annajanska, the bolshevik empress-第3节

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disobey。　＇He　takes　out　his　pistol　and　places　the　muzzle　against
his　temple。＇

SCHNEIDEKIND　＇snatching　the　pistol　from　him＇。　For　God's　sake；
General

STRAMMFEST　＇attacking　him　furiously　to　recover　the　weapon＇。　Dog
of　a　subaltern；　restore　that　pistol　and　my　honor。

SCHNEIDEKIND　＇reaching　out　with　the　pistol　to　the　Grand　Duchess＇。
Take　it：　quick：　he　is　as　strong　as　a　bull。

THE　GRAND　DUCHESS　＇snatching　it＇。　Aha！　Leave　the　room；　all　of　you
except　the　General。　At　the　double！　lightning！　electricity！　＇She
fires　shot　after　shot；　spattering　the　bullets　about　the　ankles　of
the　soldiers。　They　fly　precipitately。　She　turns　to　Schneidekind；
who　has　by　this　time　been　flung　on　the　floor　by　the　General。＇　You
too。　＇He　scrambles　up。＇　March。　＇He　flies　to　the　door。＇

SCHNEIDEKIND　＇turning　at　the　door＇。　For　your　own　sake；　comrade

THE　GRAND　DUCHESS　＇indignantly＇。　Comrade！　You！！！　Go。　＇She　fires
two　more　shots。　He　vanishes。＇

STRAMMFEST　＇making　an　impulsive　movement　towards　her＇。　My
Imperial　Mistress

THE　GRAND　DUCHESS。　Stop。　I　have　one　bullet　left；　if　you　attempt
to　take　this　from　me　＇putting　the　pistol　to　her　temple＇。

STRAMMFEST　＇recoiling；　and　covering　his　eyes　with　his　hands＇。　No
no：　put　it　down：　put　it　down。　I　promise　everything：　I　swear
anything；　but　put　it　down；　I　implore　you。

THE　GRAND　DUCHESS　＇throwing　it　on　the　table＇。　There！

STRAMMFEST　＇uncovering　his　eyes＇。　Thank　God！

THE　GRAND　DUCHESS　＇gently＇。　Strammfest：　I　am　your　comrade。　Am　I
nothing　more　to　you？

STRAMMFEST　＇falling　on　his　knee＇。　You　are；　God　help　me；　all　that
is　left　to　me　of　the　only　power　I　recognize　on　earth　＇he　kisses
her　hand＇。

THE　GRAND　DUCHESS　＇indulgently＇。　Idolater！　When　will　you　learn
that　our　strength　has　never　been　in　ourselves；　but　in　your
illusions　about　us？　＇She　shakes　off　her　kindliness；　and　sits　down
in　his　chair。＇　Now　tell　me；　what　are　your　orders？　And　do　you　mean
to　obey　them？

STRAMMFEST　＇starting　like　a　goaded　ox；　and　blundering　fretfully
about　the　room＇。　How　can　I　obey　six　different　dictators；　and　not
one　gentleman　among　the　lot　of　them？　One　of　them　orders　me　to
make　peace　with　the　foreign　enemy。　Another　orders　me　to　offer　all
the　neutral　countries　48　hours　to　choose　between　adopting　his
views　on　the　single　tax　and　being　instantly　invaded　and
annihilated。　A　third　orders　me　to　go　to　a　damned　Socialist
Conference　and　explain　that　Beotia　will　allow　no　annexations　and
no　indemnities；　and　merely　wishes　to　establish　the　Kingdom　of
Heaven　on　Earth　throughout　the　universe。　＇He　finishes　behind
Schneidekind's　chair。＇

THE　GRAND　DUCHESS。　Damn　their　trifling！

STRAMMFEST。　I　thank　Your　Imperial　Highness　from　the　bottom　of　my
heart　for　that　expression。　Europe　thanks　you。

THE　GRAND　DUCHESS。　M'yes；　but＇rising＇。　Strammfest；　you　know
that　your　causethe　cause　of　the　dynastyis　lost。

STRAMMFEST。　You　must　not　say　so。　It　is　treason；　even　from　you。
＇He　sinks；　discouraged；　into　the　chair；　and　covers　his　face　with
his　hand。＇

