Latest / Comedy Library / Arms and The Man - George Bernard Shaw
Transcript
- 0:00Speaker 1: Act one night. A ladies bedchamber in Bulgaria, in a
- 0:07Speaker 1: small town near the Dragoman Pass. It is late in
- 0:11Speaker 1: November the year eighteen eighty five, and through an open
- 0:15Speaker 1: window with a little balcony on the left can be
- 0:18Speaker 1: seen a peak of the Balkans, wonderfully white and beautiful
- 0:22Speaker 1: in the starlit snow. The interior of the room is
- 0:26Speaker 1: not like anything to be seen in the East of Europe.
- 0:30Speaker 1: It is half rich Bulgarian, half cheap Viennese. The counterpane
- 0:36Speaker 1: and hangings of the bed, the window curtains, the little carpet,
- 0:39Speaker 1: and all the ornamental textile fabrics in the room are
- 0:42Speaker 1: oriental and gorgeous. The paper on the wall is occidental
- 0:48Speaker 1: and paltry. Above the head of the bed, which stands
- 0:52Speaker 1: against a little wall cutting off the right hand corner
- 0:55Speaker 1: of the room diagonally is a painted wooden shrine blue
- 0:59Speaker 1: and gold, with an ivory image of Christ, and the
- 1:03Speaker 1: light hanging before it in a pierced metal ball suspended
- 1:06Speaker 1: by three chains. On the left. Further forward is an Ottoman.
- 1:12Speaker 1: The washstand against the wall on the left consists of
- 1:15Speaker 1: an enameled iron basin with a pale beneath it in
- 1:18Speaker 1: a painted metal frame, and a single towel on the
- 1:21Speaker 1: rail at the side. A chair near it is Austrian
- 1:25Speaker 1: bent wood with cane seat. The dressing table between the
- 1:30Speaker 1: bed and the window is an ordinary pine table covered
- 1:34Speaker 1: with a cloth of many colors, but with an expensive
- 1:37Speaker 1: tarlet mirror on it. The door is on the right
- 1:41Speaker 1: and there is a chest of drawers between the door
- 1:43Speaker 1: and the bed. This chest of drawers is also covered
- 1:48Speaker 1: by a variegated native cloth, and on it there is
- 1:51Speaker 1: a pile of paper backed novels, a box of chocolate creams,
- 1:55Speaker 1: and a miniature easel, on which is a large photograph
- 1:59Speaker 1: of an extremely handsome officer, whose lofty bearing and magnetic
- 2:03Speaker 1: glance can be felt even from the portrait. The room
- 2:07Speaker 1: is lighted by a candle on the chest of drawers
- 2:10Speaker 1: and another on the dressing table, with a box of
- 2:12Speaker 1: matches beside it. The window is hinged doorwise and stands
- 2:18Speaker 1: wide open, folding back to the left. Outside a pair
- 2:22Speaker 1: of wooden shutters opening outwards also stand open. On the balcony.
- 2:28Speaker 1: A young woman intensely conscious of the romantic beauty of
- 2:32Speaker 1: the night, and of the fact that her own youth
- 2:34Speaker 1: and beauty is a part of it. Is on the balcony,
- 2:37Speaker 1: gazing at the snowy Balkans. She is covered by a
- 2:41Speaker 1: long mantle of furs worth on a moderate estimate, about
- 2:45Speaker 1: three times the furniture of her room. Her reverie is
- 2:50Speaker 1: interrupted by her mother, Katherine Petkoff, a woman over forty,
- 2:55Speaker 1: imperiously energetic, with magnificent black hair and eyes, who might
- 3:00Speaker 1: be a very splendid specimen of the wife of a
- 3:03Speaker 1: mountain farmer, but is determined to be a Viennese lady.
- 3:08Speaker 1: And to that end, where is a fashionable tea gown
- 3:11Speaker 1: on all occasions? Catherine entering hastily, full of good news. Ryena.
- 3:18Speaker 1: She pronounces it Ryena, with the stress on the e reena.
- 3:22Speaker 1: She goes to the bed, expecting to find Ryina there.
- 3:26Speaker 1: Why where Ryena looks into the room. Heavens, child, are
- 3:32Speaker 1: you out in the night air instead of in your bed?
- 3:34Speaker 1: You catch your death? Luca told me you were asleep,
- 3:38Speaker 1: Ryena coming in? I sent her away. I want you
- 3:42Speaker 1: to be alone. The stars are so beautiful. What is
- 3:47Speaker 1: the matter, Katherine? Such news? There has been a battle? Reina,
- 3:54Speaker 1: her eyes dilating ah, she throws the cloak on the
- 3:58Speaker 1: ottoman and comes eagerly to Catherine in her nightgown, a
- 4:02Speaker 1: pretty garment, but evidently the only one she has on Catherine.
- 4:07Speaker 1: A great battle at Slivnitza, a victory, and it was
- 4:11Speaker 1: won by Sergius. Raina with a cry of the light.
- 4:16Speaker 1: Ah rapturously, oh mother, Then with sudden anxiety, is father safe? Catherine?
- 4:25Speaker 1: Of course he sent me the news. Sergius is the
- 4:29Speaker 1: hero of the hour, the idol of the regiment, Raina,
- 4:34Speaker 1: tell me, tell me how was it? Ecstatically, Oh mother, mother, Mother,
- 4:41Speaker 1: Raina pulls her mother down on the ottoman and they
- 4:44Speaker 1: kiss one another frantically, Katherine, with searching enthusiasm. You can't
- 4:51Speaker 1: guess how splendid it is? A cavalry charge. Think of that.
- 4:57Speaker 1: He defied our Russian commanders, acted without orders, led a
- 5:00Speaker 1: charge on his own responsibility, headed it himself, was the
- 5:05Speaker 1: first man to sweep through their guns. Can't you see it, Reina,
- 5:09Speaker 1: Our gallant, splendid Bulgarians with their swords and eyes flashing,
- 5:14Speaker 1: thundering down like an avalanche and scattering the wretched Servian
- 5:18Speaker 1: dandies like chaff. And you you kept Sergius waiting a
- 5:23Speaker 1: year before you would be betrothed to him. Oh, if
- 5:27Speaker 1: you have a drop of Bulgarian blood in your veins,
- 5:30Speaker 1: you will worship him when he comes back. Raina, What
- 5:36Speaker 1: will he care for my poor little worship after the
- 5:38Speaker 1: acclamations of a whole army of heroes. But no matter,
- 5:43Speaker 1: I am so happy, so proud. She rises and walks
- 5:48Speaker 1: about excitedly. It proves that all our ideas were real
- 5:52Speaker 1: after all, Catherine, indignantly, Our idea is real. What do
- 5:58Speaker 1: you mean right? Our ideas of what Sergius would do?
- 6:04Speaker 1: Our patriotism, our heroic ideals. Oh, what faithless little creature's
- 6:09Speaker 1: girls are. I sometimes used to doubt whether they were
- 6:13Speaker 1: anything but dreams. When I buckled on Sergius's sword, he
- 6:18Speaker 1: looked so noble. It was treason to think of disillusion,
- 6:22Speaker 1: our humiliation, our failure. And yet, and yet, quickly promise
- 6:28Speaker 1: me you'll never tell him, Catherine, don't ask me for
- 6:32Speaker 1: promises until I know what I am promising. Rhina, Well,
- 6:37Speaker 1: it came into my head, just as he was holding
- 6:40Speaker 1: me in his arms and looking into my eyes, that
- 6:43Speaker 1: perhaps we only had our heroic ideas because we are
- 6:46Speaker 1: so fond of reading Byron and pushkin, and because we
- 6:50Speaker 1: were so delighted with the opera that season at Bucharist.
- 6:54Speaker 1: Real life is so seldom like that, indeed, never as
- 6:58Speaker 1: far as I knew it. Thenmorsefully, only thank Mother, I
- 7:03Speaker 1: doubted him. I wondered whether all his heroic qualities and
- 7:08Speaker 1: his soldiership might not prove mere imagination when he went
- 7:11Speaker 1: into a real battle, I had an uneasy fear that
- 7:15Speaker 1: he might cut a poor figure there beside all those
- 7:18Speaker 1: clever Russian officers, Catherine, a poor figure. Shame on you.
- 7:26Speaker 1: The Serbians have Austrian officers who are just as clever
- 7:29Speaker 1: as our Russians. But we have beaten them in every battle.
- 7:32Speaker 1: For all that raina laughing and sitting down again, Yes,
- 7:37Speaker 1: that was only a prosaic little coward, Oh, to think
- 7:42Speaker 1: that it was all true that Sergius is just as
- 7:45Speaker 1: splendid and noble as he looks, That the world is
- 7:49Speaker 1: really a glorious world for women who can see its
- 7:52Speaker 1: glory and men who can act its romance. What happiness,
- 7:57Speaker 1: what unspeakable fulfillment? Ah. She throws herself on her knees
- 8:03Speaker 1: beside her mother, and flings her arms passionately round her.
- 8:08Speaker 1: They are interrupted by the entry of Luca, a handsome,
- 8:12Speaker 1: proud girl in a very pretty Bulgarian peasant's dress with
- 8:16Speaker 1: double apron, so defiant that her servility to Reina is
- 8:21Speaker 1: almost insolent. She is afraid of Catherine, but even with her,
- 8:25Speaker 1: goes as far as she dares. She is just now
- 8:29Speaker 1: excited like the others, but she has no sympathy for
- 8:32Speaker 1: Raina's raptures, and looks contemptuously at the ecstasies of the
- 8:36Speaker 1: two before she addresses them. Lucan, if you please, madam,
- 8:43Speaker 1: all the windows are to be closed and the shutters
- 8:46Speaker 1: made fast. They say there may be shooting in the streets.
- 8:50Speaker 1: Verena and Catherine rise together alarmed. The servians are being
- 8:55Speaker 1: chased right back through the pass, and they say they
- 8:58Speaker 1: may run into the town. Our cavalry will be after them,
- 9:02Speaker 1: and our people will be ready for them. You may
- 9:05Speaker 1: be sure now that they are running away. She goes
- 9:08Speaker 1: out on the balcony and pulls the outside shutters too,
- 9:12Speaker 1: then steps back into the room. Raina, I wish our
- 9:17Speaker 1: people were not so cruel. What glory is there in
- 9:21Speaker 1: killing wretched fugitives? Catherine business like her housekeeping instincts aroused.
- 9:28Speaker 1: I must see that everything is made safe downstairs. To Luca,
- 9:33Speaker 1: leave the shutters so that I can just close them
- 9:36Speaker 1: if I hear any noise, Catherine authoritatively, turning on her
- 9:41Speaker 1: way to the door. Oh no, dear, you must keep
- 9:44Speaker 1: them fastened. You would be sure to drop off to
- 9:47Speaker 1: sleep and leave them open and make them fast Luca. Luca, yes, madam,
- 9:54Speaker 1: She fastens them. Rayina, don't be anxious about me. The
- 10:00Speaker 1: moment I hear a shot, I shall blow out the
- 10:02Speaker 1: candles and roll myself up in bed with my ears
- 10:05Speaker 1: well covered. Catherine. Quite the wisest thing you can do,
- 10:09Speaker 1: my love. Good night, Rayina, good night. They kiss one another,
- 10:14Speaker 1: and Ryina's emotion comes back for a moment. Wish me
- 10:18Speaker 1: joy of the happiest night of my life. If only
- 10:21Speaker 1: there are no fugitives. Catherine go to bed, dear, and
- 10:26Speaker 1: don't think of them. She goes out. Luca secretly to Ryina,
- 10:32Speaker 1: if you would like the shutters open, just give them
- 10:35Speaker 1: a push like this. She pushes them. They open, She
- 10:38Speaker 1: pulls them to again. One of them ought to be
- 10:41Speaker 1: bolted at the bottom, but the bolt's gone, Rayina, with
- 10:46Speaker 1: dignity reproving her Thanks Luca, but we must do what
- 10:50Speaker 1: we are told. Luca makes a grimace. Good night, Luca
- 10:56Speaker 1: carelessly good night. She goes out swagger. Raina, left alone,
- 11:03Speaker 1: goes to the chest of drawers and adores the portrait
- 11:06Speaker 1: there with feelings that are beyond all expression. She does
- 11:10Speaker 1: not kiss it, or press it to her breast, or
- 11:12Speaker 1: show it any mark of bodily affection, but she takes
- 11:16Speaker 1: it in her hands and elevates it like a priestess,
- 11:20Speaker 1: Raina looking up at the picture with worship. Oh, I
- 11:24Speaker 1: shall never be unworthy of you anymore, my hero, never, never, never.
- 11:31Speaker 1: She replaces it reverently and selects a novel from the
- 11:34Speaker 1: little pile of books. She turns over the leaves, dreamily
- 11:39Speaker 1: finds her page, turns the book inside out at it,
- 11:43Speaker 1: and then, with a happy sigh, gets into bed and
- 11:45Speaker 1: prepares to read herself to sleep. But before abandoning her
- 11:50Speaker 1: self to fiction, she raises her eyes once more, thinking
- 11:54Speaker 1: of the blessed reality, and murmurs, my hero, My hero.
- 12:03Speaker 1: A distant shot breaks the quiet of the night outside.
- 12:06Speaker 1: She starts listening, and two more shots much nearer follow
- 12:11Speaker 1: startling her so that she scrambles out of bed and
- 12:14Speaker 1: hastily blows out the candle on the chest of drawers. Then,
- 12:18Speaker 1: putting her fingers in her ears, she runs to the
- 12:21Speaker 1: dressing table and blows out the light there, and hurries
- 12:24Speaker 1: back to bed. The room is now in darkness. Nothing
- 12:28Speaker 1: is visible but the glimmer of the light in the
- 12:30Speaker 1: pierced ball before the image, and the starlight seen through
- 12:34Speaker 1: the slits at the top of the shutters. The firing
- 12:37Speaker 1: breaks out again. There is a startling fusillade quite close
- 12:41Speaker 1: at hand. Whilst it is still echoing, the shutters disappear,
- 12:47Speaker 1: pulled open from without, and for an instant the rectangle
- 12:51Speaker 1: of snowy starlight flashes out, with the figure of a
- 12:54Speaker 1: man in black upon it. The shutters close immediately and
- 12:58Speaker 1: the room is dark again, but the silence is now
- 13:01Speaker 1: broken by the sound of panting. Then there is a scrape,
- 13:06Speaker 1: and the flame of a match is seen in the
- 13:08Speaker 1: middle of the room. Raina crouching on the bed. Who's there?
- 13:14Speaker 1: The match is out instantly? Who's there? Who is that?
- 13:19Speaker 1: A man's voice in the darkness, subduedly but threateningly, sh sh,
- 13:24Speaker 1: don't call out or you'll be shot. Be good and
- 13:27Speaker 1: no harm will happen to you. She is heard leaving
- 13:30Speaker 1: her bed and making for the door. Take care, there's
- 13:33Speaker 1: no use in trying to run away. Remember, if you
- 13:36Speaker 1: raise your voice, my pistol will go off commandingly. Strike
- 13:42Speaker 1: a light and let me see you. Do you hear
- 13:45Speaker 1: another moment of silence and darkness, Then she is heard
- 13:49Speaker 1: retreating to the dressing table. She lights a candle, and
- 13:53Speaker 1: the mystery is at an end. A man of about
- 13:56Speaker 1: thirty five, in a deplorable light be spattered with mud
- 14:00Speaker 1: and blood and snow, his belt and the strap of
- 14:03Speaker 1: his revolver case keeping together the torn ruins of the
- 14:06Speaker 1: blue coat of a servian artillery officer. As far as
- 14:10Speaker 1: the candlelight and his unwashed, unkempt condition make it possible
- 14:14Speaker 1: to judge. He is a man of middling stature and
- 14:17Speaker 1: undistinguished appearance, with strong neck and shoulders, a roundish, obstinate
- 14:23Speaker 1: looking head, covered with short, crisp bronze curls, clear quick
- 14:27Speaker 1: blue eyes, and good brows and mouth, a hopelessly prosaic
- 14:31Speaker 1: nose like that of a strong minded, baby trim soldier,
- 14:35Speaker 1: like carriage and energetic manner, and with all his widths
- 14:39Speaker 1: about him, in spite of his desperate predicament, even with
- 14:43Speaker 1: a sense of humor of it, without, however, the least
- 14:45Speaker 1: intention of trifling with it or throwing away a chance.
- 14:49Speaker 1: He reckons up what he can guess about Rhina, her age,
- 14:53Speaker 1: her social position, her character, the extent to which he
- 14:56Speaker 1: is frightened at a glance, and continues more politely, but
- 15:00Speaker 1: still more determinedly. Excuse my disturbing you, but you recognize
- 15:05Speaker 1: my uniform servian. If I am caught, I shall be
- 15:10Speaker 1: killed determinedly. Do you understand that Raina? Yes? Man, Well,
- 15:19Speaker 1: I don't intend to get killed if I can help it?
- 15:23Speaker 1: Still more determinedly, do you understand that he locks the
- 15:27Speaker 1: door with a snap? Raina disdainfully? I suppose not. She
- 15:34Speaker 1: draws herself up superbly and looks him straight in the face, saying,
- 15:38Speaker 1: with emphasis, Some soldiers I know are afraid of death,
- 15:43Speaker 1: man with grim, good humor. All of them, dear lady,
- 15:47Speaker 1: all of them believe me. It is our duty to
- 15:50Speaker 1: live as long as we can and kill as many
- 15:53Speaker 1: of the enemy as we can. Now, if you raise
- 15:56Speaker 1: an alarm, Raina, cutting him short, you will shoot me.
- 16:00Speaker 1: How do you know that I am afraid to die?
- 16:03Speaker 1: Man cunningly? Ah, But suppose I don't shoot you. What
- 16:08Speaker 1: will happen then, why A lot of your cavalry, the
- 16:12Speaker 1: greatest blackbirds in your army, will burst into this pretty
- 16:16Speaker 1: room of yours and slaughter me here like a pig.
- 16:20Speaker 1: For I'll fight like a demon. They shan't get me
- 16:23Speaker 1: into the street to amuse themselves with. I know what
- 16:26Speaker 1: they are. Are you prepared to receive that sort of
- 16:29Speaker 1: company in your present undress? Raina, suddenly conscious of her
- 16:34Speaker 1: night gown, instinctively shrinks and gathers it more closely about her.
- 16:39Speaker 1: He watches her and adds, pitilessly, it's rather a scanty a.
- 16:45Speaker 1: She turns to the ottoman. He raises his pistol instantly
- 16:49Speaker 1: and cries, stop. She stops, where are you going? Raina,
- 16:55Speaker 1: with dignified patience, only to get my cloak? Man darting
- 17:01Speaker 1: to the ottoman and snatching the cloak A good idea. No,
- 17:06Speaker 1: I'll keep the cloak, and you will take care that
- 17:09Speaker 1: nobody comes in and sees you without it. This is
- 17:12Speaker 1: a better weapon than the pistol. He throws the pistol
- 17:16Speaker 1: down on the ottoman. Raina revolted. It is not the
- 17:21Speaker 1: weapon of a gentleman man. It's good enough for a
- 17:25Speaker 1: man with only you to stand between him and death.
- 17:28Speaker 1: As they look at one another for a moment, Raina
- 17:32Speaker 1: hardly able to believe that even a servian officer can
- 17:35Speaker 1: be so cynically and selfishly unchivalrous, they are startled by
- 17:40Speaker 1: a sharp fusillade in the street. The chill of imminent
- 17:44Speaker 1: death hushes the man's voice as he adds, do you
- 17:47Speaker 1: hear if you are going to bring those scoundrels in
- 17:50Speaker 1: on me, you shall receive them as you are Reina
- 17:55Speaker 1: meets his eye with unflinching scorn. Suddenly he starts listening.
- 18:01Speaker 1: There is a step outside. Someone tries the door and
- 18:04Speaker 1: then knocks hurriedly and urgently at it. Raina looks at
- 18:08Speaker 1: the man breathless. He throws up his head with the
- 18:11Speaker 1: gesture of a man who sees that it is all
- 18:14Speaker 1: over with him, and, dropping the manner which he has
- 18:17Speaker 1: been assuming to intimidate her, flames the cloak to her, exclaiming,
- 18:21Speaker 1: sincerely and kindly, ah, no use, I'm done for Quick,
- 18:25Speaker 1: wrap yourself up, they're coming, Raina, catching the cloak eagerly,
- 18:31Speaker 1: Oh thank you. She wraps herself up with great relief.
- 18:35Speaker 1: He draws his saber and turns to the door, waiting
- 18:40Speaker 1: Luca outside knocking. My lady, My lady, get up quick
- 18:44Speaker 1: and open the door. Raina anxiously. What will you do?
- 18:49Speaker 1: Man grimly, never mind, keep out of the way. It
- 18:53Speaker 1: will not last long. Raina impulsively, I'll help you. Hide yourself, Oh,
- 18:59Speaker 1: hide yourself quick behind the curtain. She seizes him by
- 19:03Speaker 1: a torn strip of his sleeve and pulls him towards
- 19:07Speaker 1: the window. Man yielding to her, There is just half
- 19:11Speaker 1: a chance if you keep your head. Remember, nine soldiers
- 19:15Speaker 1: out of ten are born fools. He hides behind the curtain,
- 19:20Speaker 1: looking out for a moment to say, finally, if they
- 19:23Speaker 1: find me, I promise you a fight, A devil of
- 19:26Speaker 1: a fight. He disappears. Raina takes off the cloak and
- 19:31Speaker 1: throws it across the foot of the bed. Then, with
- 19:34Speaker 1: a sleepy, disturbed air, she opens the door. Luca enters excitedly. Luca,
- 19:40Speaker 1: a man has been seen climbing up the water pipe
- 19:43Speaker 1: to your balcony, a servian. The soldiers want to search
- 19:46Speaker 1: for him, and they are so wild and drunk and furious.
- 19:50Speaker 1: My lady says, you are to dress at once. Raina,
- 19:53Speaker 1: as if annoyed at being disturbed. They shall not search here.
- 19:58Speaker 1: Why have they been let in? Catherine coming in hastily, Raina, darling,
- 20:03Speaker 1: are you safe? Have you seen any one or heard anything? Raina?
- 20:08Speaker 1: I heard the shooting. Surely the soldiers will not dare
- 20:11Speaker 1: come in here, Catherine, I have found a Russian officer.
- 20:16Speaker 1: Thank Heaven, he knows Sergius speaking through the door to
- 20:20Speaker 1: some one outside. Sir, will you come in now? My
- 20:23Speaker 1: daughter is ready. A young Russian officer in Bulgarian uniform
- 20:28Speaker 1: enters sword in hand, the officer with soft, feline politeness
- 20:33Speaker 1: and stiff military carriage. Good evening, gracious lady. I am
- 20:37Speaker 1: sorry to intrude, but there is a fugitive hiding on
- 20:40Speaker 1: the balcony. Will you and the gracious lady your mother
- 20:44Speaker 1: please to withdraw whilst we search. Raina petulantly nonsense, Sir.
- 20:50Speaker 1: You can see there is no one on the balcony.
- 20:53Speaker 1: She throws the shutters wide open and stands with her
- 20:56Speaker 1: back to the curtain where the man is hidden, pointing
- 20:58Speaker 1: to the moonlit balcom A couple of shots are fired
- 21:03Speaker 1: right under the window, and the bullet shatters the glass
- 21:05Speaker 1: opposite Raina, who winks and gasps, but stands her ground,
- 21:10Speaker 1: while Catherine screams and the officer rushes to the balcony.
