The Possessed Read online

yatkin.

  VARVARA: Nicholas?

  DASHA: Nicholas himself.

  VARVARA (after a silence): All right. Since he did

  so without mentioning it to me, he must have had

  reasons for doing so. But in the future I shall ask

  you to be more careful. That Lebyatkin does not

  have a good reputation.

  MARIA: Oh, no! And if he comes, you must send

  him to the kitchen. That's his place. You can give

  him coffee if you wish. But I hold him in utter

  contempt.

  ALEXEY YEGOROVICH (coming in): A certain Mr.

  Lebyatkin is very insistent about being an-

  nounced.

  MAURICE: Allow me to say, madame, that he is

  not the kind of man to be received in good soci-

  ety..

  VARVARA: Yet I am going to receive him. (To

  ALEXEY YEGOROVICH) Tell him to come up.

  (ALEXEY YEGOROVICH leaves.) Since you must

  know, I received anonymous letters informing

  me that my son is a monster and warning me

  against a crippled woman destined to play a

  large part in my life. I want to get to the bottom

  of the matter.

  PRASCOVYA: I, too, have received those letters.

  And you know what they say about this woman

  and Nicholas. . . .

  VARVARA: I know.

  5i Scene 4

  (LEBYATKIN comes in, titillated without being

  quite drunk. He goes toward VARVARA STAVRO-

  GIN.)

  LEBYATKIN: I have come,. madame�

  VARVARA: Sit down in that chair, sir. You can be

  heard just as well from there. (He wheels about

  and goes and sits down.) Now, will you intro-

  duce yourself?

  LEBYATKIN (rising): Captain Lebyatkin. I have

  come, madame�

  VARVARA: Is this person your sister?

  LEBYATKIN: Yes, madame. She eluded my vigi-

  lance for ... I wouldn't want you to think that

  I was saying anything bad about my sister, but

  . . . (He taps his forehead with his finger.)

  VARVARA: Did this misfortune happen long ago?

  LEBYATKIN: On a certain day, madame, yes, a

  certain day ... I have come to thank you for

  having taken her in. Here are twenty rubles. (He

  goes toward her as the others all bestir themselves

  as if to protect VARVARA STAVROGIN.)

  VARVARA: Why, you must be mad, my man.

  LEBYATKIN: NO, madame. Rich is your dwelling

  and poor is the dwelling of the Lebyatkins, but

  Maria my sister, nee Lebyatkin, the nameless

  Maria would not have accepted from anyone but

  you the ten rubles you gave her. From you,

  madame, and from you alone she will accept

  anything. But while she accepts with one hand,

  she gives with the other to one of your charities.

  VARVARA: That is done through my porter, sir, and

  you may do so as you leave. I beg you therefore

  to put your money away and not to wave it in

  First Part 52

  my face. I shall thank you also to sit down again.

  Now explain yourself and tell me why your

  sister can accept anything from me.

  LEBYATKIN: Madame, that is a secret that I shall

  carry to the grave with me.

  VARVARA: Why?

  LEBYATKIN: May I ask you a question openly, in

  the Russian manner, from the depths of my

  heart?

  VARVARA: I am listening.

  LEBYATKIN: Is it possible to die just because of

  too noble a soul?

  VARVARA: That is a question I have never asked

  myself.

  LEBYATKIN: Really never? Well, if that's the way

  it is . . . (He strikes his chest vigorously.) Be

  silent, heart; there is no hope!

  (MARIA TIMOFEYEVNA bUTStS OUt laUghlflg.)

  VARVARA: Stop talking in conundrums, sir, and

  answer my question. Why can she accept any-

  thing from me?

  LEBYATKIN: Why? Oh, madame, every day for

  millennia the whole of nature has been asking the

  Creator "Why?" and we are still awaiting the

  reply. Is Captain Lebyatkin to be the only one

  to answer? Would that be fair? I should like to

  be named Paul and yet I am named Ignatius.

  Why? I am a poet, with the soul of a poet, and

  yet I live in a pigsty. Why?

  VARVARA: YOU are expressing yourself bombas-

  tically, and I look upon that as insolent.

  LEBYATKIN: NO, madame, not insolent. I am just

  an infinitesimal insect, but the insect does not

  53 Scene 4

  complain. A man is sometimes forced to put up

  with the dishonor of his family rather than to

  speak the truth. So Lebyatkin will not complain;

  he will not say one word too many. You must,

  madame, admit his greatness of soul!

  (ALEXEY YEGOROVICH comes in, showing great

  emotion.)

