FACING DEATH6.docx

FACING DEATH6.docx

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FACINGDEATH6

FACINGDEATH

aplayinone-act

byAugustStrindberg

Thefollowingone-actplayisreprintedfromPlays:

 Comrades,FacingDeath,Pariah,Easter.Trans.Edith& WarnerOland.Boston:

JohnW.Luce& Co.,1912.Itisnowinthepublicdomainandmaythereforebeperformedwithoutroyalties.

CHARACTERS

MONSIEURDURAND,apensionproprietor,formerlyconnectedwiththestaterailroad

ADÈLE,hisdaughter,twenty-seven

ANNETTE,hisdaughter,twenty-four

THÉRÈSE,hisdaughter,twenty-four

ANTONIO,alieutenantinanItaliancavalryregimentinFrenchSwitzerlandintheeighties

PIERRE,anerrandboy

[Adining-roomwithalongtable.Throughtheopendoorisseen,overthetopsofchurchyardcypresstrees,LakeLeman,withtheSavoyAlpsandtheFrenchbathing-resortEvian.Toleftisadoortothekitchen.Torightadoortoinnerrooms.MonsieurDurandstandsindoorwaylookingoverthelakewithapairoffieldglasses.]

ADÈLE:

[Comesinfromkitchenwearingapronandturned-upsleeves.Shecarriesatraywithcoffeethings.]Haven'tyoubeenforthecoffee-bread,father?

DURAND:

No,IsentPierre.Mychesthasbeenbadforthelastfewdays,anditaffectsmetowalkthesteephill.

ADÈLE:

Pierreagain,eh?

Thatcoststhreesous.Wherearetheytocomefrom,withonlyonetouristinthehouseforovertwomonths?

DURAND:

That'strueenough,butitseemstomeAnnettemightgetthebread.

ADÈLE:

Thatwouldruinthecreditofthehouseentirely,butyouhaveneverdoneanythingelse.

DURAND:

Evenyou,Adèle?

ADÈLE:

EvenIamtired,thoughIhaveheldoutlongest!

DURAND:

Yes,youhave,andyouwerestillhumanwhenThérèseandAnnettecautionedme.YouandIhavepulledthishousethroughsincemotherdied.YouhavehadtositinthekitchenlikeCinderella;Ihavehadtotakecareoftheservice,thefires,sweepandclean,anddotheerrands.Youaretired;howshoulditbewithme,then?

ADÈLE:

Butyoumustn'tbetired.Youhavethreedaughterswhoareunprovidedforandwhosedowryyouhavewasted.

DURAND:

[Listeningwithout]Doesn'titseemasifyouheardthesoundofclangingandrumblingdowntowardCully?

Iffirehasbrokenouttheyarelost,becausethewindisgoingtoblowsoon,thelaketellsmethat.

ADÈLE:

Haveyoupaidthefireinsuranceonourhouse?

DURAND:

Yes,Ihave.OtherwiseIwouldneverhavegotthatlastmortgage.

ADÈLE:

Howmuchisthereleftunmortgaged?

DURAND:

Afifthofthefireinsurancepolicy.Butyouknowhowpropertydroppedinvaluewhentherailroadpassedourgatesandwenttotheeastinstead.

ADÈLE:

Somuchthebetter.

DURAND:

[Sternly]Adèle!

[Pause.]Willyouputoutthefireinthestove?

ADÈLE:

Impossible.Ican'ttillthecoffee-breadcomes.

DURAND:

Well,hereitis.

[Pierrecomesinwithbasket.Adèlelooksinthebasket.]

ADÈLE:

Nobread!

Butabill--two,three--

PIERRE:

 --Well,thebakersaidhewouldn'tsendanymorebreaduntilhewaspaid.Andthen,whenIwasgoingbythebutcher'sandthegrocer's,theyshovedthesebillsatme.[Goesout.]

ADÈLE:

Oh,Godinheaven,thisistheendforus!

Butwhat'sthis?

[Opensapackage.]

DURAND:

SomecandlesthatIboughtforthemassformydearlittleRèné.Todayistheanniversaryofhisdeath.

ADÈLE:

Youcanaffordtobuysuchthings!