- 21:14Speaker 1: The officer on the balcony shouting savagely down to the street,
- 21:19Speaker 1: cease firing there, you fools, do you hear? Cease firing?
- 21:22Speaker 1: Damn you? He glares down for a moment, then turns
- 21:26Speaker 1: to Ena, trying to resume his polite manner. Could anyone
- 21:31Speaker 1: have got in without your knowledge? Were you asleep? Rayena? No,
- 21:36Speaker 1: I have not been to bed, the officer impatiently, coming
- 21:40Speaker 1: back into the room. Your neighbors have their heads so
- 21:44Speaker 1: full of runaway servians that they see them everywhere. Politely, gracious,
- 21:50Speaker 1: lady A thousand pardons good night, military bow, which Raina
- 21:56Speaker 1: returns coldly, another to Catherine, who follows him out. Reina
- 22:01Speaker 1: closes the shutters. She turns and sees Luca, who has
- 22:05Speaker 1: been watching the scene curiously, Reyina, don't leave my mother, Luca,
- 22:10Speaker 1: whilst the soldiers are here. Luca glances at Rayena, at
- 22:15Speaker 1: the ottoman at the curtain, then purses her lips, secretively,
- 22:20Speaker 1: laughs to herself and goes out. Raina follows her to
- 22:24Speaker 1: the door, shuts it behind her with a slam, and
- 22:27Speaker 1: locks it violently. The man immediately steps out from behind
- 22:31Speaker 1: the curtain, sheathing his saber and dismissing the danger from
- 22:35Speaker 1: his mind in a business like way. Man, a narrow shave,
- 22:39Speaker 1: but a miss is as good as a mile. Dear
- 22:42Speaker 1: young lady, your servant until death, I wish for your
- 22:46Speaker 1: sake I had joined the Bulgarian army instead of the Servian.
- 22:49Speaker 1: I am not a native Servian, Reina, haughtily. No, you
- 22:54Speaker 1: are one of the Austrians who set the Servians on
- 22:57Speaker 1: to rob us of our national liberty, and who offer
- 23:00Speaker 1: her their army for them. We hate them, man, Austrian.
- 23:06Speaker 1: Not I don't hate me, dear young lady. I'm only
- 23:10Speaker 1: as Swiss, fighting merely as a professional soldier. I joined
- 23:14Speaker 1: servia because it was nearest to me. Be generous. You've
- 23:17Speaker 1: beaten us, hollow, Reina, Have I not been generous? Man? Noble, heroic?
- 23:26Speaker 1: But I'm not saved yet. This particular rush will soon
- 23:30Speaker 1: pass through, but the pursuit will go on all night
- 23:33Speaker 1: by fits and starts. I must take my chance to
- 23:36Speaker 1: get off during a quiet interval. You don't mind my
- 23:39Speaker 1: waiting just a minute or two, do you, Reina? Oh? No,
- 23:44Speaker 1: I am sorry. You will have to go into danger again.
- 23:48Speaker 1: Motioning towards ottoman, who won't you sit, She breaks off
- 23:52Speaker 1: with an irrepressible cry of alarm. As she catches sight
- 23:56Speaker 1: of the pistol. The man all nerves shies a frightened
- 24:00Speaker 1: horse man irritably, don't frighten me like that. What is it, Reina,
- 24:07Speaker 1: your pistol? It was staring that officer in the face
- 24:10Speaker 1: all the time? What an escape man vexed at being
- 24:15Speaker 1: unnecessarily terrified? Oh is that all? Reina staring at him
- 24:22Speaker 1: rather superciliously, conceiving a poorer and poor opinion of him,
- 24:27Speaker 1: and feeling proportionately more and more at her ease with him.
- 24:32Speaker 1: I am sorry, I frightened you. She takes up the
- 24:35Speaker 1: pistol and hands it to him. Pray, take it to
- 24:38Speaker 1: protect yourself against me. Man grinning wearily at the sarcasm
- 24:43Speaker 1: as he takes the pistol, No use, dear young lady,
- 24:47Speaker 1: there is nothing in it. It's not loaded. He makes
- 24:50Speaker 1: a grimace at it and drops it disparagingly into his
- 24:53Speaker 1: revolver case. Reina, loaded by all means man, I I
- 25:00Speaker 1: have no ammunition. What use are cartridges in battle? I
- 25:04Speaker 1: always carry chocolate instead, and I finished the last cake
- 25:08Speaker 1: of that yesterday. Raina outraged in her most cherished ideals
- 25:14Speaker 1: of manhood chocolate. Do you stuff your pockets with sweets
- 25:19Speaker 1: like a schoolboy even in a field? Man? Yes, isn't
- 25:24Speaker 1: it contemptible? Raina stares at him, unable to utter her feelings.
- 25:30Speaker 1: Then she sails away, scornfully to the chest of drawers
- 25:34Speaker 1: and returns with a box of confectionery in her hand.
- 25:38Speaker 1: Raina allow me. I am sorry. I've eaten them all
- 25:42Speaker 1: except these. She offers him the box man ravenously. You're
- 25:48Speaker 1: an angel. He gobbles the comforts creams delicious. He looks
- 25:55Speaker 1: anxiously to see whether there are any more. There are none,
- 26:00Speaker 1: ups the inevitable with pathetic good humor, and says, with
- 26:03Speaker 1: grateful emotion, bless you, dear lady. You can always tell
- 26:08Speaker 1: an old soldier by the insides of his holsters and
- 26:11Speaker 1: cartridge boxes. The young ones carry pistols and cartridges. The
- 26:15Speaker 1: old ones grub Thank you. He hands back the box.
- 26:21Speaker 1: She snatches it contemptuously from him and throws it away.
- 26:25Speaker 1: This impatient action is so sudden that he shies again.
- 26:30Speaker 1: Oh don't do thinks so suddenly gracious lady, don't revenge
- 26:34Speaker 1: yourself because I've frightened you just now, Rayna, superbly frighten me.
- 26:41Speaker 1: Do you know, sir, that though I am only a woman,
- 26:44Speaker 1: I think I am at heart as brave as you man.
- 26:50Speaker 1: I should think so. You haven't been under fire for
- 26:53Speaker 1: three days as I have. I can stand two days
- 26:57Speaker 1: without showing it much, but no man can stand three days.
- 27:01Speaker 1: I'm as nervous as a mouse. He sits down on
- 27:05Speaker 1: the ottoman and takes his head in his hands. Would
- 27:08Speaker 1: you like to see me cry? Reina quickly? No, man,
- 27:16Speaker 1: If you would, all you have to do is to
- 27:19Speaker 1: scold me, just as if I were a little boy
- 27:21Speaker 1: in you my nurse. If I were in camp now,
- 27:25Speaker 1: they'd play all sorts of tricks on me. Reina a
- 27:29Speaker 1: little moved, I'm sorry, I won't scold you. Touched by
- 27:34Speaker 1: these sympathy in her tone, he raises his head and
- 27:37Speaker 1: looks gratefully at her. She immediately draws back, insaistively. You
- 27:42Speaker 1: must excuse me. Our soldiers are not like that. She
- 27:46Speaker 1: moves away from the ottoman. Man, oh, yes they are.
- 27:52Speaker 1: There are only two sorts of soldiers, old ones and
- 27:56Speaker 1: young ones. I've served fourteen years. Half of your fellows
- 28:00Speaker 1: never smelt powder before. Why how is it that you've
- 28:04Speaker 1: beaten us? Sheer ignorance of the art of war? Nothing
- 28:08Speaker 1: else indignantly, I never saw anything so unprofessional, Raina, ironically,
- 28:17Speaker 1: Oh was it unprofessional to beat you? Man? Well? Come?
- 28:23Speaker 1: Is it professional to throw a regiment of cavalry on
- 28:27Speaker 1: a battery of machine guns with the dead certainty that
- 28:30Speaker 1: if the guns go off, not a horse or man
- 28:33Speaker 1: will ever get within fifty yards of the fire. I
- 28:36Speaker 1: couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it, Raina, eagerly
- 28:42Speaker 1: turning to him as all her enthusiasm and her dream
- 28:45Speaker 1: of glory rushed back on her. Did you see the
- 28:50Speaker 1: great cavalry charge? Oh? Tell me about it? Describe it
- 28:53Speaker 1: to me. Man. You never saw a cavalry charge, did you, Reina?
- 29:00Speaker 1: How could I? Man? Ah? Perhaps not, of course. Well
- 29:05Speaker 1: it's a funny sight. It's like slinging a handful of
- 29:09Speaker 1: peas against a windowpane. First one comes, then two or
- 29:14Speaker 1: three close behind him, and then all the rest in
- 29:17Speaker 1: a lump, Reina, her eyes dilating as she raises her
- 29:21Speaker 1: clasped hands ecstatically. Yes, first one, the bravest of the
- 29:28Speaker 1: brave man prosaically. Hmm. You should see the poor devil
- 29:34Speaker 1: pulling at his horse, Reina, Why should he pull at
- 29:38Speaker 1: his horse? Man? Impatient of so stupid a question. It's
- 29:43Speaker 1: running away with him, of course. Do you suppose the
- 29:47Speaker 1: fellow wants to get there before the others and be killed?
- 29:51Speaker 1: Then they all come. You can tell the young ones
- 29:54Speaker 1: by their wildness and their slashing. The old ones come
- 29:58Speaker 1: bunched up under the number one guard. They know that
- 30:01Speaker 1: they are mere projectiles, and that it's no use trying
- 30:05Speaker 1: to fight. The wounds are mostly broken knees from the
- 30:08Speaker 1: horse's cannoning together. Raina, Oh, but I don't believe the
- 30:13Speaker 1: first man is a coward. I believe he is a
- 30:16Speaker 1: hero man, good humoredly. That's what you'd have said if
- 30:21Speaker 1: you'd seen the first man in the charge today, Reina, breathless. Ah,
- 30:27Speaker 1: I knew it. Tell me, tell me about him man.
- 30:31Speaker 1: He did it like an operatic tenor, a regular handsome
- 30:36Speaker 1: fellow with flashing eyes and the lovely mustache, shouting a
- 30:40Speaker 1: war cry and charging like don Quixote at the windmills.
- 30:44Speaker 1: We nearly burst with laughter at him. But when the
- 30:47Speaker 1: sergeant ran up as white as a sheet, and told
- 30:51Speaker 1: us they'd sent us the wrong cartridges, and that we
- 30:54Speaker 1: couldn't fire a shot for the next ten minutes. We
- 30:57Speaker 1: laughed at the other side of our mouths. I never
- 31:01Speaker 1: felt so sick in my life, though I've been in
- 31:03Speaker 1: one or two very tight places, and I hadn't even
- 31:07Speaker 1: a revolver cartridge. Nothing but chocolate. We'd know bayonets nothing.
- 31:13Speaker 1: Of course, they just cut us to bits. And there
- 31:17Speaker 1: was Don Quixote, flourishing like a drum major, thinking he'd
- 31:21Speaker 1: done the cleverest thing ever known, whereas he ought to
- 31:25Speaker 1: be court martial for it. Of all the fools ever
- 31:28Speaker 1: let loose on a field of battle, that man must
- 31:32Speaker 1: be the very maddest. He and his regiment simply committed suicide.
- 31:38Speaker 1: Only the pistol missed fire. That's all. Raina deeply wounded
- 31:44Speaker 1: but steadfastly loyal to her ideals. Indeed, would you know
- 31:49Speaker 1: him again? If you saw him? Man? Shall I ever
- 31:54Speaker 1: forget him? She again goes to the chest of drawers.
- 31:58Speaker 1: He watches her with a vague hope that she may
- 32:00Speaker 1: have something else for him to eat. She takes the
- 32:03Speaker 1: portrait from his stand and brings it to him. Raina,
- 32:08Speaker 1: that is a photograph of the gentleman, the patriot and
- 32:12Speaker 1: hero to whom I am betrothed. Man looking at it,
- 32:19Speaker 1: I'm really very sorry looking at her. Was it fair
- 32:23Speaker 1: to lead me on? He looks at the portrait again. Yes,
- 32:28Speaker 1: that's him, not a doubt of it. He stifles a laugh, Reina, quickly,
- 32:34Speaker 1: why do you laugh? Man, shamefacedly, but still greatly tickled.
- 32:39Speaker 1: I didn't laugh, I assure you, at least I didn't
- 32:42Speaker 1: mean to. But when I think of him charging the
- 32:46Speaker 1: windmills and thinking he was doing the finest thing, chokes
- 32:51Speaker 1: with suppressed laughter. Raina sternly give me back the portrait,
- 32:56Speaker 1: sir Man, with sincere remorse. Of course, certainly, I'm really
- 33:02Speaker 1: very sorry. She deliberately kisses it and looks him straight
- 33:07Speaker 1: in the face, before returning to the chest of drawers
- 33:10Speaker 1: to replace it. He follows her, apologizing, perhaps I'm quite wrong.
- 33:16Speaker 1: You know, no doubt I am. Most likely he got
- 33:19Speaker 1: wind of the cartridge business somehow and knew it was
- 33:22Speaker 1: a safe job, Reina. That is to say he was
- 33:25Speaker 1: a pretender and a coward. You did not dare say
- 33:30Speaker 1: that before Man, with a comic gesture of despair, it's
- 33:34Speaker 1: no use, dear lady. I can't make you see it
- 33:38Speaker 1: from the professional point of view. As he turns away
- 33:41Speaker 1: to get back to the ottoman, the firing begins again
- 33:44Speaker 1: in the distance. Reina sternly as she sees him, listening
- 33:49Speaker 1: to the shots. So much the better for you, man turning,
- 33:55Speaker 1: how Reina, you are my enemy and you are at
- 34:01Speaker 1: my mercy. What would I do if I were a
- 34:04Speaker 1: professional soldier? Man? Ah true, dear young lady, You're always right.
- 34:11Speaker 1: I know how good you have been to me to
- 34:14Speaker 1: my last hour. I shall remember those three chocolate creams.
- 34:18Speaker 1: It was unsoldierly, but it was angelic. Rna coldly thank you,
- 34:26Speaker 1: and now I will do the soldiery thing. You cannot
- 34:30Speaker 1: stay here after what you have just said about my
- 34:32Speaker 1: future husband, But I will go out on the balcony
- 34:35Speaker 1: and see whether it is safe for you to climb
- 34:37Speaker 1: down into the street. She turns to the window, man
- 34:41Speaker 1: changing countenance down that water pipe. Stop. Wait, I can't,
- 34:47Speaker 1: I daren't. The very thought of it makes me giddy.
- 34:51Speaker 1: I came up it fast enough with death behind me,
- 34:54Speaker 1: but to face it now in cold blood? He sinks
- 34:58Speaker 1: on the ottoman. It's no use, I give up. I'm beaten.
- 35:04Speaker 1: Give the alarm. He drops his head in his hands
- 35:08Speaker 1: in the deepest dejection. Rayina, disarmed by pity. Come, don't
- 35:15Speaker 1: be disheartened. She stoops over him, almost maternally. He shakes
- 35:21Speaker 1: his head. Oh you are a very poor soldier, a
- 35:25Speaker 1: chocolate cream soldier. Come cheer up. It takes less courage
- 35:29Speaker 1: to climb down than to face capture, remember that man,
- 35:34Speaker 1: dreamily lulled by her voice. No, capture only means death,
- 35:39Speaker 1: and death is sleep. Oh, sleep, sleep, sleep, undisturbed sleep. Ah,
- 35:48Speaker 1: Climbing down the pipe means doing something, exerting myself, thinking
- 35:53Speaker 1: death ten times over first, Reina softly and wonderingly, catching
- 35:58Speaker 1: the rhythm of his weary Are you so sleepy as
- 36:02Speaker 1: that man? I've not had two hours undisturbed sleep since
- 36:09Speaker 1: the war began. I'm on the staff. You don't know
- 36:12Speaker 1: what that means. I haven't closed my eyes for thirty
- 36:16Speaker 1: six hours. Raina desperately. But what am I to do
- 36:22Speaker 1: with you man staggering up? Of course I must do something.
- 36:29Speaker 1: He shakes himself, pulls himself together, and speaks with rallied
- 36:32Speaker 1: vigor and courage. You see, sleep hard, no sleep, hunger
- 36:38Speaker 1: or no hunger, tired or not tired. You can always
- 36:42Speaker 1: do a thing when you know it must be done well.
- 36:46Speaker 1: That pipe must be got down. He hits himself on
- 36:50Speaker 1: the chest and adds, do you hear that? You chocolate
- 36:53Speaker 1: cream soldier? He turns to the window. Raina anxiously. But
- 36:59Speaker 1: if you fall, man, I shall sleep as if the
- 37:04Speaker 1: stones were a feather bed. Goodbye. He makes boldly for
- 37:08Speaker 1: the window, and his hand is on the shutter when
- 37:11Speaker 1: there is a terrible burst of firing in the street
- 37:14Speaker 1: beneath Raina. Rushing to him, stop, She catches him by
- 37:19Speaker 1: the shoulder and turns him quite round. They'll kill you, man,
- 37:24Speaker 1: coolly but attentively. Never mind, this sort of thing is
- 37:29Speaker 1: all in my day's work. I'm bound to take my
- 37:32Speaker 1: chance decisively. Now do what I tell you. Put out
- 37:37Speaker 1: the candles so that they shan't see the light when
- 37:39Speaker 1: I open the shutters, and keep away from the window,
- 37:41Speaker 1: whatever you do. If they see me, they're sure to
- 37:44Speaker 1: have a shot at me, Reina clinging to him. They're
- 37:49Speaker 1: sure to see you. It's bright moonlight. I'll save you. Oh,
- 37:54Speaker 1: how can you be so indifferent? You want me to
- 37:57Speaker 1: save you, don't you? Man? I really don't want to
- 38:01Speaker 1: be troublesome. She shakes him in her impatience. I am
- 38:06Speaker 1: not indifferent, dear young lady, I assure you. But how
- 38:10Speaker 1: is it to be done? Reina? Come away from the window, please?
- 38:16Speaker 1: She coaxes him back to the middle of the room.
- 38:19Speaker 1: He submits humbly. She releases him and addresses him patronizingly. Now, listen,
- 38:25Speaker 1: you must trust to our hospitality. You do not yet
- 38:29Speaker 1: know in whose house you are. I am a pet
- 38:32Speaker 1: cough Man. What's that, Reina? Rather indignantly, I mean that
- 38:39Speaker 1: I belong to the family of the pet Coughs, the
- 38:43Speaker 1: richest and best known in our country. Man, Oh, yes,
- 38:48Speaker 1: of course, I beg your pardon, the pet Coughs, to
- 38:51Speaker 1: be sure. How stupid of me, Reina, You know you
- 38:56Speaker 1: never heard of them until this minute? How can you
- 38:59Speaker 1: stoop to pretend? Man? Forgive me, I'm too tired to think,
- 39:05Speaker 1: and the change of subject was too much for me.
- 39:07Speaker 1: Don't scold me, Rain, I forgot. It might make you cry.
- 39:13Speaker 1: He nods quite seriously. She pouts, and then resumes her
- 39:18Speaker 1: patronizing tone. I must tell you that my father holds
- 39:22Speaker 1: the highest command of any Bulgarian in our army. He
- 39:26Speaker 1: is proudly a major man pretending to be deeply impressed
- 39:33Speaker 1: a major. Bless me. Think of that rain. You showed
- 39:39Speaker 1: great ignorance in thinking that it was necessary to climb
- 39:42Speaker 1: up to the balcony. Because ours is the only private
- 39:45Speaker 1: house that has two rows of windows. There is a
- 39:48Speaker 1: flight of stairs inside to get up and down by
- 39:52Speaker 1: man stairs. How grand you live in great luxury? Indeed,
- 39:57Speaker 1: dear young lady, do you know what a library is, Man?
- 40:06Speaker 1: A library a room full of books, Reina. Yes, we
- 40:11Speaker 1: have one, the only one in Bulgaria, Man, actually a
- 40:16Speaker 1: real library. I should like to see that, Reina. Affectively,
- 40:22Speaker 1: I tell you these things to show you that you
- 40:24Speaker 1: are not in the house of ignorant country folk who
- 40:27Speaker 1: would kill you the moment they saw your surveyan uniform,
- 40:31Speaker 1: but among civilized people. We go to Bucharest every year
- 40:35Speaker 1: for the opera season, and I have spent a whole
- 40:38Speaker 1: month in Vienna. Man. I saw that, dear young lady,
- 40:44Speaker 1: I saw it once that you knew the world, Reina.
- 40:48Speaker 1: Have you ever seen the opera of Ernani? Man? Is
- 40:53Speaker 1: that the one with the devil in it? In red velvet?
- 40:56Speaker 1: And a soldier's chorus, Reina canchemptuously no, man, stifling a
- 41:03Speaker 1: heavy sigh of weariness. Then I don't know it, Reina.
- 41:10Speaker 1: I thought you might have remembered the great scene where
- 41:13Speaker 1: er Nani, flying from his foes, just as you are tonight,
- 41:17Speaker 1: takes refuge in the castle of his bitterest enemy and
- 41:20Speaker 1: old Castilian noble. The noble refuses to give him up.
- 41:25Speaker 1: His guest is sacred to him. Man, quickly waking a little.
- 41:30Speaker 1: Have your people got that notion? Reina? With dignity? My
- 41:36Speaker 1: mother and I can understand that notion, as you call it.
- 41:40Speaker 1: But if instead of threatening me with your pistol as
- 41:43Speaker 1: you did, you had simply thrown yourself as a fugitive
- 41:47Speaker 1: on our hospitality, you would have been as safe as
- 41:50Speaker 1: in your father's house. Man, quite sure, Rehina, turning her
- 41:56Speaker 1: back on him in disgust. Oh, it is useless to
- 41:59Speaker 1: try to make you understand, man, don't be angry. You
- 42:05Speaker 1: see how awkward it would be for me if there
- 42:07Speaker 1: was any mistake. My father is a very hospitable man.
- 42:11Speaker 1: He keeps six hotels, but I couldn't trust him as
- 42:15Speaker 1: far as that. What about your father, Reina? He is
- 42:20Speaker 1: away in Slivnitza fighting for his country. I answer for
- 42:24Speaker 1: your safety. There is my hand in pledge of it.
- 42:28Speaker 1: Will that reassure you? She offers him her hand man
- 42:33Speaker 1: looking dubiously at his own hand. Better not touch my hand,
- 42:37Speaker 1: dear young lady, I must have a wash first, Reina touched.
- 42:43Speaker 1: That is very nice of you. I see that you
- 42:46Speaker 1: are a gentleman. Man puzzled a Reina, You must not
- 42:52Speaker 1: think I am surprised. Bulgarians of really good standing people
- 42:57Speaker 1: in our position wash their hands nearly every day. But
- 43:02Speaker 1: I appreciate your delicacy. You may take my hand, She
- 43:06Speaker 1: offers it again, man kissing it with his hands behind
- 43:11Speaker 1: his back. Thanks, gracious, young lady. I feel safe at last,
- 43:17Speaker 1: And now would you mind breaking the news to your mother?
