The Power of Darkness

away somewhere. Anísya Where will you shove it to? Nikíta Laughing. Why, are you afraid? Enter Akoulína, carrying clothes from the wash. Anísya O-oh, my poor head! Gives the money. Mind, Nikíta. Nikíta What are you afraid of? I’ll hide it so that I’ll not be able to find it myself. Exit. Anísya Stands in terror. Oh dear, and supposing he⁠ ⁠… Matryóna Well, is he dead? Anísya Yes, he seems dead. He did not move when I took it. Matryóna Go in, there’s Akoulína. Anísya Well there, I’ve done the sin and he has the money.⁠ ⁠… Matryóna Have done and go in! There’s Martha coming! Anísya There now, I’ve trusted him. What’s going to happen now? Exit. Martha Enters from one side, Akoulína enters from the other. To Akoulína. I should have come before, but I was at my daughter’s. Well, how’s the old man? Is he dying? Akoulína Puts down the clothes. Don’t know, I’ve been to the river. Martha Pointing to Matryóna. Who’s that? Matryóna I’m from Zoúevo. I’m Nikíta’s mother from Zoúevo, my dearie. Good afternoon to you. He’s withering, withering away, poor dear⁠—your brother, I mean. He came out himself. “Send for my sister,” he said, “because,” said he⁠ ⁠… Dear me, why, I do believe, he’s dead! Anísya Runs out screaming. Clings to a post, and begins wailing.4 Oh, oh, ah! who-o-o-m have you left me to, why-y-y have you dese-e-e-e-rted me⁠—a miserable widow⁠ ⁠… to live my life alone⁠ ⁠… Why have you closed your bright eyes⁠ ⁠… Enter Neighbour. Matryóna and Neighbour catch hold of Anísya under the arms to support her. Akoulína and Martha go into the hut. A crowd assembles. A Voice in the Crowd Send for the old women to lay out the body. Matryóna Rolls up her sleeves. Is there any water in the copper? But I daresay the samovar is still hot. I’ll also go and help a bit.

Curtain.

Act III

The same hut. Winter. Nine months have passed since Act II. Anísya, plainly dressed, sits before a loom weaving. Nan is on the oven.

Mítritch	An old labourer, enters, and slowly takes off his outdoor things. Oh Lord, have mercy! Well, hasn’t the master come home yet?
Anísya	What?
Mítritch	Nikíta isn’t back from town, is he?
Anísya	No.
Mítritch	Must have been on the spree. Oh Lord!
Anísya	Have you finished in the stackyard?
Mítritch	What d’you think? Got it all as it should be, and covered everything with straw! I don’t like doing things by halves! Oh Lord! holy Nicholas! Picks at the corns on his hands. But it’s time he was back.
Anísya	What need has he to hurry? He’s got money. Merrymaking with that girl, I daresay⁠ ⁠…
Mítritch	Why shouldn’t one make merry if one has the money? And why did Akoulína go to town?
Anísya	You’d better ask her. How do I know what the devil took her there!
Mítritch	What! to town? There’s all sorts of things to be got in town if one’s got the means. Oh Lord!
Nan	Mother, I heard myself. “I’ll get you a little shawl,” he says, blest if he didn’t; “you shall choose it yourself,” he says. And she got herself up so fine; she put on her velveteen coat and the French shawl.
Anísya	Really, a girl’s modesty reaches only to the door. Step over the threshold and it’s forgotten. She is a shameless creature.
Mítritch	Oh my! What’s the use of being ashamed? While there’s plenty of money make merry. Oh Lord! It is too soon to have supper, eh? Anísya does not answer. I’ll go and get warm meanwhile. Climbs on the stove. Oh Lord! Blessed Virgin Mother! holy Nicholas!
Neighbour	Enters. Seems your goodman’s not back yet?
Anísya	No.
Neighbour	It’s time he was. Hasn’t he perhaps stopped at our inn? My sister, Thekla, says there’s heaps of sledges standing there as have come from the town.
Anísya	Nan! Nan, I say!
Nan	Yes?
Anísya	You run to the inn and see! Mayhap, being drunk, he’s gone there.
Nan	Jumps down from the oven and dresses. All right.
Neighbour	And he’s taken Akoulína with him?
Anísya	Else he’d not have had any need of going. It’s because of her he’s unearthed all the business there. “Must go to the bank,” he says; “it’s time to receive the payments,” he says. But it’s all her fooling.
Neighbour	Shakes her head. It’s a bad lookout. Silence.
Nan	At the door. And if he’s there, what am I to say?
Anísya	You only see if he’s there.
Nan	All right. I’ll be back in a winking. Long silence.
Mítritch	Roars. Oh Lord! merciful Nicholas!
Neighbour	Starting. Oh, how he scared me? Who is it?
Anísya	Why, Mítritch, our labourer.
Neighbour	Oh dear, oh dear, what a fright he did give me! I had quite forgotten. But tell me, dear, I’ve heard someone’s been wooing Akoulína?
Anísya	Gets up from the loom and sits down by the table. There was someone from Dédlovo; but it seems the affair’s got wind there too. They made a start, and then stopped; so the thing fell through. Of course, who’d care to?
Neighbour	And the Lizounófs from Zoúevo?
Anísya	They made some steps too, but it didn’t come off either. They won’t even see us.
Neighbour	Yet it’s time she was married.
Anísya	Time and more than time! Ah, my dear, I’m that impatient to get her out of the house; but the matter does not come off. He does not wish it, nor she either. He’s not yet had enough of his beauty, you see.
Neighbour	Eh, eh, eh, what doings! Only think of it. Why, he’s her stepfather!
Anísya	Ah, friend, they’ve taken me in completely. They’ve done me so fine it’s beyond saying. I, fool that I was, noticed nothing, suspected nothing, and so I married him. I guessed nothing, but they already understood one another.
Neighbour	Oh dear, what goings on!
Anísya	So it went on from bad to worse, and I see they begin hiding from me. Ah,