your fellow's shells,
• 2:23:51
  Speaker 1: set the timber on fire, and burnt him with half
• 2:23:54
  Speaker 1: a dozen other poor devils in the same predicament, Raina,
• 2:23:59
  Speaker 1: how horrible, Sergius, and how ridiculous a war? War, the
• 2:24:04
  Speaker 1: dream of patriots and heroes, A fraud, Blenchley, A hollow sham,
• 2:24:09
  Speaker 1: like love, Raina, outraged like love? You say that before me, Blenchley, Come, Sadanov,
• 2:24:20
  Speaker 1: That matter is explained, Sergius, A hollow sham, I say.
• 2:24:28
  Speaker 1: Would you have come back here if nothing had passed
• 2:24:31
  Speaker 1: between you except at the muzzle of your pistol? Raina
• 2:24:35
  Speaker 1: is mistaken about our friend who was burnt. He was
• 2:24:38
  Speaker 1: not my informant, Raina, who then suddenly guessing the truth. Ah, Luca,
• 2:24:48
  Speaker 1: my maid, my servant, You were with her this morning,
• 2:24:52
  Speaker 1: all that time after Oh what sort of god is this?
• 2:24:58
  Speaker 1: I have been worshiping? He meets her gaze with sardonic
• 2:25:01
  Speaker 1: enjoyment of her disenchantment. Angered all the more, she goes
• 2:25:05
  Speaker 1: closer to him and says, in a lower intenser tone,
• 2:25:09
  Speaker 1: do you know that I looked out of the window
• 2:25:12
  Speaker 1: as I went upstairs to have another sight of my hero,
• 2:25:17
  Speaker 1: and I saw something that I did not understand? Then?
• 2:25:20
  Speaker 1: I know now that you were making love to her, Sergius,
• 2:25:25
  Speaker 1: with grim humor. You saw that Raina only too well.
• 2:25:33
  Speaker 1: She turns away and throws herself on the divan under
• 2:25:36
  Speaker 1: the center window. Quite overcome, Sergius, cynically Reina, our romance
• 2:25:44
  Speaker 1: is shattered. Life safe force Bluchley to Raina, good humoredly,
• 2:25:50
  Speaker 1: you see he's found himself out now, Sergius, Blenchley, I
• 2:25:55
  Speaker 1: have allowed you to call me a blockhead. You may
• 2:25:58
  Speaker 1: now call me a coward as well. I refuse to
• 2:26:01
  Speaker 1: fight you. Do you know why, Blenchley? No, but it
• 2:26:07
  Speaker 1: doesn't matter. I didn't ask the reason when you cried on,
• 2:26:10
  Speaker 1: and I don't ask the reason now that you cry off.
• 2:26:14
  Speaker 1: I'm a professional soldier. I fight when I have to,
• 2:26:18
  Speaker 1: and am very glad to get out of it when
• 2:26:21
  Speaker 1: I haven't to. You're only an amateur you think fighting's
• 2:26:25
  Speaker 1: an amusement, Sergius, you shall hear the reason all the same,
• 2:26:31
  Speaker 1: my professional The reason is that it takes two men,
• 2:26:35
  Speaker 1: real men, men of heart, blood and honor, to make
• 2:26:39
  Speaker 1: a genuine combat. I could no more fight with you
• 2:26:43
  Speaker 1: than I could make love to an ugly woman. You've
• 2:26:47
  Speaker 1: no magnetism. You're not a man, You're a machine, Blenchley apologetically,
• 2:26:54
  Speaker 1: Quite true, Quite true. I always was that sort of chap.
• 2:26:58
  Speaker 1: I'm very sorry, But now that you've found that life
• 2:27:01
  Speaker 1: isn't a force but something quite sensible and serious, what
• 2:27:06
  Speaker 1: further obstacle is there to your happiness? Raina riling? You
• 2:27:12
  Speaker 1: are very solicitous about my happiness and his? Do you
• 2:27:16
  Speaker 1: forget his new love, Luca? It is not you that
• 2:27:20
  Speaker 1: he must fight now, but his rival, Nicola, Sergius rival
• 2:27:25
  Speaker 1: striking his forehead, Raina, did you not know that they
• 2:27:30
  Speaker 1: are engaged? Sergius Niccola our fresh abysses opening Nicola Reina sarcastically.