- 43:20Speaker 1: I had better not stay here secretly longer than is necessary, Reina,
- 43:26Speaker 1: If you will be so good as to keep perfectly
- 43:28Speaker 1: still whilst I am away, man certainly, he sits down
- 43:34Speaker 1: on the ottoman. Reina goes to the bed and wraps
- 43:38Speaker 1: herself in the fur cloak. His eyes close, she goes
- 43:42Speaker 1: to the door, but on turning for a last look
- 43:44Speaker 1: at him, sees that he is dropping off to sleep.
- 43:48Speaker 1: Raina at the door. You are not going asleep, or you,
- 43:53Speaker 1: he murmurs inarticulately. She runs to him and shakes him.
- 43:57Speaker 1: Do you here, wake up? You are falling asleep? Man, eh,
- 44:02Speaker 1: falling asleep. Oh no, not the least in the world.
- 44:07Speaker 1: I was only thinking. It's all right. I'm wide awake,
- 44:13Speaker 1: Raina severely. Will you please stand up while I am away?
- 44:18Speaker 1: He rises reluctantly, all the time, mind, man, standing unsteadily. Certainly,
- 44:26Speaker 1: certainly you may depend on me. Raina looks doubtfully at him.
- 44:32Speaker 1: He smiles foolishly. She goes reluctantly, turning again at the
- 44:37Speaker 1: door and almost catching him in the act of yawning.
- 44:40Speaker 1: She goes out, man drowsily, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep Siley.
- 44:50Speaker 1: The words trail off into a murmur. He wakes again
- 44:54Speaker 1: with a shock, on the point of falling. Where am I?
- 44:57Speaker 1: That's what I want to know? Where am I? Must
- 45:00Speaker 1: keep awake? Nothing keeps me awake except danger? Remember that
- 45:06Speaker 1: intently danger? Danger? Danger? Where's danger? Must find it? He
- 45:13Speaker 1: starts off vaguely around the room in search of it.
- 45:17Speaker 1: What am I looking for? Sleep? Danger? Don't know? He
- 45:23Speaker 1: stumbles against the bed. Ah, yes, now I know, all right,
- 45:27Speaker 1: now I'm to go to bed, but not to sleep.
- 45:30Speaker 1: Be sure, not to sleep because of danger. Not to
- 45:36Speaker 1: lie down either, only sit down. He sits on the bed.
- 45:41Speaker 1: A blissful expression comes into his face. Ah, with a
- 45:47Speaker 1: happy sigh. He sinks back at full length, lifts his
- 45:51Speaker 1: boots into the bed with a final effort, and falls
- 45:55Speaker 1: fast asleep instantly. Catherine comes in, followed by Raina. Raina
- 46:02Speaker 1: looking at the ottoman. He's gone. I left him here,
- 46:06Speaker 1: Catherine here, then he must have climbed down from the
- 46:10Speaker 1: Raina seeing him, Oh, she points Catherine, scandalized well, she
- 46:19Speaker 1: strides to the left side of the bed, Raina following
- 46:22Speaker 1: and standing opposite her on the right. He's fast asleep,
- 46:26Speaker 1: the brute Raina anxiously sh Catherine shaking him, Sir, shaking
- 46:34Speaker 1: him again, harder, Sir, vehemently shaking very hard, Sir, Raina
- 46:41Speaker 1: catching her arm. Don't, Mamma, the poor dear is worn out.
- 46:45Speaker 1: Let him sleep, Catherine, letting him go and turning amazed
- 46:49Speaker 1: to Reina. The poor dear ray Ena. She looks sternly
- 46:55Speaker 1: at her daughter. The man sleeps profoundly. End of Act one,
- 47:05Speaker 1: Act two, the sixth of March eighteen eighty six. In
- 47:11Speaker 1: the garden of Major Petkoff's house. It is a fine
- 47:15Speaker 1: spring morning and the garden looks fresh and pretty. Beyond palings,
- 47:20Speaker 1: the tops of a couple of minarets can be seen,
- 47:23Speaker 1: showing that there is a valley there with the little
- 47:25Speaker 1: town in it. A few miles further, the Balkan mountains
- 47:30Speaker 1: rise and shut. In the view within the garden, the
- 47:33Speaker 1: side of the house is seen on the right, with
- 47:36Speaker 1: a garden door reached by a little flight of steps.
- 47:39Speaker 1: On the left, the stable yard with its gateway encroaches
- 47:43Speaker 1: on the garden. There are fruit bushes along the palings
- 47:46Speaker 1: and house covered with washing hung out to dry. A
- 47:50Speaker 1: path runs by the house and rises by two steps
- 47:54Speaker 1: at the corner where it turns out of the right.
- 47:56Speaker 1: Along the front in the middle, a small table with
- 48:00Speaker 1: two bent wood chairs at it is laid for breakfast
- 48:03Speaker 1: with Turkish coffee, pot cups, rolls, et cetera, but the
- 48:07Speaker 1: cups have been used and the bread broken. There is
- 48:11Speaker 1: a wooden garden seat against the wall. On the left.
- 48:14Speaker 1: Luka smoking a cigarette is standing between the table and
- 48:18Speaker 1: the house, turning her back with angry disdain on a
- 48:22Speaker 1: man servant who is lecturing her. He is a middle
- 48:26Speaker 1: aged man of cool temperament and low but clear and
- 48:29Speaker 1: keen intelligence, with the complacency of the servant who values
- 48:33Speaker 1: himself on his rank in servility, and the imperturbability of
- 48:38Speaker 1: the accurate calculator who has no illusions. He wears a
- 48:42Speaker 1: white Bulgarian costume jacket with decorated border, sash, wide knickerbuckers
- 48:49Speaker 1: and decorated garters. His head is shaved up to the crown,
- 48:53Speaker 1: giving him a high Japanese forehead. His name is Nikola.
- 48:58Speaker 1: Nikola warned in time, Luca, mend your manners. I know
- 49:03Speaker 1: the mistress. She is so grand that she never dreams
- 49:07Speaker 1: that any servant would dare to be disrespectful to her.
- 49:11Speaker 1: But if she once suspects that you are defying her,
- 49:14Speaker 1: out you go, Luca. I do defy her. I will
- 49:20Speaker 1: defy her. What do I care for her? Niccola. If
- 49:24Speaker 1: you quarrel with the family, I can never marry you.
- 49:27Speaker 1: It's the same as if you quarreled with me. Luca,
- 49:31Speaker 1: you take her part against me, do you? Nicola said lately,
- 49:37Speaker 1: I shall always be dependent on the good will of
- 49:39Speaker 1: the family. When I leave their service and start a
- 49:42Speaker 1: shop in Sophia, their custom will be half my capital.
- 49:46Speaker 1: Their bad word would ruin me. Luca, you have no spirit.
- 49:53Speaker 1: I should like to see them dare say a word
- 49:55Speaker 1: against me, Nicola, pitying. I should have affected more sense
- 50:01Speaker 1: from you, Luca, But you're young, Your young, Luca, you
- 50:06Speaker 1: have no spell? No, Luca, Yes, and you like me
- 50:11Speaker 1: the better for it, don't you? But I know some
- 50:14Speaker 1: family secrets they wouldn't care to have told young as
- 50:17Speaker 1: I am. Let them quarrel with me if they dare,
- 50:22Speaker 1: Nicola with compassionate superiority. Do you know what they would
- 50:27Speaker 1: do if they heard you talk like that, Luca? What
- 50:31Speaker 1: could they do, Nicola? Discharge you for untruthfulness? Who would
- 50:37Speaker 1: believe any stories you told after that? Who would give
- 50:41Speaker 1: you another situation? Who in this house would dare be
- 50:45Speaker 1: seen speaking to you ever again? How long would your
- 50:49Speaker 1: father be left on his little farm? She impatiently throws
- 50:53Speaker 1: away the end of her cigarette and stamps on it. Child,
- 50:57Speaker 1: You don't know the power such high people have over
- 51:00Speaker 1: the like of you and me when we try to
- 51:02Speaker 1: rise out of our poverty against them. He goes close
- 51:07Speaker 1: to her and lowers his voice. Look at me. Ten
- 51:10Speaker 1: years in their service do you think I know no secrets.
- 51:15Speaker 1: I know things about the Mistress that she wouldn't have
- 51:18Speaker 1: the Master know for a thousand levers. I know things
- 51:22Speaker 1: about him that she wouldn't let him hear the last
- 51:25Speaker 1: of for six months if I blab them to her.
- 51:29Speaker 1: I know things about Rhena that would break off her
- 51:31Speaker 1: match with Sergius if Luca turning on him quickly. How
- 51:36Speaker 1: do you know? I never told you, Nikola opening his
- 51:39Speaker 1: eyes cunningly. So that's your little secret, is it? I
- 51:44Speaker 1: thought it might be something like that. Well, you take
- 51:48Speaker 1: my advice and be respectful and make the mistress feel
- 51:52Speaker 1: that no matter what you know or don't know, they
- 51:55Speaker 1: can depend on you to hold your tongue and serve
- 51:59Speaker 1: the family faithful. That's what they like, and that's how
- 52:03Speaker 1: you make most out of them. Luca. With searching scorn,
- 52:08Speaker 1: you have the soul of a servant, Nikola. Nikola complacently. Yes,
- 52:15Speaker 1: that's the secret of success in service. A loud knocking
- 52:19Speaker 1: with a whip handle on a wooden door outside on
- 52:22Speaker 1: the left is heard male voice outside, Hello, Hello there,
- 52:27Speaker 1: nikolaw Luca Master back from the war, Nikola, quickly, my
- 52:35Speaker 1: word for it, Luca, the war is over. Off with
- 52:37Speaker 1: you and get some fresh coffee. He runs into the
- 52:40Speaker 1: stable yard, Luca as she puts the coffee pot and
- 52:44Speaker 1: the cups upon the tray and carries it into the house.
- 52:48Speaker 1: You'll never put the soul of a servant into me.
- 52:52Speaker 1: Major pet Cough comes from the stable yard, followed by Niccola.
- 52:56Speaker 1: He is a cheerful, excitable, insignificant, unpolished man of about fifty,
- 53:02Speaker 1: naturally unambitious except as to his income and his importance
- 53:06Speaker 1: in local society, but just now greatly pleased with the
- 53:10Speaker 1: military rank which the war has thrust on him. As
- 53:13Speaker 1: a man of consequence in his town. The fever of
- 53:17Speaker 1: plucky patriotism which the Servian attack roused in all the
- 53:21Speaker 1: Bulgarians has pulled him through the war, but he is
- 53:24Speaker 1: obviously glad to be home again. Petkof, pointing to the
- 53:29Speaker 1: table with his whip. Breakfast out here, eh, Nikola, Yes, sir,
- 53:35Speaker 1: the Mistress and Miss Rain have just gone in. Pet Cough,
- 53:39Speaker 1: sitting down and taking a roll, Go in and say
- 53:43Speaker 1: I've come and get me some fresh coffee. Nikola, it's coming, sir.
- 53:48Speaker 1: He goes to the house door Luca with fresh coffee,
- 53:51Speaker 1: a clean cup and a brandy bottle on her tray,
- 53:54Speaker 1: meets him. Have you told the mistress Luca? Yes, she's coming.
- 53:59Speaker 1: Nicola goes into the house. Luca brings the coffee to
- 54:02Speaker 1: the table. Pet cough. Well, the servians haven't run away
- 54:07Speaker 1: with you, have they, Luca, No, sir pet cough, that's right.
- 54:12Speaker 1: Have you brought me some cognac? Luca putting the bottle
- 54:15Speaker 1: on the table. Here, sir pet cough, that's right. He
- 54:20Speaker 1: pours some into his coffee. Katherine, who has at this
- 54:25Speaker 1: early hour made only a very perfunctory toilet and wears
- 54:29Speaker 1: a bulgarian apron over a once brilliant but now half
- 54:33Speaker 1: worn out, red dressing gown and a colored handkerchief tied
- 54:36Speaker 1: over her thick black hair, with Turkish slippers on her
- 54:39Speaker 1: bare feet, comes from the house looking astonishingly handsome and
- 54:44Speaker 1: stately under all the circumstances. Luca goes into the house. Catherine,
- 54:50Speaker 1: my dear Paul, What a surprise for us. She stoops
- 54:55Speaker 1: over the back of his chair to kiss him. Have
- 54:57Speaker 1: they brought you fresh coffee? Pet k Yes, Luca's been
- 55:01Speaker 1: looking after me. The war's over. The treaty was signed
- 55:05Speaker 1: three days ago at Bucharest, and the decree for our
- 55:08Speaker 1: army to demobilize was issued yesterday. Catherine, springing erect with
- 55:13Speaker 1: flashing eyes, the war over, Paul. Have you let the
- 55:19Speaker 1: Austrians force you to make peace? Petkof submissively, my dear,
- 55:24Speaker 1: they didn't consult me. What could I do? She sits
- 55:29Speaker 1: down and turns away from him. But of course we
- 55:32Speaker 1: saw to it that the treaty was an honorable one.
- 55:35Speaker 1: It declares peace. Catherine outraged, peace Petkoff appeasing her, but
- 55:42Speaker 1: not friendly relations. Remember that they wanted to put that in,
- 55:46Speaker 1: but I insisted on it being struck out. What more
- 55:49Speaker 1: could I do, Catherine? You could have annexed Servia and
- 55:54Speaker 1: made Prince Alexander Emperor of the Balkans. That what I
- 55:58Speaker 1: would have done, Petkof, I don't doubt it in the least,
- 56:03Speaker 1: my dear. But I should have had to subdue the
- 56:05Speaker 1: whole Austrian Empire first, and that would have kept me
- 56:09Speaker 1: too long away from you. I missed you greatly, Catherine,
- 56:14Speaker 1: relenting Ah stretches her hand affectionately across the table to
- 56:19Speaker 1: squeeze his pet cough. And how have you been, my
- 56:23Speaker 1: dear Katherine? Oh, my usual sore throats, that's all pet cough,
- 56:29Speaker 1: with conviction that comes from washing your neck every day.
- 56:34Speaker 1: I've often told you so, Katherine, nonsense, Paul pet cough
- 56:40Speaker 1: over his coffee and cigarette. I don't believe in going
- 56:44Speaker 1: too far with these modern customs. All this washing can't
- 56:48Speaker 1: be good for the health. It's not natural. There was
- 56:51Speaker 1: an Englishman at Philipopoulos who used to wet himself all
- 56:55Speaker 1: over with cold water every morning when he got up. Disgusting.
- 56:59Speaker 1: It all comes from the English. Their climate makes them
- 57:02Speaker 1: so dirty that they have to be perpetually washing themselves.
- 57:07Speaker 1: Look at my father. He never had a bath in
- 57:09Speaker 1: his life, and he lived to be ninety eight, the
- 57:12Speaker 1: healthiest man in Bulgaria. I don't mind a good wash
- 57:16Speaker 1: once a week to keep up my position, but once
- 57:19Speaker 1: a day is carrying the thing to a ridiculous extreme. Catherine,
- 57:26Speaker 1: you are a barbarian at Hartsteel, Paul. I hope you
- 57:30Speaker 1: behaved yourself before all those Russian officers, pet cough. I
- 57:34Speaker 1: did my best. I took care to let them know
- 57:37Speaker 1: that we had a library, Catherine, Ah, but you didn't
- 57:42Speaker 1: tell them that we have an electric bell in it.
- 57:45Speaker 1: I have had one put up, pet cough. What's an
- 57:49Speaker 1: electric bell, Katherine? You touch a button, something tinkles in
- 57:54Speaker 1: the kitchen, and then Nikola comes up, pekough, why not
- 57:58Speaker 1: shout for him? Civilized people never shout for their servants.
- 58:03Speaker 1: I've learned that while you were away, pet cough. Well,
- 58:07Speaker 1: I'll tell you something I've learned too. Civilized people don't
- 58:11Speaker 1: hang out there washing to dry where visitors can see it.
- 58:15Speaker 1: So you'd better have all that indicating the clothes on
- 58:18Speaker 1: the bushes put somewhere else. Catherine, Oh, that's absurd, Paul.
- 58:25Speaker 1: I don't believe really refined people notice such things. Someone
- 58:29Speaker 1: is heard knocking at the stable gates pet cough. They're
- 58:33Speaker 1: Sergius shouting hello Nikola. Catherine, Oh, don't shout, Paul, it
- 58:39Speaker 1: really isn't nice. Pet cough. Bosh, he shouts louder than before.
- 58:45Speaker 1: Nikola Nicola appearing at the house door. Yes, sir, pet cough.
- 58:52Speaker 1: If that is major Saranoff, bring him round this way.
- 58:56Speaker 1: He pronounces the name with a stress on the second syllable,
- 59:00Speaker 1: Saranov Nikola, Yes, sir. He goes into the stable yard, petkof.
- 59:10Speaker 1: You must talk to him, my dear, until Raina takes
- 59:13Speaker 1: him off. Our hands. He bores my life out about
- 59:17Speaker 1: our not promoting him over my head, mind you, Catherine,
- 59:23Speaker 1: he certainly ought to be promoted when he marries Raina. Besides,
- 59:27Speaker 1: the country should insist on having at least one native
- 59:30Speaker 1: general Petkough, Yes, so that he could throw away whole
- 59:34Speaker 1: brigades instead of regiments. It's no use, my dear. He
- 59:39Speaker 1: has not the slightest chance of promotion until we are
- 59:42Speaker 1: quite sure that the peace will be a lasting one.
- 59:45Speaker 1: Nikola at the gate, announcing Major Sergius Saranov. He goes
- 59:50Speaker 1: into the house and returns presently with a third chair,
- 59:54Speaker 1: which he places at the table. He then withdraws Major
- 59:59Speaker 1: Sergius Saranov, the original of the portrait and ray in
- 1:00:03Speaker 1: his room is a tall, romantically handsome man with the
- 1:00:08Speaker 1: physical hardihood, the high spirit, and the susceptible imagination of
- 1:00:13Speaker 1: an untamed mountaineer chieftain. But his remarkable personal distinction is
- 1:00:18Speaker 1: of a characteristically civilized type. The ridges of his eyebrows
- 1:00:24Speaker 1: curving with a ramshorn twist round the marked projections at
- 1:00:28Speaker 1: the outer corners, his jealously observant eye, his nose thin,
- 1:00:34Speaker 1: keen and apprehensive in spite of the pugnacious high Bridge
- 1:00:38Speaker 1: and large Nostril. His assertive chin would not be out
- 1:00:42Speaker 1: of place in a Paris salon. In short, the clever,
- 1:00:47Speaker 1: imaginative barbarian has an acute critical faculty which has been
- 1:00:52Speaker 1: thrown into intense activity by the arrival of Western civilization
- 1:00:57Speaker 1: in the Balkans. And the result is precisely what the
- 1:01:01Speaker 1: advent of nineteenth century thought first produced in England. To
- 1:01:05Speaker 1: wit Byronism. Why his brooding on the perpetual failure not
- 1:01:11Speaker 1: only of others but of himself to live up to
- 1:01:15Speaker 1: his imaginative ideals, his consequent cynical scorn for humanity, the
- 1:01:21Speaker 1: jejune credulity as to the absolute validity of his ideals,
- 1:01:25Speaker 1: and the unworthiness of the world in disregarding them, his
- 1:01:29Speaker 1: wincings and mockeries. Under the sting of the petty dissolusions
- 1:01:34Speaker 1: which every hour spent among men bring to his infallibly
- 1:01:37Speaker 1: quick observation, he has acquired the half tragic, half ironic air,
- 1:01:43Speaker 1: the mysterious moodiness, the suggestion of a strange and terrible
- 1:01:48Speaker 1: history that has left him nothing but undying remorse by
- 1:01:52Speaker 1: which child Harold fascinated the grandmothers of his English contemporaries. Altogether,
- 1:01:59Speaker 1: it is clear that here are nowhere is Raina's ideal hero.
- 1:02:06Speaker 1: Catherine is hardly less enthusiastic and much less reserved in
- 1:02:10Speaker 1: showing her enthusiasm. As he enters from the stable gate,
- 1:02:14Speaker 1: she rises effusively to greet him. Pet Cough is distinctly
- 1:02:19Speaker 1: less disposed to make a fuss about him. Pet Cough
- 1:02:24Speaker 1: here already, Sergius, glad to see you, Catherine, My dear Sergius.
- 1:02:31Speaker 1: She holds out both her hands, Sergius, kissing them with
- 1:02:35Speaker 1: scrupulous gallantry, My dear mother, if I may call you so,
- 1:02:41Speaker 1: Petkough dryly, mother in law, Sergius, mother in law, sit
- 1:02:46Speaker 1: down and have some coffee. Sergius, thank you none for me.
- 1:02:52Speaker 1: He gets away from the table with a certain distaste
- 1:02:55Speaker 1: for Petkoff's enjoyment of it, and posts himself with conscious
- 1:02:58Speaker 1: grace against the rail of the steps leading to the house. Catherine,
- 1:03:04Speaker 1: you look superb splendid. The campaign has improved you. Everyone
- 1:03:11Speaker 1: here is mad about you. We are all wild with
- 1:03:15Speaker 1: enthusiasm about that magnificent cavalry charge. Sergius with grave irony, Madam,
- 1:03:23Speaker 1: it was the cradle and the grave of my military reputation, Catherine.
- 1:03:29Speaker 1: How so, Sirchius, I won the battle the wrong way
- 1:03:35Speaker 1: when our worthy Russian generals were losing it the right way.
- 1:03:39Speaker 1: That have set their plans and wounded their self esteem.
- 1:03:43Speaker 1: Two of their colonels got their regiments driven back on
- 1:03:47Speaker 1: the correct principles of scientific warfare. Two major generals got
- 1:03:51Speaker 1: killed strictly according to military etiquette. Those two colonels are
- 1:03:56Speaker 1: now major generals. And I am still a simple Catherine.
- 1:04:02Speaker 1: You shall not remain so, Sergius. The women are on
- 1:04:06Speaker 1: your side, and they will see that justice has done you. Sergius.
- 1:04:12Speaker 1: It is too late. I have only waited for the
- 1:04:14Speaker 1: peace to send in my resignation. Petkough dropping his cup
- 1:04:19Speaker 1: in his amazement your resignation, Catherine, Oh, you must withdraw it, Sergius,
- 1:04:27Speaker 1: with resolute, measured emphasis, folding his arms. I never withdraw
- 1:04:35Speaker 1: Petkough vexed now, who could have supposed you were going
- 1:04:39Speaker 1: to do such a thing, Sergius, with fire everyone that
- 1:04:44Speaker 1: knew me. But enough of myself and my affairs. How
- 1:04:48Speaker 1: is Reina and where is Raina? Reyina suddenly coming round
- 1:04:54Speaker 1: the corner of the house and standing at the top
- 1:04:57Speaker 1: of the steps in the path. Reina is here. She
- 1:05:01Speaker 1: makes a charming picture as they all turn to look
- 1:05:04Speaker 1: at her. She wears an underdress of pale green silk,
- 1:05:08Speaker 1: draped with an over dress of thin or crew canvas
- 1:05:11Speaker 1: embroidered with gold. On her head, she wears a pretty
- 1:05:15Speaker 1: pretty in cap of gold tinsel. Sergius, with an exclamation
- 1:05:20Speaker 1: of pleasure, goes impulsively to meet her. She stretches out
- 1:05:24Speaker 1: her hand. He drops chivalrously on one knee and kisses it.
- 1:05:30Speaker 1: Petkof asigh to Catherine, beaming with parental pride. Pretty, isn't it?