  ALEXEY YEGOROVICH: Nicholas Stavrogin has

  come.

  (All turn toward the door. Hasty steps are heard

  and PETER VERKHOVENSKY enters.)

  STEPAN: But . . .

  PRASCOVYA: But it's . . .

  PETER: Greetings, Varvara Stavrogin.

  STEPAN: Peter! Why, it's Peter, my son! (He

  rushes up and embraces PETER.)

  PETER: All right. All right. Don't get excited. (He

  breaks away.) Just imagine, I rush in expecting

  to find Nicholas Stavrogin. He left me a half-

  hour ago at Kirilov's and asked me to meet him

  here. He will be here any minute, and I am

  happy to announce this good news.

  STEPAN: But I haven't seen you in ten years.

  PETER (moving from one person to another in the

  room): All the more reason for not going all

  to pieces. Behave yourself! Oh, Lisa, how happy

  I am! And your esteemed mother hasn't for-

  gotten me? How are your legs? Dear Varvara

  Stavrogin, I had told my father, but naturally he

  forgot. ...

  STEPAN: Man enfant, quelle joie!

  PETER: Yes, you love me. But leave me alone. Ah!

  Here is Nicholas!

  First Part 54

  (STAVROGIN enters.)

  VARVARA: Nicholas! (At the tone of her voice,

  STAVROGIN stops dead.) I beg you to tell me at

  once, before you take even one step, whether it

  is true that this woman here is your legitimate

  wife.

  (STAVROGIN stares at her, smiles, then walks to-

  ward her and kisses her hand. With the same

  calm stare he walks toward MARIA TIMOFEYEVNA.

  MARIA gets up with an expression of painful de-

  light on her face.)

  STAVROGIN (with extraordinary gentleness and af-

  fection) : You must not stay here.

  MARIA: May I, right here and now, kneel down

  before you?

  STAVROGIN (smiling): No, you may not. I am not

  your brother or your fiance or your husband, am

  I? Take my arm. With your permission, I shall

  take you home t
o your brother. (She casts a

  frightened look toward LEBYATKIN.) Fear noth-

  ing. Now that I am here, he will not touch you.

  MARIA: Oh, I fear nothing. At last you have come.

  Lebyatkin, call for the carriage.

  (LEBYATKIN leaves, STAVROGIN gives his arm to

  MARIA TIMOFEYEVNA, who takes it with a radiant

  expression on her face. But as she walks she

  stumbles and would fall but for STAVROGIN hold-

  ing her. He leads her toward the exit, showing

  her great consideration, amid an absolute silence.

  LISA, who has risen from her chair, sits down

  again with a shudder of disgust. As soon as they

  have left, everyone stirs.)

  55 Scene 4

  VARVARA (to PRASCOVYA DROZDOV) : Well, did you

  hear what he just said?

  PRASCOVYA: Of course. Of course! But why didn't

  he answer you?

  PETER: Why, he couldn't, I assure you!

  VARVARA (suddenly looking at him): Why not?

  What do you know about it?

  PETER: I know all about it. But the story was too

  long for Nicholas to relate just now. I can tell it

  to you, for I saw it all.

  VARVARA: If you give me your word of honor that

  what you say will not hurt Nicholas in any

  way . . .

  PETER: Quite the contrary! He will even be grate-

  ful to me for having spoken. You see, we were

  together in St. Petersburg five years ago and

  Nicholas was leading�how shall I put it?�an

  ironic life. Yes, that's the word. He was bored

  then, but did not want to fall into despair. Hence

  he did nothing and went out with anyone at all.

  Through nobility of soul, you might say, like a

  man above all that sort of thing. In short, he

  spent his time with knaves. Thus it is that he

  knew that Lebyatkin, a fool and parasite. He and

  his sister were living in abject poverty. One day

  in a cabaret someone insulted that lame girl.

  Nicholas got up, seized the insulter by the collar,

  and with a single blow threw him out. That's all.

  [VARVARA: What do you mean, "that's all"?

  PETER: Yes, that's where it all started. The lame

  girl fell in love with her Knight, who neverthe-

  less never spoke two sentences to her. People

  First Part 56

  made fun of her. Nicholas was the only one who

  didn't laugh and treated her with respect. ]

  STEP AN: Why, that is very chivalrous.

  [PETER: Yes, you see, my father feels the same

  way the lame girl did. Kirilov, on the other hand,

  did not.

  VARVARA: Why not?