• 2:27:41
  Speaker 1: A shocking sacrifice, isn't it? Such beauty, such intellect, such modesty,
• 2:27:47
  Speaker 1: wasted on a middle aged servant man. Really, Sergius, you
• 2:27:52
  Speaker 1: cannot stand by and allow such a thing. It would
• 2:27:55
  Speaker 1: be unworthy of your chivalry, Sergius lousy all self control?
• 2:28:01
  Speaker 1: Viper viper, He rushes to and fro raging Blenchley. Look here,
• 2:28:09
  Speaker 1: sir Ronolf, you're getting the worst of this. Raina getting angry.
• 2:28:14
  Speaker 1: Do you realize what he has done, Captain Blenchley. He
• 2:28:17
  Speaker 1: has set this girl as a spy on us, and
• 2:28:21
  Speaker 1: her reward is that he makes love to her. Sergius, false, monstrous,
• 2:28:28
  Speaker 1: Raina monstrous confronting him. Do you deny that she told
• 2:28:33
  Speaker 1: you about Captain Blenchley being in my room? Sergius, No,
• 2:28:38
  Speaker 1: but Raina interrupting? Do you deny that you were making
• 2:28:42
  Speaker 1: love to her when she told you? Sergius, No, but
• 2:28:46
  Speaker 1: I tell you, Raina cutting him sharp, contemptuously. It is
• 2:28:51
  Speaker 1: unnecessary to tell us anything more. That is quite enough
• 2:28:55
  Speaker 1: for us. She turns her back on him and sweeps
• 2:28:59
  Speaker 1: majestically back to the window. Blunchley quietly as Sergius, in
• 2:29:04
  Speaker 1: an agony of mortifications, sinks on the ottoman, clutching his
• 2:29:08
  Speaker 1: averted head between his fists. I told you you were
• 2:29:12
  Speaker 1: getting the worst of its, Saranov Sergius tiger cat Reina,
• 2:29:20
  Speaker 1: running excitedly to Blunchley. You hear this man calling me
• 2:29:24
  Speaker 1: names Captain Blunchley, Blunchley, What else can he do, dear lady,
• 2:29:31
  Speaker 1: he must offend himself somehow, calm, very persuasively. Don't quarrel?
• 2:29:37
  Speaker 1: What good does it do? Reina, with a gasp, sits
• 2:29:41
  Speaker 1: down on the ottoman, and, after a vain effort to
• 2:29:44
  Speaker 1: look vexedly at Blunchley, she follows a victim to her
• 2:29:47
  Speaker 1: own sense of humor, and is attacked with a disposition
• 2:29:50
  Speaker 1: to laugh. Sergius engaged to Nikola, he rises ha going
• 2:30:00
  Speaker 1: to the stove and standing with his back to it. Ah, well, Blenchley,
• 2:30:04
  Speaker 1: you are right to take this huge imposture of a world, coolly,
• 2:30:10
  Speaker 1: Raina to Bluchly, with an intuitive guest at his state
• 2:30:13
  Speaker 1: of mind, I dare say you think us a couple
• 2:30:16
  Speaker 1: of grown up babies, don't you, Sergius grinning a little,
• 2:30:21
  Speaker 1: he does, he does Swiss civilization, nurse tending bulgarian barbarism. Ah,
• 2:30:28
  Speaker 1: Blunchley blushing not at all. I assure you I'm only
• 2:30:33
  Speaker 1: very glad to get you too quieted. There. Now, let's
• 2:30:36
  Speaker 1: be pleasant and talk it over in a friendly way.