- 1:05:36Speaker 1: She always appears at the right moment. Catherine impatiently, yes,
- 1:05:42Speaker 1: she listens for it. It is an abominable habit. Sergius
- 1:05:47Speaker 1: leads Rhina forward with splendid gallantry, as if she were
- 1:05:50Speaker 1: a queen. When they come to the table, she turns
- 1:05:54Speaker 1: to him with a bend of the head. He bows,
- 1:05:57Speaker 1: and thus they separate, he coming to his place, she
- 1:06:01Speaker 1: going behind her father's chair, Raina, stooping and kissing her father.
- 1:06:06Speaker 1: Dear father, welcome home, petkough, patting her cheek, my little
- 1:06:12Speaker 1: pet girl. He kisses her. She goes to the chair
- 1:06:16Speaker 1: left by Nicola, for Sergius and sits down, Catherine, And
- 1:06:22Speaker 1: so you're no longer a soldier, Sergius. Sergius, I am
- 1:06:28Speaker 1: no longer a soldier. Soldiering, my dear Madam, is the
- 1:06:32Speaker 1: coward's art of attacking mercilessly when you are strong, and
- 1:06:37Speaker 1: keeping out of harm's way when you were a weak.
- 1:06:39Speaker 1: That is the whole secret of successful fighting. Get your
- 1:06:43Speaker 1: enemy at a disadvantage, and never, on any account fight
- 1:06:47Speaker 1: him on equal terms. A major Petkough, they wouldn't let
- 1:06:53Speaker 1: us make a fair stand up fight of it. However,
- 1:06:55Speaker 1: I suppose soldiering has to be a trade like any
- 1:06:58Speaker 1: other trade, Sergius, precisely. But I have no ambition to
- 1:07:05Speaker 1: succeed as a tradesman. So I have taken the advice
- 1:07:08Speaker 1: of that bag man of a captain that settled the
- 1:07:11Speaker 1: exchange of prisoners with us at Pirot, and given it up.
- 1:07:16Speaker 1: Petkof what that Swiss fellow, Sergius, I have often thought
- 1:07:22Speaker 1: of that exchange, since he overreached us about those horses. Sergius,
- 1:07:28Speaker 1: of course he overreached us. His father was a hotel
- 1:07:32Speaker 1: and livery stable keeper, and he owed his first step
- 1:07:36Speaker 1: to his knowledge of horse dealing. With mock enthusiasm. Ah,
- 1:07:40Speaker 1: he was a soldier, every inch a soldier. If only
- 1:07:44Speaker 1: I had bought the horses from my regiment instead of
- 1:07:47Speaker 1: foolishly leading it into danger, I should have been a
- 1:07:50Speaker 1: field marshal. Now, Catherine, a Swiss. What was he doing
- 1:07:56Speaker 1: in the Servian army? Petkaf a volunteer of course? Keen
- 1:08:03Speaker 1: on picking up his profession, chuckling, he we shouldn't have
- 1:08:07Speaker 1: been able to begin fighting if these foreigners hadn't shown
- 1:08:11Speaker 1: us how to do it. We knew nothing about it,
- 1:08:14Speaker 1: and neither did the Servians. He gad, there'd have been
- 1:08:18Speaker 1: no war without them, Ryena. Are there many Swiss officers
- 1:08:23Speaker 1: in the Servian army, Petkov No, all Austrians, just as
- 1:08:28Speaker 1: our officers were all Russians. This was the only Swiss
- 1:08:32Speaker 1: I came across. I'll never trust a Swiss again. He
- 1:08:37Speaker 1: cheated us, humbugged us into giving him fifty able bodied
- 1:08:41Speaker 1: men for two hundred confounded, worn out charges. They weren't
- 1:08:45Speaker 1: even etible, Sergius. We were two children in the hands
- 1:08:51Speaker 1: of that consu its soldier major, simply two innocent little children. Ryena,
- 1:08:57Speaker 1: What was he like? Oh? Ray, you know what a
- 1:09:01Speaker 1: silly question, Sergius. He was like a commercial traveler in uniform,
- 1:09:08Speaker 1: bousche wah to his boots, pet cough, grinning. Sergius tell
- 1:09:15Speaker 1: Catherine that queer story his friend told us about him,
- 1:09:19Speaker 1: how he escaped after Slivnitzae. You remember about his being
- 1:09:22Speaker 1: hit by two women, Sergius with bitter irony. Oh, yes,
- 1:09:29Speaker 1: quite a romance. He was serving in the very battery eye,
- 1:09:33Speaker 1: so unprofessionally charged. Being a thorough soldier, he ran away
- 1:09:38Speaker 1: like the rest of them, with our cavalry at his heels,
- 1:09:42Speaker 1: to escape their attentions. He had the good taste to
- 1:09:45Speaker 1: take refuge in the chamber of some patriotic young Bulgarian lady.
- 1:09:50Speaker 1: The young lady was enchanted by his persuasive commercial traveling manners.
- 1:09:55Speaker 1: She very modestly entertained him for an hour or so
- 1:10:00Speaker 1: called in her mother, lest her conductor should appear unmaidenly.
- 1:10:04Speaker 1: The old lady was equally fascinated, and the fugitive was
- 1:10:08Speaker 1: sent on his way in the morning, disguised in an
- 1:10:11Speaker 1: old coat belonging to the master of the house, who
- 1:10:14Speaker 1: was away at the war RAINA rising with marked stateliness.
- 1:10:20Speaker 1: Your life in the camp has made you coarse Sergius,
- 1:10:25Speaker 1: I did not think you would have repeated such a
- 1:10:27Speaker 1: story before me. She turns away coldly, Catherine also rising,
- 1:10:33Speaker 1: She is right, Sergius. If such women exist, we should
- 1:10:38Speaker 1: be spared the knowledge of them. Pet cough, pooh nonsense.
- 1:10:43Speaker 1: What does it matter? Sergius ashamed, No, petkof I was
- 1:10:50Speaker 1: wrong to raina with earnest humility. I beg your pardon.
- 1:10:56Speaker 1: I have behaved abominably. Forgive me, Raye. She bows reservedly,
- 1:11:03Speaker 1: and you too, Madam. Catherine bows graciously and sits down.
- 1:11:08Speaker 1: He proceeds solemnly, again addressing Reyina. The glimpses I have
- 1:11:13Speaker 1: had of the seamy side of life during the past
- 1:11:16Speaker 1: few months have made me cynical. But I should not
- 1:11:20Speaker 1: have brought my cynicism here, least of all into your presence, Rayina.
- 1:11:26Speaker 1: I here, turning to the others, he is evidently about
- 1:11:30Speaker 1: to begin a long speech when the major interrupts him.
- 1:11:34Speaker 1: Petkof stuff and nonsense, Sergius, that's quite enough fuss about nothing.
- 1:11:41Speaker 1: A soldier's daughter should be able to stand up without
- 1:11:44Speaker 1: flinching to a little strong conversation. He rises, calm, It's
- 1:11:49Speaker 1: time for us to get to business. We have to
- 1:11:52Speaker 1: make up our minds how those three regiments are to
- 1:11:55Speaker 1: get back to Philipopoulos. There's no forage for them on
- 1:11:59Speaker 1: the sofia. Right out, he goes toward the house. Come along.
- 1:12:04Speaker 1: Sergius is about to follow him when Catherine rises and intervenes. Catherine, Oh, Paul,
- 1:12:11Speaker 1: can't you spare Sergius for a few moments? Rayena has
- 1:12:15Speaker 1: hardly seen him yet. Perhaps I can help you to
- 1:12:18Speaker 1: settle about the regiments. Sergius protesting, my dear Madam. Impossible, you, Catherine,
- 1:12:25Speaker 1: stopping him playfully. You stay here, my dear Sergius. There
- 1:12:30Speaker 1: is no hurry. I have a word or two to
- 1:12:32Speaker 1: say to Paul. Sergius instantly bows and steps back. Now, dear,
- 1:12:39Speaker 1: taking Petcof's arm, Come and see the electric bell, petkough,
- 1:12:45Speaker 1: Oh very well, very well. They go into the house
- 1:12:48Speaker 1: together affectionately. Sergius, left alone with Rayena, looks anxiously at her,
- 1:12:54Speaker 1: fearing that she may still be offended. She smiles and
- 1:12:58Speaker 1: stretches out her arms to him. Exit right into house,
- 1:13:02Speaker 1: followed by Catherine. Sergius hastening to her, but refraining from
- 1:13:07Speaker 1: touching her without express permission. Am I forgiven Raina, placing
- 1:13:13Speaker 1: her hands on his shoulders as she looks up at
- 1:13:16Speaker 1: him with admiration and worship. My hero, my King, Sergius,
- 1:13:23Speaker 1: my Queen. He kisses her on the forehead with holy awe. Reena,
- 1:13:29Speaker 1: How I have envied you, Sergius. You have been out
- 1:13:33Speaker 1: in the world, on the field of battle, able to
- 1:13:37Speaker 1: prove yourself there worthy of any woman in the world,
- 1:13:40Speaker 1: whilst I have had to sit at home, inactive, dreaming, useless,
- 1:13:45Speaker 1: doing nothing that could give me the right to call
- 1:13:48Speaker 1: myself worthy of any man. Sergius, dearest, all my deeds
- 1:13:54Speaker 1: have been yours. You inspired me. I have gone through
- 1:13:58Speaker 1: the war like a knight tournament with his lady looking
- 1:14:01Speaker 1: on at him, Raina, and you have never been absent
- 1:14:05Speaker 1: from my thoughts for a moment. Very solemnly, Sergius, I
- 1:14:12Speaker 1: think we too have found the higher love. When I
- 1:14:16Speaker 1: think of you, I feel that I could never do
- 1:14:20Speaker 1: a base deed or think an ignoble thought, Sirgius, my
- 1:14:26Speaker 1: lady and my saint. Clasping her reverently, Raina returning his embrace.
- 1:14:33Speaker 1: My lord and my Sergius, sh let me be the worshiper.
- 1:14:39Speaker 1: Dear you little know how unworthy. Even the best man
- 1:14:43Speaker 1: is of a girl's pure passion. Raina, I trust you,
- 1:14:49Speaker 1: I love you. You will never disappoint me. Sergius Luca
- 1:14:53Speaker 1: is heard singing within the house. They quickly release each other. Hush.
- 1:14:59Speaker 1: I can't pretend to talk indifferently before her. My heart
- 1:15:02Speaker 1: is too full. Luca comes from the house with her tray.
- 1:15:07Speaker 1: She goes to the table and begins to clear it
- 1:15:10Speaker 1: with her back turned to them. I will go and
- 1:15:13Speaker 1: get my hat and then we can go out into lunchtime.
- 1:15:16Speaker 1: Wouldn't you like that, Sergius? Be quick. If you are
- 1:15:22Speaker 1: away five minutes, it will seem like five hours. Raina
- 1:15:26Speaker 1: runs to the top of the steps and turns there
- 1:15:29Speaker 1: to exchange a look with him and wave him a
- 1:15:31Speaker 1: kiss with both hands. He looks after her with emotion
- 1:15:36Speaker 1: for a moment, then turns slowly away, his face radiant
- 1:15:41Speaker 1: with the exultation of the scene which has just passed.
- 1:15:46Speaker 1: The movement shifts his field of vision into the corner
- 1:15:49Speaker 1: of which there now comes the tail of Luca's double apron.
- 1:15:54Speaker 1: His eye gleams at once. He takes a stealthy look
- 1:15:58Speaker 1: at her and begins to twirl his mustache nervously with
- 1:16:02Speaker 1: his left hand, akimbo on his hip, finally striking the
- 1:16:06Speaker 1: ground with both heels in something of a cavalry swagger,
- 1:16:09Speaker 1: strolls over to the left of the table opposite her
- 1:16:12Speaker 1: and says, Luca, do you know what the Higher Love is?
- 1:16:18Speaker 1: Luca astonished, No, sir, Sergius. Very fatiguing thing to keep
- 1:16:25Speaker 1: up for any length of time, Luca, one feels the
- 1:16:28Speaker 1: need of some relief after it, Luca innocently, Perhaps you
- 1:16:33Speaker 1: would like some coffee, sir. She stretches her hand across
- 1:16:37Speaker 1: the table for the coffee pot, Sergius taking her hand,
- 1:16:42Speaker 1: Thank you, Luca, Luca pretending to pull. Oh, sir, you
- 1:16:46Speaker 1: know I didn't mean that. I'm surprised at you, Sergius
- 1:16:51Speaker 1: coming clear of the table and drawing her with him.
- 1:16:54Speaker 1: I am surprised at myself, Luca. What with Sergius, the
- 1:16:59Speaker 1: hero of Slivedneta say, if he saw me? Now? What
- 1:17:03Speaker 1: would Sergius, the apostle of the Higher Love say if
- 1:17:07Speaker 1: he saw me? Now? What would the half dozen Sergius's
- 1:17:11Speaker 1: who keep popping in and out of this handsome figure
- 1:17:13Speaker 1: of mine say if they caught us here? Letting go
- 1:17:16Speaker 1: her hand and slipping his arm dexterously round her waist.
- 1:17:21Speaker 1: Do you consider my figure, handsome, Luca? Luca, let me go, sir,
- 1:17:27Speaker 1: I shall be disgraced. She struggles. He holds her inexorably.
- 1:17:32Speaker 1: Oh will you let go, Sergius, looking straight into her eyes. No, Luca,
- 1:17:41Speaker 1: then stand back where we can't be seen. Have you
- 1:17:44Speaker 1: no common sense? Sergius? Ah, that's reasonable. He takes her
- 1:17:50Speaker 1: into the stable yard gateway, where they are hidden from
- 1:17:53Speaker 1: the house. Luca complaining, I may have been seen from
- 1:17:57Speaker 1: the windows, miss rain is you're to be spying about
- 1:18:01Speaker 1: after you, Sergius, stung, letting her go. Take care, Luca.
- 1:18:06Speaker 1: I may be worthless enough to betray the horror of love,
- 1:18:10Speaker 1: but do not you insult it, Luca demurely. Not for
- 1:18:15Speaker 1: the world, sir, I'm sure. May I go on with
- 1:18:18Speaker 1: my work? Please now, Sergius again, putting his arm around her.
- 1:18:24Speaker 1: You are a provoking little witch, Luca. If you were
- 1:18:28Speaker 1: in love with me, would you spy out of windows
- 1:18:31Speaker 1: on me? Luca? Well, you see, sir, Since you say
- 1:18:36Speaker 1: you are a half dozen different gentlemen all at once,
- 1:18:40Speaker 1: I should have a great deal to look after. Sergius
- 1:18:44Speaker 1: charmed witty as well as pretty. He tries to kiss her,
- 1:18:50Speaker 1: Luca avoiding him. No, I don't want your kisses. Gentle
- 1:18:54Speaker 1: folk are all alike. You making love to me behind
- 1:18:58Speaker 1: Miss Raina's back, and she doing the same behind yours.
- 1:19:02Speaker 1: Sergius recarding a step Luca, Luca, it shows how little
- 1:19:08Speaker 1: you really care, Sergius, dropping his familiarity and speaking with
- 1:19:14Speaker 1: freezing politeness. If our conversation is to continue, Luca, you
- 1:19:20Speaker 1: will please remember that a gentleman does not discuss the
- 1:19:24Speaker 1: conduct of the lady he is engaged to with her maid, Luca,
- 1:19:30Speaker 1: It's so hard to know what a gentleman considers, right,
- 1:19:34Speaker 1: I thought from your trying to kiss me that you
- 1:19:36Speaker 1: had given up being so particular. Sergius, turning from her
- 1:19:42Speaker 1: and striking his forehead as he comes back into the
- 1:19:44Speaker 1: garden from the gateway. Devil, devil, Luca, ha, I expect
- 1:19:52Speaker 1: one of the six of you is very like me, sir,
- 1:19:56Speaker 1: though I am only miss rains Maid. She goes back
- 1:19:59Speaker 1: to her work at the table, taking no further notice
- 1:20:02Speaker 1: of him. Sergius speaking to himself, which of the six
- 1:20:08Speaker 1: is the real man? That's the question that torments me.
- 1:20:13Speaker 1: One of them is a hero, another a buffoon, another
- 1:20:17Speaker 1: a humbug, another, perhaps a bit of a blackuird. He
- 1:20:22Speaker 1: pauses and looks furtively at Luca as he adds with
- 1:20:25Speaker 1: deep bitterness, and one at least is a coward, jealous
- 1:20:31Speaker 1: like all cowards. He goes to the table, Luca, Luca, Yes, Sergius,
- 1:20:38Speaker 1: who is my rival? Luca? You shall never get that
- 1:20:44Speaker 1: out of me for love or money? Sergius. Why, Luca,
- 1:20:51Speaker 1: never mind? Why? Because you would tell that I told you,
- 1:20:55Speaker 1: and I should lose my place. Sergius, holding out his
- 1:21:00Speaker 1: right hand in affirmation. No, on the honor of a
- 1:21:04Speaker 1: He checks himself and his hand drops nervelessly as he
- 1:21:08Speaker 1: concludes sardonically, of a man capable of behaving as I
- 1:21:13Speaker 1: have been behaving for the last five minutes. Who is he, Luca?
- 1:21:19Speaker 1: I don't know. I never saw him. I only heard
- 1:21:22Speaker 1: his voice through the door of her room, Sergius, damn nation.
- 1:21:27Speaker 1: How dare you, Luca retreating? Oh? I mean no harm.
- 1:21:34Speaker 1: You've no right to take up my words like that.
- 1:21:36Speaker 1: The mistress knows all about it. And I tell you
- 1:21:39Speaker 1: that if that gentleman ever comes here again, Miss Raina
- 1:21:43Speaker 1: will marry him, whether he likes it or not. I
- 1:21:47Speaker 1: know the difference between the sort of manner you and
- 1:21:50Speaker 1: she put on before one another and the real manner.
- 1:21:54Speaker 1: Sergius shivers as if she had stabbed him. Then, setting
- 1:21:58Speaker 1: his face like iron, he strides grimly to her and
- 1:22:02Speaker 1: grips her above the elbows with both hands. Sergius, Now
- 1:22:07Speaker 1: listen you to me, Luca wincing, not so tight. You're
- 1:22:13Speaker 1: hurting me, Sergius, that doesn't matter. You have stained my
- 1:22:19Speaker 1: honor by making me a party to your eavesdropping, and
- 1:22:24Speaker 1: you have betrayed your mistress. Luca writhing, please, Sergius, that
- 1:22:31Speaker 1: shows that you are an abominable little clod of common
- 1:22:35Speaker 1: clay with the soul of a servant. He lets her
- 1:22:39Speaker 1: go as if she were an unclean thing, and turns away,
- 1:22:43Speaker 1: dusting his hands of her, to the bench by the wall,
- 1:22:46Speaker 1: where he sits down with averted head, meditating gloomily. Luca
- 1:22:52Speaker 1: whimpering angrily with her hands up her sleeves, feeling her
- 1:22:55Speaker 1: bruised arms. You know how to hurt with your tongue
- 1:22:59Speaker 1: as well as with your hands. But I don't care.
- 1:23:02Speaker 1: Now I've found out that whatever clay I'm made of,
- 1:23:05Speaker 1: you're made of the same as for her. She's a liar,
- 1:23:10Speaker 1: and her fine airs are a cheat, and I'm worth
- 1:23:13Speaker 1: six of her. She shakes the pain off heartily, tosses
- 1:23:18Speaker 1: her head, and sets to work to put the things
- 1:23:21Speaker 1: on the tray. He looks doubtfully at her once or twice.
- 1:23:25Speaker 1: She finishes packing the tray and laps the cloth over
- 1:23:28Speaker 1: the edges so as to carry all out together. As
- 1:23:32Speaker 1: she stoops to lift it, he rises, Sergius. Luca. She
- 1:23:39Speaker 1: stops and looks defiantly at him, with the tray in
- 1:23:41Speaker 1: her hands. A gentleman has no right to hurt a
- 1:23:45Speaker 1: woman under any circumstances. With profound humility, uncovering his head,
- 1:23:52Speaker 1: I beg your pardon, Luca. That sort of apology may
- 1:23:58Speaker 1: satisfy a lady, of what use is it to a servant. Sergius,
- 1:24:04Speaker 1: thus rudely crossed in his chivalry, throws it off with
- 1:24:07Speaker 1: a bitter laugh and says slightingly, Oh, you wish to
- 1:24:11Speaker 1: be paid for the hurt? He puts on his shako
- 1:24:15Speaker 1: and takes some money from his pocket. Luca, her eyes
- 1:24:19Speaker 1: filling with tears in spite of herself, no, I want
- 1:24:23Speaker 1: my hurt made well. Sergius, sobered by her tone, how
- 1:24:31Speaker 1: she rolls up her left sleeve, clasps her arm with
- 1:24:34Speaker 1: the thumb and fingers of her right hand, and looks
- 1:24:37Speaker 1: down at the bruise. Then she raises her head and
- 1:24:41Speaker 1: looks straight at him. Finally, with a superb gesture, she
- 1:24:46Speaker 1: presents her arm to be kissed. Amazed, he looks at her,
- 1:24:51Speaker 1: at the arm, at her again, hesitates, and then, with
- 1:24:55Speaker 1: shuddering intensity, exclaims, Sergius never and gets away as far
- 1:25:02Speaker 1: as possible from her. Her arm drops without a word
- 1:25:07Speaker 1: and with unaffected dignity. She takes her tray and it's
- 1:25:11Speaker 1: approaching the house when Reina returns, wearing a hat and
- 1:25:14Speaker 1: jacket in the height of the Vienna fashion of the
- 1:25:17Speaker 1: previous year eighteen eighty five. Luca makes way proudly for
- 1:25:22Speaker 1: her and then goes into the house. Reina, I'm ready.
- 1:25:28Speaker 1: What's the matter, Gaily? Have you been flirting with Luca
- 1:25:32Speaker 1: Sergius hastily? No, No, how can you think such a thing? Reina,
- 1:25:38Speaker 1: ashamed of herself. Forgive me, dear, it was only a jest.
- 1:25:41Speaker 1: I am so happy today. He goes quickly to her
- 1:25:45Speaker 1: and kisses her hand remorsefully. Catherine comes out and calls
- 1:25:49Speaker 1: to them from the top of the steps, Catherine coming
- 1:25:53Speaker 1: down to them. I am sorry to disturb you, children,
- 1:25:56Speaker 1: but Paul is distracted over those three regiments. He does
- 1:26:01Speaker 1: not know how to get them to Philipopoulos, and he
- 1:26:04Speaker 1: objects to every suggestion of mine. You must go and
- 1:26:08Speaker 1: help him, Sergius. He is in the library, Reina disappointed.
- 1:26:12Speaker 1: But we were just going out for a walk. Sergius,
- 1:26:17Speaker 1: I shall not be long. Wait for me just five minutes.
