The Power of Darkness

we can talk these matters over without you. Nikíta It’s a queer go! One moment I’m to be married, the next, not. I can’t make head or tail of it. Exit. Anísya What’s it all about then? Do you really wish him to get married? Matryóna Eh, why should he marry, my jewel? It’s all nonsense, all my old man’s drivel. “Marry, marry.” But he’s reckoning without his host. You know the saying, “From oats and hay, why should horses stray?” When you’ve enough and to spare, why look elsewhere? And so in this case. Winks. Don’t I see which way the wind blows? Anísya Where’s the good of my pretending to you, Mother Matryóna? You know all about it. I have sinned. I love your son. Matryóna Dear me, here’s news! D’you think Mother Matryóna didn’t know? Eh, lassie⁠—Mother Matryóna’s been ground, and ground again, ground fine! This much I can tell you, my jewel: Mother Matryóna can see through a brick wall three feet thick. I know it all, my jewel! I know what young wives need sleeping draughts for, so I’ve brought some along. Unties a knot in her handkerchief and brings out paper-packets. As much as is wanted, I see, and what’s not wanted I neither see nor perceive! There! Mother Matryóna has also been young. I had to know a thing or two to live with my old fool. I know seventy-and-seven dodges. But I see your old man’s quite seedy, quite seedy! How’s one to live with such as him? Why, if you pricked him with a hayfork it wouldn’t fetch blood. See if you don’t bury him before the spring. Then you’ll need someone in the house. Well, what’s wrong with my son? He’ll do as well as another. Then where’s the advantage of my taking him away from a good place? Am I my child’s enemy? Anísya Oh, if only he does not go away. Matryóna He won’t go away, birdie. It’s all nonsense. You know my old man. His wits are always woolgathering; yet sometimes he takes a thing into his pate, and it’s as if it were wedged in, you can’t knock it out with a hammer. Anísya And what started this business? Matryóna Well, you see, my jewel, you yourself know what a fellow with women the lad is⁠—and he’s handsome too, though I say it as shouldn’t. Well, you know, he was living at the railway, and they had an orphan wench there to cook for them. Well, that same wench took to running after him. Anísya Marína? Matryóna Yes, the plague seize her! Whether anything happened or not, anyhow something got to my old man’s ears. Maybe he heard from the neighbours, maybe she’s been and blabbed⁠ ⁠… Anísya Well, she is a bold hussy! Matryóna So my old man⁠—the old blockhead⁠—off he goes: “Marry, marry,” he says, “he must marry her and cover the sin,” he says. “We must take the lad home,” he says, “and he shall marry,” he says. Well, I did my best to make him change his mind, but, dear me, no. So, all right, thinks I⁠—I’ll try another dodge. One always has to entice them fools in this way, just pretend to be of their mind, and when it comes to the point one goes and turns it all one’s own way. You know, a woman has time to think seventy-and-seven thoughts while falling off the oven, so how’s such as he to see through it? “Well, yes,” says I, “it would be a good job⁠—only we must consider well beforehand. Why not go and see our son, and talk it over with Peter Ignátitch and hear what he has to say?” So here we are. Anísya Oh dear, oh dear, how will it all end? Supposing his father just orders him to marry her? Matryóna Orders, indeed. Chuck his orders to the dogs! Don’t you worry; that affair will never come off. I’ll go to your old man myself, and sift and strain this matter clear⁠—there will be none of it left. I have come here only for the look of the thing. A very likely thing! Here’s my son living in happiness and expecting happiness, and I’ll go and match him with a slut! No fear, I’m not a fool! Anísya And she⁠—this Marína⁠—came dangling after him here! Mother, would you believe, when they said he was going to marry, it was as if a knife had gone right through my heart. I thought he cared for her. Matryóna Oh, my jewel! Why, you don’t think him such a fool, that he should go and care for a homeless baggage like that? Nikíta is a sensible fellow, you see. He knows whom to love. So don’t you go and fret, my jewel. We’ll not take him away, and we won’t marry him. No, we’ll let him stay on, if you’ll only oblige us with a little money. Anísya All I know is, that I could not live if Nikíta went away. Matryóna Naturally, when one’s young it’s no easy matter! You, a wench in full bloom, to be living with the dregs of a man like that husband of yours. Anísya Mother Matryóna, would you believe it? I’m that sick of him, that sick of this long-nosed cur of mine, I can hardly bear to look at him. Matryóna Yes, I see, it’s one of them cases. Just look here, looks round and whispers I’ve been to see that old man, you know⁠—he’s given me simples of two kinds. This, you see, is a sleeping draught. “Just give him one of these powders,” he says, “and he’ll sleep so sound you might jump on him!” And this here, “This is that kind of simple,” he says, “that if you give one some of it to drink it has no smell whatever, but its strength is very great. There are seven doses here, a pinch at a time. Give him seven pinches,” he says, “and she won’t have far to look for freedom,” he says. Anísya O-o-oh! What’s that?