• 2:30:40
  Speaker 1: Where is this other young lady? Raina listening at the
• 2:30:44
  Speaker 1: door probably Sergius, shivering as if a bullet had struck him,
• 2:30:49
  Speaker 1: and speaking with quiet but deep indignation. I will prove
• 2:30:54
  Speaker 1: that that at least is a calumny. He goes with
• 2:30:58
  Speaker 1: dignity to the door and opens it. A yell of
• 2:31:01
  Speaker 1: fury bursts from him as he looks out. He darts
• 2:31:04
  Speaker 1: into the passage and returns, dragging in Luca, whom he
• 2:31:08
  Speaker 1: flings against the table right as he cries, judge her, Blunchly,
• 2:31:13
  Speaker 1: you the moderate, cautious man, judge the eavesdropper. Luca stands
• 2:31:19
  Speaker 1: her ground, proud and silent, Blunchly shaking his head. I
• 2:31:25
  Speaker 1: mustn't judge her. I once listened myself outside a tent
• 2:31:29
  Speaker 1: when there was the mutiny brewing. It's all a question
• 2:31:32
  Speaker 1: of the degree of provocation. My life was at stake, Luca,
• 2:31:37
  Speaker 1: My love was at stake. Sergius flinches, ashamed of her,
• 2:31:42
  Speaker 1: in spite of himself, I am not ashamed. Raina contemptuously
• 2:31:48
  Speaker 1: your love, your curiosity, you mean, Luca, facing her and
• 2:31:53
  Speaker 1: retorting her contempt with interest. My love stronger than anything
• 2:32:00
  Speaker 1: you can feel, even for your chocolate creamed soldier Sergius,
• 2:32:05
  Speaker 1: with quick suspicion to Luca, What does that mean, Luca fiercely.
• 2:32:10
  Speaker 1: It means, Sergius, interrupting her slightly. Oh, I remember the
• 2:32:15
  Speaker 1: ice pudding. A paltry taunt girl, Major pet Cough enterest
• 2:32:20
  Speaker 1: in his shirt sleeves, pet Cough, excuse my shirt sleeves, gentlemen, Raina,
• 2:32:25
  Speaker 1: somebody has been wearing this coat of mine. I'll swear it,
• 2:32:29
  Speaker 1: somebody with bigger shoulders than mine. It's all burst open
• 2:32:33
  Speaker 1: at the back. Your mother is mending it. I wish
• 2:32:36
  Speaker 1: she'd make haste. I shall catch cold. He looks more
• 2:32:40
  Speaker 1: attentively at them. Is anything the matter, Raina? No? She
• 2:32:46
  Speaker 1: sits down at the stove with a tranquil air. Sergius,
• 2:32:51
  Speaker 1: oh no, he sits down at the end of the
• 2:32:54
  Speaker 1: table as at first Blunchley, who is already seated. Nothing nothing,
• 2:33:01
  Speaker 1: pet Cough sitting down on the bottoman in its old place.
• 2:33:05
  Speaker 1: That's all right, he notices Luca. Anything the matter, Luca, Luca, no,
• 2:33:11
  Speaker 1: Sir pet Cough, genially, that's all right, he sneezes. Go
• 2:33:18
  Speaker 1: and ask your mistress for my coat, like a good girl,
• 2:33:21
  Speaker 1: will you. She turns to obey, but Nikola enters with
• 2:33:24
  Speaker 1: the coat, and she makes a pretense of having business
• 2:33:27
  Speaker 1: in the room by taking the little table with the
• 2:33:30
  Speaker 1: hookah away to the wall near the windows. Raina rising
• 2:33:34
  Speaker 1: quickly as she sees the coat on Nikola's arm. Here
• 2:33:37
  Speaker 1: it is, Papa. Give it to me, Nikola, and do
• 2:33:40
  Speaker 1: you put some more wood on the fire. She takes
• 2:33:43
  Speaker 1: the coat and brings it to the Major, who stands
• 2:33:45
  Speaker 1: up to put it on. Nikola attends to the fire.
• 2:33:49
  Speaker 1: Pet Cough to Raina, teasing her affectionately, Aha, going to
• 2:33:54
  Speaker 1: be very good to poor old Papa, just for one
• 2:33:57
  Speaker 1: day after his return from the wars eh Raina with
• 2:34:01
  Speaker 1: solemn reproach. Oh, how can you say that to me, father,
• 2:34:07
  Speaker 1: pet Cough, Well, well, only a joke, little one. Come
• 2:34:10
  Speaker 1: give me a kiss, She kisses him. Now give me
• 2:34:14
  Speaker 1: the coat, Raina. Now I am going to put it
• 2:34:18
  Speaker 1: on for you. Turn your back. He turns his back
• 2:34:21
  Speaker 1: and feels behind him with his arms for the sleeves.
