Savva and the Life of Man Part 29

SPERANSKY

That's how I feel, Miss Lipa.

_[A cautious knock is heard at the window._

LIPA _(opening the window)_

Who is there?

TONY _(to Speransky)_

Keep quiet, keep quiet.

KING FRIAR _(thrusting his smiling face through the window)_ Is Savva Yegorovich in? I wanted to ask him to come with me to the woods.

LIPA

No. Aren't you ashamed of yourself, Va.s.sya? To-morrow is a big feast-day in your monastery and you--

YOUNG FRIAR _(smiling)_

There are plenty of people in the monastery without me. Please tell Mr. Savva that I have gone to the ravine to catch fireflies. Ask him to call out: "Ho, ho!"

LIPA

What do you want fireflies for?

YOUNG FRIAR

Why, to scare the monks with. I'll put two fireflies next to each other like eyes, and they'll think it's, the devil. Tell him, please, to call: "Ho, ho, ho!" _(He disappears in the darkness)_

LIPA _(shouting after him)_

He can't come to-day. _(To Speransky)_ Gone already--ran off.

SPERANSKY

They buried three in the cemetery to-day, Miss Olympiada.

LIPA

Have you seen Savva?

SPERANSKY

No, I am sorry to say I haven't. I say, they buried three people to-day. One old man--perhaps you knew him--Peter Khvorostov?

LIPA

Yes, I knew him. So he's dead?

SPERANSKY

Yes, and two children. The women wept a great deal.

LIPA

What did they die of?

SPERANSKY

I am sorry, but I don't know. It didn't interest me. Some children's disease, I suppose. When children die, Miss Olympiada, they turn all blue and look as if they wanted to cry. The faces of grown people are tranquil, but children's faces are not. Why is that so?

LIPA

I don't know--I've never noticed it.

SPERANSKY

It's a very interesting phenomenon.

LIPA

There's father now. I told you to go to bed. Now I've got to listen to your brawling. I'll get out.

_(Exit. Enter Yegor Tropinin)_

YEGOR

Who lighted the lamp?

SPERANSKY

Good evening, Mr. Tropinin.

YEGOR

Good evening. Who lighted the lamp?

SPERANSKY

Miss Olympiada.

YEGOR _(blowing it out)_

Learned it from Savva. _(To Tony)_ And you, what's the matter with you? How long, how long, for Christ's sake? How long am I to stand all this from you, you good-for-nothing loafers? Eh? Where did you get the whiskey, eh?

TONY