- 1:26:21Speaker 1: He runs up the steps to the door, Reina following
- 1:26:25Speaker 1: him to the foot of the steps and looking up
- 1:26:27Speaker 1: at him with timid coquetry. I shall go round and
- 1:26:31Speaker 1: wait in full view of the library windows. Be sure
- 1:26:34Speaker 1: you draw father's attention to me. If you are a
- 1:26:37Speaker 1: moment longer than five minutes, I shall go in and
- 1:26:40Speaker 1: fetch you regiments or no regiments. Sergius, laughing very well,
- 1:26:48Speaker 1: he goes in. Reina watches him until he is out
- 1:26:51Speaker 1: of her sight. Then, with a perceptible relaxation of manner,
- 1:26:56Speaker 1: she begins to pace up and down about the garden
- 1:26:58Speaker 1: in a brown stud Catherine, imagine their meeting. That's Swiss,
- 1:27:05Speaker 1: and hearing the whole story. The very first thing your
- 1:27:08Speaker 1: father asked for was the old coat. We sent him
- 1:27:11Speaker 1: off in a nice mess. You've got us into. Raina
- 1:27:17Speaker 1: gazing thoughtfully at the gravel as she walks. The little beast, Catherine,
- 1:27:24Speaker 1: little beast? What little beast? Raina to go and tell? Oh?
- 1:27:30Speaker 1: If I had him here, I'd stuff him with chocolate
- 1:27:33Speaker 1: creams till he couldn't ever speak again. Catherine, don't talk nonsense.
- 1:27:39Speaker 1: Tell me the truth, Raina. How long was he in
- 1:27:42Speaker 1: your room before you came to me? Raina whisking round
- 1:27:45Speaker 1: and recommencing her march in the opposite direction. Oh, I forget, Catherine,
- 1:27:52Speaker 1: you cannot forget. Did he really climb up after the
- 1:27:56Speaker 1: soldiers were gone? Or was he there when that officer
- 1:28:00Speaker 1: search the room? Reina? No, yes, I think he must
- 1:28:04Speaker 1: have been there, then, Catherine, you think, oh, Reina Raina,
- 1:28:10Speaker 1: will anything ever make you straightforward? If Sergius finds out,
- 1:28:15Speaker 1: it is all over between you, Reina, with cool impertinence. Oh,
- 1:28:20Speaker 1: I know, Sergius is your pet. I sometimes wish you
- 1:28:24Speaker 1: could marry him instead of me. You would just suit him,
- 1:28:28Speaker 1: You would pet him and spoil him and mother him
- 1:28:31Speaker 1: to perfection. Catherine, opening her eyes very wildly, indeed, well
- 1:28:38Speaker 1: upon my word, Reina capriciously after herself. I always feel
- 1:28:45Speaker 1: a longing to do or say something dreadful to him,
- 1:28:48Speaker 1: to shock his propriety, to scandalize the five senses out
- 1:28:53Speaker 1: of him. To Catherine, perversely, I don't care whether he
- 1:28:58Speaker 1: finds out about the chocolate cream or not. I have
- 1:29:02Speaker 1: hope he may. She again turns flippantly away and strolls
- 1:29:06Speaker 1: up the path to the corner of the house. Catherine,
- 1:29:10Speaker 1: and what should I be able to say to your father?
- 1:29:14Speaker 1: Pray Reina over his shoulder from the top of the
- 1:29:17Speaker 1: two steps. Oh, poor father, as if he could help himself.
- 1:29:23Speaker 1: She turns the corner and passes out of sight, Catherine
- 1:29:27Speaker 1: looking after her, her fingers itching, Oh, if you were
- 1:29:32Speaker 1: only ten years younger. Luca comes from the house with
- 1:29:36Speaker 1: a salver, which she carries hanging down by her side. Well, Luca,
- 1:29:42Speaker 1: there's a gentleman just called Madam, a servian officer, Catherine flaming,
- 1:29:49Speaker 1: a servian. How dare he checking herself? Bitterly? Oh, I
- 1:29:54Speaker 1: forgot we are at peace now. I suppose we shall
- 1:29:59Speaker 1: have them calling every day to pay their compliments. Well,
- 1:30:02Speaker 1: if he is an officer, why don't you tell your
- 1:30:04Speaker 1: master he is in the library with Major Soronov. Why
- 1:30:08Speaker 1: do you come to me, Luca? But he asks for you, Madam,
- 1:30:14Speaker 1: And I don't think he knows who you are. He
- 1:30:17Speaker 1: said the lady of the house. He gave me this
- 1:30:20Speaker 1: little ticket for you. She takes a card out of
- 1:30:23Speaker 1: her bosom, puts it on the salver, and offers it
- 1:30:26Speaker 1: to Catherine. Katherine, reading Captain blunchy, that's a German name,
- 1:30:34Speaker 1: Luca Swiss, Madam, I think, Katherine with a bound. That
- 1:30:39Speaker 1: makes Luca jump back Swiss. What is he like? Luca? Timidly,
- 1:30:45Speaker 1: he has a big carpet bag, Madam Katherine. Oh, heavens,
- 1:30:51Speaker 1: he's come to return the coat. Send him away, say
- 1:30:54Speaker 1: we're not at home. Ask him to leave his address
- 1:30:57Speaker 1: and I'll write to him. Oh stop, will never do. Wait.
- 1:31:02Speaker 1: She throws herself into a chair to think it out.
- 1:31:05Speaker 1: Luca waits. The Master and Major sadan Off are busy
- 1:31:09Speaker 1: in the library, aren't they, Luca, Yes, Madam Catherine, decisively,
- 1:31:16Speaker 1: bring the gentleman out here at once, imperatively, and be
- 1:31:20Speaker 1: very polite to him. Don't delay here impatiently snatching the
- 1:31:25Speaker 1: salver from her, leave that here and go straight back
- 1:31:27Speaker 1: to him. Luca. Yes, Madam going, Catherine, Luca, Luca stopping. Yes,
- 1:31:36Speaker 1: Madam Catherine. Is the library door shut, Luca, I think so,
- 1:31:42Speaker 1: Madam Catherine, if not shut it as you pass through, Luca, yes,
- 1:31:47Speaker 1: Madam going, Catherine stop. Luca stops. He will have to
- 1:31:54Speaker 1: go out that way, indicating the gait of the stable yard.
- 1:31:58Speaker 1: Tell Nicolotte to bring his bag here after him. Don't forget, Luca,
- 1:32:03Speaker 1: surprised his spag Catherine, yes, here as soon as possible, vehemently,
- 1:32:10Speaker 1: be quick. Luca runs into the house. Catherine snatches her
- 1:32:15Speaker 1: apron off and throws it behind a bush. She then
- 1:32:18Speaker 1: takes up the salver and uses it as a mirror,
- 1:32:21Speaker 1: with the result that the handkerchief tied round her head
- 1:32:24Speaker 1: follows the apron. A touch to her hair and a
- 1:32:27Speaker 1: shake to her dressing gown makes her presentable. Oh how,
- 1:32:32Speaker 1: how how can a man be such a fool? Such
- 1:32:35Speaker 1: a moment to select. Luca appears at the door of
- 1:32:39Speaker 1: the house, announcing Captain Blunchly and standing aside at the
- 1:32:44Speaker 1: top of the steps to let him pass before she
- 1:32:46Speaker 1: goes in again. He is the man of the adventure
- 1:32:51Speaker 1: in Raina's room, he is now clean, well brushed smartly,
- 1:32:56Speaker 1: uniformed and out of trouble, but still unmistakenly the same man.
- 1:33:02Speaker 1: The moment Luca's back is turned, Catherine swoops on him
- 1:33:06Speaker 1: with hurried, urgent, coaxing appeal. Captain Blunchley, I am very
- 1:33:12Speaker 1: glad to see you, but you must leave this house
- 1:33:15Speaker 1: at once, He raises his eyebrows. My husband has just
- 1:33:19Speaker 1: returned with my future son in law, and they know nothing.
- 1:33:24Speaker 1: If they did, the consequences would be terrible. You are
- 1:33:28Speaker 1: a foreigner. You do not feel our national animosities as
- 1:33:31Speaker 1: we do. We still hate the Serbians. The only effect
- 1:33:35Speaker 1: of the peace on my husband is to make him
- 1:33:38Speaker 1: feel like a lion balked of his prey. If he
- 1:33:41Speaker 1: discovered our secret, he would never forgive me, and my
- 1:33:44Speaker 1: daughter's life would hardly be safe. Will you like these
- 1:33:48Speaker 1: chivalrous gentlemen and soldier you are leave it once before
- 1:33:51Speaker 1: he finds you here. Blunchley disappointed but philosophical at once.
- 1:33:57Speaker 1: Gracious lady, I only came to thank you and return
- 1:34:01Speaker 1: the coat you lent me. If you will allow me
- 1:34:03Speaker 1: to take it out of my bag and leave it
- 1:34:05Speaker 1: with your servant as I pass out, I need detain
- 1:34:08Speaker 1: you no further. He turns to go into the house,
- 1:34:12Speaker 1: Catherine catching him by the sleeve. Oh you must not
- 1:34:16Speaker 1: think of going back that way, coaxing him across to
- 1:34:19Speaker 1: the stable gates. This is the shortest way out. Many thanks,
- 1:34:24Speaker 1: so glad to have been of service to you. Goodbye, Blunchly.
- 1:34:28Speaker 1: But my bag, Catherine, it will be sent on. You
- 1:34:33Speaker 1: will leave me your address, Blunchly true, allow me. He
- 1:34:38Speaker 1: takes out his card case and stops to write his address,
- 1:34:41Speaker 1: keeping Katherine in an agony of impatience. As he hands
- 1:34:45Speaker 1: her the card. Pet Cough, hatless rushes from the house,
- 1:34:49Speaker 1: and a fluster of hospitality, followed by Sergius pet Cough
- 1:34:54Speaker 1: as he hurries down the steps. My dear captain Blenchlely. Catherine, Oh, oh, heppens.
- 1:35:01Speaker 1: She sinks on the seat against the wall. Petkof too
- 1:35:06Speaker 1: preoccupied to notice her as he shakes Blunchley's hand heartily.
- 1:35:10Speaker 1: Those stupid people of mine thought I was out here
- 1:35:13Speaker 1: instead of in the uugh library. He cannot mention the
- 1:35:17Speaker 1: library without betraying how proud he is of it. I
- 1:35:21Speaker 1: saw you through the window. I was wondering why you
- 1:35:24Speaker 1: didn't come in. So Ronov is with me you remember him,
- 1:35:27Speaker 1: don't you, Sergius saluting humorously and then offering his hand
- 1:35:33Speaker 1: with great charm of manner. Welcome our friend, the enemy, Petkof,
- 1:35:39Speaker 1: no longer the enemy, happily, rather anxiously. I hope you've
- 1:35:43Speaker 1: come as a friend and not on business. Catherine, Oh,
- 1:35:48Speaker 1: quite as a friend. Paul I was just asking Captain
- 1:35:51Speaker 1: Blunchley to stay to lunch, but he declares he must
- 1:35:54Speaker 1: go at once. Sergius sardonically impossible, blunche. We want you
- 1:36:01Speaker 1: here badly. We have to send on three cavalry regiments
- 1:36:06Speaker 1: to Philipopoulos, and we don't in the least know how
- 1:36:09Speaker 1: to do it. Blunchley suddenly attentive and businesslike Philipopoulos. The
- 1:36:16Speaker 1: forage is the trouble, eh pet Cough eagerly, yes, that's it.
- 1:36:22Speaker 1: To Sergius, he sees the whole thing at once, Blunchley,
- 1:36:27Speaker 1: I think I can show you how to manage that. Sergius,
- 1:36:32Speaker 1: invaluable man, come along, Towering over Blunchley, he puts his
- 1:36:37Speaker 1: hand on his shoulder and takes him to the steps.
- 1:36:39Speaker 1: Pet Cough following as Blunchley puts his foot on the
- 1:36:43Speaker 1: first step. Rayina comes out of the house, raina completely
- 1:36:48Speaker 1: losing her presence of mind. Oh, the chocolate cream soldier.
- 1:36:53Speaker 1: Blunchley stands rigid sergius amazed, looks at Reina, then it
- 1:36:59Speaker 1: pet Cough, who looks back at him, and then at
- 1:37:02Speaker 1: his wife Catherine, with commanding presence of mind. My dear Reina,
- 1:37:07Speaker 1: don't you see that we have a guest here, Captain Blenchley,
- 1:37:10Speaker 1: one of our new servian friends. Raina bows. Blenchlely bows Reina.
- 1:37:17Speaker 1: How silly of me? She comes down into the center
- 1:37:21Speaker 1: of the group between Blunchley and pet Cough. I made
- 1:37:25Speaker 1: a beautiful ornament this morning for the ice pudding, and
- 1:37:28Speaker 1: that stupid Nikolay has just put down a pile of
- 1:37:31Speaker 1: plates on it and spoiled it. To Blenchley winningly, I
- 1:37:36Speaker 1: hope you didn't think that you were the chocolate cream soldier,
- 1:37:39Speaker 1: Captain Blenchley Blunchley laughing, I assure you I did, stealing
- 1:37:46Speaker 1: a whimsical glance at her. Your explanation was a relief.
- 1:37:51Speaker 1: Pet Cough suspiciously to Reina. And since when, pray, have
- 1:37:56Speaker 1: you taken to cooking? Katherine? Oh, whilst you are away?
- 1:38:01Speaker 1: It's her latest fancy pet Cough testling and has Nikola
- 1:38:07Speaker 1: taken to drinking. He used to be careful enough. First
- 1:38:11Speaker 1: he shows Captain Blenchley out here when he knew quite
- 1:38:14Speaker 1: well I was in the hum library. And then he
- 1:38:18Speaker 1: goes downstairs and breaks rein his chocolate soldier. He must.
- 1:38:22Speaker 1: At this moment, Nicola appears at the top of the
- 1:38:24Speaker 1: steps right with a carpet bag. He descends, places it
- 1:38:29Speaker 1: respectfully before Blinchley and waits for further orders general amazement. Nicola,
- 1:38:36Speaker 1: unconscious of the effect he is producing, looks perfectly satisfied
- 1:38:40Speaker 1: with himself. When Petkof recovers his power of speech, he
- 1:38:45Speaker 1: breaks out at him with are you mad Nicola? Nicola
- 1:38:50Speaker 1: taken aback, Sir Petkough? What have you brought that for? Nikola?
- 1:38:58Speaker 1: My lady's orders, Sir Luca told me that Katherine interrupting
- 1:39:03Speaker 1: him my orders? Why should I order you to bring
- 1:39:06Speaker 1: Captain Blenchley's luggage out here? What were you thinking of? Niccola? Nikola,
- 1:39:12Speaker 1: after a moment's bewilderment, picking up the bag as he
- 1:39:15Speaker 1: addresses Blunchly with the very perfection of servile discretion, I
- 1:39:19Speaker 1: beg your pardon, sir. I am sure to Catherine my fault, Madam,
- 1:39:24Speaker 1: I hope you'll overlook it. He bows and is going
- 1:39:27Speaker 1: to the steps with the bag when Petkof addresses him angrily. Petkof,
- 1:39:33Speaker 1: you'd better go and slam that bag too down on
- 1:39:35Speaker 1: miss rain as ice pudding. This is too much for Nikola.
- 1:39:40Speaker 1: The bag drops from his hands on Petkoff's corns, eliciting
- 1:39:45Speaker 1: a roar of anguish from him. Begone, you, butter fingered donkey, Nikola,
- 1:39:51Speaker 1: snatching up the bag and escaping into the house. Yes,
- 1:39:55Speaker 1: sir Katherine, Oh, never mind, Paul, don't be angry. Petkoff muttering, scoundrel.
- 1:40:03Speaker 1: He's got out of hand while I was away. I'll
- 1:40:05Speaker 1: teach him recollecting his guests. Oh well, never mind, Come Blenchley,
- 1:40:11Speaker 1: let us have no more nonsense about you having to
- 1:40:14Speaker 1: go away. You know very well you're not going back
- 1:40:17Speaker 1: to Switzerland yet. Until you do go back, you'll stay
- 1:40:20Speaker 1: with us, Reina, Oh do Captain Blenchley. Petkof to Catherine. Now, Catherine,
- 1:40:28Speaker 1: it's of you that he's afraid. Press him and he'll stay. Catherine.
- 1:40:33Speaker 1: Of course, I shall be only too delighted if appealingly
- 1:40:38Speaker 1: Captain Blenchley really wishes to stay. He knows my wishes
- 1:40:43Speaker 1: Blenchley in his driest military manner. I am at Madame's orders,
- 1:40:50Speaker 1: Sergius cordially. That settles it, petcough heartily. Of course, Reina,
- 1:40:58Speaker 1: you see you must stay blunchly smiling. Well. If I must,
- 1:41:04Speaker 1: I must gesture of despair from Catherine. End of Act two,
- 1:41:11Speaker 1: Act three. In the library after lunch, it is not
- 1:41:17Speaker 1: much of a library, its literary equipment consisting of a
- 1:41:21Speaker 1: single fixed shelf stocked with old paper covered novels broken
- 1:41:26Speaker 1: back to coffee stained, torn and thumbed, and a couple
- 1:41:29Speaker 1: of little hanging shelves with a few gift books on them,
- 1:41:33Speaker 1: the rest of the wall space being occupied by trophies
- 1:41:36Speaker 1: of war and the chase. But it is a most
- 1:41:40Speaker 1: comfortable sitting room. A row of three large windows in
- 1:41:45Speaker 1: the front of the house show a mountain panorama, which
- 1:41:48Speaker 1: is just now seen in one of its softest aspects,
- 1:41:51Speaker 1: in the mellowing afternoon light. In the left hand corner
- 1:41:55Speaker 1: a square earthenware stove. A perfect tower of colored potter
- 1:42:00Speaker 1: rises nearly to the ceiling and guarantees plenty of warmth.
- 1:42:06Speaker 1: The ottoman in the middle is a circular bank of
- 1:42:08Speaker 1: decorated cushions and the window seats are well upholstered, divans,
- 1:42:14Speaker 1: little Turkish tables, one of them with an elaborate hookah
- 1:42:18Speaker 1: on it, and a screen to match them. Complete the
- 1:42:21Speaker 1: handsome effect of the furnishing. There is one object, however,
- 1:42:25Speaker 1: which is hopelessly out of keeping with its surroundings. This
- 1:42:30Speaker 1: is a small kitchen table, much the worse for wear,
- 1:42:34Speaker 1: fitted as a writing table, with an old canister full
- 1:42:37Speaker 1: of pins, an egg cup filled with ink, and a
- 1:42:41Speaker 1: deplorable scrap of severely used pink blotting paper. At the
- 1:42:46Speaker 1: side of this table, which stands on the right, Blutchley
- 1:42:49Speaker 1: is hard at work with a couple of maps before him,
- 1:42:53Speaker 1: writing orders. At the head of it sits Sergius, who
- 1:42:57Speaker 1: is also supposed to be at work, but it was
- 1:43:00Speaker 1: actually gnawing the feather of a pin and contemplating Blenchley's quick, sure,
- 1:43:05Speaker 1: businesslike progress, with a mixture of envious irritation at its
- 1:43:08Speaker 1: own incapacity and awe struck wonder at an ability which
- 1:43:13Speaker 1: seems to him almost miraculous, though its prosaic character forbids
- 1:43:17Speaker 1: him to esteem it. The major is comfortably established on
- 1:43:21Speaker 1: the ottoman, with a newspaper in his hand, and the
- 1:43:24Speaker 1: tube of the hookah within his reach. Catherine sits at
- 1:43:28Speaker 1: the stove with her back to them, embroadering. Rhina, reclining
- 1:43:32Speaker 1: on the divan under the left hand window, is gazing
- 1:43:36Speaker 1: in a daydream out at the Balkan landscape, with a
- 1:43:39Speaker 1: neglected novel in her lap. The door is on the left.
- 1:43:44Speaker 1: The button of the electric bell is between the door
- 1:43:46Speaker 1: and the fireplace. Petkoff, looking up from his paper to
- 1:43:51Speaker 1: watch how they are getting on at the table. Are
- 1:43:54Speaker 1: you sure I can't help you in any way, Blunchley Blunchley,
- 1:43:59Speaker 1: without interrupt his writing or looking up, quite sure, Thank you, Saranov,
- 1:44:04Speaker 1: and I will manage it. Sergius grimly, Yes, we'll manage it.
- 1:44:10Speaker 1: He finds out what to do, draws up the orders,
- 1:44:13Speaker 1: and I sign him the vision of labor. Major. Blunchley
- 1:44:17Speaker 1: passes him a paper another one. Thank you. He plants
- 1:44:22Speaker 1: the paper squarely before him, sets his chair carefully parallel
- 1:44:26Speaker 1: to them, and signs with the air of a man
- 1:44:29Speaker 1: resolutely performing a difficult and dangerous feet. This hand is
- 1:44:33Speaker 1: more accustomed to the sword than to the pen, Petkof.
- 1:44:38Speaker 1: It's very good of you, Blunchly. It is indeed to
- 1:44:41Speaker 1: let yourself be put upon in this way? Are you
- 1:44:44Speaker 1: quite sure I can do nothing? Catherine, in a low
- 1:44:48Speaker 1: warning tone, you can stop interrupting. Paul petkoff, starting and
- 1:44:55Speaker 1: looking round at her. Eh. Oh, quite right, my love,
- 1:44:58Speaker 1: Quite right. He takes his newspaper off, but lets it
- 1:45:02Speaker 1: drop again. Ah, you haven't been campaigning, Katherine. You don't
- 1:45:06Speaker 1: know how pleasant it is for us to sit here
- 1:45:08Speaker 1: after a good lunch with nothing to do but enjoy ourselves.
- 1:45:13Speaker 1: There's only one thing I want to make me thoroughly comfortable, Katherine.
- 1:45:18Speaker 1: What is that? Petkof my old coat? I'm not at
- 1:45:24Speaker 1: home in this one. I feel as if I were
- 1:45:27Speaker 1: on parade, Katherine, My dear, Paul, how absurd you are
- 1:45:33Speaker 1: about that old coat. It must be hanging in the
- 1:45:36Speaker 1: blue closet where you left it. Pekof, my dear, Catherine.
- 1:45:40Speaker 1: I tell you I've looked there. Am I to believe
- 1:45:43Speaker 1: my own eyes or not? Katherine quietly rises and presses
- 1:45:47Speaker 1: the button of the electric bell by the fireplace. What
- 1:45:51Speaker 1: are you showing off that bell for? She looks at
- 1:45:54Speaker 1: him majestically and silently resumes her chair and her needlework.
- 1:46:00Speaker 1: My dear, if you think the obstinacy of your sex
- 1:46:02Speaker 1: can make a coat out of two old dressing gowns
- 1:46:06Speaker 1: of Rhina's. You're a waterproof in my macintosh. You're mistaken.
- 1:46:10Speaker 1: That's exactly what the blue closet contains at the present.
- 1:46:14Speaker 1: Nikola presents himself Katherine, unmoved by Petcoff's Sally, Nikola, go
- 1:46:22Speaker 1: to the blue closet and bring your master's old coat here,
- 1:46:25Speaker 1: the braided one he usually wears in the house. Nikola, Yes, Madam.
- 1:46:31Speaker 1: Nikola goes out peckough Katherine. Katherine, yes, Paul Pekoff, I
- 1:46:40Speaker 1: bet you any piece of jewelry you like to order
- 1:46:43Speaker 1: from Sophia against a week's housekeeping money. That the coat
- 1:46:48Speaker 1: isn't there. Katherine done. Paul Petkoff, excited by the prospect
- 1:46:55Speaker 1: of a gamble, Come, here's an opportunity for some sport
- 1:46:59Speaker 1: who bet on it. Blunchly. I'll give you six to one,
- 1:47:04Speaker 1: Blunchley imperturbably, it would be robbing you. Major, Madame is
- 1:47:10Speaker 1: sure to be right. Without looking up, he passes another
- 1:47:13Speaker 1: batch of papers to Sergius. Sergius also excited. Bravo Switzerland, Major,
- 1:47:20Speaker 1: I bet my best charger against an Arab mayor for
- 1:47:25Speaker 1: Raina that Nicola finds the coat in the blue closet.
