The Possessed Read online

GAGANOV come in.)

  STEPAN: Good day, my dear Virginsky. How is

  your wife? . . . (VIRGINSKY turns away.) Good,

  we're fond of you, you know, very fond of

  you!

  13 Scene 2

  GAGANOV: I was just going by and I came in to see

  Varvara Stavrogin. But perhaps I am in your

  way?

  STEP AN: No, no! Au banquet de famine there is

  always room. We were just beginning to discuss

  things. I know you are not afraid of a few para-

  doxes.

  GAGANOV: Aside from the Tsar, Russia, and the

  family, everything is open to discussion. (To

  SHATOV) Don't you agree?

  SHATOV: Everything is open to discussion. But

  certainly not with you.

  STEP AN (laughing): We must drink to the con-

  version of our good friend Gaganov. (He rings

  a bell.) That is, if Shatov, irascible Shatov, allows

  us to. For our good Shatov is irascible; he boils

  over at nothing at all. And if you want to discuss

  with him, you have to tie him down first. You

  see, he's already leaving. He has taken offense.

  Come, come now, my good friend, you know

  how fond we are of you.

  SHATOV: Then don't insult me.

  STEP AN: But who is insulting you? If I did so, I

  beg your pardon. I am well aware that we talk

  too much. We talk when we ought to act. Act,

  act . . . or, in any case, work. For twenty years

  now I have been sounding the alarm and urging

  people to work. Russia can't arise without ideas.

  And we can't have ideas without working. Let's

  get down to work, then, and eventually we'll

  have an original idea. . . .

  (ALEXEY YEGOROVICH, the butler, brings in drinks

  and leaves.)

  First Part 14

  LIPUTIN: Meanwhile, we should suppress the

  army and the navy.

  GAGANOV: Both at once?

  LIPUTIN: Yes, in order to have universal peace!

  GAGANOV: But if others don't suppress theirs,

  wouldn't they be tempted to invade us? How

  can we know?

  LIPUTIN: By suppressing ours. That way we shall

  know.

  STEP AN (quivering with excitement): Ah! Cest

  un paradoxe! But there is truth in it. . . .

  VIRGINSKY: Liputin goes too far because he de-

  spairs of ever seeing our ideas dominate. / think

  we should begin at the beginning and get rid of

  priests and the family at the same time.

  GAGANOV: Gentlemen, I can take any joke what-

  ever . . . but to suppress at one and the same

  time the army, the navy, the family, the priests�

  no, no, no. . . .

  STEP AN: There's no harm in talking about it. One

  can talk of anything.

  GAGANOV: But to suppress everything like that all

  at once�no. Ah, no. No ...

  LIPUTIN: Come, now. Don't you think Russia

  needs reform?

  GAGANOV: Yes, probably. Everything isn't perfect

  in our country.

  LIPUTIN: Then it must be dismembered.

  STEP AN and GAGANOV: What?

  LIPUTIN: Yes, of course. To reform Russia, it has

  to be made into a federation. But before it can

  be federated, it has to be dismembered. It's math-

  ematically simple.

  STEP AN: It deserves reflection.

  15 Scene i

  GAGANOV: I . . . Oh, no. I won't let anyone lead

  me around by the nose. . . .

  VIRGINSKY: Reflection calls for time, and abject

  poverty can't wait.

  LIPUTIN: We must think of the most urgent first.

  The most urgent need is for everyone to be able

  to eat. Books, art galleries, theaters are for later

  on, later on. ... A pair of shoes is worth more

  than Shakespeare.

  STEP AN: Oh, I can't admit this. No, no, my good

  friend, immortal genius shines over all mankind.

  Let everyone go barefoot and long live Shake-

  speare. ...

  SHIGALOV: You don't any of you draw the conclu-

  sions. (He leaves.)

  LIPUTIN: Allow me�

  STEPAN: No, no, I cannot accept that. Nous qui

  aimons le peuple�

  SHATOV: YOU don't love the masses.

  VIRGINSKY: What? I�

  SHATOV (rising in anger): You don't love either

  Russia or the masses. You have lost contact with

  the masses. You talk about them as if they were

  a distant tribe with exotic customs that move you

  to pity. You have lost track of them, and without

  the masses, there is no god. This is why all of you

  and all of us, yes, all of us, are so wretchedly cold

  and indifferent. We are merely out of step, noth-

  ing else. You yourself, Stepan Trofimovich, I

  make no exception for you, let it be known, al-

  though you taught us all. In fact, I am speaking

  especially to you.

  (He seizes his cap and rushes toward the door.

