Impossible! You can only revenge us.
Vera. I shall revenge you.
Dmitri. Listen! there is a house in Moscow —
Sergeant. Prisoners, attention! — the Colonel is coming — young woman, your time is up.
(Enter Colonel, Aide-de-Camp and Peter.)
Peter. I hope your Highness is pleased with the venison. I shot it myself.
Colonel. It had been better had you talked less about it. Sergeant, get ready. (Gives purse to Peter.) Here, you cheating rascal!
Peter. My fortune is made! long live your Highness. I hope your Highness will come often this way.
Colonel. By Saint Nicholas, I hope not. It is too cold here for me. (To Vera.) Young girl, don’t ask questions again about what does not concern you. I will not forget your face.
Vera. Nor I yours, or what you are doing.
Colonel. You peasants are getting too saucy since you ceased to be serfs, and the knout is the best school for you to learn politics in. Sergeant, proceed.
(The Colonel turns and goes to top of stage. The prisoners pass out double file; as Dmitri passes Vera he lets a piece of paper fall on the ground; she puts her foot on it and remains immobile.) Peter (who has been counting the money the Colonel gave him). Long life to your Highness. I will hope to see another batch soon. (Suddenly catches sight of Dmitri as he is going out of the door, and screams and rushes up.) Dmitri! Dmitri! my God! what brings you here? he is innocent, I tell you. I’ll pay for him. Take your money (flings money on the ground), take all I have, give me my son. Villains! Villains! where are you bringing him?
Colonel. To Siberia, old man.
Peter. No, no; take me instead.
Colonel. He is a Nihilist.
Peter. You lie! you lie! He is innocent. (The soldiers force him back with their guns and shut the door against him. He beats with his fists against it.) Dmitri! Dmitri! a Nihilist! (Falls down on floor.)
Vera (who has remained motionless, picks up paper now from under her feet and reads). “99 Rue Tchernavaya, Moscow. To strangle whatever nature is in me; neither to love nor to be loved; neither to pity nor to be pitied; neither to marry nor to be given in marriage, till the end is come.” My brother, I shall keep the oath. (Kisses the paper.) You shall be revenged!
(Vera stands immobile, holding paper in her lifted hand. Peter is lying on the floor. Michael, who has just come in, is bending over him.)
End of Prologue.
ACT I.
Scene. — 99 Rue Tchernavaya, Moscow. A large garret lit by oil lamps hung from ceiling. Some masked men standing silent and apart from one another. A man in a scarlet mask is writing at a table. Door at back. Man in yellow with drawn sword at it. Knocks heard. Figures in cloaks and masks enter.
Password. Per crucem ad lucem.
Answer. Per sanguinem ad libertatem.
(Clock strikes. Conspirators form a semicircle in the middle of the stage.) President. What is the word?
First Consp. Nabat.
Pres. The answer?
Second Consp. Kalit.
Pres. What hour is it?
Third Consp. The hour to suffer.
Pres. What day?
Fourth Consp. The day of oppression.
Pres. What year?
Fifth Consp. Since the Revolution of France, the ninth year.
Pres. How many are we in number?
Sixth Consp. Ten, nine, and three.
Pres. The Galilæan had less to conquer the world; but what is our mission?
Seventh Consp. To give freedom.
Pres. Our creed?
Eighth Consp. To annihilate.
Pres. Our duty?
Ninth Consp. To obey.
Pres. Brothers, the questions have been answered well. There are none but Nihilists present. Let us see each other’s faces. (The Conspirators unmask.) Michael, recite the oath.
Michael. To strangle whatever nature is in us; neither to love nor to be loved, neither to pity nor to be pitied, neither to marry nor to be given in marriage, till the end is come; to stab secretly by night; to drop poison in the glass; to set father against son, and husband against wife; without fear, without hope, without future, to suffer, to annihilate, to revenge.
Pres. Are we all agreed?
Conspirators. We are all agreed. (They disperse in various directions about the stage.)
Pres. ‘Tis after the hour, Michael, and she is not yet here.
Mich. Would that she were! We can do little without her.
Alexis. She cannot have been seized, President? but the police are on her track, I know.
Mich. You always seem to know a good deal about the movements of the police in Moscow — too much for an honest conspirator.
Pres. If those dogs have caught her, the red flag of the people will float on a barricade in every street till we find her! It was foolish of her to go to the Grand Duke’s ball. I told her so, but she said she wanted to see the Czar and all his cursed brood face to face once.
Alexis. Gone to the State ball?
Mich. I have no fear. She is as hard to capture as a she-wolf is, and twice as dangerous; besides, she is well disguised. But is there any news from the Palace tonight, President? What is that bloody despot doing now besides torturing his only son? Have any of you seen him? One hears strange stories about him. They say he loves the people; but a king’s son never does that. You cannot breed them like that.
Pres. Since he came back from abroad a year ago his father has kept him in close prison in his palace.
Mich. An excellent training to make him a tyrant in his turn; but is there any news, I say?
Pres. A council is to be held tomorrow, at four o’clock, on some secret business the spies cannot find out.
Mich. A council in a king’s palace is sure to be about some bloody work or other. But in what room is this council to be held?
Pres. (reading from letter). In the yellow tapestry
