Latest / Classic Comedy Library / Arms and The Man - George Bernard Shaw

Transcript

Arms and The Man - George Bernard Shaw · Classic Comedy Library

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