annajanska, the bolshevik empress-第2节
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SCHNEIDEKIND。 For her own sake they had better send her here。 She
will be safe in your hands。
STRAMMFEST ＇yielding the receiver＇。 You are right。 Be civil to
him。 I should choke ＇he sits down＇。
SCHNEIDEKIND ＇into the telephone＇。 Hullo。 Never mind all that：
it's only a fellow here who has been fooling with the telephone。
I had to leave the room for a moment。 Wash out： and send the girl
along。 We'll jolly soon teach her to behave herself here。。。Oh；
you've sent her already。 Then why the devil didn't you say so；
you＇he hangs up the telephone angrily＇。 Just fancy： they
started her off this morning： and all this is because the fellow
likes to get on the telephone and hear himself talk now that he
is a colonel。 ＇The telephone rings again。 He snatches the
receiver furiously。＇ What's the matter now？。。。＇To the General。＇
It's our own people downstairs。 ＇Into the receiver。＇ Here！ do you
suppose I've nothing else to do than to hang on to the telephone
all day？。。。What's that？ Not men enough to hold her！ What do you
mean？ ＇To the General。＇ She is there； sir。
STRAMMFEST。 Tell them to send her up。 I shall have to receive her
without even rising； without kissing her hand； to keep up
appearances before the escort。 It will break my heart。
SCHNEIDEKIND ＇into the receiver＇。 Send her up。。。Tcha！ ＇He hangs
up the receiver。＇ He says she is halfway up already： they
couldn't hold her。
The Grand Duchess bursts into the room； dragging with her two
exhausted soldiers hanging on desperately to her arms。 She is
enveloped from head to foot by a fur…lined cloak； and wears a fur
cap。
SCHNEIDEKIND ＇pointing to the bench＇。 At the word Go； place your
prisoner on the bench in a sitting posture； and take your seats
right and left of her。 Go。
The two soldiers make a supreme effort to force her to sit down。
She flings them back so that they are forced to sit on the bench
to save themselves from falling backwards over it； and is herself
dragged into sitting between them。 The second soldier； holding on
tight to the Grand Duchess with one hand； produces papers with
the other； and waves them towards Schneidekind； who takes them
from him and passes them on to the General。 He opens them and
reads them with a grave expression。
SCHNEIDEKIN。 Be good enough to wait； prisoner； until the General
has read the papers on your case。
THE GRAND DUCHESS ＇to the soldiers＇。 Let go。 ＇To Strammfest＇。
Tell them to let go； or I'll upset the bench backwards and bash
our three heads on the floor。
FIRST SOLDIER。 No； little mother。 Have mercy on the poor。
STRAMMFEST ＇growling over the edge of the paper he is reading＇。
Hold your tongue。
THE GRAND DUCHESS ＇blazing＇。 Me； or the soldier？
STRAMMFEST ＇horrified＇。 The soldier； madam。
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 Tell him to let go。
STRAMMFEST。 Release the lady。
The soldiers take their hands off her。 One of them wipes his
fevered brow。 The other sucks his wrist。
SCHNEIDKIND ＇fiercely＇。 'ttention！
The two soldiers sit up stiffly。
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 Oh； let the poor man suck his wrist。 It may be
poisoned。 I bit it。
STRAMMFEST ＇shocked＇。 You bit a common soldier！
GRAND DUCHESS。 Well； I offered to cauterize it with the poker in
the office stove。 But he was afraid。 What more could I do？
SCHNEIDEKIND。 Why did you bite him； prisoner？
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 He would not let go。
STRAMMFEST。 Did he let go when you bit him？
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 No。 ＇Patting the soldier on the back＇。 You
should give the man a cross for his devotion。 I could not go on
eating him； so I brought him along with me。
STRAMMFEST。 Prisoner
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 Don't call me prisoner； General Strammfest。 My
grandmother dandled you on her knee。
STRAMMFEST ＇bursting into tears＇。 O God； yes。 Believe me； my
heart is what it was then。
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 Your brain also is what it was then。 I will
not be addressed by you as prisoner。
STRAMMFEST。 I may not； for your own sake； call you by your
rightful and most sacred titles。 What am I to call you？
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 The Revolution has made us comrades。 Call me
comrade。
STRAMMFEST。 I had rather die。
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 Then call me Annajanska； and I will call you
Peter Piper； as grandmamma did。
STRAMMFEST ＇painfully agitated＇。 Schneidekind； you must speak to
her： I cannot＇he breaks down。＇
SCHNEIDEKIND ＇officially＇。 The Republic of Beotia has been
compelled to confine the Panjandrum and his family； for their own
safety； within certain bounds。 You have broken those bounds。