  PETER: He used to say to Nicholas: "It's because

  you treat her like a duchess that she is losing all

  self-possession."

  LISA: And what did the Knight reply?

  PETER: "Kirilov," he said, "you think I am making

  fun of her, but you are wrong. I respect her, for

  she is worth more than all of us."

  STEP AN: Sublime! And even, you might say, chiv-

  alrous. . . .]

  PETER: Yes, chivalrous. Unfortunately, the lame

  girl eventually came to imagine that Nicholas

  was her fiance. Finally, when Nicholas had to

  leave Petersburg, he arranged to leave behind an

  annual allowance for the lame girl.

  LISA: Why that?

  PETER: I don't know. A whim perhaps�the kind

  a man indulges in when he is prematurely tired of

  existence. Kirilov, on the other hand, claimed

  that it was the fancy of a blase young man who

  wanted to see how far he could lead a half-crazy

  cripple. But I am sure that's not true.

  VARVARA (in a state of rapture): Why, of course

  not! It's just like Nicholas! It's just like me!

  Being carried away like that, blind generosity

  taking up the defense of anything weak, infirm,

  57 Scene 4

  perhaps even unworthy . . . (She looks at STE-

  PAN TROFIMOVICH.) . . . protecting the creature

  for years on end . . . Why, it's me all over

  again! Oh, I have been guilty toward Nicholas!

  As for that poor creature, it's very simple: I shall

  adopt her.

  PETER: And you will be doing right. For her

  brother persecutes her. He got it into his head

  that he had a right to dispose of her allowance.

  Not only does he take everything she has, not

  only does he beat her and take her money, but

  he drinks it all up, he insults her benefactor,

  threatens to drag him before the law if the al-

  lowance is not paid to him directly. In fact, he

  considers Nicholas's gift as if it were a sort of

  tribute.

  LISA: A tribute for what?

  PETER: Well, how should I know? He talks of his

  sister's honor, of his family. But honor is a vague

  word, isn't it? Very vague.

  SHATOV: Is it a vague word, really? (All look at

  him.) Dasha, is it a vague word to you? (DASHA

  looks at him.) Answer me.

  DASHA: No, brother, honor exists.

  (STAVROGIN enters, VARVARA rises and goes rapidly

  toward him.)

  VARVARA: Oh, Nicholas, will you forgive me?

  STAVROGIN: I am the one to be forgiven, Mother.

  I should have explained to you. But I was sure

  that Peter Verkhovensky would inform you.

  VARVARA: Yes, he did. And I am happy. . . . You

  were chivalrous.

  First Part 58

  STEP AN: Sublime is the word.

  STAVROGIN: Chivalrous, indeed! So that's how you

  see it? I suppose I owe this compliment to Peter

  Verkhovensky. And you must believe him,

  Mother. He lies only in exceptional circum-

  stances, (PETER VERKHOVENSKY and STAVROGIN

  look at each other and smile.) Good, but I beg

  your forgiveness once more for my attitude. {In

  a harsh, crisp voice) In any case, the subject is

  closed now. There's no point in bringing it up

  again.

  (LISA bursts out with a hysterical laugh.)

  STAVROGIN: Good day, Lisa. I hope you are well.

  LISA: Please forgive me. I believe you know Mau-

  rice Nicolaevich. Good Lord, Maurice, how is it

  possible to be so tall?

  MAURICE: I don't understand.

  LISA: Oh, nothing ... I was just thinking. . . .

  Supposing that I were lame, you would lead me

  through the streets, you would be chivalrous,

  wouldn't you? You would be devoted to me?

  MAURICE: Most certainly, Lisa. But why talk of

  such a misfortune?

  LISA: Most certainly you would be chivalrous.

  Well, you so tall and I crippled and deformed,

  we'd make a ridiculous couple.

  (VARVARA STAVROGIN and PRASCOVYA DROZDOV go

  toward LISA. But STAVROGIN turns and goes to-

  ward DASHA.)

  STAVROGIN: I've heard of your marriage, Dasha,

  and I want to congratulate you. (DASHA turns her

  head away.) My cong
ratulations are sincere.

  59 Scene 4

  DASHA: I know it.

  PETER: Why these congratulations? Am I to as-

  sume that there is some good news?

  PRASCOVYA: Yes, Dasha is getting married.

  PETER: Why, it's wonderful! Accept my con-

  gratulations too. But you have lost your bet. You

  told me in Switzerland that you would never get

  married. Decidedly, it's an epidemic. Do you

  know that my father is getting married too?

  STEPAN: Peter!