THE　GRAND　DUCHESS。　Do　not　deceive　yourself；　General：　never　again
will　a　Panjandrum　reign　in　Beotia。　＇She　walks　slowly　across　the
room；　brooding　bitterly；　and　thinking　aloud。＇　We　are　so　decayed；
so　out　of　date；　so　feeble；　so　wicked　in　our　own　despite；　that　we
have　come　at　last　to　will　our　own　destruction。

STRAMMFEST。　You　are　uttering　blasphemy。

THE　GRAND　DUCHESS。　All　great　truths　begin　as　blasphemies。　All　the
king's　horses　and　all　the　king's　men　cannot　set　up　my　father's
throne　again。　If　they　could；　you　would　have　done　it；　would　you
not？

STRAMMFEST。　God　knows　I　would！

THE　GRAND　DUCHESS。　You　really　mean　that？　You　would　keep　the
people　in　their　hopeless　squalid　misery？　you　would　fill　those
infamous　prisons　again　with　the　noblest　spirits　in　the　land？　you
would　thrust　the　rising　sun　of　liberty　back　into　the　sea　of　blood
from　which　it　has　risen？　And　all　because　there　was　in　the　middle
of　the　dirt　and　ugliness　and　horror　a　little　patch　of　court
splendor　in　which　you　could　stand　with　a　few　orders　on　your
uniform；　and　yawn　day　after　day　and　night　after　night　in
unspeakable　boredom　until　your　grave　yawned　wider　still；　and　you
fell　into　it　because　you　had　nothing　better　to　do。　How　can　you　be
so　stupid；　so　heartless？

STRAMMFEST。　You　must　be　mad　to　think　of　royalty　in　such　a　way。　I
never　yawned　at　court。　The　dogs　yawned；　but　that　was　because　they
were　dogs：　they　had　no　imagination；　no　ideals；　no　sense　of　honor
and　dignity　to　sustain　them。

THE　GRAND　DUCHESS。　My　poor　Strammfest：　you　were　not　often　enough
at　court　to　tire　of　it。　You　were　mostly　soldiering；　and　when　you
came　home　to　have　a　new　order　pinned　on　your　breast；　your
happiness　came　through　looking　at　my　father　and　mother　and　at　me；
and　adoring　us。　Was　that　not　so？

STRAMMFEST。　Do　YOU　reproach　me　with　it？　I　am　not　ashamed　of　it。

THE　GRAND　DUCHESS。　Oh；　it　was　all　very　well　for　you；　Strammfest。
But　think　of　me；　of　me！　standing　there　for　you　to　gape　at；　and
knowing　that　I　was　no　goddess；　but　only　a　girl　like　any　other
girl！　It　was　cruelty　to　animals：　you　could　have　stuck　up　a　wax
doll　or　a　golden　calf　to　worship；　it　would　not　have　been　bored。

STRAMMFEST。　Stop；　or　I　shall　renounce　my　allegiance　to　you。　I
have　had　women　flogged　for　such　seditious　chatter　as　this。

THE　GRAND　DUCHESS。　Do　not　provoke　me　to　send　a　bullet　through
your　head　for　reminding　me　of　it。

STRAMMFEST。　You　always　had　low　tastes。　You　are　no　true　daughter
of　the　Panjandrums：　you　are　a　changeling；　thrust　into　the
Panjandrina's　bed　by　some　profligate　nurse。　I　have　heard　stories
of　your　childhood：　of　how

THE　GRAND　DUCHESS。　Ha；　ha！　Yes：　they　took　me　to　the　circus　when　I
was　a　child。　It　was　my　first　moment　of　happiness；　my　first
glimpse　of　heaven。　I　ran　away　and　joined　the　troupe。　They　caught
me　and　dragged　me　back　to　my　gilded　cage；　but　I　had　tasted
freedom；　and　they　never　could　make　me　forget　it。

STRAMMFEST。　Freedom！　To　be　the　slave　of　an　acrobat！　to　be
exhibited　to　the　public！　to

THE　GRAND　DUCHESS。　Oh；　I　was　trained　to　that。　I　had　learnt　that
part　of　the　business　at　court。

STRAMMFEST。　You　had　not　been　taught　to　strip　yourself　half　naked
and　turn　head　over　heels