STRAMMFEST ＇taking the word from him＇。 You are I must say ita
prisoner。 What am I to do with you？
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 You should have thought of that before you
arrested me。
STRAMMFEST。 Come； come； prisoner！ do you know what will happen to
you if you compel me to take a sterner tone with you？
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 No。 But I know what will happen to you。
STRAMAIFEST。 Pray what； prisoner？
THE GLAND DUCHESS。 Clergyman's sore throat。
Schneidekind splutters； drops a paper： and conceals his laughter
under the table。
STRAMMFEST ＇thunderously＇。 Lieutenant Schneidekind。
SCHNEIDEKIND ＇in a stifled voice＇。 Yes； Sir。 ＇The table vibrates
visibly。＇
STRAMMFEST。 Come out of it； you fool： you're upsetting the ink。
Schneidekind emerges； red in the face with suppressed mirth。
STRAMMFEST。 Why don't you laugh？ Don't you appreciate Her
Imperial Highness's joke？
SCHNEIDEKIND ＇suddenly becoming solemn＇。 I don't want to； sir。
STRAMMFEST。 Laugh at once； sir。 I order you to laugh。
SCHNEIDEKIND ＇with a touch of temper＇。 I really can't； sir。 ＇He
sits down decisively。＇
STRAMMFEST ＇growling at him＇。 Yah！ ＇He turns impressively to the
Grand Duchess。＇ Your Imperial Highness desires me to address you
as comrade？
THE GRAND DUCHESS ＇rising and waving a red handkerchief＇。 Long
live the Revolution； comrade！
STRAMMFEST ＇rising and saluting＇。 Proletarians of all lands；
unite。 Lieutenant Schneidekind； you will rise and sing the
Marseillaise。
SCHNEIDEKIND ＇rising＇。 But I cannot； sir。 I have no voice； no
ear。
STRAMMFEST。 Then sit down； and bury your shame in your
typewriter。 ＇Schneidekind sits down。＇ Comrade Annajanska； you
have eloped with a young officer。
THE GRAND DUCHESS ＇astounded＇。 General Strammfest； you lie。
STRAMMFEST。 Denial； comrade； is useless。 It is through that
officer that your movements have been traced。 ＇The Grand Duchess
is suddenly enlightened； and seems amused。 Strammfest continues
an a forensic manner。＇ He joined you at the Golden Anchor in
Hakonsburg。 You gave us the slip there； but the officer was
traced to Potterdam； where you rejoined him and went alone to
Premsylople。 What have you done with that unhappy young man？
Where is he？
THE GRAND DUCHESS ＇pretending to whisper an important secret＇。
Where he has always been。
STRAMMFEST ＇eagerly＇。 Where is that？
THE GRAND DUCHESS ＇impetuously＇。 In your imagination。 I came
alone。 I am alone。 Hundreds of officers travel every day from
Hakonsburg to Potterdam。 What do I know about them？
STRAMMFEST。 They travel in khaki。 They do not travel in full
dress court uniform as this man did。
SCHNEIDEKIND。 Only officers who are eloping with grand duchesses
wear court uniform： otherwise the grand duchesses could not be
seen with them。
STRAMMFEST。 Hold your tongue。 ＇Schneidekind； in high dudgeon；
folds his arms and retires from the conversation。 The General
returns to his paper and to his examination of the Grand
Duchess。＇ This officer travelled with your passport。 What have
you to say to that？
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 Bosh！ How could a man travel with a woman's
passport？
STRAMMFEST。 It is quite simple； as you very well know。 A dozen
travellers arrive at the boundary。 The official collects their
passports。 He counts twelve persons； then counts the passports。
If there are twelve； he is satisfied。
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 Then how do you know that one of the passports
was mine？
STRAMMFEST。 A waiter at the Potterdam Hotel looked at the
officer's passport when he was in his bath。 It was your passport。
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 Stuff！ Why did he not have me arrested？
STRAMMFEST。 When the waiter returned to the hotel with the police
the officer had vanished； and you were there with your own
passport。 They knouted him。
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 Oh！ Strammfest； send these men away。 I must
speak to you alone。
STRAMMFEST ＇rising in horror＇。 No： this is the last straw： I
cannot consent。 It is impossible； utterly； eternally impossible；
that a daughter of the Imperial House should speak to any one
alone； were it even her own husband。
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 You forget that there is an exception。 She may
speak to a child alone。 ＇She rises。＇ Strammfest； you have been
dandled on my grandmother's knee。 By that gracious action the
dowager Panjandrina made you a child forever。 So did Nature； by
the way。 I order you to speak to me alone。 Do you hear？ I order
you。 For seven hundred years no member of your family has ever
disobeyed an order from a member of mine。 Will you disobey me？
STRAMMFEST。 There is an alternative to obedience。 The dead cannot
disobey。 ＇He takes out his pistol and places the muzzle against
his temple。＇
SCHNEIDEKIND ＇snatchi
