Brian Friel Plays 2 (27 page)

Pavel
Isn’t he a loyal soul? Life must be very simple for him.

Piotr
enters
from
the
left,
exactly
as
we
saw
him
at
the
beginning
of
the
scene.

Piotr
The carriage is waiting in the yard, sir.

Immediately
after
he
makes
his
announcement
Piotr
turns
and
goes
off
left.

Nikolai
Thank you, Piotr. Oh, Piotr – my straw hat’s in the hall. Would you bring it to – Piotr! Piotr! My God, did you see that! He ignored me! The insolent pup ignored me! Oh-ho, Master Piotr is certainly going to go. There are going to be changes about here. I’m not going to be insulted in my own house by a servant or by anybody else.

Pavel
I don’t think he heard you, Nikolai.

Nikolai
(
violently
)
That’s a damned lie! And you know
that’s a damned lie! The bastard never hears me! Never! Never! I’m sick of him never hearing me! Sick to death of it! (q
uickly
recovering
) Forgive me … I’m sorry … That was unpardonable … Forgive me … I think I’ll play the cello for a while … The cello, I find, is very … healing …

He
goes
into
the
house.
Arkady
is
astonished
at
the
outburst.
Pavel
has
some
idea
why
it
happened.

Pavel
Good Lord. What was that all about?

Arkady
He never really warmed to Bazarov either.

Pavel
Perhaps.

Arkady
I know Bazarov likes him very much but he can’t show affection easily.

Pavel
What are his plans?

Arkady
He intended going to Petersburg to study. But when he was packing this morning he got a message that there’s a typhus epidemic in his home province; so he’s going there first to help his father out.

Pavel
Ah. Very worthy. I’m thinking of moving out myself.

Arkady
What do you mean?

Pavel
Just going away. Leaving.

Arkady
Where to?

Pavel
Germany. France. England. Maybe Scotland! Perhaps I should buy the castle of Dunbayne?

Arkady
You don’t mean leaving for good, Uncle Pavel, do you?!

Pavel
We’ll see. But certainly not until after the harvest is saved. They couldn’t save the hay without my muscle,
could they? Ah, Monsieur Bazarov. I hear you’re going home?

Bazarov
enters
left
with
a
book
in
his
hand.
He
is
dressed
for
travelling.
He
leaves
his
jacket
beside
his
cases
and
comes
down
to
Arkady
and
Pavel.

This
is
now
a
fully
mature
young
man
–
neither
in
his
clothes
nor
in
his
demeanour
is
there
any
trace
of
the
student.
His
manner
is
brisk,
efficient,
almost
icy.

Bazarov
How is the arm?

Pavel
Fine, thank you. You dressed it well.

Bazarov
Take the bandage off after three days and let the fresh air at the wound.

The
sound
of
Nikolai
playing
the
cello:
Romance
in
F-Major,
Op.
50.

Pavel
Le
malade
n’est
pas
à
plaindre
qui
a
la
guérison
en
sa
manche.

Bazarov
I don’t speak French.

Pavel
Montaigne. It means: don’t pity the sick man who –

Bazarov
turns
abruptly
away
from
him.

Bazarov
(
to
Arkady
) I must say goodbye to your father.

He
goes
towards
his
cases.
Arkady
follows
him,
takes
his
arm
and
speaks
to
him
quietly,
privately,
in
an
attempt
to
restore
the
old
intimacy.
Pavel
goes
off
to
the
far
side
of
the
garden
and
reads.

Arkady
I have a plan, Bazarov. I’ll go to Petersburg at Christmas; back to the old flat; and we’ll –

Bazarov
No, you won’t do that, Arkady. By Christmas you and Katya will probably be married.

They
continue
this
conversation
as
Bazarov
opens
a
case
and
puts
his
book
into
it.

Arkady
Married?! Me?! For God’s sake, man, we Nihilists don’t believe in –

Bazarov
And I’m pleased for you. She’ll take you in hand and you want to be taken in hand. You’re naturally complementary. And natural elements that complement one another tend to create a balanced and stable unit.

Arkady
Cut that out, Bazarov! Stop addressing me, man! This is your old matey, Arkady, your old cook and bottle washer. And what I’m going to do is fix a date for a big reunion. Immediately after you finish your exam! – Mid-September! I’ll go to Petersburg. We’ll get a keg of beer. We’ll get all the boys from the old cell together and –

Bazarov
We won’t be getting together again, Arkady. We both know that. We are saying goodbye now. From your point of view you’re making all the sensible choices because instinctively you know you’re not equipped for our harsh and bitter and lonely life.

