Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District-Act Two Scene Four

Boris is walking through the courtyard carrying a lantern. BORIS That's what old age means: you can't sleep. You're all the time thinking burglars are on the prowl; I wander around to see if there's a burglar anywhere. When I was young I couldn't sleep either, but for a different reason! I used to hang around under the windows of other men's wives, singing songs, talking whatever nonsense came into my head, sometimes even climbed through the windows; I've had a good life, I'll say so! Zinoviy doesn't take after me: can't even respect his own wife, if I were his age, how I'd Ay! I'd get her and … He, he, he! … He notices a light shining in Katerina's room. There's a light in the window. Seems she can't sleep; of course, she's a young woman; hot blooded too and there's no one to console her. Ah! Now if I were younger, just ten years or so, what I'd do! She'd have it hot from me; hot, yes, by God, so hot, it'd even be good enough for her! A healthy woman like that and no man around, no man, no man, no man , no man, no man around; no man, no man at all. No man, no man, no man, no man; it's dull for a woman without a man, I'll go and see her, yes I will! At the window Katerina and Sergey are saying farewell. SERGEY Goodbye, Katya, goodbye! Sergey climbs out of the window and down the drainpipe. BORIS What's all this? I can hear somebody's voice; better have a look. KATERINA Wait a bit longer. SERGEY It's getting light. KATERINA The nights always used to drag on, endlessly, but now these last seven nights that we've spent together have flown by as though on wings. BORIS Here's treachery, treachery! Katerina's betraying her husband and has found a lover. Who is he? You're too late, Boris Timofeyevich! Ah, hell, what a scandal, God in heaven! SERGEY It's true, when you're with a lover, time passes more quickly. Goodbye, Katya! BORIS What a scoundrel! KATERINA Goodbye, Seryozha! SERGEY Katya! BORIS It's Sergey, that new labourer, the swine. He's the thief... All right, just you wait. KATERINA Seryozha, goodbye, goodbye! SERGEY Katya, goodbye, goodbye! Sergey comes out. Boris seizes him by the collar. BORIS Stop! Where have you been? SERGEY Wherever it was, I'm not there now. BORIS So that's it, of all our treasures he had to choose the best: he's spent the night with my son's wife. Hey, everybody! Hey! SERGEY Don't shout like that! BORIS I'll shout if I want, I'm the boss around here! Come here, everybody! I've caught a thief! The labourers run in half-dressed. SERGEY Well, what do you want of me now? BORIS I want to give you five hundred lashes. SERVANTS and LABOURERS Lord have mercy! BORIS to the porter Give me the whip! Come on, look lively! Take his shirt off! The porter runs off for the whip. SHABBY PEASANT Well, mate, you asked for it... And you're certainly going to get it... Shabby peasant strips off Sergey's shirt. PORTER Are you going to flog him yourself, master, or get someone else to do it? BORIS I'll do it myself! Katerina! Katerina! Katerina! Katerina! Katerina! Katerina! Katerina appears at the window. KATERINA What's all this? I'm asleep! BORIS to Katerina Asleep? Asleep? No so long ago you came to the window and counted the stars as you waited for dawn. Look, Katerina, I've caught a thief, now I'm going to thrash him. Come on! Let's start! Boris flogs Sergey. Look, Katerina, what an entertaining sight: I've drawn blood, I've drawn blood, right, let's give him some more, just to entertain ourselves, to entertain ourselves. KATERINA Let him go, I tell you, let him go! BORIS You've got plenty of blood, my friend, no wonder you're so lecherous. KATERINA Open the door! Open the door! It's locked! Open up, open up! BORIS We'll get rid of some of that blood for you, you'll soon feel less energetic, you scoundrel, you villain! Why don't you cry out, blast you, trying to show off in front of a woman? I'll get a scream out of you! Take that, and that, and that! Again, again, again, again! KATERINA All you people there! Help me, someone! Oh! let him go; whoever opens the door for me will be rewarded with my love. I'll jump out of the window! Come on! Quickly! SHABBY PEASANT to Katerina Just coming, just coming... LABOURERS Ha, ha, ha!... BORIS Shut up, stay put! KATERINA You'll not stop me, you'll not stop me! She climbs down the drainpipe and hurls herself at Boris. The servants seize her and hold her. You