• 2:34:24
  Speaker 1: She dexterously takes the photograph from the pocket and throws
• 2:34:28
  Speaker 1: it on the table before Blenchley, who covers it with
• 2:34:30
  Speaker 1: the sheet of paper, under the very nose of Sergius,
• 2:34:33
  Speaker 1: who looks on, amazed with his suspicions. Roused in the
• 2:34:37
  Speaker 1: highest degree. She then helps pet Cough on with his coat. There, dear,
• 2:34:42
  Speaker 1: now are you comfortable? Pet cough quite little love? Thanks.
• 2:34:49
  Speaker 1: He sits down, and Raina returns to her seat near
• 2:34:52
  Speaker 1: the stove. Oh, by the bye, I've found something funny.
• 2:34:57
  Speaker 1: What's the meaning of this? He puts his hand into
• 2:35:00
  Speaker 1: the picked pocket. Eh. Hello. He tries the other pocket, Well,
• 2:35:07
  Speaker 1: I could have sworn. Much puzzled, he tries the breast pocket,
• 2:35:12
  Speaker 1: I wonder, tries the original pocket. Where can it? A
• 2:35:17
  Speaker 1: light flashes on him. He rises, exclaiming, your mother's taking it, Raina,
• 2:35:23
  Speaker 1: very red taken? What pet cough your photograph with the
• 2:35:30
  Speaker 1: inscription Raina to her chocolate cream soldier a souvenir. Now
• 2:35:35
  Speaker 1: you know there's something more in this than meets the eye,
• 2:35:37
  Speaker 1: and I'm going to find it out, shouting Nicola. Nicola
• 2:35:42
  Speaker 1: dropping a log and turning, Sir pet Cough, did you
• 2:35:47
  Speaker 1: spoil any pastry of miss rain Is this morning? Nikola?
• 2:35:52
  Speaker 1: You heard Miss rain say that I did, Sir pet Cough,
• 2:35:56
  Speaker 1: I know that you idiot. Was it true? I am
• 2:36:01
  Speaker 1: sure Miss Raina is incapable of saying anything that is
• 2:36:04
  Speaker 1: not true, Sir pet Cough. Are you then I'm not
• 2:36:10
  Speaker 1: turning to the others. Calm, Do you think I don't
• 2:36:14
  Speaker 1: see it? All? Goes to Sergius and slaps him on
• 2:36:18
  Speaker 1: the shoulder. Sergius, you're the chocolate cream soldier, aren't you,
• 2:36:23
  Speaker 1: Sergius standing up, I a chocolate cream soldier, certainly not
• 2:36:30
  Speaker 1: pet Cough not. He looks at them. They are all
• 2:36:34
  Speaker 1: very serious and very re conscious. Do you mean to
• 2:36:38
  Speaker 1: tell me that Rayina sends photographic souvenirs to other men?
• 2:36:43
  Speaker 1: Sergius enigmatically. The world is not such an innocent place
• 2:36:49
  Speaker 1: as we used to think. Pet Cough Bletchley rising. It's
• 2:36:54
  Speaker 1: all right, Major, I'm the chocolate cream soldier. Pet Cough
• 2:36:59
  Speaker 1: and Sergius are equally astonished. The gracious young lady saved
• 2:37:03
  Speaker 1: my life by giving me chocolate creams when I was starving.
• 2:37:07
  Speaker 1: Shall I ever forget their flavor? My late friend Stoles
• 2:37:11
  Speaker 1: told you the story at Pirot I was the fugitive
• 2:37:16
  Speaker 1: Petkough you, he gasps, Sergius, do you remember how those
• 2:37:23
  Speaker 1: two women went on this morning? When we mentioned it?