- 1:47:29Speaker 1: Pet Coough eagerly your best chock, Katherine hastily interrupts him.
- 1:47:35Speaker 1: Don't be foolish, Paul, an Arabian mayor will cost you
- 1:47:39Speaker 1: fifty thousand levas Raina suddenly coming out of her picturesque reverie. Really, mother,
- 1:47:47Speaker 1: if you are going to take the jewelry, I don't
- 1:47:49Speaker 1: see why you should grudge me my arab. Nikola comes
- 1:47:53Speaker 1: back with the coat and brings it to Petcof, who
- 1:47:55Speaker 1: can hardly believe his eyes. Katherine, where was it, Nicola?
- 1:48:01Speaker 1: Nicola hanging in the blue closet, Madame pet Cough, Well,
- 1:48:07Speaker 1: I am dick, Catherine stopping him. Paul pet Cough, I
- 1:48:14Speaker 1: could have sworn it wasn't there. Hage is beginning to
- 1:48:18Speaker 1: tell on me, I'm getting hallucinations to Nicola here, help
- 1:48:23Speaker 1: me change excuse me bluntly, he begins changing coats. Nicola
- 1:48:28Speaker 1: acting as valet. Remember I didn't take that bet of yours. Sergius,
- 1:48:34Speaker 1: you'd better give Reina that Arab steed yourself, since you've
- 1:48:37Speaker 1: roused her expectations a Reina. He looks round at her,
- 1:48:41Speaker 1: but she is again wrapped in the landscape with a
- 1:48:45Speaker 1: little gush of paternal affection and pride. He points her
- 1:48:49Speaker 1: out to them and says she's dreaming as usual. Sergius
- 1:48:56Speaker 1: assuredly she shall not be the loser. Pet Cough, So
- 1:49:01Speaker 1: much the better for her. I shan't come off so cheap.
- 1:49:05Speaker 1: I expect change is now complete. Nikola goes out with
- 1:49:10Speaker 1: a discarded coat. Ah, now I feel at home at last.
- 1:49:15Speaker 1: He sits down and takes his newspaper. With a grunt
- 1:49:18Speaker 1: of relief. Blunchley to Sergius, handing a paper. That's the
- 1:49:23Speaker 1: last order, pet Cough jumping up, What finished? Blunchley finished?
- 1:49:31Speaker 1: Pet Cough goes beside Sergius looks curiously over his left
- 1:49:35Speaker 1: shoulder as he signs, and says, with childlike envy. Haven't
- 1:49:40Speaker 1: you anything for me to sign? Blenchley? Not necessary? His
- 1:49:46Speaker 1: signature will do, pet Cough. Ah, Well, I think we've
- 1:49:50Speaker 1: done a thundering good day's work. He goes away from
- 1:49:53Speaker 1: the table. Can I do anything more? Blunchley? You had
- 1:49:58Speaker 1: better both see the fellows that are to take these
- 1:50:01Speaker 1: to Sergius, pack them off at once and show them
- 1:50:04Speaker 1: that I've marked on the arders the time they should
- 1:50:06Speaker 1: hand them in by tell them that if they stop
- 1:50:09Speaker 1: to drink or tell stories, if they're five minutes late,
- 1:50:13Speaker 1: they'll have the skin taken off their backs. Sergius, rising indignantly,
- 1:50:19Speaker 1: I'll say so, And if one of them is man
- 1:50:22Speaker 1: enough to spit in my face for insulting him, I'll
- 1:50:25Speaker 1: buy his discharge and give him a pension. He strides
- 1:50:29Speaker 1: out his humanity, deeply outraged. Blunchley confidentially, just see that
- 1:50:35Speaker 1: he talks to them properly, Major, will you, pet Cough officiously?
- 1:50:40Speaker 1: Quite right, Blenchley, quite right, I'll see to it. He
- 1:50:44Speaker 1: goes to the door importantly, but hesitates on the threshold.
- 1:50:47Speaker 1: By the bye, Catherine, you may come as well to
- 1:50:51Speaker 1: they'll be far more frightened of you than of me. Catherine,
- 1:50:55Speaker 1: putting down her embroidary, I dare say I had better
- 1:50:59Speaker 1: you only splutter at them. She goes out, pet Cough
- 1:51:03Speaker 1: holding the door for her, and following her blunchly, what
- 1:51:09Speaker 1: a country they make cannons out of cherry trees, and
- 1:51:13Speaker 1: the officers send for their wives to keep discipline. He
- 1:51:16Speaker 1: begins to fold and dock at the papers. Raina, who
- 1:51:20Speaker 1: has risen from the divan, strolls down the room with
- 1:51:23Speaker 1: her hands clasped behind her, and looks mischievously at him. Raina,
- 1:51:29Speaker 1: you look ever so much nicer than when we last met.
- 1:51:33Speaker 1: He looks up, surprised. What have you done to yourself? Blunchly,
- 1:51:38Speaker 1: washed brushed, good night's sleep and breakfast, that's all, Raina.
- 1:51:44Speaker 1: Did you get back safely that morning? Blunchley, quite thanks, Raina.
- 1:51:51Speaker 1: Were they angry with you for running away from Sergius's charge?
- 1:51:56Speaker 1: Blunchly No, they were glad because that I'll just run
- 1:52:00Speaker 1: away themselves, Raina, going to the table and leaning over
- 1:52:03Speaker 1: it toward him. It must have made a lovely story
- 1:52:07Speaker 1: for them, all that about me and my room. Blenchley,
- 1:52:12Speaker 1: capital story. But I only told it to one of them,
- 1:52:16Speaker 1: a particular friend, Raina, on whose discretion you could absolutely
- 1:52:22Speaker 1: rely Blenchley absolutely, Raina, humh. He told it to my
- 1:52:28Speaker 1: father and Sergius the day you exchanged the prisoners. She
- 1:52:33Speaker 1: turned away in strolls carelessly across to the other side
- 1:52:36Speaker 1: of the room. Blunchley, deeply concerned and half incredulous. No,
- 1:52:42Speaker 1: you don't mean that, do you, Raina, turning with sudden eagerness.
- 1:52:47Speaker 1: I do, indeed, But they don't know that it was
- 1:52:50Speaker 1: in this house that you hid. If Sergius knew, he
- 1:52:53Speaker 1: would challenge you and kill you in a jewel Blinchley,
- 1:52:58Speaker 1: bless me, then don't tell him. Raina full of reproach
- 1:53:02Speaker 1: for his levity. Can you realize what it is to
- 1:53:06Speaker 1: me to deceive him? I want to be quite perfect
- 1:53:09Speaker 1: with Sergius. No meanness, no smallness, no deceit. My relation
- 1:53:15Speaker 1: to him is the one really beautiful and noble part
- 1:53:18Speaker 1: of my life. I hope you can understand that, Blunchley skeptically.
- 1:53:24Speaker 1: You mean that you wouldn't like him to find out
- 1:53:27Speaker 1: that the story about the ice pudding was a a
- 1:53:31Speaker 1: you know, raina wincing ah. Don't talk of it in
- 1:53:36Speaker 1: that flippant way. I lied, I know it, but I
- 1:53:39Speaker 1: did it to save your life. He would have killed you.
- 1:53:43Speaker 1: That was the second time I ever uttered a falsehood.
- 1:53:47Speaker 1: Blunchley rises quickly and looks doubtfully and somewhat severely at her.
- 1:53:52Speaker 1: Do you remember the first time, Blunchley, I know, was
- 1:53:57Speaker 1: I present? Yes? And I told the officer who was
- 1:54:03Speaker 1: searching for you that you were not present? Blunchly true.
- 1:54:08Speaker 1: I should have remembered it, RAINA greatly encouraged ah. It
- 1:54:12Speaker 1: is natural that you should forget it first. It cost
- 1:54:15Speaker 1: you nothing. It cost me a lie, a lie. She
- 1:54:21Speaker 1: sits down on the ottoman, looking straight before her, with
- 1:54:25Speaker 1: her hands clasped on her knee. Blenchley, quite touched, goes
- 1:54:30Speaker 1: to the ottoman with a particularly reassuring and considerate air,
- 1:54:34Speaker 1: and sits down beside her. Blunchley, My dear young lady,
- 1:54:39Speaker 1: don't let this worry you. Remember I'm a soldier. Now.
- 1:54:44Speaker 1: What are the two things that happened to a soldier
- 1:54:46Speaker 1: so often that he comes to think nothing of him?
- 1:54:50Speaker 1: One is hearing people tell lies, Raina recoils. The other
- 1:54:54Speaker 1: is getting his life saved in all sorts of ways,
- 1:54:57Speaker 1: by all sorts of people. Raina rising in indignant protest,
- 1:55:03Speaker 1: and so he becomes a creature, incapable of faith and
- 1:55:07Speaker 1: of gratitude, Blunchly, making a wry face. Do you like gratitude?
- 1:55:14Speaker 1: I don't. If pity is akin to love, gratitude is
- 1:55:18Speaker 1: akin to the other thing, Raina gratitude turning to him.
- 1:55:23Speaker 1: If you are incapable of gratitude, you are incapable of
- 1:55:28Speaker 1: any noble sentiment. Even animals are grateful. Oh, I see
- 1:55:33Speaker 1: now exactly what you think of me? You were not
- 1:55:36Speaker 1: surprised to hear me lie to you. It was something
- 1:55:40Speaker 1: I probably did every day, every hour. That is how
- 1:55:44Speaker 1: men think of women. She walks up the room melodramatically, blunchly, dubiously.
- 1:55:51Speaker 1: There is reason in everything you said. You told only
- 1:55:55Speaker 1: two lies in your whole life, dear young lady. Isn't
- 1:56:00Speaker 1: that rather a short allowance? I'm quite a straightforward man myself,
- 1:56:05Speaker 1: but it wouldn't last me a whole morning. Raina staring
- 1:56:08Speaker 1: haughtily at him. Do you know, sir, that you are
- 1:56:12Speaker 1: insulting me? Bluchely. I can't help it when you get
- 1:56:18Speaker 1: into that noble attitude and speak with that thrilling voice.
- 1:56:22Speaker 1: I admire you, but I find it impossible to believe
- 1:56:26Speaker 1: a single word you say, Reina superbly, Captain blunchlely, Blunchley unmoved. Yes, Raina,
- 1:56:37Speaker 1: coming a little towards him, as if she could not
- 1:56:40Speaker 1: believe her senses. Do you mean what you said just now?
- 1:56:45Speaker 1: Do you know what you said just now, Blenchley? I do, Raina,
- 1:56:51Speaker 1: gasping I I she points to herself, incredulously, meaning I
- 1:56:59Speaker 1: raina petcough tell lies. He meets her gaze unflinchingly. She
- 1:57:04Speaker 1: suddenly sits down beside him and adds, with a complete
- 1:57:08Speaker 1: change of manner, from the heroic to the familiar, how
- 1:57:11Speaker 1: did you find me out, Blunchley promptly, instinct, dear young lady,
- 1:57:17Speaker 1: instinct and experience of the world, Raina wonderingly, do you
- 1:57:24Speaker 1: know you are the first man I ever met who
- 1:57:27Speaker 1: did not take me seriously? Bluchley, you mean, don't you
- 1:57:33Speaker 1: that I am the first man that has ever taken
- 1:57:35Speaker 1: you quite seriously? Raina? Yes, I suppose I do mean
- 1:57:40Speaker 1: that cozily quite at her ease with him. How strange
- 1:57:45Speaker 1: it is to be talked to in such a way.
- 1:57:47Speaker 1: You know, I've always gone on like that. I mean,
- 1:57:50Speaker 1: the noble attitude and the thrilling voice. I did it
- 1:57:53Speaker 1: when I was a tiny child to my nurse. She
- 1:57:56Speaker 1: believed in it. I do it before my parents. They
- 1:58:00Speaker 1: believe in it. I do it before Sergius. He believes
- 1:58:03Speaker 1: in it. Blunchly. Yes, he's a little in that line himself,
- 1:58:08Speaker 1: isn't he? Reina startled? Do you think so? Blenchley? You
- 1:58:15Speaker 1: know him better than I do, Raina? I wonder, I
- 1:58:20Speaker 1: wonder is he if I thought that discouraged? Ah? Well,
- 1:58:25Speaker 1: what does it matter. I suppose now that you've found
- 1:58:28Speaker 1: me out, you despise me, Bluchly warmly rising, No, my
- 1:58:34Speaker 1: dear young lady, No, no, no, a thousand times. It's
- 1:58:39Speaker 1: part of your youth, part of your charm. I'm like
- 1:58:43Speaker 1: all the rest of them, the nurse, your parents, Sergius,
- 1:58:47Speaker 1: I'm your infatuated admirer. Reina pleased, Really, Bluchley, slapping his
- 1:58:55Speaker 1: breast smartly with his hand, German fashion hung off huts,
- 1:59:00Speaker 1: Really and truly, Raina very happy? But what did you
- 1:59:06Speaker 1: think of me for giving you my portrait? Blnchley astonished
- 1:59:11Speaker 1: your portrait? You never gave me your portrait, Raina quickly
- 1:59:16Speaker 1: Do you mean to say you never got it? Blunchley? No.
- 1:59:22Speaker 1: He sits down beside her with renewed interest and says,
- 1:59:25Speaker 1: with some complacency, when did you send it to me, Reina? Indignantly.
- 1:59:31Speaker 1: I did not send it to you. She turns her
- 1:59:34Speaker 1: hat away and adds reluctantly, it was in the pocket
- 1:59:38Speaker 1: of that coat, Blunchley, pursing his lips and rounding his eyes. Oh,
- 1:59:45Speaker 1: I never found it. It must be there still, Reina,
- 1:59:51Speaker 1: springing up there still for my father to find the
- 1:59:55Speaker 1: first time he puts his hand in his pocket. Oh,
- 1:59:58Speaker 1: how could you be so stupid? Blunchley rising, Also, it
- 2:00:02Speaker 1: doesn't matter. It's only a photograph. How can he tell
- 2:00:06Speaker 1: who it was intended for? Tell him he put it
- 2:00:09Speaker 1: there himself, Raina impatiently. Yes, that is so clever, so clever.
- 2:00:16Speaker 1: What shall I do? Blnchley? Ah, I see you wrote
- 2:00:22Speaker 1: something on it that was rash, Raina annoyed, almost to tears.
- 2:00:31Speaker 1: Oh to have done such a thing for you, who
- 2:00:34Speaker 1: care no more except to laugh at me? Oh are
- 2:00:37Speaker 1: you sure nobody has touched it? Blunchley? Well I can't
- 2:00:43Speaker 1: be quite sure. You see. I couldn't carry it about
- 2:00:46Speaker 1: with me all the time. One can't take much luggage
- 2:00:49Speaker 1: on active service, Raina. What did you do with it? Blunchley?
- 2:00:55Speaker 1: When I got through to Peter Wrought, I had to
- 2:00:58Speaker 1: put it in safe keeping somehow. I thought of the
- 2:01:01Speaker 1: railway cloak room. But that's the surest place to get
- 2:01:04Speaker 1: looted in modern warfare. So I've pawned it, Raina pawned it, Blenchley.
- 2:01:12Speaker 1: I know it doesn't sound nice, but it was much
- 2:01:15Speaker 1: the safest plan. I redeemed it the day before yesterday.
- 2:01:19Speaker 1: Heaven only knows whether the pawnbroker cleared out the pockets
- 2:01:22Speaker 1: or not. Reina furious, throwing the words right into his face.
- 2:01:29Speaker 1: You have a low shop keeping mind. You'd think of
- 2:01:34Speaker 1: things that would never come into a gentleman's head, Blenchley phlegmatically.
- 2:01:40Speaker 1: That's the Swiss national character. Dear lady Raina, Oh, I
- 2:01:45Speaker 1: wish I had never met you. She flounces away and
- 2:01:49Speaker 1: sits at the window, fewmeing. Luca comes in with a
- 2:01:53Speaker 1: heap of letters and telegrams on her salver and crosses
- 2:01:57Speaker 1: with her bold free gate to the table. Her left
- 2:02:01Speaker 1: sleeve is looped up to the shoulder with a brooch
- 2:02:03Speaker 1: showing her naked arm, with a broad gilt bracelet covering
- 2:02:07Speaker 1: the bruise. Luca, too blunchly for you. She empties the
- 2:02:13Speaker 1: salver recklessly on the table. The messenger is waiting. She
- 2:02:18Speaker 1: is determined not to be civil to a servian, even
- 2:02:22Speaker 1: if she must bring him his letters. Blunchley to Reinea.
- 2:02:27Speaker 1: Will you excuse me? The last postal delivery that reached
- 2:02:30Speaker 1: me was three weeks ago. These are the subsequent accumulations.
- 2:02:35Speaker 1: Four telegrams a week old. He opens one, Oh who
- 2:02:40Speaker 1: bad news. Raina, rising and advancing a little, remorsefully bad news, Blunchley,
- 2:02:49Speaker 1: my father's dead. He looks at the telegram with his
- 2:02:53Speaker 1: lips pursed, musing on the unexpected change in his arrangements. Raina, Oh,
- 2:03:00Speaker 1: how very sad, Blunchley. Yes, I shall have to start
- 2:03:04Speaker 1: for home in an hour. He has left a lot
- 2:03:07Speaker 1: of big hotels behind him to be looked after. Takes
- 2:03:10Speaker 1: up a heavy letter in a long blue envelope. Here's
- 2:03:14Speaker 1: a whacking letter from the family solicitor. He pulls out
- 2:03:19Speaker 1: the enclosures and glances over them. Great heavens seventy two hundred,
- 2:03:26Speaker 1: in a crescendo of dismay, four hundred, four thousand, nine thousand,
- 2:03:32Speaker 1: six hundred. What on earth shall I do with them all?
- 2:03:36Speaker 1: Reina timidly, nine thousand hotels, Blunchley hotels, nonsense, if you
- 2:03:45Speaker 1: only knew. Oh, it's too ridiculous. Excuse me, I must
- 2:03:48Speaker 1: give my fellow orders about starting. He leaves the room
- 2:03:52Speaker 1: hastily with the documents in his hand. Luca taunting ling
- 2:03:57Speaker 1: he has not much heart, that's Swiss. Though he is
- 2:04:00Speaker 1: so fond of the servians, he has not a word
- 2:04:04Speaker 1: of grief for his poor father. Raina bitterly grief a
- 2:04:10Speaker 1: man who has been doing nothing but killing people for years?
- 2:04:13Speaker 1: What does he care? What does any soldier care? She
- 2:04:17Speaker 1: goes to the door, evidently restraining her tears with difficulty.
- 2:04:22Speaker 1: Luk On major Saranov has been fighting too, and he
- 2:04:26Speaker 1: has plenty of heart left. Raina at the door, looks
- 2:04:30Speaker 1: haughtily at her and goes out. Ah, I thought you
- 2:04:34Speaker 1: wouldn't get much feeling out of your soldier. She is
- 2:04:38Speaker 1: following Rena when Nikola comes with an armful of logs
- 2:04:41Speaker 1: for the fire. Nikola grinning amorously at her, I've been
- 2:04:47Speaker 1: trying all the afternoon to get a minute alone with you,
- 2:04:50Speaker 1: my girl. His countenance changes as he notices her arm
- 2:04:55Speaker 1: Why what fashion is that of wearing your sleeve? Child?
- 2:05:00Speaker 1: Lukah proudly my own fashion, Nikola. Indeed, if the mistress
- 2:05:06Speaker 1: catches you, she'll talk to you. He throws the logs
- 2:05:10Speaker 1: down on the ottoman and sits comfortably beside them. Luca,
- 2:05:15Speaker 1: is that any reason why you should take it on
- 2:05:17Speaker 1: yourself to talk to me? Nicola? Calm, don't be so
- 2:05:22Speaker 1: contrary with me. I've some good news for you. He
- 2:05:26Speaker 1: takes out some paper money. Luca, with an eager gleam
- 2:05:30Speaker 1: in her eyes comes close to look at it. See
- 2:05:34Speaker 1: a twenty live bill. Sergius gave me that out of
- 2:05:37Speaker 1: pure swagger. A fool and his money are soon parted.
- 2:05:42Speaker 1: There's ten leave us more. The Swiss gave me that
- 2:05:45Speaker 1: for backing up the mistresses, and rain Is lies about him.
- 2:05:49Speaker 1: He's no fool, he isn't. You should have heard old
- 2:05:53Speaker 1: Catherine downstairs, as polite as you please, to me, telling
- 2:05:57Speaker 1: me not to mind the major being a little impactat
- 2:06:00Speaker 1: for they knew what a good servant I was, after
- 2:06:03Speaker 1: making a fool and a liar of me before them.
- 2:06:06Speaker 1: All the twenty will go to our savings, and you
- 2:06:10Speaker 1: shall have the ten to spend, if you'll only talk
- 2:06:13Speaker 1: to me so as to remind me I'm a human being.
- 2:06:16Speaker 1: I get tired of being a servant occasionally, Luca scornfully. Yes,
- 2:06:23Speaker 1: sell your manhood for thirty livaus and buy me for ten.
- 2:06:28Speaker 1: Keep your money. You were born to be a servant.
- 2:06:32Speaker 1: I was not. When you set up your shop. You
- 2:06:35Speaker 1: will only be everybody's servant instead of somebody's servant. Nikola
- 2:06:40Speaker 1: picking up his logs and going to the stove. Ah,
- 2:06:44Speaker 1: wait till you see. We shall have our evenings to ourselves,
- 2:06:48Speaker 1: and I shall be master in my own house, I
- 2:06:51Speaker 1: promise you. He throws the logs down and kneels at
- 2:06:54Speaker 1: the stove. Luca, you shall never be master in mine.
- 2:07:00Speaker 1: She sits down on Sergius's chair, Nikola turning still on
- 2:07:05Speaker 1: his knees and squatting down rather forlornly on his calves,
- 2:07:09Speaker 1: daunted by her implacable disdain. You have a great ambition
- 2:07:14Speaker 1: in you, Luca. Remember if any luck comes to you,
- 2:07:17Speaker 1: it was I that made a woman of you, Luca,
- 2:07:22Speaker 1: you Nikola with dogged self assertion. Yes, me? Who was it?
- 2:07:28Speaker 1: Made you? Give up wearing a couple of pounds of
- 2:07:31Speaker 1: false black hair on your head and reddening your lips
- 2:07:34Speaker 1: and cheeks like any other Bulgarian girl? I did? Who
- 2:07:39Speaker 1: taught you to trim your nails and keep your hands
- 2:07:41Speaker 1: clean and be dainty about yourself like a fine Russian lady? Me?
