annajanska, the bolshevik empress-第2章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


your　cheek。。。What！　the　Grand　Duchess　＇Strammfest　starts。＇　Where
did　you　catch　her？

STRAMMFEST　＇snatching　the　telephone　and　listening　for　the
answer＇。　Speak　louder；　will　you：　I　am　a　General　I　know　that；　you
dolt。　Have　you　captured　the　officer　that　was　with　her？。。。
Damnation！　You　shall　answer　for　this：　you　let　him　go：　he　bribed
you。　You　must　have　seen　him：　the　fellow　is　in　the　full　dress
court　uniform　of　the　Panderobajensky　Hussars。　I　give　you　twelve
hours　to　catch　him　or。。。what's　that　you　say　about　the　devil？　Are
you　swearing　at　me；　you。。。Thousand　thunders！　＇To　Schneidekind。＇
The　swine　says　that　the　Grand　Duchess　is　a　devil　incarnate。　＇Into
the　telephone。＇　Filthy　traitor：　is　that　the　way　you　dare　speak　of
the　daughter　of　our　anointed　Panjandrum？　I'll

SCHNEIDEKIND　＇pulling　the　telephone　from　his　lips＇。　Take　care；
sir。

STRAMMFEST。　I　won't　take　care：　I'll　have　him　shot。　Let　go　that
telephone。

SCHNEIDEKIND。　But　for　her　own　sake；　sir

STRAMMFEST。　Eh？

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：　oth