  PETER: Well, didn't you write me so? To be sure,

  you weren't very clear. First you declare your-

  self to be delighted and then you ask me to save

  you; you tell me that the girl is a pure diamond,

  but that you must get married to cover sins com-

  mitted in Switzerland; you ask my consent�

  what a topsy-turvy world this is!�and you beg

  me to save you from this marriage. (To the

  others, laughing) What on earth could he mean?

  But that's the way his generation is�big words

  and vague ideas! (He seems suddenly to become

  aivare of the effect of his ivords.) Well, what's

  the matter? ... It looks as if I've pulled a

  boner. . . .

  VARVARA (stepping toward him with flushed face) :

  Did Stepan Trofimovich write you that in so

  many words?

  PETER: Yes, here is his letter. It is long, like all of

  his letters. I never read them all the way through,

  I must confess. Besides, he doesn't care, for he

  writes them especially for posterity. But there's

  no harm in what he says.

  First Part

  60

  VARVARA: Nicholas, was it Stepan Trofimovich

  who informed you of this marriage? In the same

  manner, I suppose?

  STAVROGIN: He did write me, in fact, but a very-

  noble letter.

  VARVARA: That's enough! (She turns toward STE-

  PAN TROFIMOVICH.) Stepan Trofimovich, I expect

  a great service of you. I expect you to leave this

  house and never appear in my presence again.

  (STEPAN TROFIMOVICH steps toward her and bows

  with great dignity, then goes over toward DASHA.)

  STEPAN: Dasha, forgive me for all this. I thank

  you for having accepted.

  DASHA: I forgive you, Stepan Trofimovich. I feel

  nothing but affection and esteem for you. You,

  at least, continue to respect me.

  PETER (striking his forehead): Now I understand!

  Why, he meant with Dasha! Forgive me, Dasha.

  I didn't know. If only my father had had the

  sense to tell me instead of indulging in innuendo!

  STEPAN (looking at him): Is it possible that you

  knew nothing! Is it possible that you are not put-

  ting on an act?

  PETER: Well, you see, Varvara Stavrogin, he's not

  only an aged child, he's also an aged naughty

  child. How could I have understood? A sin com-

  mitted in Switzerland! Just try to make out what

  he means!

  STAVROGIN: Be quiet, Peter, your father acted

  nobly. And you have insulted Dasha, whom all

  of us here respect.

  (SHATOV gets up and walks toward STAVROGIN,

  who smiles at him but ceases to smile when SHA-

  61 Scene 4

  TOV is close to him. Everyone stares at them. Si-

  lence. Then SHATOV slaps him as hard as he can.

  VARVARA screams, STAVROGIN seizes SHATOV by the

  shoulders, then lets him go and puts his hands

  behind his back, SHATOV backs up as STAVROGIN

  stares at him. STAVROGIN smiles, bows, and leaves.)

  LISA: Maurice, come here. Give me your hand!

  (Pointing to STAVROGIN) YOU see that man? You

  won't see any better. Maurice, before all let me

  declare that I have agreed to be your wife!

  MAURICE: Are you sure, Lisa, are you sure?

  LISA (staring at the door through which STAVROGIN

  has gone out, her -face bathed in tears): Yes,

  yes, I am sure!

  CURTAIN

  SECOND PART

  ISsm*-

  SCENE 5

  At Varvara Stavrogin,s. ALEXEY YEGOROVICH holds

  on his arm a coat, a scarf, and a hat. In front of him

  STAVROGIN is dressing to go out. PETER VERKHOVEN-

  SKY, looking sullen, is near the table.

  STAVROGIN {to PETER) : And if you speak to me

  again like that, you will feel my cane.

  PETER: There was nothing insulting in my propo-

  sition. If you really think of marrying Lisa . . .

  STAVROGIN: . . . you can free me from the only

  obstacle separating me from her. I know it, but

  don't say it again. I'd rather not have to use my

  cane on you. My gloves, Alexey.

  ALEXEY: It is raining, sir. At what time shall I ex-

  pect you?

  STAVROGIN: At two o'clock at the latest.

  ALEXEY: Very well, sir. (STAVROGIN takes his cane

  and is about to leave by the small door.) May

  God bless you, sir. But only if you are planning

  a good deed.

  STAVROGIN: What?

  ALEXEY: May God bless you. But only if you are

  planning a good deed.

  STAVROGIN {after a silence and with his hand on

  ALEXEY'S arm): My good Alexey, I remember

  the time when you used to carry me in your