THE　GRAND　DUCHESS。　Man；　I　WANTED　to　get　rid　of　my　swaddling
clothes　and　turn　head　over　heels。　I　wanted　to；　I　wanted　to；　I
wanted　to。　I　can　do　it　still。　Shall　I　do　it　now？

STRAMMFEST。　If　you　do；　I　swear　I　will　throw　myself　from　the
window　so　that　I　may　meet　your　parents　in　heaven　without　having
my　medals　torn　from　my　breast　by　them。

THE　GRAND　DUCHESS。　Oh；　you　are　incorrigible。　You　are　mad；
infatuated。　You　will　not　believe　that　we　royal　divinities　are
mere　common　flesh　and　blood　even　when　we　step　down　from　our
pedestals　and　tell　you　ourselves　what　a　fool　you　are。　I　will
argue　no　more　with　you：　I　will　use　my　power。　At　a　word　from　me
your　men　will　turn　against　you：　already　half　of　them　do　not
salute　you；　and　you　dare　not　punish　them：　you　have　to　pretend　not
to　notice　it。

STRAMMFEST。　It　is　not　for　you　to　taunt　me　with　that　if　it　is　so。

THE　GRAND　DUCHESS。　＇haughtily＇。　Taunt！　I　condescend　to　taunt！　To
taunt　a　common　General！　You　forget　yourself；　sir。

STRAMMFEST　＇dropping　on　his　knee　submissively＇。　Now　at　last　you
speak　like　your　royal　self。

THE　GRAND　DUCHESS。　Oh；　Strammfest；　Strammfest；　they　have　driven
your　slavery　into　your　very　bones。　Why　did　you　not　spit　in　my
face？。

STRAMMFEST　＇rising　with　a　shudder＇。　God　forbid！

THE　GRAND　DUCHESS。　Well；　since　you　will　be　my　slave；　take　your
orders　from　me。　I　have　not　come　here　to　save　our　wretched　family
and　our　bloodstained　crown。　I　am　come　to　save　the　Revolution。

STRAMMFEST。　Stupid　as　I　am；　I　have　come　to　think　that　I　had
better　save　that　than　save　nothing。　But　what　will　the　Revolution
do　for　the　people？　Do　not　be　deceived　by　the　fine　speeches　of　the
revolutionary　leaders　and　the　pamphlets　of　the　revolutionary
writers。　How　much　liberty　is　there　where　they　have　gained　the
upper　hand？　Are　they　not　hanging；　shooting；　imprisoning　as　much
as　ever　we　did？　Do　they　ever　tell　the　people　the　truth？　No：　if
the　truth　does　not　suit　them　they　spread　lies　instead；　and　make
it　a　crime　to　tell　the　truth。

THE　GRAND　DUCHESS。　Of　course　they　do。　Why　should　they　not？

STRAMMFEST　＇hardly　able　to　believe　his　ears＇。　Why　should　they
not？

THE　GRAND　DUCHESS。　Yes：　why　should　they　not？　We　did　it。　You　did
it；　whip　in　hand：　you　flogged　women　for　teaching　children　to
read。

STRAMMFEST。　To　read　sedition。　To　read　Karl　Marx。

THP　GRAND　DUCHESS。　Pshaw！　How　could　they　learn　to　read　the　Bible
without　learning　to　read　Karl　Marx？　Why　do　you　not　stand　to　your
guns　and　justify　what　you　did；　instead　of　making　silly　excuses？
Do　you　suppose　I　think　flogging　a　woman　worse　than　flogging　a
man？　I；　who　am　a　woman　myself！

STRAMMFEST。　I　am　at　a　loss　to　understand　your　Imperial　Highness。
You　seem　to　me　to　contradict　yourself。

THE　GRAND　DUCHESS。　Nonsense！　I　say　that　if　the　people　cannot
govern　themselves；　they　must　be　governed　by　somebody。　If　they
will　not　do　their　duty　without　being　half　forced　and　half
humbugged；　somebody　must　force　them　and　humbug　them。　Some
energetic　and　capable　minority　must　always　be　in　power。　Well；　I
am　on　the　side　of　the　energetic　minority　whose　principles　I　agree