DURAND:

Withmytips,yes.Don'tyouthinkitishumiliatingtostretchoutmyhandwheneveratravellerleavesus?

Can'tyougrantmetheonlycontentmentIpossess--letmeenjoymysorrowonetimeeachyear?

Tobeabletoliveinmemoryofthemostbeautifulthinglifeevergaveme?

ADÈLE:

Ifhehadonlyliveduntilnow,you'dseehowbeautifulhe'dbe!

DURAND:

It'sverypossiblethatthere'struthinyourirony--asIrememberhim,however,hewasnotasyouallarenow.

ADÈLE:

WillyoubegoodenoughtoreceiveMonsieurAntonioyourself?

Heiscomingnowtohavehiscoffeewithoutbread!

Oh,ifmotherwereonlyliving!

Shealwaysfoundawaywhenyoustoodhelpless.

DURAND:

Yourmotherhadhergoodqualities.

ADÈLE:

Althoughyousawonlyherfaults.

DURAND:

MonsieurAntonioiscoming.Ifyouleavemenow,I'llhaveatalkwithhim.

ADÈLE:

Youwoulddobettertogooutandborrowsomemoney,sothatthescandalwouldbeaverted.

DURAND:

Ican'tborrowasou.Afterborrowingfortenyears!

Leteverythingcrashatonce,everything,everything,ifitwouldonlybetheend!

ADÈLE:

Theendforyou,yes.Butyouneverthinkofus!

DURAND:

No,Ihaveneverthoughtofyou,never!

ADÈLE:

Doyoubegrudgeusourbringing-up?

DURAND:

Iamonlyansweringanunjustreproach.Gonow,andI'llmeetthestorm--asusual.

ADÈLE:

Asusual--h'm!

[Goes.Antoniocomesinfromback.]

ANTONIO:

Goodmorning,MonsieurDurand.

DURAND:

MonsieurLieutenanthasalreadybeenoutforawalk?

ANTONIO:

Yes,I'vebeendowntowardCullyandsawthemputoutachimneyfire.Now,somecoffeewilltasteparticularlygood.

DURAND:

It'sneedlesstosayhowitpainsmetohavetotellyouthatonaccountofinsufficientsuppliesourhousecannolongercontinuetodobusiness.

ANTONIO:

Howisthat?

DURAND:

Tospeakplainly,wearebankrupt.

ANTONIO:

But,mygoodMonsieurDurand,istherenowayofhelpingyououtofwhatIhopeisjustatemporaryembarrassment?

DURAND:

No,thereisnopossiblewayout.TheconditionofthehousehasbeensocompletelyunderminedformanyyearsthatIhadratherthecrashwouldcomethanliveinastateofanxietydayandnight,expectingwhatmustcome.

ANTONIO:

NeverthelessIbelieveyouarelookingatthedarksideofthings.

DURAND:

Ican'tseewhatmakesyoudoubtmystatement.

ANTONIO:

BecauseIwanttohelpyou.

DURAND:

Idon'twishanyhelp.Privationmustcomeandteachmychildrentoleadadifferentlifefromthiswhichisallplay.WiththeexceptionofAdèle,whoreallydoestakecareofthekitchen,whatdotheothersdo?

Play,andsing,andpromenade,andflirt;andaslongasthereisacrustofbreadinthehouse,they'llneverdoanythinguseful.

ANTONIO:

Grantingthat,butuntilthefinancesarestraightenedoutwemusthavebreadinthehouse.AllowmetostayamonthlongerandIwillpaymybillinadvance.

DURAND:

No,thankyou,wemuststicktothiscourseevenifitleadsusintothelake!

AndIdon'twanttocontinueinthisbusiness,whichdoesn'tbringbread--nothingbuthumiliations.Justthinkhowitwaslastspring,whenthehousehadbeenemptyforthreemonths.ThenatlastanAmericanfamilycameandsavedus.ThemorningaftertheirarrivalIranacrossthesoncatchingholdofmydaughteronthestairs.ItwasThérèse,--hewastryingtokissher.Whatwouldyouhavedoneinmycase?