Arkady
Who the hell do you mean by ‘our’, Bazarov? I’m a Nihilist, too, remember?

Bazarov
When you were a student. But your heart never really forsook the gentry and the public decencies and the acceptable decorum. Of course you have courage and of course you have your honest passion. But it’s a gentleman’s courage and a gentleman’s passion. You are concerned about ‘difficult issues’ but you believe they are settled by rational, gentlemanly debate and if that doesn’t work, by gentlemanly duels. But that’s not how real change, radical change is brought about, Arkady. The world won’t be remade by discussion and mock battles at dawn. As you told your uncle a long, long time ago we’re long past the stage of social analysis. We are now into the
era of hostilities – of scratching, hurting, biting, mauling, cutting, bruising, spitting. You’re not equipped for those indecencies. When it would come to the bit you would retreat into well-bred indignation and well-bred resignation. Your upbringing has provided you with that let-out. Mine didn’t. I am committed to the last, mean, savage, glorious, shaming extreme.

Arkady
I see.

Bazarov
To be blunt with you, Arkady: you are not good enough for us.

Arkady
Was it that savage, shaming side of you that frightened Anna Sergeyevna off? I shouldn’t have said that. Forgive me, Bazarov.

Bazarov
responds
as
calmly
and
as
coldly
as
before.

Bazarov
No need to apologize. I may very well have frightened Anna Sergeyevna. But if that is what happened, I have no regrets. Miniature empires have no appeal to me. My sights are trained on a much, much larger territory. We had a good year together, Arkady. Thank you for that.

Arkady
Bazarov, I still think we should –

He
stops
because
Fenichka
has
come
from
the 
living-
room
and
joins
them.
She
has
a
package
of
sandwiches
for
Bazarov.

Fenichka
So you’re all set.

Bazarov
Yes.

Fenichka
Did someone say something about a typhus epidemic?

Bazarov
My father. He like dramatic language. It’s all probably a ruse to get me home.

Fenichka
Well, don’t take any unnecessary risks, Doctor. I made a few sandwiches for the journey. I know you like cold lamb.

Bazarov
Thank you very much.

The
conversation
is
punctuated
by
the
awkward
silences
that
farewells
create.

Arkady
Who’s driving you?

Bazarov
Prokofyich. He volunteered.

Fenichka
You’re honoured. He doesn’t drive me.

Bazarov
He’s just making sure he’s getting rid of me. (
Brief
laughter.
Silence
.)
I must say goodbye to your father.

Arkady
Yes.

Fenichka
He told me he prefers playing piano duets with Katya to playing the cello by himself.

Arkady
Yes, I think he enjoys the duets.

Fenichka
He says Katya is as good as your mother.

Arkady
Did he say that?

Dunyasha appears at the living-room door.

Dunyasha
(
calling
)
Fenichka.

Fenichka
Yes?

Dunyasha beckons.

What is it? (
She
goes
to
Dunyasha
.)

Arkady
Dunyasha’s suddenly very coy.

Dunyasha
gives
the
bottle
of
milk
to
Fenichka.
They
exchange
a
few
words.
Dunyasha
keeps
her
face
averted.

Bazarov
(
calling
) Goodbye, Dunyasha.

Dunyasha
disappears.
Fenichka
returns.

Fenichka
She has a very bad head-cold. This is a bottle of milk for the journey. She says to say goodbye.

Bazarov
Thank her for me, will you?

Fenichka
I will.

Bazarov
I think she thought I wasn’t sticking at the books enough: she kept bringing cups of tea up to my room.

Silence.

Arkady
He’s talking about going away, too. Uncle Pavel. France. Germany. Scotland, maybe!

Fenichka
For a holiday?

Arkady
For good, he says.

Bazarov
You’ll have an empty house.

Fenichka
He’s not serious, is he?

Arkady
I think he is.

Fenichka
When is he leaving?

Arkady
After the harvest is in. He wants to do his share of the scything.

Fenichka
Pavel?!

Arkady
Yes!

Fenichka
You’re joking!

Arkady
No, I’m not. Yes, of course I am.

Fenichka
Pavel scything! Can you imagine? Shh …

Again
the
brief
laughter.
The
cello
stops.
Silence.
Pavel
moves
towards
them.

Pavel
Are the beautiful Katya and Anna joining us for dinner tonight?

Arkady
Great! (r
ecovering
) Are they? That’s news to me.

Pavel
Am I wrong?

Fenichka
It’s tomorrow night.

Arkady
I thought it was Sunday.