  But STEPAN TROFIMOVICH calls out to stop him.)

  First Part

  16

  STEP AN: All right, Shatov, since you insist, I am

  angry with you. Now let us make it up. (He

  holds out his hand, and SHATOV reluctantly shakes

  it.) Let's drink to universal reconciliation!

  GAGANOV: Let's drink. But I won't let anyone lead

  me around by the nose.

  (Toast, VARVARA STAVROGIN enters.)

  VARVARA: Please don't get up. Drink to the health

  of my son, Nicholas, who has just arrived. He

  has gone up to change, and I have asked him to

  come and say hello to your friends.

  STEP AN: How did he seem to you, ma noble amie?

  VARVARA: His appearance and good health de-

  lighted me. (She looks at them.) Yes, why not

  say so? There have been so many rumors re-

  cently that I am glad to have a chance to show

  what my son is.

  GAGANOV: We are delighted to see him, my dear!

  VARVARA (looking at SHATOV) : And you, Shatov,

  are you happy to see your friend again? (SHATOV

  gets up and, as he does so, awkwardly knocks

  over a small intarsia table.) Pick up that table,

  please. It will be chipped, but there's no use cry-

  ing over that. (To the others) What were you

  talking about?

  STEPAN: Of hope, ma noble amie, and of the lumi-

  nous future already visible at the end of our dark

  way . . . Oh, we shall be consoled for such suf-

  ferings and persecutions. Exile will come to an

  end, for dawn is already in sight. . . .

  (NICHOLAS STAVROGIN appears upstage and stands

  still on the threshold.)

  STEPAN: Ah, mon cher enfant!

  17 Scene i

  (VARVARA makes a move toward STAVROGIN, but

  his unemotional manner stops her. She looks at

  him with anguish. A few seconds of general em-

  barrassment.)

  GAGANOV: How are you, my dear Nicholas?

  STAVROGIN: I am well, thank you.
/>   (A merry scene of greeting ensues, STAVROGIN

  steps toward his mother and kisses her hand.

  STEPAN TROFIMOVICH goes up to him and em-

  braces him. STAVROGIN smiles at STEPAN and re-

  sumes his unemotional manner while the others,

  except SHATOV, greet him. But his prolonged si-

  lence dampens the enthusiasm.)

  VARVARA {looking at NICHOLAS) : Dear, dear child,

  you are sad, you are bored. That is right.

  STEPAN {bringing him a glass): My good Nicho-

  las!

  VARVARA: GO on, I beg you. We were talking of

  the dawn, I believe.

  (STAVROGIN lifts his glass as a toast in the direction

  of SHATOV, who leaves the room without saying a

  word, STAVROGIN sniffs the contents of his glass

  and sets it down on the table without drinking

  it.)

  LIPUTIN {after a moment of general embarrass-

  ment) : Good. Did you know that the new gov-

  ernor had already arrived?

  {In his corner on the left, VIRGINSKY says some-

  thing to GAGANOV, who answers:)

  GAGANOV: I won't let anyone lead me around by

  the nose.

  LIPUTIN: It seems that he wants to upset every-

  thing. But it would surprise me if he did.

  First Part

  18

  STEP AN: It won't last. Just a touch of administra-

  tive intoxication!

  (STAVROGIN has gone over to the spot vacated by

  SHATOV. Standing very upright with a faraway,

  gloomy look on his -face, he is watching GAGA-

  NOV.)

  VARVARA: What do you mean now?

  STEP AN: Why, you know the symptoms, don't

  you? For instance, just entrust any old nitwit

  with selling tickets behind the window of the

  most insignificant station and immediately, when

  you go to get a ticket, that nitwit will look at

  you as if he were Jupiter, just to show his power.

  The nitwit is drunk, you see. He is suffering from

  administrative intoxication.

  VARVARA: Come to the point, I beg you.

  STEP AN: I simply meant . . . However that may

  be, I know the new governor somewhat. A very

  handsome man, isn't he�about forty years old?

  VARVARA: Where did you get the idea that he is a

  handsome man? He has pop eyes.

  STEP AN: That's true, but . . . Well, in any case,

  I accept the opinion of the ladies.

  GAGANOV: We can't criticize the new governor

  before seeing him at work, can we?

  LIPUTIN: And why shouldn't we criticize him?

  He's the governor; isn't that enough?

  GAGANOV: Allow me�

  VIRGINSKY: It's through reasoning like Gaganov's

  that Russia is sinking into ignorance. If a horse

  were named governor, Gaganov would wait to

  see him at work.

