The Power of Darkness

going to sing songs? Silence. Nan Daddy! Daddy, I say! They are digging! they’re digging⁠—don’t you hear? Blest if they’re not, they’re digging! Mítritch What are you dreaming about? Digging! Digging in the night! Who’s digging? The cow’s rubbing herself, that’s all. Digging indeed! Go to sleep I tell you, else I’ll just put out the light! Nan Daddy darling, don’t put it out! I won’t⁠ ⁠… truly, truly, I won’t. It’s so frightful! Mítritch Frightful? Don’t be afraid and then it won’t be frightful. Look at her, she’s afraid, and then says it’s frightful. How can it help being frightful if you are afraid? Eh, what a stupid little girl! Silence. The cricket chirps. Nan Whispers. Daddy! I say, daddy! Are you asleep? Mítritch Now then, what d’you want? Nan What’s the bogey like? Mítritch Why, like this! When he finds such a one as you, who won’t sleep, he comes with a sack and pops the girl into it, then in he gets himself, head and all, lifts her dress, and gives her a fine whipping! Nan What with? Mítritch He takes a birch-broom with him. Nan But he can’t see there⁠—inside the sack! Mítritch He’ll see, no fear! Nan But I’ll bite him. Mítritch No, friend, him you can’t bite! Nan Daddy, there’s someone coming! Who is it? Oh gracious goodness! Who can it be? Mítritch Well, if someone’s coming, let them come! What’s the matter with you? I suppose it’s your mother! Enter Anísya. Anísya Nan! Nan pretends to be asleep. Mítritch! Mítritch What? Anísya What’s the lamp burning for? We are going to sleep in the summer-hut. Mítritch Why, you see I’ve only just got straight. I’ll put the light out all right. Anísya Rummages in her box and grumbles. When a thing’s wanted one never can find it! Mítritch Why, what is it you are looking for? Anísya I’m looking for a cross. Suppose it were to die unbaptized! It would be a sin, you know! Mítritch Of course it would! Everything in due order.⁠ ⁠… Have you found it? Anísya Yes, I’ve found it. Exit. Mítritch That’s right, else I’d have lent her mine. Oh Lord! Nan Jumps up trembling. Oh, oh, daddy! Don’t go to sleep; for goodness’ sake, don’t! It’s so frightful! Mítritch What’s frightful? Nan It will die⁠—the little baby will! At Aunt Irene’s the old woman also baptized the baby, and it died! Mítritch If it dies, they’ll bury it! Nan But maybe it wouldn’t have died, only old Granny Matryóna’s there! Didn’t I hear what granny was saying? I heard her! Blest if I didn’t! Mítritch What did you hear? Go to sleep, I tell you. Cover yourself up, head and all, and let’s have an end of it! Nan If it lived, I’d nurse it! Mítritch Roars. Oh Lord! Nan Where will they put it? Mítritch In the right place! It’s no business of yours! Go to sleep I tell you, else mother will come; she’ll give it you! Silence. Nan Daddy! Eh, daddy! That girl, you know, you were telling about⁠—they didn’t kill her? Mítritch That girl? Oh yes. That girl turned out all right! Nan How was it? You were saying you found her? Mítritch Well, we just found her! Nan But where did you find her? Do tell! Mítritch Why, in their own house; that’s where! We came to a village, the soldiers began hunting about in the house, when suddenly there’s that same little girl lying on the floor, flat on her stomach. We were going to give her a knock on the head, but all at once I felt that sorry, that I took her up in my arms; but no, she wouldn’t let me! Made herself so heavy, quite a hundredweight, and caught hold where she could with her hands, so that one couldn’t get them off! Well, so I began stroking her head. It was so bristly⁠—just like a hedgehog! So I stroked and stroked, and she quieted down at last. I soaked a bit of rusk and gave it her. She understood that, and began nibbling. What were we to do with her? We took her; took her, and began feeding and feeding her, and she got so used to us that we took her with us on the march, and so she went about with us. Ah, she was a fine girl! Nan Yes, and not baptized? Mítritch Who can tell! They used to say, not altogether. ’Cos why, those people weren’t our own. Nan Germans? Mítritch What an idea! Germans! Not Germans, but Asiatics. They are just the same as Jews, but still not Jews. Polish, yet Asiatics. Curls⁠ ⁠… or, Curdlys is their name.⁠ ⁠… I’ve forgotten what it is!8 We called the girl Sáshka. She was a fine girl, Sáshka was! There now, I’ve forgotten everything I used to know! But that girl⁠—the deuce take her⁠—seems to be before my eyes now! Out of all my time of service, I remember how they flogged me, and I remember that girl. That’s all I remember! She’d hang round one’s neck, and one ’ud carry her so. That was a girl⁠—if you wanted a better you’d not find one! We gave her away afterwards. The captain’s wife took her to bring up as her daughter. So⁠—she was all right! How sorry the soldiers were to let her go! Nan There now, daddy, and I remember when father was dying⁠—you were not living with us then. Well, he called Nikíta and says, “Forgive me, Nikíta!” he says, and begins to cry. Sighs. That also felt very sad! Mítritch Yes; there now, so it is⁠ ⁠… Nan Daddy! Daddy, I say! There they are again, making a noise in the cellar! Oh gracious heavens! Oh dear! Oh dear! Oh, daddy! They’ll do something to it! They’ll make away with it, and it’s so little! Oh, oh! Covers up her head and cries. Mítritch Listening. Really they’re up to some villainy, blow them to shivers! Oh, these women are vile creatures! One can’t say much for men either; but women!⁠ ⁠… They are like wild beasts, and stick at nothing! Nan Rising. Daddy; I say, daddy! Mítritch Well, what now? Nan The other