• 2:37:26
  Speaker 1: Sergius smiles cynically. Petkof confronts Renea severely. You're a nice
• 2:37:33
  Speaker 1: young woman, aren't you, Raina bitterly. Major Saranov has changed
• 2:37:40
  Speaker 1: his mind. And when I wrote that on the photograph,
• 2:37:43
  Speaker 1: I did not know that Captain Blenchley was married. Blenchley
• 2:37:48
  Speaker 1: much startled, protesting vehemently, I'm not married, Reina, with deep reproach,
• 2:37:55
  Speaker 1: you said you were Bluchley. I did not. I positive
• 2:38:00
  Speaker 1: did not. I never was married in my life. Pet Cough,
• 2:38:05
  Speaker 1: exasperated Raina, will you kindly inform me, if I am
• 2:38:09
  Speaker 1: not asking too much, which gentlemen you are engaged to
• 2:38:15
  Speaker 1: Raina to neither of them. This young lady introducing Luca,
• 2:38:20
  Speaker 1: who faces them all proudly, is the object of Major
• 2:38:24
  Speaker 1: Saranov's affections at present. Pet Cough, Luca, are you mad, sergius?
• 2:38:32
  Speaker 1: Why this girl's engaged to Nicola? Nicola coming forward? I
• 2:38:38
  Speaker 1: beg your pardon, sir. There is a mistake. Luca is
• 2:38:42
  Speaker 1: not engaged to me, pet Cough, not engaged to you,
• 2:38:48
  Speaker 1: you scoundrel. Why you had twenty five leave us from
• 2:38:52
  Speaker 1: me on the day of your betrothal and she had
• 2:38:55
  Speaker 1: that guilt bracelet from miss Raina. Nicola was cool and
• 2:39:01
  Speaker 1: we gave it out, so sir, But it was only
• 2:39:04
  Speaker 1: to give Luca protection she had a soul above her station,
• 2:39:09
  Speaker 1: and I have been no more than her confidential servant.
• 2:39:12
  Speaker 1: I intend, as you know, Sir, to set up a
• 2:39:14
  Speaker 1: shop later on in Sofia, and I look forward to
• 2:39:17
  Speaker 1: her custom and recommendation should she marry into the nobility.
• 2:39:22
  Speaker 1: He goes out with impressive discretion, leaving them all staring
• 2:39:25
  Speaker 1: after him. Petkough breaking the silence. Well, I am Sergius.
• 2:39:33
  Speaker 1: This is either the finest heroism or the most crawling baseness.
• 2:39:37
  Speaker 1: Which is it? Blunchley Blunchley, Never mind whether it's heroism
• 2:39:43
  Speaker 1: or baseness. Nicholas the ablest man I've met in Bulgaria.
• 2:39:49
  Speaker 1: I'll make him manager of a hotel if he can
• 2:39:51
  Speaker 1: speak French and German. Luca suddenly breaking out at Sergius,
• 2:39:56
  Speaker 1: I have been insulted by everyone here. You set them
• 2:40:00
  Speaker 1: the example. You owe me an apology. Sergius, immediately, like
• 2:40:05
  Speaker 1: a repeating clock of which the spring has been touched,
• 2:40:09
  Speaker 1: begins to fold his arms lunchly before he can speak.
• 2:40:13
  Speaker 1: It's no use. He never apologizes, Luca, not to you,
• 2:40:19
  Speaker 1: his equal and his enemy, to me, his poor servant.
• 2:40:22
  Speaker 1: He will not refuse to apologize. Sergius approvingly, you are right.
• 2:40:32
  Speaker 1: He bends his knee in his grandest manner. Forgive me, Luca,
• 2:40:39
  Speaker 1: I forgive you. She timidly gives him her hand, which
• 2:40:43
  Speaker 1: he kisses. That touch makes me your affianced wife, Sergius
• 2:40:49
  Speaker 1: springing up, Ah, I forgot that, Luca coldly, you can
• 2:40:55
  Speaker 1: withdraw if you like, Sergius, withdraw never you belong to me.
• 2:41:02
  Speaker 1: He puts his arm about her and draws her to him.
• 2:41:05
  Speaker 1: Katherine comes in and finds Luca in Sergius's arms, and
• 2:41:09
  Speaker 1: all the rest gazing at them in bewildered astonishment. Katherine,
• 2:41:14
  Speaker 1: what does this mean? Sergius releases Luca petkaugh, Well, my dear,
• 2:41:20
  Speaker 1: it appears that Sergius is going to marry Luca instead
• 2:41:23
  Speaker 1: of Rahina. She is about to break out indignantly at him.
