He Who Gets Slapped - Leonid Andreyev (books under 200 pages .TXT) 📗

puts it down heavily, in front of the Baron. He sits astride it, imitating the pose of the Baron, and looks him in the eyes. Silence. He Can you be silent very long? Baron Very long. He Taps on the floor with his foot. And can you wait very long? Baron Very long. He Until you get it? Baron Until I get it. And you? He I too. Both look at each other, silently, their heads close together. From the ring one hears the strains of the Tango. Curtain. Act IV

Music in the ring. More disorder in the room than usual. All kinds of actors’ costumes hanging on pegs and lying in the corners. On the table a bouquet of fiery-red roses, put there by some careless hand. At the entrance, near the arch, three bareback riders are smoking and chattering; they are all minor actors. All part their hair the same way; two wear small moustaches; the third one is clean-shaven with a face like a bulldog.

The Clean-shaven One Go on, Henry! Ten thousand francs! It’s too much even for the Baron. The Second How much are roses now? The Shaven I don’t know. In winter they are certainly more expensive, but still Henry talks nonsense. Ten thousand! The Second The Baron has his own hothouse. They don’t cost him anything. Henry Throwing away hit cigar, which has burned the tips of his fingers. No, Grab, you’re silly. There’s a whole carload full! One can smell the roses a mile away. They’re to cover the entire arena. The Shaven Only the ring. Henry It’s all the same. In order to cover the ring, you must have thousands and thousands of roses. You’ll see what it looks like, when they’ve covered everything like a carpet. He ordered them to make it like a carpet! Do you see, Grab? The Second What a Baron’s craze! Isn’t it time yet? Henry No, we have time enough. I rather like it: a fiery-red tango on a fiery-red cover of winter roses! The Shaven Consuelo will be galloping on roses. And Bezano? The Second And Bezano on thorns. Smiles. The Shaven That youngster has no self-respect. I’d have refused. Henry But it is his job. He’s got to do it. Laughs. Talk to him about self-respect. He’s as angry and proud as a little Satan. The Second No, you may say what you like, it’s an excellent benefit performance. It’s a joy to look at the crowd. They’re so excited. Henry Tss! All throw away their cigars and cigarettes, like school boys who are caught, and make way for Zinida, who enters with He. Zinida What are you doing here, gentlemen? Your place is at the entrance. Henry With a respectful smile. We are here just for a minute, Madame Zinida. We are going. What a successful evening! And what a glory for Papa Briquet! Zinida Yes. Go, and please don’t leave your places. They go. Zinida pulls a drawer out of the desk, and puts in some papers. She is in her lion tamer’s costume. He, what were you doing near my lions? You frightened me. He Why, Duchess, I merely wanted to hear what the beasts were saying about the benefit performance. They are pacing in their cages, and growling. Zinida The music makes them nervous. Sit down, He. An excellent evening, and I am so glad that Consuelo is leaving us. Have you heard about the Baron’s roses. He Everybody is talking about them. The Hymeneal roses! Zinida Here are some, too. Pushes away the bouquet. You find them everywhere. Yes, I am glad. She is superfluous here, and disturbs our work. It is a misfortune for a cast to have in it such a beautiful and such an⁠ ⁠… accessible girl. He But it is an honest marriage, Duchess, is it not? Zinida I don’t care what it is. He Spiders, too need an improvement in their breed! Can’t you imagine, Zinida, what charming little spiders this couple will create! They will have the face of their mother, Consuelo, and the stomach of their father, the Baron, and thus could be an ornament for any circus-ring. Zinida You are malicious today, He. You are morose. He I laugh. Zinida You do, but without joy. Why are you without makeup? He I am in the third act. I have time. And how does Bezano feel about this evening. Is he glad? Zinida I didn’t talk to Bezano. You know what I think, my friend? You, too, are superfluous here. Silence. He How do you want me to take that, Zinida? Zinida Just as I said. In fact, Consuelo sold herself for nothing. What is the Baron worth, with his poor millions? People say that you are clever, too clever perhaps; tell me then, for how much could one buy me? He Looking as if he were pricing her. Only for a crown. Zinida A baron’s crown? He No, a royal one. Zinida You are far from being stupid. And you guessed that Consuelo is not Mancini’s daughter? He Startled. What! And she knows it? Zinida Hardly. Why should she know it? Yes, she is a girl from Corsica whose parents are unknown. He preferred to use her for business rather than.⁠ ⁠… But according to the law, she is his daughter, Countess Veronica Mancini. He It is nice, to have everything done according to law, isn’t it, Zinida? But it is curious there is more blue blood in her than in this Mancini. One would say that it was she who found him on the street, and made him a count and her father. Count Mancini! Laughs. Zinida Yes, you are gloomy, He. I changed my mind, you’d better stay. He Will I not be superfluous? Zinida When she is gone, you will not. Oh! You don’t know yet, how nice it is to be with us. What a rest for the body and mind. I understand you. I am clever, too. Like you, I brought with me from out there my inclination for chains, and for a long time I chained myself to whatever I could,