  GAGANOV: Oh! But, allow rne, you are insulting

  19 Scene 1

  me, and I won't permit it. I said ... or, rather

  ... I repeat: I won't let anyone lead me around

  by the nose. . . . (STAVROGIN crosses the stage

  amid the silence that sets in 'with his first step,

  advances like a sleepwalker toward GAGANOV,

  slowly raises his arm, seizes GAGANOV'.? nose, and,

  gently pulling it, makes GAGANOV step toward the

  center of the stage. With anguish in her voice,

  VARVARA STAVROGIN shoUtSl "Nicholas!" NICHOLAS

  lets go of GAGANOV, steps backward a few steps,

  and looks at him, smiling absent-mindedly. After

  a second of stupor, general tumult. The others

  surround GAGANOV and lead him to a chair, into

  which he sinks. NICHOLAS STAVROGIN turns on his

  heels and leaves the room, VARVARA STAVROGIN,

  hardly knowing what she is doing, takes up a

  glass and carries it over to GAGANOV.) He . . .

  How could he ... ? Help, help!

  VARVARA (to STEP AN TROFIMOVICH ): Oh, my God,

  lie's mad, he's mad!

  STEP AN (hardly knowing what he is doing either):

  No, tres chere, mere thoughtlessness, youth . . .

  VARVARA (to GAGANOV): Forgive Nicholas, my

  friend, I beg of you.

  (STAVROGIN enters. After a brief hesitation he

  walks firmly toward GAGANOV, who gets up,

  frightened. Then rapidly and with a frown:)

  STAVROGIN: Of course you will forgive me! A

  sudden whim ... A stupid distraction . . .

  STEP AN (stepping up to the other side of STAVROGIN,

  who is looking vacantly ahead of him): That's

  not an acceptable apology, Nicholas. (With an-

  guish) ]e vous en prie, mon enfant. You have a

  First Part

  20

  noble heart, you are well brought up and cul-

  tured, and suddenly you seem to us enigmatic�

  a dangerous person. At least have pity on your

  mother.

  STAVROGIN (looking at his mother, then at GAGA-

  NOV) : All right. I shall apologize. But I shall do

  so secretly to Mr. Gaganov, who will understand

  me.

  (GAGANOV steps forward hesitantly, STAVROGIN

  leans over and seizes GAGANOV'J- ear in his teeth.)

  GAGANOV (in pain): Nicholas! Nicholas!

  (The others, who haven't yet understood the

  situation, look at him.)

  GAGANOV (in terror): Nicholas, you are biting my

  ear! (Screaming) He's biting my ear! (STAVROGIN

  lets go of him and stands staring at him with a

  dull look on his face, GAGANOV rushes out,

  screaming with fright.) Watch out! Watch out!

  VARVARA (going to her son)-. Nicholas, for the

  love of God!

  (NICHOLAS looks at her, laughs weakly, then col-

  lapses on the -floor in a sort of fit.)

  BLACKOUT

  THE NARRATOR: Gaganov stayed in bed several

  weeks. Nicholas Stavrogin likewise. But he even-

  tually got up, made his apologies most honorably,

  and set out for a rather long trip. The only place

  where he stayed for a time was Geneva�not be-

  cause of the hectic charm of that city, but be-

  cause there he found the Drozdov ladies.

  SCENE 2

  Varvara St aw o gin's drawing room, VARVARA STAV-

  ROGIN and PRASCOVYA DROZDOV are on the stage.

  PRASCOVYA: Oh, my dear, I can say that I am

  pleased to return Dasha Shatov to you. I have no

  criticism to make, for my part, but it seems to me

  that if she hadn't been there, there would not

  have been that little misunderstanding between

  your Nicholas and my Lisa. I assure you that I

  know nothing, for Lisa is much too proud, too

  obstinate, to have spoken to me. But the fact is

  that they are on the outs, that Lisa was humili-

  ated, God alone knows why, and that perhaps

  your Dasha would have something to say about

  it, although . . .

  VARVARA: I don't like insinuations, Prascovya. Tell

  all you have to tell. Are you trying to imply that

  Dasha had an intrigue with Nicholas?

  PRASCOVYA: An intrigue, dear�what a word! Be-

  sides, I don't want to imply ... I love you too

  much . . . How can you imagine . . .
? {She

  dries a tear.)

  VARVARA: Don't weep. I'm not hurt. Just tell me

  what took place.

  PRASCOVYA: Why, nothing at all. He is in love

  with Lisa, that's certain. I couldn't be mistaken

  on that point. Feminine intuition! . . . But you

  First Part

  22

  know Lisa's character. I suppose one might say-

  obstinate and scornful�yes, that's it! And Nich-

  olas is proud. What pride�oh, he is indeed your

  son! Well, he couldn't put up with her little

  jokes. And, in return, he bantered.