brute! You brute! I won't let you! Let go ... you monster, let go, let go, let go, let me go! Let me go! Let go, let go, let go, let go, let go, let go, let go, let go! BORIS Hang on to her! Why are you standing there like a statue, not saying anything? Don't show off in front of a woman! So you won't speak? You won't speak? Just yell, then I'll stop! Now! Now! Now! Now! Now! stops flogging I'm tired out. PORTER Would you like me to carry on, master? BORIS No, that'll do, we can't do too much at once, or he'll peg out. Take him off to the store room, we'll flog him again tomorrow. Sergey is carried away and Katerina is released. BORIS to Katerina Well, what now? That's really made me hungry. Is there anything left from supper? Hey there! Are you deaf? KATERINA There are some mushrooms left. BORIS Just the thing! Bring me some mushrooms. Exit Katerina. PORTER Sergey's been locked in the store room, here's the key. BORIS Go quickly to the mill and find Zinoviy Borisovich. Tell him to come home as quickly as he can, tell him there's trouble at home. Exit porter. Katerina returns. KATERINA aside I've put in some poison. The old man'll snuff it from rat poison! Boris eats the mushrooms. BORIS They're delicious mushrooms, you're really an expert, Katerina, at preparing mushrooms. Go along and get dressed, you're wandering around the yard almost naked. Go on... No, stop! My inside's on fire... Bring some ... water. KATERINA I won't. BORIS What? What did you say? How dare you... KATERINA I do dare! BORIS You dare... KATERINA I dare! BORIS You slut! He raises his hand threateningly at Katerina, then falls to the ground. KATERINA Well! BORIS What's the matter with me? KATERINA Well, you had mushrooms late at night... Lots of people die after eating them. BORIS Call the priest, Katerina dear, call the priest, maybe it's true that death is approaching. How it burns ... burns … burns like fire. My life has been long and my sins many. Bring the priest here, the priest! God, O God! It's so painful... So painful... KATERINA Where are the store room keys? She searches Boris, takes the keys and goes out. BORIS I can't breathe... In the distance is heard the singing of the foremen coming to work. Their voices get nearer and nearer. LABOURERS See, the dawn is breaking, see, the dawn is breaking. Hey! The sky is getting lighter, the sky is getting lighter. Hey! Mustn't waste time like this, hey, to work, and quickly, fellows. Hey! The barns await us, that's for sure. The barns await us, that's for sure. Hey! And the flour that feeds us waits, and the flour that feeds us waits. Hey! Our master's fierce and cruel just like a crocodile. Hey! Enter labourers. BORIS One of you run and fetch the priest... I'm in a bad way. FIRST FOREMAN In a moment... SECOND FOREMAN Maybe you'd like us to carry you into the house? BORIS No, it's better here. The sun will soon be rising, put me down here. The keys... SECOND FOREMAN What? BORIS Get the keys. She's a trollop... SECOND FOREMAN He must be raving! THIRD FOREMAN Yes, he's certainly raving. SECOND FOREMAN Must mean he's really bad. THIRD FOREMAN He looks bad. SECOND FOREMAN Maybe he's going to die. THIRD FOREMAN Yes, he is... SECOND FOREMAN That's what I'm saying, he's going to die. Enter first foreman and the priest. PRIEST Who's dying around here? FIRST FOREMAN This chap. PRIEST Ah! "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit …" BORIS to the priest Father, hear my confession. My sins are many. But you must know this: mine is not a natural death, rats die like this, and the rat poison, is a white powder... Enter Katerina. pointing to Katerina It was herl It was her! falls back senseless PRIEST He's dead. FOREMEN Amen. KATERINA Oh, Boris Timofeyevich, why have you left us? To whom have you abandoned Zinoviy and me? What will Zinoviy and I do now without you? PRIEST to Katerina Why should it happen to him? He was still a strong old boy. KATERINA He'd eaten mushrooms at night, you know, a lot of people die after eating them. PRIEST That's so. "Oh, these mushrooms and cold soups are too much", as Nikolay Vasilyich Gogol said, that great writer of our Russian land. Yes indeed, people get strange ideas when they're dying. Boris Timofeyevich said that he was dying like a rat; only that can't be right; a rat dies, but a human being passes away. Strange … But that doesn't stop us saying a requiem for him. "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace..."