ANTONIO:

[Confused]Idon'tknow--

DURAND:

IknowwhatI,asafather,shouldhavedone,but--father-like--Ididn'tdoit.ButIknowwhattodothenexttime.

ANTONIO:

Onaccountofthatverythingitseemstomethatyoushouldthinkverycarefullyaboutwhatyoudo,andnotleaveyourdaughterstochance.

DURAND:

MonsieurAntonio,youareayoungmanwho,forsomeinexplicablereason,haswonmyregard.Whetheryougrantit,ornot,Iamgoingtoaskonethingofyou.Don'tformanyopinionsaboutmeasanindividual,oraboutmyconduct.

ANTONIO:

MonsieurDurand,Ipromiseitifyouwillanswermeonequestion;areyouSwissborn,ornot?

DURAND:

IamaSwisscitizen.

ANTONIO:

Yes,Iknowthat,butIaskifyouwereborninSwitzerland.

DURAND:

[Uncertainly]Yes.

ANTONIO:

Iaskedonly--becauseitinterestedme.Nevertheless--asImustbelieveyouthatyourpensionmustbeclosed,IwanttopaywhatIowe.Tobesureit'sonlytenfrancs,butIcan'tgoawayandleaveanunpaidbill.

DURAND:

Ican'tbesurethatthisisreallyadebt,asIdon'tkeeptheaccounts,butifyouhavedeceivedmeyoushallhearfromme.NowI'llgoandgetthebread.Afterwardwe'llfindout.

[Goesout.Antonioalone.AfterwardThérèsecomesin,carryingarat-trap.Shewearsamorningnegligéeandherhairisdown.]

THÉRÈSE:

Oh,thereyouare,Antonio!

IthoughtIheardtheoldman.

ANTONIO:

Yes,hewenttogetthecoffee-bread,hesaid.

THÉRÈSE:

Hadn'thedonethatalready?

No,doyouknow,wecan'tstandhimanylonger.

ANTONIO:

Howbeautifulyouaretoday,Thérèse!

Butthatrat-trapisn'tbecoming.

THÉRÈSE:

Andsuchatrapintothebargain!

Ihavesetitforawholemonth,butnever,nevergetaliveone,althoughthebaitiseateneverymorning.HaveyouseenMimiaround?

ANTONIO:

Thatdamnedcat?

It'susuallyaroundearlyandlate,buttodayI'vebeensparedit.

THÉRÈSE:

Youmustspeakbeautifullyabouttheabsent,andremember,hewholovesme,lovesmycat.[Sheputsrat-trapontableandpicksupanemptysaucerfromundertable.]Adèle,Adèle!

ADÈLE:

[Inthekitchendoor]WhatdoesHerHighnessdemandsoloudly?

THÉRÈSE:

HerHighnessdemandsmilkforhercatandapieceofcheeseforyourrats.

ADÈLE:

Gogetthemyourself.

THÉRÈSE:

IsthatthewaytoanswerHerHighness?

ADÈLE:

Theanswerfitssuchtalk.Andbesides,youdeserveitforshowingyourselfbeforeastrangerwithyourhairnotcombed.

THÉRÈSE:

Aren'twealloldfriendshere,and--Antonio,goandspeaknicelytoAuntAdele,andthenyou'llgetsomemilkforMimi.[Antoniohesitates.]Well,aren'tyougoingtomind?

ANTONIO:

[Sharply]No.

THÉRÈSE:

Whatkindofawaytospeakisthat?

Doyouwantatasteofmyridingwhip?

ANTONIO:

Impudence!

THÉRÈSE:

[Amazed]What'sthat?

What'sthat?

Areyoutryingtoremindmeofmyposition,mydebt,myweakness?

ANTONIO:

No,Ionlywanttoremindyouofmyposition,mydebt,myweakness.

ADÈLE:

[Gettingthesaucer]Nowlisten,goodfriends.What'sallthisfoolishnessfor?

Befriends--andthenI'llgiveyousomeverynicecoffee.[Goesintothekitchen.]

THÉRÈSE:

[Crying]Youaretiredofme,Antonio,andyouarethinkingofgivingmeup.

ANTONIO:

Youmustn'tcry,itwill