• 2:41:27
  Speaker 1: He stops her by exclaiming testily, don't blame me, I've
• 2:41:31
  Speaker 1: nothing to do with it. He retreats to the stove. Katherine,
• 2:41:37
  Speaker 1: marry Luca, Sergius. You are bound by your word to us,
• 2:41:42
  Speaker 1: Sergius folding his arms, nothing binds me. Lunchley much pleased
• 2:41:50
  Speaker 1: by this piece of common sense, sonoff your hand, My congratulations.
• 2:41:56
  Speaker 1: These heroics of yours have their practical side after all,
• 2:41:59
  Speaker 1: to Luca, gracious young lady, the best wishes of a
• 2:42:03
  Speaker 1: good Republican. He kisses her hand, to Raina's great disgust,
• 2:42:09
  Speaker 1: Catherine threateningly, Luca, you have been telling stories, Luca, I
• 2:42:17
  Speaker 1: have done, Reina no harm, Catherine haughtily Reina. Reina is
• 2:42:24
  Speaker 1: equally indignant at the liberty Luca. I have a right
• 2:42:29
  Speaker 1: to call her Raina, She calls me, Luca. I told
• 2:42:33
  Speaker 1: Major Saranov she would never marry him if the Swiss
• 2:42:36
  Speaker 1: gentleman came back. Blenchley surprised, Hello, Luca, turning to Reina,
• 2:42:44
  Speaker 1: I thought you were fonder of him than of Sergius.
• 2:42:47
  Speaker 1: You know best whether I was right, Blenchley, what nonsense,
• 2:42:53
  Speaker 1: I assure you, my dear Major, my dear madame. The
• 2:42:56
  Speaker 1: gracious young lady simply saved my life. Nothing else. She
• 2:43:01
  Speaker 1: never cared to straws for me. Why bless my heart
• 2:43:04
  Speaker 1: and soul. Look at the young lady, and look at me.
• 2:43:08
  Speaker 1: She rich, young, beautiful, with her imagination full of fairy
• 2:43:13
  Speaker 1: princes and noble natures and cavalry charges, and goodness knows what.
• 2:43:18
  Speaker 1: And I a commonplace Swiss soldier who hardly knows what
• 2:43:22
  Speaker 1: a decent life is after fifteen years of barracks and battles.
• 2:43:26
  Speaker 1: A vagabond, a man who has spoiled all his chances
• 2:43:30
  Speaker 1: in life through an incurably romantic disposition. A man Sergius,
• 2:43:36
  Speaker 1: starting as if a needle had pricked him, and interrupting
• 2:43:39
  Speaker 1: Blenchley in incredulous amazement. Excuse me, Blenchley, what did you
• 2:43:45
  Speaker 1: say had spoiled your chances in life? Blunchley promptly, an
• 2:43:50
  Speaker 1: incurably romantic disposition. I ran away from home twice when
• 2:43:55
  Speaker 1: I was a boy. I went into the army instead
• 2:43:57
  Speaker 1: of into my father's business. I climbed the balcony of
• 2:44:01
  Speaker 1: this house, when a man of sense would have dived
• 2:44:04
  Speaker 1: into the nearest cellar. I came sneaking back here to
• 2:44:08
  Speaker 1: have another look at the young lady. When any other
• 2:44:11
  Speaker 1: man of my age would have sent the coat back,
• 2:44:13
  Speaker 1: petkough my coat, Bletchley, Yes, that's the coat. I mean,
• 2:44:20
  Speaker 1: would have sent it back and gone quietly home. Do
• 2:44:24
  Speaker 1: you suppose I'm the sort of fellow a young girl
• 2:44:26
  Speaker 1: falls in love with? Why look at our ages. I'm
• 2:44:30
  Speaker 1: thirty four. I don't suppose the young lady is much
• 2:44:34
  Speaker 1: over seventeen. This estimate produces a marked sensation, all the
• 2:44:39
  Speaker 1: rest turning and staring at one another. He proceeds innocently.
