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Her Majesty's Fiddler
From a Collection of Crowley's Plays and Scenarios
(Mlle. ————— was for three years the favourite violinist of H.M. the Tsar. The incident of the play actually occurred in April 1908. Subsequently Mlle. ————— was herself implicated in Nihilist intrigues and has been compelled to seek refuge in England, the Home of the Oppressed.)
Persons of the Play: General P. Governor-general of the province of T————. Anna Feodorowska, a political convict. Mlle. —————, violinist to the Tsar. Soldiers and their officer, convicts, children, an innkeeper, peasants, etc.
The Scene is the outer room of a wayside inn on the road to Siberia. The innkeeper and his wife, at the bar, are serving peasants with drink. All laugh uproariously at each sentence.
The Innkeeper: So Ivanovahas run away with a Don Cossack, eh?
A Peasant: Yes, curse her.
The Innkeeper's Wife: You're well rid of her.
2nd Peasant: A strapping wench though.
1st Peasant: Take care of your own, gossip. There's another gang coming through this afternoon.
The Innkeeper's Wife: She's safe enough, with her face.
3rd Peasant (entering): There's a strange droshky in the village!
(All crowd to door excitedly. Carriage bells.)
(Enter an Istovychik, burly and bearded.)
Istovychik: Why there! Ho! Master Innkeeper, dinner for my lady! Clear these dogs out!
(All go, except Innkeeper, his wife and their four children.)
(Enter Mlle. ————— in furs trimmed with silver, and fur hat. She flings herself into a chair by the fire, and puts her feet up. She pulls out a cigarette and lights it. The Istovychik goes out and brings in her violin case, which he lays reverently on the table. He goes out. The children follow. The Innkeeper and his wife come forward, bustling and bowing.)
Innkeeper: Her Highness will dine? Certainly in ten minutes. We have caviar with Astrakhan, and beautiful fresh trout from the lake. (Exit to inner room)
Innkeeper's Wife: May I take your ladyship's coat (takes it up) and the violin?
Mlle. —————: No. leave it (Exit Innkeeper's wife to inner room.)
Mlle. —————: (She takes the violin from the case and plays softly to herself. The children peep in at the door. She sees them.) Come along, kiddies, let's have a dance! (She gets on the table and plays a dance tune. The children dance around her. A knock at the door. Enter an Officer.)
Officer: Ho there! A glass of brandy. Drinks for my men. (To Mlle. —————) I beg your pardon. (She bows haughtily. Enter convicts, each chained to his warder, with guard. One of them, Anna, a pale, haggard girl of rare beauty, makes a sign to Mlle. ————— who acknowledges it, but shrugs her shoulders as if to indicate that she is powerless to help. She lays her violin in its case and puts it on sideboard.)
Innkeeper (entering): Her highness is served. (Mlle. ————— goes to inner room. Innkeeper serves officer with a drink, and pours out vodka for the guards, who pass glasses to their comrades in the road. Carriage bells. A cry “Way for his Excellency the Governor!” All guards go out. Enter General P. in uniform. Innkeeper bows very low. Officer salutes.)
General P.: Morning. How are you, Grushkoff?
Officer: Well, I thank your Excellency.
General P.: Send in that pale girl. Who is she?
Officer: Nihilist, Excellency.
General P.: Hm. Name?
Officer: Anna Feodorowska, Excellency.
General P.: Good: I remember the case. Send her in.
Officer: Guarded, Excellency?
General P.: No, alone. Unchain the tigress! Ha! Ha! Ha!
Officer: (laughs) Yes, Excellency.
(Exit officer, General P. lights a cigarette.)
(Enter Anna. She does not bow.)
General P.: (to Innkeeper) Leave us, fellow. (Exit Innkeeper) So you conspired against us, little one? Well, I've a word from the Little Father about that. Lock the door. (She goes to the outer door and tries to lock it, but her strength fails her.) All right, I'll do it. (locks door) Come over here. Sit there. (She sits on a chair by the fire. He sits on table.) So you're the famous Anna Feodorowska, are you?
Anna: Yes, I am.
General P.: You threw the bomb at the Grand Duke?
Anna: Yes, I did.
General P.: Lucky for you, that it only killed common soldiers! What have you got?
Anna: Life in Siberia — and these! (She pulls her dress from her shoulders and shows the marks of the knout.)
General P.: A change from — what were you?
Anna: My father's daughter.
General P.: A nobleman — shame on you! Well I suppose you'd like to escape if you could.
Anna: Oh! — Will you give me the chance? Is that what you're here for? How noble and generous you are! Perhaps you're one of us, too? (She repeats the sign she gave Mlle. —————.
General P.: No, I'm a loyal servant of his Majesty. But I might give you a chance, if —
Anna: Oh yes! My father has made interests for me! Is that it?
General P.: Not exactly. Well, the fact is — you're my prisoner, you know; and they sent me on your record, with, of course, your photograph.
Anna: (starting up indignantly) Oh! So that was it?
General P.: Yes, you're a pretty child. Or you would be again — if you were properly looked after.
Anna: Rye bread — and chains — and the knout!
General P.: Yes, not very nice. Well, are you a sensible girl?
Anna: Are you an honourable man?
General P.: A bored and lonely one just now. You see, my wife prefers the gaiety of Petersburg to this dog's hole of a province.
Anna: So that is what you mean?
General P.: Yes, I'll arrange your escape. I am all-powerful here; and you shall be a little queen with a kingdom of your own!
Anna: Take your hand away! Thank you, I prefer the mines to dishonour.
General P.: Your honour isn't worth much in that dress, once you're over the frontier.
Anna: The villainy of your slaves is their dishonour, not mine!
General P.: Damn your pride! (Taking her by the shoulders and shaking her) Do you know what I can do to you? Do you know I can have the flesh torn from you by the knout?
General P.: No, by God, it isn't soon over! Do you know where you're going? To the Mercury mines! Do you know that you'll never see the sunlight again. for you only come out after nightfall — and in a month your eyelids swell, and your sight is lost forever? Do you know that in three months your teeth fall out of your head. that in six months your hair is fallen out, that in a year you are rotted through and through by the poisonous vapours? And that then you are taken from the mines lest you should die, and set to dig the frozen ground? And I offer you a palace, and servants, and love, (she shrinks away, violently tearing herself from his grasp, and stands against the door) Yes, love! — and all the luxuries of life. Is your youth nothing to you? And your beauty? And — perhaps you have a lover at home? You fool! You fool! . . . why in a year you might go back to him — very little damaged!
Anna: You brute! Yes, I know, you are God in the province. But I defy you and I spit upon you!
General P.: Well then, you shall follow your fate, damn you! But not yet! To-night . . .
(The inner door opens and Mlle. ————— enters. She fixes General P. with a haughty stare. General P. bows and smiles and makes himself very polite. Mlle. ————— still watching him, takes her fiddle and plays. As she plays the passions of General P. and Anna relax, they are lost in the beauty of the music. Before the end General P., his face in his hands, is sobbing upon the table. Anna remains against the door, her expression enraptured. Mlle. ————— ends, and again fixes her glance on General P., this time inquiringly.)
General P.: Anna Feodorowska, I forgot one part of my message. This (pulls out a paper) is your pardon from the Tsar. I had meant to report you dead.
Anna: Oh!
General P.: (To Mlle. —————) I do not know if you have ruined me or saved me; but farewell.
(He would take her hand, she withdraws it, changes her mind, and lets him kiss it. He goes out, as Anna throws herself, weeping, into her saviour's arms.)
Curtain.
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