annajanska, the bolshevik empress-第4章
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and turn head over heels
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 Man； I WANTED to get rid of my swaddling
clothes and turn head over heels。 I wanted to； I wanted to； I
wanted to。 I can do it still。 Shall I do it now？
STRAMMFEST。 If you do； I swear I will throw myself from the
window so that I may meet your parents in heaven without having
my medals torn from my breast by them。
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 Oh； you are incorrigible。 You are mad；
infatuated。 You will not believe that we royal divinities are
mere common flesh and blood even when we step down from our
pedestals and tell you ourselves what a fool you are。 I will
argue no more with you： I will use my power。 At a word from me
your men will turn against you： already half of them do not
salute you； and you dare not punish them： you have to pretend not
to notice it。
STRAMMFEST。 It is not for you to taunt me with that if it is so。
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 ＇haughtily＇。 Taunt！ I condescend to taunt！ To
taunt a common General！ You forget yourself； sir。
STRAMMFEST ＇dropping on his knee submissively＇。 Now at last you
speak like your royal self。
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 Oh； Strammfest； Strammfest； they have driven
your slavery into your very bones。 Why did you not spit in my
face？。
STRAMMFEST ＇rising with a shudder＇。 God forbid！
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 Well； since you will be my slave； take your
orders from me。 I have not come here to save our wretched family
and our bloodstained crown。 I am come to save the Revolution。
STRAMMFEST。 Stupid as I am； I have come to think that I had
better save that than save nothing。 But what will the Revolution
do for the people？ Do not be deceived by the fine speeches of the
revolutionary leaders and the pamphlets of the revolutionary
writers。 How much liberty is there where they have gained the
upper hand？ Are they not hanging； shooting； imprisoning as much
as ever we did？ Do they ever tell the people the truth？ No： if
the truth does not suit them they spread lies instead； and make
it a crime to tell the truth。
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 Of course they do。 Why should they not？
STRAMMFEST ＇hardly able to believe his ears＇。 Why should they
not？
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 Yes： why should they not？ We did it。 You did
it； whip in hand： you flogged women for teaching children to
read。
STRAMMFEST。 To read sedition。 To read Karl Marx。
THP GRAND DUCHESS。 Pshaw！ How could they learn to read the Bible
without learning to read Karl Marx？ Why do you not stand to your
guns and justify what you did； instead of making silly excuses？
Do you suppose I think flogging a woman worse than flogging a
man？ I； who am a woman myself！
STRAMMFEST。 I am at a loss to understand your Imperial Highness。
You seem to me to contradict yourself。
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 Nonsense！ I say that if the people cannot
govern themselves； they must be governed by somebody。 If they
will not do their duty without being half forced and half
humbugged； somebody must force them and humbug them。 Some
energetic and capable minority must always be in power。 Well； I
am on the side of the energetic minority whose principles I agree
with。 The Revolution is as cruel as we were； but its aims are my
aims。 Therefore I stand for the Revolution。
STRAMMFEST。 You do not know what you are saying。 This is pure
Bolshevism。 Are you； the daughter of a Panjandrum； a Bolshevist？
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 I am anything that will make the world less
like a prison and more like a circus。
STRAMMFEST。 Ah！ You still want to be a circus star。
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 Yes； and be billed as the Bolshevik Empress。
Nothing shall stop me。 You have your orders； General Strammfest：
save the Revolution。
STRAMMFEST。 What Revolution？ Which Revolution？ No two of your
rabble of revolutionists mean the same thing by the Revolution
What can save a mob in which every man is rushing in a different
direction？
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 I will tell you。 The war can save it。
STRAMMFEST。 The war？
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 Yes； the war。 Only a great common danger and a
great common duty can unite us and weld these wrangling factions
into a solid commonwealth。
STRAMMFEST。 Bravo！ War sets everything right： I have always said
so。 But what is a united people without a united army？ And what
can I do？ I am only a soldier。 I cannot make speeches： I have won
no victories： they will not rally to my call ＇again he sinks into
his chair with his former gesture of discouragement＇。
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 Are you sure they will not rally to mine？
STRAMMFEST。 Oh； if only you were a man and a soldier！
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 Suppose I find you a man and a soldier？
STRAMMFEST ＇rising in a fury＇。 Ah！ the scoundrel you eloped with！
You think you will shove this fellow into an army command； over
my head。 Never。
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 You promised everything。 You swore anything。
＇She marches as if in front of a regiment。＇ I know that this man
alone can rouse the army to enthusiasm。
STRAMMFEST。 Delusion！ Folly！ He is some circus acrobat； and you
are in love with him。
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 I swear I am not in love with him。 I swear I
will never marry him。
STRAMMFEST。 Then who is he？
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 Anybody in the world but you would have
guessed long ago。 He is under your very eyes。
STRAMMFEST ＇staring past her right and left＇。 Where？
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 Look out of the window。
He rushes to the window； looking for the officer。 The Grand
Duchess takes off her cloak and appears in the uniform of the
Panderobajensky Hussars。
STRAMMFEST ＇peering through the window＇。 Where is he？ I can see
no one。
THE GRAND DUCHESS。 Here； silly。
STRAMMFEST ＇turning＇。 You！ Great Heavens！ The Bolshevik Empress！
End