- 2:07:47Speaker 1: Do you hear that? Me? She tosses her head defiantly,
- 2:07:51Speaker 1: and he rises ill humoredly, adding more coolly, I've often
- 2:07:56Speaker 1: thought that if Rhena were out of the way, and
- 2:07:59Speaker 1: you just a little less of a fool, and surge
- 2:08:02Speaker 1: us just a little more of one, you might come
- 2:08:05Speaker 1: to be one of my grandest customers instead of only
- 2:08:08Speaker 1: being my wife and costing me money. Luca, I believe
- 2:08:14Speaker 1: you would rather be my servant than my husband. You
- 2:08:17Speaker 1: would make more out of me. Oh, I know that
- 2:08:20Speaker 1: soul of yours, Nikola going up close to her for
- 2:08:24Speaker 1: greater emphasis. Never you mind my soul, but just listen
- 2:08:30Speaker 1: to my advice. If you want to be a lady,
- 2:08:33Speaker 1: your present behavior to me won't do it all a
- 2:08:37Speaker 1: less when we are alone. It's too sharp and impudent,
- 2:08:41Speaker 1: and impudence is a sort of familiarity. It shows affection
- 2:08:45Speaker 1: for me. And don't you try being high and mighty
- 2:08:49Speaker 1: with me either. You're like all country girls. You think
- 2:08:53Speaker 1: it's genteel to treat a servant the way I treat
- 2:08:55Speaker 1: a stable boy. That's only your ignorance. And don't you
- 2:08:59Speaker 1: forget get it. Don't be so ready to defy everybody.
- 2:09:04Speaker 1: Act as if you expected to have your own way,
- 2:09:07Speaker 1: not as if you expected to be ordered about. The
- 2:09:10Speaker 1: way to get on as a lady is the same
- 2:09:12Speaker 1: as the way to get on as a servant. You've
- 2:09:14Speaker 1: got to know your place, that's the secret of it.
- 2:09:19Speaker 1: And you may depend on me to know my place.
- 2:09:21Speaker 1: If you get promoted. Think it over, my girl. I'll
- 2:09:24Speaker 1: stand by you. One servant should always stand by another, Luca,
- 2:09:30Speaker 1: rising impatiently. Oh, I must behave in my own way.
- 2:09:36Speaker 1: You take all the courage out of me with your
- 2:09:38Speaker 1: cold blooded wisdom. Go and put those logs on the fire.
- 2:09:42Speaker 1: That's the sort of thing you understand. Before Nikola can retort,
- 2:09:47Speaker 1: Sergius comes in. He checks himself a moment on seeing Luca,
- 2:09:51Speaker 1: then goes to the stove. Sergius to Nikola, I am
- 2:09:57Speaker 1: not in the way of your work, I hope, in
- 2:10:00Speaker 1: a smooth, elderly manner. Oh no, sir, thank you kindly.
- 2:10:05Speaker 1: I was only speaking to this foolish girl about her
- 2:10:08Speaker 1: habit of running up here to the library whenever she
- 2:10:10Speaker 1: gets a chance to look at the books. That's the
- 2:10:13Speaker 1: worst of her education, sir. It gives her habits above
- 2:10:16Speaker 1: her station. To Luca, make that table tidy, Luca for
- 2:10:20Speaker 1: the major He goes out sedately. Luca, without looking at Sergius,
- 2:10:25Speaker 1: begins to arrange the papers on the table. He crosses
- 2:10:29Speaker 1: slowly to her and studies the arrangement of her sleeve reflectively. Sergius,
- 2:10:35Speaker 1: let me see, is there a mark there? He turns
- 2:10:39Speaker 1: up the bracelet and sees the bruise made by his grasp.
- 2:10:42Speaker 1: She stands motionless, not looking at him, fascinated, but on
- 2:10:47Speaker 1: her guard. Who does it hurt? Luca? Yes, Sergius, Shall
- 2:10:55Speaker 1: I cure it? Luca instantly, withdrawing herself proudly, but still
- 2:11:00Speaker 1: not looking at him. No, you cannot cure it now, Sergius, masterfully,
- 2:11:08Speaker 1: quite sure, He makes a movement as if to take
- 2:11:11Speaker 1: her in his arms. Luca, don't trifle with me, please.
- 2:11:16Speaker 1: An officer should not trifle with a servant. Sergius, touching
- 2:11:21Speaker 1: the arm with a merciless stroke of his forefinger. That
- 2:11:25Speaker 1: was no trifle, Luca, Luca, no, looking at him for
- 2:11:29Speaker 1: the first time. Are you sorry, Sergius with measured emphasis,
- 2:11:35Speaker 1: folding his arms. I am never sorry, Luca wistfully. I
- 2:11:43Speaker 1: wish I could believe a man could be so unlike
- 2:11:46Speaker 1: a woman as that. I wonder, are you really a
- 2:11:49Speaker 1: brave man? Sergius, unaffectedly, relaxing his attitude. Yes, I am
- 2:11:56Speaker 1: a brave man. My heart jumped like a woman's at
- 2:12:00Speaker 1: the first shot. But in the charge I found that
- 2:12:03Speaker 1: I was brave. Yes, that at least is real about me.
- 2:12:08Speaker 1: Luca did you find in the charge that the men
- 2:12:12Speaker 1: whose fathers are poor like mine were any less brave
- 2:12:15Speaker 1: than the men who are rich like you, Sergius, with
- 2:12:19Speaker 1: bitter levity, not a bit. They all slashed and cursed
- 2:12:24Speaker 1: and yelled like heroes. Pshah. The courage to rage and
- 2:12:29Speaker 1: kill is cheap. I have an English bull terrier who
- 2:12:32Speaker 1: has as much of that sort of courage as the
- 2:12:35Speaker 1: whole Bulgarian nation and the whole Russian nation at its back.
- 2:12:39Speaker 1: But he lets my groom thrash him all the same.
- 2:12:43Speaker 1: That's your soldier all over. No, Luca, your poor men
- 2:12:48Speaker 1: can cut throats, but they are afraid of their officers.
- 2:12:52Speaker 1: They put up with insults and blows. They stand by
- 2:12:56Speaker 1: and see one another punished like children. Aye, and help
- 2:12:59Speaker 1: to do it when they are ordered, And the officers
- 2:13:02Speaker 1: well with a short, bitter laugh. I am an officer. Oh, fervently,
- 2:13:09Speaker 1: give me the man who will defy to the death
- 2:13:12Speaker 1: any power or on earth or in Heaven, that sets
- 2:13:15Speaker 1: hisself up against his own will and conscience. He alone
- 2:13:18Speaker 1: is the brave man, Luca, How easy it is to talk.
- 2:13:25Speaker 1: Men never seem to me to grow up. They all
- 2:13:28Speaker 1: have schoolboy's ideas you don't know what true courage is, Sergius. Ironically, indeed,
- 2:13:36Speaker 1: I am willing to be instructed, Luca. Look at me.
- 2:13:42Speaker 1: How much am I allowed to have my own? Will?
- 2:13:46Speaker 1: I have to get your room ready for you to
- 2:13:48Speaker 1: sweep in dust, to fetch and carry. How could that
- 2:13:52Speaker 1: degrade me? If it did not degrade you to have
- 2:13:55Speaker 1: it done for you but with subdued passion. If I
- 2:14:00Speaker 1: were Empress of Russia above everyone in the world, then ah, then,
- 2:14:06Speaker 1: though according to you, I could show no courage at all,
- 2:14:09Speaker 1: you should see. You should see, Sergius, what would you do,
- 2:14:16Speaker 1: most noble Empress, Luca? I would marry the man I loved,
- 2:14:23Speaker 1: which no other queen in Europe has the courage to do.
- 2:14:27Speaker 1: If I loved you, though you would be as far
- 2:14:29Speaker 1: beneath me as I am beneath you, I would dare
- 2:14:33Speaker 1: to be the equal of my inferior. Would you dare
- 2:14:36Speaker 1: as much if you loved me? No, if you felt
- 2:14:40Speaker 1: the beginnings of love for me, you would not let
- 2:14:43Speaker 1: it grow. You dare not. You would marry a rich
- 2:14:47Speaker 1: man to daughter because you would be afraid of what
- 2:14:50Speaker 1: other people would say of you. Sergius carried away you
- 2:14:56Speaker 1: lie it is not so by all the stars. If
- 2:14:59Speaker 1: I I loved you, and I with the Tsar of
- 2:15:01Speaker 1: Russia himself, I would set you on the throne by
- 2:15:05Speaker 1: my side. You know that I love another woman, a
- 2:15:08Speaker 1: woman as high above you as heaven is above earth,
- 2:15:11Speaker 1: and you are jealous of her, Luca, I have no
- 2:15:16Speaker 1: reason to be. She will never marry you. Now the
- 2:15:20Speaker 1: man I told you of has comeback. She will marry
- 2:15:24Speaker 1: the Swiss, Sergius recarling the Swiss, Luca, a man worth
- 2:15:31Speaker 1: ten of you. Then you can come to me, and
- 2:15:35Speaker 1: I will refuse you. You are not good enough for me.
- 2:15:38Speaker 1: She turns to the door, Sergius springing after her and
- 2:15:42Speaker 1: catching her fiercely in his arms. I will kill the Swiss,
- 2:15:46Speaker 1: and afterwards I will do as I please with you, Luca.
- 2:15:50Speaker 1: In his arms, passive and steadfast, the Swiss will kill you.
- 2:15:55Speaker 1: Perhaps he has beaten you in love, he may beat
- 2:15:59Speaker 1: you in war. Sergius tormentedly. Do you think I believe
- 2:16:04Speaker 1: that she, she whose worst thoughts are higher than your
- 2:16:09Speaker 1: best ones, is capable of trifling with another man behind
- 2:16:13Speaker 1: my back? Luca? Do you think she would believe the
- 2:16:18Speaker 1: Swiss if he told her now that I am in
- 2:16:20Speaker 1: your arms, Sergius, releasing her in despair. Damnation, Oh, damnation. Mockery,
- 2:16:29Speaker 1: mockery everywhere. Everything I think is mocked by everything I do.
- 2:16:35Speaker 1: He strikes himself frantically on the breast. Coward, liar, fool.
- 2:16:41Speaker 1: Shall I kill myself like a man, or live and
- 2:16:44Speaker 1: pretend to laugh at myself? She again turns to go, Luca.
- 2:16:50Speaker 1: She stops near the door. Remember you belong to me, Luca, quietly,
- 2:16:58Speaker 1: What does that mean an insult? Sergius commandingly. It means
- 2:17:04Speaker 1: that you love me, and that I have had you
- 2:17:07Speaker 1: here in my arms, and will perhaps have you there again.
- 2:17:11Speaker 1: Whether that is an insult, I neither know nor care.
- 2:17:14Speaker 1: Take it as you please, but vehemently I will not
- 2:17:18Speaker 1: be a coward and a trifler. If I choose to
- 2:17:22Speaker 1: love you, I dare marry you in spite of all bulgaria.
- 2:17:27Speaker 1: If these hands ever touch you again, they shall touch
- 2:17:31Speaker 1: my affianced bride, Luca. We shall see whether you dare
- 2:17:36Speaker 1: keep your word, But take care, I will not wait long, Sergius, again,
- 2:17:43Speaker 1: folding his arms and standing motionless in the middle of
- 2:17:46Speaker 1: the room. Yes, we shall see, and you shall wait
- 2:17:50Speaker 1: my pleasure. Blunchly much preoccupied with his paper still in
- 2:17:55Speaker 1: his hand, enters, leaving the door open for Luca to
- 2:17:58Speaker 1: go out. He goes across to the table, glancing at
- 2:18:02Speaker 1: her as he passes. Sergius, without altering his resolute attitude,
- 2:18:07Speaker 1: watches him steadily. Luca goes out, leaving the door open.
- 2:18:12Speaker 1: Blinchley absently sitting at the table as before and putting
- 2:18:16Speaker 1: down his papers. That's a remarkable looking young woman, Sergius gravely,
- 2:18:21Speaker 1: without moving, Captain Blenchley. Blinchley, Eh, Sergius, you have deceived me.
- 2:18:32Speaker 1: You are my rival. I brook no rivals. At six o'clock.
- 2:18:38Speaker 1: I shall be in the drilling ground on the Glesora Road,
- 2:18:41Speaker 1: alone on horseback, with my saber. Do you understand Blenchley,
- 2:18:48Speaker 1: staring but sitting quite at his ease. Oh thank you.
- 2:18:52Speaker 1: That's a cowalrymn's proposal. I'm in the artillery, and I
- 2:18:57Speaker 1: have the choice of weapons. If I go, I shall
- 2:19:00Speaker 1: take a machine gun, and there shall be no mistake
- 2:19:02Speaker 1: about the cartridges. This time Sergius flushing, but with deadly coldness.
- 2:19:09Speaker 1: Take care, sir. It is not our custom in Bulgaria
- 2:19:13Speaker 1: to allow invitations of that kind to be trifled with.
- 2:19:17Speaker 1: Blunchley warmly, Pooh, don't talk to me about Bulgaria. You
- 2:19:22Speaker 1: don't know what fighting is, but have it your own way.
- 2:19:26Speaker 1: Bring your saber along, I'll meet you. Sergius fiercely delighted
- 2:19:31Speaker 1: to find his opponent a man of spirit, well said Switzer.
- 2:19:36Speaker 1: Shall I lend you my best horse, Blunchley? No, damn
- 2:19:40Speaker 1: your horse. Thank you all the same, My dear fellow.
- 2:19:44Speaker 1: Raina comes in and here's the next sentence. I shall
- 2:19:47Speaker 1: fight you on foot. Horseback's too dangerous. I don't want
- 2:19:51Speaker 1: to kill you if I can help it. Raina hurrying
- 2:19:55Speaker 1: forward anxiously, I have heard what Captain Blinchley said, Sergius.
- 2:20:00Speaker 1: You are going to fight? Why? Sergius turns away in
- 2:20:04Speaker 1: silence and goes to the stove, where he stands watching
- 2:20:07Speaker 1: her as she continues to blunchlely. What about Blunchley, I
- 2:20:12Speaker 1: don't know. He hasn't told me. Better not interfere, dear
- 2:20:16Speaker 1: young lady. No harm will be done. I have often
- 2:20:19Speaker 1: acted as sword instructor. He won't be able to touch me,
- 2:20:23Speaker 1: and I'll not hurt him. It will save explanations. In
- 2:20:26Speaker 1: the morning, I shall be off home and you'll never
- 2:20:29Speaker 1: see me or hear of me again. You and he
- 2:20:32Speaker 1: will then make it up and live happily ever after, Reina,
- 2:20:36Speaker 1: turning away, deeply hurt, almost with a sob in her voice.
- 2:20:40Speaker 1: I never said I wanted to see you again, Sergius,
- 2:20:45Speaker 1: striding forward, Ah, that is a confession. Raina haughtily, what
- 2:20:52Speaker 1: do you mean, Sergius, you love that man, Raina scandalized Sergius. Sergius,
- 2:21:03Speaker 1: you allow him to make love to you behind my back,
- 2:21:07Speaker 1: just as you accept me as your affianced husband behind
- 2:21:11Speaker 1: his Bluchly, you knew our relations and you deceived me.
- 2:21:17Speaker 1: It is for that that I call you to account,
- 2:21:19Speaker 1: Not for having received favors that I never enjoyed. Blnchley,
- 2:21:23Speaker 1: jumping up indignantly, stuff rubbish. I received no favors. Why
- 2:21:30Speaker 1: the young lady doesn't even know whether I'm married or not?
- 2:21:33Speaker 1: Raina forgetting herself, Oh, collapsing on the ottoman, Are you, Sergius?
- 2:21:41Speaker 1: You see the young lady's concern. Captain Blenchley, denial is useless.
- 2:21:47Speaker 1: You have enjoyed the privilege of being received in her
- 2:21:50Speaker 1: own room late at night, Blenchley, interrupting him peperily, Yes,
- 2:21:55Speaker 1: you blockhead. She received me with a pistol at her head.
- 2:21:59Speaker 1: Your cavalry were at my heels. I'd have blown out
- 2:22:03Speaker 1: her brains if she'd uttered a cry. Sergius taken aback Bluchley, Raina,
- 2:22:09Speaker 1: is this true? Raina rising in wrathful majesty? Oh, how
- 2:22:15Speaker 1: dare you? How dare you? Blenchley? Apologized, man, apologize? He
- 2:22:23Speaker 1: resumes his seat at the table Sergius with the old
- 2:22:26Speaker 1: measured emphasis, folding his arms. I never apologize, Raina, passionately.
- 2:22:36Speaker 1: This is the doing of that friend of yours, Captain Blenchley.
- 2:22:40Speaker 1: It is he who is spreading this horrible story about me.
- 2:22:44Speaker 1: She walks about excitedly Blnchley. No, he's dead, burnt alive, Raina, stopping, shocked,
- 2:22:53Speaker 1: burnt alive Blunchley, shot in the hip in a woodyard,
- 2:22:58Speaker 1: couldn't drag himself. Your fellow's shells set the timber on
- 2:23:03Speaker 1: fire and burnt him with half a dozen other poor devils.
- 2:23:06Speaker 1: In the same predicament, Raina, how horrible, Sergius, and how
- 2:23:13Speaker 1: ridiculous a war? War? The dream of patriots and heroes?
- 2:23:17Speaker 1: A fraud, Blenchley, A hollow sham like love, Raina outraged
- 2:23:24Speaker 1: like love? You say that before me Blenchley, come, sadan off.
- 2:23:31Speaker 1: That matter is explained, Sergius, a hollow sham, I say,
- 2:23:38Speaker 1: would you have come back here if nothing had passed
- 2:23:41Speaker 1: between you except at the muzzle of your pistol. Raina
- 2:23:45Speaker 1: is mistaken about our friend who was burnt. He was
- 2:23:49Speaker 1: not my informant, Raina, who then suddenly guessing the truth, Ah, Luca,
- 2:23:58Speaker 1: my maid, my s you were with her this morning,
- 2:24:03Speaker 1: all that time after Oh what sort of god is this?
- 2:24:08Speaker 1: I have been worshiping. He meets her gaze with sardonic
- 2:24:11Speaker 1: enjoyment of her disenchantment angered all the more, she goes
- 2:24:15Speaker 1: closer to him and says, in a lower intenser tone,
- 2:24:20Speaker 1: do you know that I looked out of the window
- 2:24:23Speaker 1: as I went upstairs to have another sight of my hero,
- 2:24:27Speaker 1: and I saw something that I did not understand? Then?
- 2:24:31Speaker 1: I know now that you were making love to her, Sergius,
- 2:24:36Speaker 1: with grim humor, you saw that Raina only too well.
- 2:24:43Speaker 1: She turns away and throws herself on the divan under
- 2:24:47Speaker 1: the center window. Quite overcome, Sergius cynically reina, our romance
- 2:24:54Speaker 1: is shattered. Life safe force Blunchley to rein a good humoredly.
- 2:25:01Speaker 1: You see he's found himself out. Now, Sergius, Blenchley, I
- 2:25:06Speaker 1: have allowed you to call me a blockhead, you may
- 2:25:09Speaker 1: now call me a coward as well. I refuse to
- 2:25:12Speaker 1: fight you. Do you know why, Blenchley? No, but it
- 2:25:17Speaker 1: doesn't matter. I didn't ask the reason when you cried on,
- 2:25:21Speaker 1: and I don't ask the reason now that you cry off.
- 2:25:25Speaker 1: I'm a professional soldier. I fight when I have to,
- 2:25:29Speaker 1: and am very glad to get out of it when
- 2:25:31Speaker 1: I haven't too. You're only an amateur. You think fighting
- 2:25:35Speaker 1: is an amusement, Sergius. You shall hear the reason all
- 2:25:41Speaker 1: the same, my professional. The reason is that it takes
- 2:25:45Speaker 1: two men, real men, men of heart, blood and honor,
- 2:25:49Speaker 1: to make a genuine combat. I could no more fight
- 2:25:53Speaker 1: with you than I could make love to an ugly woman.
- 2:25:57Speaker 1: You've no magnetism, you're not a man, and you're a machine.
- 2:26:02Speaker 1: Blunchley apologetically, quite true, Quite true. I always was that
- 2:26:08Speaker 1: sort of chap. I'm very sorry. But now that you've
- 2:26:11Speaker 1: found that life isn't a force but something quite sensible
- 2:26:15Speaker 1: and serious, what further obstacle is there to your happiness?
- 2:26:20Speaker 1: Raina riling. You are very solicitous about my happiness and
- 2:26:25Speaker 1: his do you forget his new love, Luca. It is
- 2:26:30Speaker 1: not you that he must fight now, but his rival, Nicola.
- 2:26:34Speaker 1: Sergius rival striking his forehead, Raina. Did you not know
- 2:26:40Speaker 1: that they are engaged? Sergius Nicola? Our fresh abysses opening Nicola,
- 2:26:49Speaker 1: Raina sarcastically, A shocking sacrifice. Isn't it such beauty, such intellect,
- 2:26:56Speaker 1: such modesty wasted on a middle age servant man? Really, Sergius,
- 2:27:03Speaker 1: you cannot stand by and allow such a thing. It
- 2:27:06Speaker 1: would be unworthy of your chivalry. Sergius losing all self control,
- 2:27:12Speaker 1: viper viper, He rushes to and fro raging Blenchley. Look here,
- 2:27:19Speaker 1: sir ronolf, you're getting the worst of this, Raina getting angry.
- 2:27:24Speaker 1: Do you realize what he has done, Captain Blenchley. He
- 2:27:28Speaker 1: has set this girl as a spy on us, and
- 2:27:31Speaker 1: her reward is that he makes love to her. Sergius, false, monstrous,
- 2:27:38Speaker 1: Raina monstrous confronting him. Do you deny that she told
- 2:27:44Speaker 1: you about Captain Blenchley being in my room? Sergius, No,
- 2:27:48Speaker 1: but Raina interrupting. Do you deny that you were making
- 2:27:53Speaker 1: love to her when she told you? Sergius, No, but
- 2:27:56Speaker 1: I tell you Raina, cutting him sharp contemptuously. It is
- 2:28:01Speaker 1: unnecessary to tell us anything more. That is quite enough
- 2:28:06Speaker 1: for us. She turns her back on him and sweeps
- 2:28:09Speaker 1: majestically back to the window. Blunchley quietly as Sergius, in
- 2:28:15Speaker 1: an agony of mortifications, sinks on the ottoman, clutching his
- 2:28:18Speaker 1: averted head between his fists. I told you you were
- 2:28:22Speaker 1: getting the worst of it, Saranov, Sergius, tiger cat. Reina
- 2:28:31Speaker 1: running excitedly to Blunchley. You hear this man calling me names,
- 2:28:35Speaker 1: Captain Blunchley, Blunchley. What else can he do? Dear lady,
- 2:28:41Speaker 1: he must offend himself somehow, calm, very persuasively. Don't quarrel?
- 2:28:48Speaker 1: What good does it do? Reina, with a gasp, sits
- 2:28:51Speaker 1: down on the ottoman, and, after a vain effort to
- 2:28:55Speaker 1: look vexedly at Blunchley, she fallows, a victim to her
- 2:28:58Speaker 1: own sense of humor, and is a with a disposition
- 2:29:01Speaker 1: to laugh. Sergius, engaged to Nicola, he rises ha going
- 2:29:10Speaker 1: to the stove and standing with us back to it. Ah, well, Blnchley,
- 2:29:15Speaker 1: you are right to take this huge imposture of a
- 2:29:18Speaker 1: world coolly. Raina, too Blunchly with an intuitive guest at
- 2:29:23Speaker 1: his state of mind, I dare say you think us
- 2:29:26Speaker 1: a couple of grown up babies, don't you, Sergius grinning
- 2:29:31Speaker 1: a little, he does. He does Swiss civilization nurse tending
- 2:29:36Speaker 1: bulgarian barbarism, A Blunchley blushing not at all, I assure you,
- 2:29:43Speaker 1: I'm only very glad to get you too quieted there. Now,
- 2:29:46Speaker 1: let's be pleasant and talk it over in a friendly way.