  VARVARA: Bantered?

  PRASCOVYA: Yes, that's the word. In any case, Lisa

  constantly tried to start a quarrel with Nicholas.

  Sometimes when she was aware that he was talk-

  ing with Dasha, you couldn't hold her back.

  Really, my dear, it was unbearable. The doctors

  forbade me to get excited, and, furthermore, I

  was so bored on the shores of that lake, and I had

  a toothache. Since then I have learned that the

  Lake of Geneva predisposes people to toothaches,

  and that that's one of its peculiarities. Finally

  Nicholas left. In my opinion, they will make up.

  VARVARA: Such a slight misunderstanding doesn't

  mean a thing. Besides, I know my Dasha too well.

  It's utterly absurd. Moreover, I shall get at the

  facts of the matter. (She rings.)

  PRASCOVYA: No, I assure you . . .

  (ALEXEY YEGOROVICH enters.)

  VARVARA: Tell Dasha that I am waiting for her.

  (ALEXEY YEGOROVICH leaves.)

  PRASCOVYA: I was wrong, dear, to speak to you of

  Dasha. There was nothing but the most ordinary

  conversations between her and Nicholas, and

  there was no whispering. At least in my presence.

  But I felt Lisa's irritation. And then that lake�

  you have no idea! It does calm you, to be sure,

  but only because it bores you. Yet, if you know

  what I mean, simply by boring you it irritates

  23 Scene 2

  you. . . . (DASHA enters.) My Dashenka, my lit-

  tle one! How I hate giving you up. We shall

  miss our good evening conversations in Geneva.

  Oh! Geneva! Au revoir, chere! (To DASHA) AU

  revoir, ma mignonne, ma cherie, ma colombe.

  (She leaves.)

  VARVARA: Sit down there, (DASHA sits down.) Em-

  broider, (DASHA picks up an embroidery -frame

  ?from the table.) Tell me about your trip.

  DASHA (in a steady, dull voice, somewhat tired):

  Oh! I had a good time, and I learned a great deal.

  Europe is very instructive�yes, instructive. We

  are so far behind them. They�

  VARVARA: Forget Europe. You have nothing par-

  ticular to tell me?

  DASHA (looks at her): No, nothing.

  VARVARA: Nothing on your mind, or on your con-

  science, or in your heart?

  DASHA (with a sort of colorless conviction) : Noth-

  ing.

  VARVARA: I was sure of it. I never had the slightest

  doubt about you. I have treated you as my

  daughter, and I am aiding your brother. You

  wouldn't do anything that might hurt me, would

  you?

  DASHA: No, nothing, God bless you.

  VARVARA: Listen. I have been thinking about you.

  Drop your embroidery and come over near me.

  (DASHA moves closer to her.) Do you want to get

  married? (DASHA looks at her.) Wait a moment,

  don't answer. I am thinking of someone older

  than you. But you are a reasonable girl. Besides,

  he is still very presentable. I am thinking of

  First Part 24

  Stepan Trofimovich, who was your professor

  and whom you have always esteemed. Well?

  (DASHA keeps on looking at her fixedly.) I know,

  he is frivolous. He whimpers and he thinks about

  himself too much. But he has decided qualities

  that you will appreciate, particularly because I

  ask it of you. He deserves to be loved because he

  is defenseless. Do you understand that? (DASHA

  nods affirmatively. Bursting out) I was sure of it;

  I was sure of you. As for him, he will love you

  because he is obligated! He must adore you!

  Listen, Dasha. He will obey you. Unless you are

  an idiot, you can force him to. But never push

  him to extremes�that is the first rule of conjugal

  life. Oh, Dasha, there is no greater happiness than

  sacrificing oneself. Besides, you will be doing me

  a great favor, and that is the important thing. But

  I am not forcing you in any way. It is up to you

  to decide. Speak.

  DASHA (slowly): If it is absolutely necessary, I

  shall do it.

  VARVARA: Absolutely? What are you alluding to,

  my child? (DASHA lowers her head in silence.)

  What you have just said is a stupidity. I am going

  to marry you off, to be sure, but not out of

  necessity, you understand. The idea just came to

  me, that's all. There's nothing to hide, is there?

  DASHA: No. I shall do as you wish.

  VARVARA: Hence you consent. So let's get to the

  details. Right after the ceremony, I shall give you

  fifteen thousand rubles. Out of those fifteen

  thousand, you will give eight thousand to Stepan