• 2:44:44
  Speaker 1: All that adventure, which was life or death to me,
• 2:44:47
  Speaker 1: was only a schoolgirl's game. To her chocolate creams and
• 2:44:52
  Speaker 1: hide and seek. Here's the proof. He takes the photograph
• 2:44:56
  Speaker 1: from the table. Now I ask you, would a woman
• 2:45:00
  Speaker 1: who took the affair seriously have sent me this and
• 2:45:03
  Speaker 1: written on it, Rayina to her chocolate cream soldier a souvenir.
• 2:45:08
  Speaker 1: He exhibits the photograph triumphantly, as if it settled the
• 2:45:12
  Speaker 1: matter beyond all possibility of refutation. Petkough, That's what I
• 2:45:18
  Speaker 1: was looking for. How the deuce did it get there?
• 2:45:22
  Speaker 1: Blunchley too, Rayina complacently, I have put everything right, I hope, gracious,
• 2:45:27
  Speaker 1: young lady Raina. In uncontrolled vexation, I quite agree with
• 2:45:34
  Speaker 1: your account of yourself. You are a romantic idiot. Blunchley
• 2:45:39
  Speaker 1: is unspeakably taken aback. Next time, I hope you will
• 2:45:43
  Speaker 1: know the difference between a schoolgirl of seventeen and a
• 2:45:47
  Speaker 1: woman of twenty three. Blinchley, stupefied twenty three, she snaps
• 2:45:54
  Speaker 1: the photograph contemptuously from his hands, tears it across and
• 2:45:59
  Speaker 1: throws the pieces at his feet. Sergius with grim enjoyment
• 2:46:03
  Speaker 1: of Blenchley's discomfiture. Blunchley, my one last belief is gone.
• 2:46:09
  Speaker 1: Your sagacity is a fraud. Like all the other things.
• 2:46:13
  Speaker 1: You have less sense than even I have. Blunchley, overwhelmed.
• 2:46:19
  Speaker 1: Twenty three twenty three, He considers hm swiftly making up
• 2:46:27
  Speaker 1: his mind. In that case, Major pet Cough, I beg
• 2:46:30
  Speaker 1: to propose formerly to become a suitor of your daughter's
• 2:46:34
  Speaker 1: hand in place of Major Saranov retired Raina. You dare, Blunchley,
• 2:46:42
  Speaker 1: if you were twenty three when you said those things
• 2:46:44
  Speaker 1: to me this afternoon, I shall take them seriously. Catherine,
• 2:46:50
  Speaker 1: loftily polite, I doubt, sir, whether you quite realize either
• 2:46:55
  Speaker 1: my daughter's position or that of Major Sergius Saranoff, whose
• 2:46:59
  Speaker 1: place you propose to take. The pet Coughs and the
• 2:47:03
  Speaker 1: Saranovs are known as the richest and most important families
• 2:47:07
  Speaker 1: in the country. Our position is almost historical. We can
• 2:47:11
  Speaker 1: go back nearly twenty years. Pet Cough, Oh, never mind that, Catherine.
• 2:47:18
  Speaker 1: To Bluchly, we should be most happy, Blucheley, if it
• 2:47:22
  Speaker 1: were only a question of your position. But hang it.
• 2:47:25
  Speaker 1: You know, Rain is accustomed to a very comfortable establishment.
• 2:47:29
  Speaker 1: Sergius keeps twenty horses, Bluchley, But what on earth is
• 2:47:34
  Speaker 1: the use of twenty horses? Why it's a circus? Catherine severely,
• 2:47:40
  Speaker 1: my daughter, Sir is accustomed to a first rate stable Rain. Hush, mother,
• 2:47:47
  Speaker 1: you're making me ridiculous. Bluchley. Oh well, if it comes
• 2:47:53
  Speaker 1: to a question of an establishment, here goes He goes
• 2:47:57
  Speaker 1: impetuously to the table and seizes the papers, the blue envelope.
