anathema A Tragedy in Seven Scenes 13
DAVID.
The spirit of God has come over me. Adenoi. Adenoi.... Who was the
terrible one that spoke through the voice of old Nullius, when he spoke
about my little children who died? Only an arrow out of the bow of
the Omniscient strikes the very heart with such good aim. My little
birds.... Verily, You have saved me upon the edge of the abyss, and You
have torn my spirit away from the clutches of the Devil. He who looks
straight at the sun may grow blind, but with the lapse of time the
light may come back to the revived eyes; but he who looks into darkness
grows blind forever. My little birds....
_Suddenly he laughs softly and joyously, and he
whispers._
I myself shall bring them bread and milk, I shall hide myself behind
the bed-curtain that they should not see me--children are so tender
and easily frightened and they are afraid of unfamiliar people; and I
have such a terrible beard. (_Laughs._) I shall hide myself behind the
bed-curtain and will watch how the children are eating. They need so
little; they eat a little crust of bread and they have enough; they
drink a cup of milk and they know no thirst any longer. Then they
sing--But how strange! does not the night pass away when the sun comes?
do not the waves, at the end of the storm, lie down calmly and quietly
like lambs resting in the pasture? Whence came the alarm, the slight
confusion, and the fear? Shades of unknown woes are passing over my
soul and soaring noiselessly over my thoughts. Ah, if I remained poor,
if I remained unknown, under the shade of the fence where the refuse is
cast away! You have lifted me to the peak of the mountain and You show
my old, sorrowful face to the world. But such is Your will. You will
command--and the lamb will become a lion; You will command--and the
furious lion will stretch out her powerful breasts to her little ones;
You will command--and David Leizer, who has grown white in shade, will
fearlessly rise to the sun. Adenoi! Adenoi!
_Sarah, Naum, and Rosa enter, alarmed._
SARAH.
David, what is it you have called us for? And why was your Nullius so
strict when he told us of your command? We have not sinned against
you, and if we have sinned, investigate it, but do not look at us so
sternly.
ROSA.
May I sit down?
DAVID.
Be silent and wait. All those whom I have called are not here yet. Be
seated, Rosa, if you are tired, but when the time comes, rise. You,
too, may sit down, Naum.
_The servants enter irresolutely; a lackey,
resembling an English Minister; a chamber-maid; a
cook; a gardener; a dish-washer, and others. They
move about in confusion. Soon about fifteen or
twenty poor people enter, in groups. Among them
are: Abraham Khessin, an old man; Sonka's girl;
Joseph Kritsky, Sarah Lepke, and several other
Jews and Jewesses. But there are also Greeks, and
Little Russians, and Russians and other paupers
whose nationality has been lost in rags and filth;
two drunkards. Purikes, Ivan Bezkrainy, and the
Organ-grinder, with the same outworn instrument,
are also here. But Anathema is still away._
DAVID.
Please, please. Come in more boldly, don't stop at the
threshold,--others are coming behind you. But it would be well if you
wiped your feet first; this rich house is not mine, and I must return
it as clean as when I took it.
KHESSIN.
We have not yet learned how to walk on rugs, and we have not yet any
patent leather shoes, as your son Naum has. How do you do, David
Leizer? Peace be upon your house.
DAVID.
Peace unto you, too, Abraham. But why do you call me David Leizer, when
you used to call me simply David before?
KHESSIN.
You are now such a mighty man, David Leizer. Yes, I used to call you
merely David before, but here I was waiting for you in the yard, and
the longer I waited, the longer your name grew, Mr. David Leizer.
DAVID.
You are right, Abraham: when the sun sets, the shadows become longer,
and when a man becomes smaller, his name grows longer. But wait
another while, Abraham.
LACKEY.
_To drunkard._
You better move away from me.
DRUNKARD.
Keep quiet, fool! You are a servant here, while we are the guests.
LACKEY.
Ruffian! You aren't in a car here, that you spit on the floor.
DRUNKARD.
Mr. Leizer, a certain man, who looked like an old devil, caught me by
the collar and said: "David Leizer, who received an inheritance, is
calling you." I asked him, "What for?" So he answered: "David wants to
make you his heir," and he began to laugh. And now that I came here,
your servant is chasing me away.
DAVID.
_Smiling._
Nullius is a gay man and he never misses an opportunity for jesting.
But you are my guest, and I ask you to wait.
SARAH.
_After some hesitancy._
Well, how is your business getting along, Ivan? You have fewer
competitors now.
BEZKRAINY.
It's bad, Sarah; we have no customers.
PURIKES.
_Like an echo._
No customers.
SARAH.
_Compassionately._
Ai--Ai--Ai! It's bad, if there are no customers.
ROSA.
Don't speak, mamma. Do you want, perhaps, to smear my face again with
soot?
_Pushing several paupers into the door, Anathema
enters, apparently fatigued._
ANATHEMA.
Well, David, meanwhile receive these. Your millions frighten the poor,
and nobody wanted to follow me, thinking that some deception is hidden
here.
DRUNKARD.
This is the man who caught me by the collar.
ANATHEMA.
Ah, is that you? How do you do? How do you do?
DAVID.
Thank you, Nullius. Now take ink and paper and sit down near me, by the
table; bring me my old counting-board.... As everything I am about to
say is very important, I ask you to write it correctly and to make no
errors--we shall give an account of every word before God. I ask you
all to rise and listen attentively, striving to understand the great
words which I am about to utter.
_Sternly._
Rise, Rosa.
SARAH.
God, have mercy on us! What are you going to do, David?
DAVID.
Be silent, Sarah. You will come with me.
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