annajanska, the bolshevik empress-第3章
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dress court uniform as this man did。
SCHNEIDEKIND。 Only officers who are eloping with grand duchesses
wear court uniform： otherwise the grand duchesses could not be
seen with them。
STRAMMFEST。 Hold your tongue。 ＇Schneidekind； in high dudgeon；
folds his arms and retires from the conversation。 The General
returns to his paper and to his examination of the Grand
Duchess。＇ This officer travelled with your passport。 What have
you to say to that？
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 Bosh！ How could a man travel with a woman's
passport？
STRAMMFEST。 It is quite simple； as you very well know。 A dozen
travellers arrive at the boundary。 The official collects their
passports。 He counts twelve persons； then counts the passports。
If there are twelve； he is satisfied。
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 Then how do you know that one of the passports
was mine？
STRAMMFEST。 A waiter at the Potterdam Hotel looked at the
officer's passport when he was in his bath。 It was your passport。
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 Stuff！ Why did he not have me arrested？
STRAMMFEST。 When the waiter returned to the hotel with the police
the officer had vanished； and you were there with your own
passport。 They knouted him。
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 Oh！ Strammfest； send these men away。 I must
speak to you alone。
STRAMMFEST ＇rising in horror＇。 No： this is the last straw： I
cannot consent。 It is impossible； utterly； eternally impossible；
that a daughter of the Imperial House should speak to any one
alone； were it even her own husband。
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 You forget that there is an exception。 She may
speak to a child alone。 ＇She rises。＇ Strammfest； you have been
dandled on my grandmother's knee。 By that gracious action the
dowager Panjandrina made you a child forever。 So did Nature； by
the way。 I order you to speak to me alone。 Do you hear？ I order
you。 For seven hundred years no member of your family has ever
disobeyed an order from a member of mine。 Will you disobey me？
STRAMMFEST。 There is an alternative to obedience。 The dead cannot
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