• 2:48:01
  Speaker 1: How many horses did you say, Sergius, twenty Nobles Switzer, Blunchley,
• 2:48:09
  Speaker 1: I have two hundred horses. They are amazed. How many
• 2:48:13
  Speaker 1: carriages Sergius three, Blunchley, I have seventy twenty four of them,
• 2:48:21
  Speaker 1: will hold twelve inside, besides two on the box, without
• 2:48:24
  Speaker 1: counting the driver and conductor. How many tablecloths have you, Sergius?
• 2:48:30
  Speaker 1: How the deuce do I know? Blenchley? Have you four
• 2:48:34
  Speaker 1: thousand Sergius, no, Blunchley, I have. I have nine thousand,
• 2:48:40
  Speaker 1: six hundred pairs of sheets and blankets, with two thousand,
• 2:48:43
  Speaker 1: four hundred eider down quilts. I have ten thousand knives
• 2:48:47
  Speaker 1: and forks, and the same quantity of dessert spoons. I
• 2:48:51
  Speaker 1: have six hundred servants. I have six palatial establishments, besides
• 2:48:56
  Speaker 1: two livery stables, a tea garden and a private house.
• 2:49:00
  Speaker 1: I have four medals for distinguished services. I have the
• 2:49:03
  Speaker 1: rank of an officer and the standing of a gentleman.
• 2:49:07
  Speaker 1: And I have three native languages. Show me any man
• 2:49:11
  Speaker 1: in Bulgaria that can offer as much. Pet cough with
• 2:49:15
  Speaker 1: childish awe are you Emperor of Switzerland, Blunchley? My rank
• 2:49:22
  Speaker 1: is the highest known in Switzerland. I'm a free citizen, Catherine, Then,
• 2:49:29
  Speaker 1: Captain Blenchley, since you are my daughter's choice, I shall
• 2:49:33
  Speaker 1: not stand in the way of her happiness. Petkof is
• 2:49:36
  Speaker 1: about to speak. That is major Petkoff's feeling. Also pet cough, Oh,
• 2:49:42
  Speaker 1: why shall be only too glad? Two hundred horses? Whew, sergius,
• 2:49:49
  Speaker 1: What says the lady Reina pretending to sulk. The lady
• 2:49:55
  Speaker 1: says that he can keep his tablecloths and his omnibuses.
• 2:50:00
  Speaker 1: I am not here to be sold to the highest bidder, Blunchley.
• 2:50:05
  Speaker 1: I won't take that answer. I appeal to you as
• 2:50:08
  Speaker 1: a fugitive, a beggar, and a starving man. You accepted me.
• 2:50:13
  Speaker 1: You gave me your hand to kiss, your bed to sleep,
• 2:50:16
  Speaker 1: and and your roof to shelter me. Reina interrupting him,
• 2:50:20
  Speaker 1: I did not give them to the Emperor of Switzerland, Blunchley.
• 2:50:25
  Speaker 1: That's just what I say. He catches her hand quickly
• 2:50:30
  Speaker 1: and looks her straight in the face as he adds
• 2:50:32
  Speaker 1: with confident mastery, Now tell us who you did give
• 2:50:36
  Speaker 1: them to, Reina, succumbing with a shy smile to my
• 2:50:42
  Speaker 1: chocolate cream Soldier Blunchley with a boyish laugh of delight.
• 2:50:48
  Speaker 1: That'll do. Thank you, looks at his watch and suddenly
• 2:50:52
  Speaker 1: becomes businesslike. Time's up. Major. You've managed those regiments so
• 2:50:58
  Speaker 1: well that you are sure to be asked to get
• 2:51:00
  Speaker 1: rid of some of the infantry of the Timok Division.
• 2:51:03
  Speaker 1: Send them home by way of Lompolanka, Sarranoff. Don't get
• 2:51:07
  Speaker 1: married until I come back. I shall be here punctually
• 2:51:11
  Speaker 1: at five in the evening on Tuesday, fortnight. Gracious ladies,
• 2:51:15
  Speaker 1: good evening. He makes them a military bow and goes, Sergius,
• 2:51:21
  Speaker 1: what a man, What a man? Endo BacT three, End
• 2:51:29
  Speaker 1: of Arms and the Man by George Bernard Shaw. This
• 2:51:33
  Speaker 1: recording by Phil Shinever August twenty seventeen Baton Rouge Louisiana