- 2:29:50Speaker 1: Where is this other young lady Raina listening at the door?
- 2:29:54Speaker 1: Probably Sergius shivering as if a bullet had struck him,
- 2:29:59Speaker 1: and said, speaking with quiet but deep indignation, I will
- 2:30:04Speaker 1: prove that that at least is a calumny. He goes
- 2:30:08Speaker 1: with dignity to the door and opens it. A yell
- 2:30:11Speaker 1: of fury bursts from him as he looks out. He
- 2:30:14Speaker 1: darts into the passage and returns, dragging in Luca, whom
- 2:30:18Speaker 1: he flings against the table right as he cries, judge her, Blunchly,
- 2:30:24Speaker 1: you the moderate, cautious man, judge the eavesdropper. Luca stands
- 2:30:29Speaker 1: her ground, proud and silent, Blunchly shaking his head. I
- 2:30:35Speaker 1: mustn't judge her. I once listened to myself outside a
- 2:30:39Speaker 1: tent when there was the mutiny brewing. It's all a
- 2:30:42Speaker 1: question of the degree of provocation. My life was at stake, Luca,
- 2:30:48Speaker 1: My love was at stake. Sergius flinches, ashamed of her,
- 2:30:52Speaker 1: in spite of himself. I am not ashamed, Raina. Contemptuously
- 2:30:58Speaker 1: your love, your curiosity, you mean Luca facing her and
- 2:31:04Speaker 1: retorting her contempt with interest. My love stronger than anything
- 2:31:10Speaker 1: you can feel, even for your chocolate creamed soldier. Sergius
- 2:31:15Speaker 1: with quick suspicion to Luca, what does that mean, Luca fiercely.
- 2:31:21Speaker 1: It means Sergius interrupting her slightly. Oh, I remember the
- 2:31:26Speaker 1: ice pudding. A paltry taunt girl. Major pet cough interests
- 2:31:30Speaker 1: in his shirt sleeves. Pet cough, excuse my shirt sleeves, gentlemen, Raina.
- 2:31:36Speaker 1: Somebody has been wearing this coat of mine. I'll swear it,
- 2:31:40Speaker 1: somebody with bigger shoulders than mine. It's all burst open
- 2:31:43Speaker 1: at the back. Your mother is mending it. I wish
- 2:31:46Speaker 1: she'd make haste. I shall catch cold. He looks more
- 2:31:50Speaker 1: attentively at them. Is anything the matter, Raina? No. She
- 2:31:57Speaker 1: sits down at the stove with a tranquil air. Sergius.
- 2:32:01Speaker 1: Oh no, he sits down at the end of the
- 2:32:04Speaker 1: table as at first Blunchley, who is already seated. Nothing nothing,
- 2:32:12Speaker 1: Petkov sitting down on the ottoman in its old place.
- 2:32:16Speaker 1: That's all right, he notices Luca. Anything the matter, Luca, Luca, No,
- 2:32:22Speaker 1: Sir Petkough, genially, that's all right, he sneezes. Go and
- 2:32:29Speaker 1: ask your mistress for my coat, like a good girl,
- 2:32:31Speaker 1: will you. She turns to obey, but Nikola enters with
- 2:32:35Speaker 1: the coat, and she makes the pretense of having business
- 2:32:38Speaker 1: in the room by taking the little table with the
- 2:32:40Speaker 1: hookah away to the wall near the windows. Reina rising
- 2:32:45Speaker 1: quickly as she sees the coat on Nikola's arm. Here
- 2:32:48Speaker 1: it is, Papa. Give it to me, Nikola, and do
- 2:32:50Speaker 1: you put some more wood on the fire. She takes
- 2:32:53Speaker 1: the coat and brings it to the Major, who stands
- 2:32:56Speaker 1: up to put it on. Nikola attends to the fire.
- 2:33:00Speaker 1: Pet Cough to Raina, teasing her affectionately, Aha, going to
- 2:33:05Speaker 1: be very good to poor old Papa, just for one
- 2:33:07Speaker 1: day after his return from the wars a Reina with
- 2:33:12Speaker 1: solemn reproach, Oh, how can you say that to me,
- 2:33:15Speaker 1: father pet Cough, Well, well, only a joke, little one.
- 2:33:20Speaker 1: Come give me a kiss. She kisses him. Now give
- 2:33:24Speaker 1: me the coat, Raina. Now I am going to put
- 2:33:28Speaker 1: it on for you. Turn your back. He turns his
- 2:33:31Speaker 1: back and feels behind him with his arms for the sleeves.
- 2:33:35Speaker 1: She dexterously takes the photograph from the pocket and throws
- 2:33:38Speaker 1: it on the table before Blenchley, who covers it with
- 2:33:41Speaker 1: a sheet of paper under the very nose of Sergius,
- 2:33:44Speaker 1: who looks on, amazed with his suspicions. Roused in the
- 2:33:47Speaker 1: highest degree, she then helps pet Cough on with his coat. There, dear,
- 2:33:53Speaker 1: Now are you comfortable? Pet Cough quite? Little love? Thanks.
- 2:33:59Speaker 1: He sits down, and Raina returns to her seat near
- 2:34:02Speaker 1: the stove. Oh, by the bye, I've found something funny.
- 2:34:07Speaker 1: What's the meaning of this? He puts his hand into
- 2:34:11Speaker 1: the picked pocket. Eh, hello? He tries the other pocket. Well,
- 2:34:17Speaker 1: I could have sworn much puzzled, He tries the breast pocket,
- 2:34:22Speaker 1: I wonder, tries the original pocket. Where can it? A
- 2:34:27Speaker 1: light flashes on him. He rises, exclaiming, your mother's taking it, Raina,
- 2:34:34Speaker 1: very red taken? What pet Cough? Your photograph with the inscription?
- 2:34:41Speaker 1: Raina to her chocolate cream soldier a souvenir. Now you
- 2:34:46Speaker 1: know there's something more in this than meets the eye,
- 2:34:48Speaker 1: and I'm going to find it out, shouting Niccola. Nicola
- 2:34:53Speaker 1: dropping a log and turning, Sir pet Cough, did you
- 2:34:58Speaker 1: spoil any pastry of miss rain this morning? Nikola? You
- 2:35:03Speaker 1: heard Miss rain say that I did, Sir Petcof, I
- 2:35:07Speaker 1: know that, you idiot? Was it true? Nicola? I am
- 2:35:11Speaker 1: sure Miss Raina is incapable of saying anything that is
- 2:35:14Speaker 1: not true, Sir pet Cough, Are you then? I'm not
- 2:35:21Speaker 1: turning to the others? Calm? Do you think I don't
- 2:35:24Speaker 1: see it? All? Goes to Sergius and slaps him on
- 2:35:28Speaker 1: the shoulder. Sergius, you're the chocolate cream soldier, aren't you,
- 2:35:34Speaker 1: Sergius standing up? I a chocolate cream soldier. Certainly not
- 2:35:41Speaker 1: Petkoff not. He looks at them. They are all very
- 2:35:45Speaker 1: serious and very re conscious. Do you mean to tell
- 2:35:49Speaker 1: me that Rayina sends photographic souvenirs to other men? Sergius enigmatically,
- 2:35:57Speaker 1: the world is not such an innocent place as we
- 2:36:00Speaker 1: used to think. Pet Cough, Blenchley rising, It's all right, Major,
- 2:36:06Speaker 1: I'm the chocolate cream soldier. Pet Cough and Sergius are
- 2:36:10Speaker 1: equally astonished. The gracious young lady saved my life by
- 2:36:14Speaker 1: giving me chocolate creams when I was starving. Shall I
- 2:36:18Speaker 1: ever forget their flavor? My late friend Stoles told you
- 2:36:22Speaker 1: the story at Pirot I was the fugitive. Pet Cough you,
- 2:36:29Speaker 1: he gasps, Sergius, do you remember how those two women
- 2:36:34Speaker 1: went on this morning when we mentioned it? Sergius smiles cynically.
- 2:36:39Speaker 1: Pet Cough confronts Rhnea severely. You're a nice young woman,
- 2:36:44Speaker 1: aren't you, Raina bitterly. Major Saranov has changed his mind.
- 2:36:52Speaker 1: And when I wrote that on the photograph, I did
- 2:36:54Speaker 1: not know that Captain Blenchley was married. Blenchley much startled,
- 2:37:00Speaker 1: protesting vehemently, I'm not married, Reina, with deep reproach, you
- 2:37:05Speaker 1: said you were Blunchley. I did not. I positively did not.
- 2:37:11Speaker 1: I never was married in my life, petkof exasperated Raina,
- 2:37:17Speaker 1: will you kindly inform me if I am not asking
- 2:37:20Speaker 1: too much, which gentlemen you are engaged to, Reina? To
- 2:37:27Speaker 1: neither of them. This young lady introducing Luca, who faces
- 2:37:31Speaker 1: them all proudly, is the object of Major Saranov's affections
- 2:37:36Speaker 1: at present, Petkough, Luca, are you mad, Sergius? Why this
- 2:37:43Speaker 1: girl's engaged to Nikola? Nicola coming forward? I beg your pardon, sir.
- 2:37:50Speaker 1: There is a mistake. Luca is not engaged to me. Petkough,
- 2:37:56Speaker 1: not engaged to you. You scount why you had twenty
- 2:38:02Speaker 1: five leave us from me on the day of your betrothal.
- 2:38:04Speaker 1: And she had that guilt bracelet from Miss rain Nicola
- 2:38:09Speaker 1: with cool unction. We gave it out, so sir, But
- 2:38:14Speaker 1: it was only to give Luca protection. She had a
- 2:38:17Speaker 1: soul above her station, and I have been no more
- 2:38:20Speaker 1: than her confidential servant. I intend, as you know, Sir,
- 2:38:24Speaker 1: to set up a shop later on in Sophia, and
- 2:38:27Speaker 1: I look forward to her custom and recommendation should she
- 2:38:30Speaker 1: marry into the nobility. He goes out with impressive discretion,
- 2:38:35Speaker 1: leaving them all staring after him. Petkough breaking the silence. Well,
- 2:38:40Speaker 1: I am on, Sergius. This is either the finest heroism
- 2:38:46Speaker 1: or the most crawling baseness. Which is it? Blunchley Blunchley,
- 2:38:52Speaker 1: Never mind whether it's heroism or baseness. Nicola's the ablest
- 2:38:56Speaker 1: man I've met in Bulgaria. I'll make him manager of
- 2:39:00Speaker 1: a hotel if he can speak French and German. Luca
- 2:39:04Speaker 1: suddenly breaking out at Sergius, I have been insulted by
- 2:39:08Speaker 1: everyone here. You set them the example. You owe me
- 2:39:12Speaker 1: an apology. Sergius, immediately, like a repeating clock of which
- 2:39:17Speaker 1: the spring has been touched, begins to fold his arms
- 2:39:22Speaker 1: lunchly before he can speak. It's no use. He never apologizes, Luca,
- 2:39:28Speaker 1: not to you, his equal and his enemy, to me,
- 2:39:32Speaker 1: his poor servant. He will not refuse to apologize this.
- 2:39:38Speaker 1: Sergius approvingly, you are right. He bends his knee in
- 2:39:44Speaker 1: his grandest manner. Forgive me, Luca, I forgive you. She
- 2:39:52Speaker 1: timidly gives him her hand, which he kisses. That touch
- 2:39:56Speaker 1: makes me your a fianced wife. Sergius, springing up, Ah,
- 2:40:01Speaker 1: I forgot that. Luca coldly, you can withdraw if you like, Sergius,
- 2:40:09Speaker 1: withdraw never you belong to me. He puts his arm
- 2:40:13Speaker 1: about her and draws her to him. Katherine comes in
- 2:40:17Speaker 1: and finds Luca in Sergius's arms, and all the rest
- 2:40:20Speaker 1: gazing at them in bewildered astonishment. Katherine, what does this mean?
- 2:40:27Speaker 1: Sergius releases Luca pet cough. Well, my dear, it appears
- 2:40:31Speaker 1: that Sergius is going to marry Luca instead of Raina.
- 2:40:35Speaker 1: She is about to break out indignantly at him. He
- 2:40:38Speaker 1: stops her by exclaiming testily, don't blame me. I have
- 2:40:42Speaker 1: nothing to do with it. He retreats to the stove. Katherine,
- 2:40:47Speaker 1: marry Luca. Sergius, you are bound by your word to us.
- 2:40:53Speaker 1: Sergius folding his arms, nothing binds me. Lunchley much pleased
- 2:41:00Speaker 1: by this piece of common sense. Soaranov, your hand, my congratulations.
- 2:41:06Speaker 1: These heroics of yours have their practical side after all.
- 2:41:10Speaker 1: To Luca, gracious, young lady, the best wishes of a
- 2:41:14Speaker 1: good Republican. He kisses her hand. To Raina's great disgust,
- 2:41:20Speaker 1: Catherine threateningly, Luca, you have been telling stories, Luca. I
- 2:41:27Speaker 1: have done Reina no harm, Catherine haughtily Reina. Reina is
- 2:41:34Speaker 1: equally indignant at the liberty Luca. I have a right
- 2:41:39Speaker 1: to call her Raina. She calls me, Luca. I told
- 2:41:43Speaker 1: Major Saranov she would never marry him if the Swiss
- 2:41:47Speaker 1: gentleman came back. Blunchley surprised. Hello, Luca, turning to Reina,
- 2:41:54Speaker 1: I thought you were fonder of him than of Sergius,
- 2:41:58Speaker 1: you know best whether I was right, Blenchley, what nonsense,
- 2:42:04Speaker 1: I assure you, my dear major, my dear madame. The
- 2:42:07Speaker 1: gracious young lady simply saved my life. Nothing else. She
- 2:42:11Speaker 1: never cared to straws for me. Why bless my heart
- 2:42:15Speaker 1: and soul. Look at the young lady, and look at me.
- 2:42:18Speaker 1: She rich, young, beautiful, with her imagination full of fairy
- 2:42:23Speaker 1: princes and noble natures and cavalry charges, and goodness knows what.
- 2:42:28Speaker 1: And I a commonplace Swiss soldier who hardly knows what
- 2:42:32Speaker 1: a decent life is after fifteen years of barracks and battles.
- 2:42:37Speaker 1: A vagabond, a man who has spoilt all his chances
- 2:42:41Speaker 1: in life through an incurably romantic disposition. A man Sergius,
- 2:42:47Speaker 1: starting as if a needle had pricked him, and interrupting
- 2:42:50Speaker 1: Blenchley in incredulous amazement. Excuse me, Blenchley, what did you
- 2:42:55Speaker 1: say had spoiled your chances in life? Blunchley promptly, an
- 2:43:00Speaker 1: incurably romantic disposition. I ran away from home twice when
- 2:43:05Speaker 1: I was a boy. I went into the army instead
- 2:43:08Speaker 1: of into my father's business. I climbed the balcony of
- 2:43:12Speaker 1: this house. When a man of sense would have dived
- 2:43:14Speaker 1: into the nearest cellar, I came sneaking back here to
- 2:43:18Speaker 1: have another look at the young lady. When any other
- 2:43:21Speaker 1: man of my age would have sent the coat back,
- 2:43:24Speaker 1: Petkough my coat bletchley, Yes, that's the coat. I mean,
- 2:43:30Speaker 1: would have sent it back and gone quietly home. Do
- 2:43:34Speaker 1: you suppose I'm the sort of fellow a young girl
- 2:43:37Speaker 1: falls in love with? Why look at our ages. I'm
- 2:43:41Speaker 1: thirty four. I don't suppose the young lady is much
- 2:43:44Speaker 1: over seventeen. This estimate produces a marked sensation, all the
- 2:43:50Speaker 1: rest turning and staring at one another. He proceeds innocently.
- 2:43:55Speaker 1: All that adventure, which was life or death to me,
- 2:43:57Speaker 1: was only a schoolgirl's game to her chocolate creams and
- 2:44:02Speaker 1: hide and seek. Here's the proof. He takes the photograph
- 2:44:07Speaker 1: from the table. Now, I ask you, would a woman
- 2:44:11Speaker 1: who took the affair seriously have sent me this and
- 2:44:14Speaker 1: written on it raina to her chocolate cream soldier a souvenir.
- 2:44:19Speaker 1: He exhibits the photograph triumphantly, as if it settled the
- 2:44:22Speaker 1: matter beyond all possibility of refutation. Petkof, that's what I
- 2:44:28Speaker 1: was looking for how the deuce did it get there?
- 2:44:32Speaker 1: Blunchley too, Raina complacently, I have put everything right, I hope,
- 2:44:37Speaker 1: gracious young lady Raina. In uncontrolled vexation, I quite agree
- 2:44:44Speaker 1: with your account of yourself. You are a romantic idiot.
- 2:44:49Speaker 1: Blunchley is unspeakably taken aback. Next time, I hope you
- 2:44:54Speaker 1: will know the difference between a schoolgirl of seventeen and
- 2:44:57Speaker 1: a woman of twenty three. Blinchley, stupefied twenty three. She
- 2:45:04Speaker 1: snaps the photograph contemptuously from his hands, tears it across,
- 2:45:09Speaker 1: and throws the pieces at his feet. Sergius with grim
- 2:45:13Speaker 1: enjoyment of Blinchley's discomfiture. Blenchley, my one last belief is gone.
- 2:45:20Speaker 1: Your sagacity is a fraud, like all the other things.
- 2:45:23Speaker 1: You have less sense than even I have. Blinchley, overwhelmed
- 2:45:29Speaker 1: twenty three twenty three, He considers hum swiftly making up
- 2:45:37Speaker 1: his mind. In that case, Major Petkoff, I beg to
- 2:45:41Speaker 1: propose formerly to become a suitor of your daughter's hand
- 2:45:45Speaker 1: in place of Major Sir Lanoff retired. Raina, you dare,
- 2:45:51Speaker 1: Blinchley if you were twenty three when you said those
- 2:45:55Speaker 1: things to me this afternoon. I shall take them seriously.
- 2:45:59Speaker 1: Catherine loftily polite, I doubt, sir, whether you quite realize
- 2:46:05Speaker 1: either my daughter's position or that of Major Sergius Saranov,
- 2:46:10Speaker 1: whose place you propose to take. The pet Coughs and
- 2:46:13Speaker 1: the Saranovs are known as the richest and most important
- 2:46:17Speaker 1: families in the country. Our position is almost historical. We
- 2:46:22Speaker 1: can go back nearly twenty years, petkof Oh, never mind that, Catherine.
- 2:46:29Speaker 1: To Blunchlely, we should be most happy, Blnchley, if it
- 2:46:33Speaker 1: were only a question of your position. But hang it.
- 2:46:36Speaker 1: You know, Rain is accustomed to a very comfortable establishment.
- 2:46:40Speaker 1: Sergius keeps twenty horses, Bluchley. But what on earth is
- 2:46:45Speaker 1: the use of twenty horses? Why it's a circus? Catherine severely,
- 2:46:51Speaker 1: My daughter, Sir, is accustomed to a first rate stable Rain. Hush, mother,
- 2:46:57Speaker 1: you're making me ridiculous, Blenchley. Oh, well, if it comes
- 2:47:03Speaker 1: to a question of an establishment, here goes He goes
- 2:47:07Speaker 1: impetuously to the table and seizes the papers in the
- 2:47:10Speaker 1: blue envelope. How many horses did you say, Sergius, twenty nobles, Switzer, Blunchley,
- 2:47:20Speaker 1: I have two hundred horses. They are amazed. How many
- 2:47:24Speaker 1: carriages Sergius three, Blenchley, I have seventy twenty four of them,
- 2:47:31Speaker 1: will hold twelve inside, besides two on the box, without
- 2:47:35Speaker 1: counting the driver and conductor. How many tablecloths have you, Sergius?
- 2:47:41Speaker 1: How the deuce do I know? Blenchley? Have you four thousand? Sergius, no, Blenchley,
- 2:47:49Speaker 1: I have. I have nine thousand, six hundred pairs of
- 2:47:52Speaker 1: sheets and blankets, with two thousand, four hundred either down quilts.
- 2:47:56Speaker 1: I have ten thousand knives and forks, and the same
- 2:47:59Speaker 1: quantity of dessert spoons. I have six hundred servants. I
- 2:48:03Speaker 1: have six palatial establishments, besides two livery stables, a tea
- 2:48:08Speaker 1: garden and a private house. I have four medals for
- 2:48:12Speaker 1: distinguished services. I have the rank of an officer and
- 2:48:15Speaker 1: the standing of a gentleman. And I have three native languages.
- 2:48:20Speaker 1: Show me any man in Bulgaria that can offer as
- 2:48:23Speaker 1: much petkoff with childish awe are you Emperor of Switzerland, Blunchley.
- 2:48:32Speaker 1: My rank is the highest known in Switzerland. I'm a
- 2:48:36Speaker 1: free citizen. Catherine, then Captain Blenchley. Since you are my
- 2:48:41Speaker 1: daughter's choice, I shall not stand in the way of
- 2:48:44Speaker 1: her happiness. Petkoff is about to speak. That is Major
- 2:48:49Speaker 1: Petkoff's feeling. Also Petkough, Oh, why shall be only too glad?
- 2:48:55Speaker 1: Two hundred horses? Whew, Sergius, what says the lady Reina
- 2:49:03Speaker 1: pretending to sulk. The lady says that he can keep
- 2:49:07Speaker 1: his tablecloths and his omnibuses. I am not here to
- 2:49:11Speaker 1: be sold to the highest bidder, Blunchy. I won't take
- 2:49:16Speaker 1: that answer. I appeal to you as a fugitive, a beggar,
- 2:49:20Speaker 1: and a starving man. You accepted me. You gave me
- 2:49:24Speaker 1: your hand to kiss, your bed to sleep in, and
- 2:49:27Speaker 1: your roof to shelter me. Reina interrupting him, I did
- 2:49:31Speaker 1: not give them to the Emperor of Switzerland, Blunchley. That's
- 2:49:36Speaker 1: just what I say. He catches her hand quickly and
- 2:49:40Speaker 1: looks her straight in the face as he adds with
- 2:49:43Speaker 1: confident mastery, now tell us who you did give them to, Reina,
- 2:49:49Speaker 1: succumbing with a shy smile to my chocolate cream Soldier
- 2:49:56Speaker 1: Blunchy with a boyish laugh of delight. That'll do, thank you,
- 2:50:01Speaker 1: looks at his watch and suddenly becomes businesslike. Time's up. Major,
- 2:50:06Speaker 1: you've managed those regiments so well that you are sure
- 2:50:09Speaker 1: to be asked to get rid of some of the
- 2:50:11Speaker 1: infantry of the Timok Division. Send them home by way
- 2:50:15Speaker 1: of long Polanka Saranoff. Don't get married until I come back.
- 2:50:19Speaker 1: I shall be here punctually at five in the evening
- 2:50:22Speaker 1: on Tuesday fortnight. Gracious ladies, good evening. He makes them
- 2:50:27Speaker 1: a military bow and goes, Sergius, what a man, What
- 2:50:34Speaker 1: a man? Into back three end of Arms and the
- 2:50:40Speaker 1: Man by George Bernard Shaw