Anathema A Tragedy in Seven Scenes 5

Anathema A Tragedy in Seven Scenes 5

SARAH.

 

Here, here is Rosa; look, sir! My God, how ugly she is. David cries

every time he sees her.

 

ROSA.

 

_Offended, straightens herself._

 

There are uglier women than I am.

 

SARAH.

 

_Persuasively._

 

What are you saying, Rosa? There is no uglier girl than you in the

whole world. (_Whispers entreatingly._) Hide your beauty, Rosa. A

robber has come, Rosa,--hide your beauty! At night I will wash your

face myself, I will comb your braids myself, and you will be as

beautiful as a heavenly angel, and we will all pray to you. A robber

has come, Rosa. (_Aloud._) Did they throw stones at you again?

 

ROSA.

 

_Hoarsely._

 

Yes, they did.

 

SARAH.

 

And the dogs attacked you, too?

 

ROSA.

 

Yes, they did.--

 

SARAH.

 

So you see, sir? Even the dogs!

 

ANATHEMA.

 

_In a friendly tone._

 

Yes, it seems that I have made a mistake. To my regret, your daughter

is really not pretty and it is painful to look at her.

 

SARAH.

 

Of course, there are uglier girls than she is, but--Go, Rosochka, go

over there, take your work--What is there for a poor and ugly girl to

do but work? Go, my poor Rosochka, go.

 

_Rosa takes some rags to mend and disappears behind

the counter. Silence._

 

ANATHEMA.

 

Is it long since you have this store, madam Leizer?

 

SARAH.

 

_Calmed down._

 

Thirty years already, ever since David became sick. A misfortune

happened to him when he served in the army,--he was trampled by horses

and they crushed his chest.

 

ANATHEMA.

 

Was David a soldier?

 

BEZKRAINY.

 

_Interposing._

 

David had an older brother, and he was a scoundrel, and his name was

Moses.

 

SARAH.

 

_With a sigh._

 

And his name was Moses.

 

BEZKRAINY.

 

And when the time came for Moses to serve in the army, he ran off on an

Italian steamer. And David was taken in his place.

 

SARAH.

 

_With a sigh._

 

David was taken.

 

ANATHEMA.

 

What injustice!

 

BEZKRAINY.

 

Have you ever met justice in the world?

 

ANATHEMA.

 

Of course I have. You are no doubt an unfortunate man, and everything

appears to you in dark colors. But you will see, you will soon see,

that justice does exist. (_Freely._) The devil take it, I have nothing

to do, so I always roam about the world, and I have not seen anything

so plentiful as justice. How shall I say it, madam Leizer? There is

more justice on earth than fleas on a good dog.

 

SARAH.

 

_Smiling._

 

But what if it is just as hard to catch justice as

to catch fleas....

 

BEZKRAINY.

 

And what if it bites just as the fleas do?

 

_All laugh. From the side of the city appears an

organ-grinder, exhausted, half-blinded from dust

and perspiration. He wants to pass by, but suddenly

he pauses in despair, and begins to play a terrible

tune._

 

SARAH.

 

Pass on, please, pass on. We need no music.

 

ORGAN-GRINDER.

 

_Playing._

 

Neither do I need it.

 

SARAH.

 

We have nothing to give you. Pass on.

 

ORGAN-GRINDER.

 

_Playing._

 

Then I will die to the strains of music.

 

ANATHEMA.

 

_Generously._

 

Please, madam Leizer, give him something to eat and water--I will pay

for everything.

 

SARAH.

 

What a kind-hearted man you are. Go, musician, eat and drink. But for

the water I will not take anything from you--let the water be mine.

 

_The organ-grinder sits down and eats ravenously._

 

ANATHEMA.

 

_Friendly._

 

Is it long you have been roaming over the world, musician?

 

ORGAN-GRINDER.

 

_Morosely,_

 

I used to have a monkey before--music and a monkey. The monkey was

eaten up by the fleas, and my music box started to screech, and I am

looking for a tree on which to hang myself. That is all.

 

_A little girl runs in. She looks curiously at the

organ-grinder, then turns to Sonka._

 

LITTLE GIRL.

 

Sonka, Ruzya died.

 

SONKA.

 

Already?

 

LITTLE GIRL.

 

Yes, he died. May I take some seeds?

 

SONKA.

 

_Closing her store._

 

You may. Sarah, if a customer comes, tell him that I will attend to

business to-morrow again, otherwise he may think that my store is

closed for good. Have you heard it? Ruzya died.

 

SARAH.

 

Already?

 

LITTLE GIRL.

 

Yes, he died. Is the musician going to play?

 

_Anathema whispers to Sarah and puts something into

her hand._

 

SARAH.

 

Sonka, here is a rouble for you; you see, a rouble?

 

BEZKRAINY.

 

There is luck! Yesterday a chicken, to-day a rouble. Take it, Sonka.

 

_All look greedily upon the rouble. Sonka and the

little girl go out._

 

SARAH.

 

You are very rich, sir.