arms and the man-第14章
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delivery that reached me was three weeks ago。 These are the
subsequent accumulations。 Four telegramsa week old。 （He opens
one。） Oho！ Bad news！
RAINA （rising and advancing a little remorsefully）。 Bad news？
BLUNTSCHLI。 My father's dead。 （He looks at the telegram with his
lips pursed； musing on the unexpected change in his
arrangements。）
RAINA。 Oh； how very sad！
BLUNTSCHLI。 Yes： I shall have to start for home in an hour。 He
has left a lot of big hotels behind him to be looked after。
（Takes up a heavy letter in a long blue envelope。） Here's a
whacking letter from the family solicitor。 （He pulls out the
enclosures and glances over them。） Great Heavens！ Seventy！ Two
hundred！ （In a crescendo of dismay。） Four hundred！ Four
thousand！！ Nine thousand six hundred！！！ What on earth shall I do
with them all？
RAINA （timidly）。 Nine thousand hotels？
BLUNTSCHLI。 Hotels！ Nonsense。 If you only knew！oh； it's too
ridiculous！ Excuse me： I must give my fellow orders about
starting。 （He leaves the room hastily； with the documents in his
hand。）
LOUKA （tauntingly）。 He has not much heart； that Swiss； though
he is so fond of the Servians。 He has not a word of grief for
his poor father。
RAINA （bitterly）。 Grief！a man who has been doing nothing but
killing people for years！ What does he care？ What does any
soldier care？ （She goes to the door； evidently restraining her
tears with difficulty。）
LOUKA。 Major Saranoff has been fighting； too； and he has plenty
of heart left。 （Raina； at the door； looks haughtily at her and
goes out。） Aha！ I thought you wouldn't get much feeling out of
your soldier。 （She is following Raina when Nicola enters with an
armful of logs for the fire。）
NICOLA （grinning amorously at her）。 I've been trying all the
afternoon to get a minute alone with you； my girl。 （His
countenance changes as he notices her arm。） Why； what fashion is
that of wearing your sleeve； child？
LOUKA （proudly）。 My own fashion。
NICOLA。 Indeed！ If the mistress catches you； she'll talk to you。
（He throws the logs down on the ottoman； and sits comfortably
beside them。）
LOUKA。 Is that any reason why you should take it on yourself to
talk to me？
NICOLA。 Come： don't be so contrary with me。 I've some good news
for you。 （He takes out some paper money。 Louka； with an eager
gleam in her eyes； comes close to look at it。） See； a twenty
leva bill！ Sergius gave me that out of pure swagger。 A fool and
his money are soon parted。 There's ten levas more。 The Swiss
gave me that for backing up the mistress's and Raina's lies
about him。 He's no fool； he isn't。 You should have heard old
Catherine downstairs as polite as you please to me； telling me
not to mind the Major being a little impatient； for they knew
what a good servant I wasafter making a fool and a liar of me
before them all！ The twenty will go to our savings； and you
shall have the ten to spend if you'll only talk to me so as to
remind me I'm a human being。 I get tired of being a servant
occasionally。
LOUKA （scornfully）。 Yes： sell your manhood for thirty levas；
and buy me for ten！ Keep your money。 You were born to be a
servant。 I was not。 When you set up your shop you will only be
everybody's servant instead of somebody's servant。
NICOLA （picking up his logs； and going to the stove）。 Ah； wait
till you see。 We shall have our evenings to ourselves； and I
shall be master in my own house； I promise you。 （He throws the
logs down and kneels at the stove。）
LOUKA。 You shall never be master in mine。 （She sits down on
Sergius's chair。）
NICOLA （turning； still on his knees； and squatting down rather
forlornly； on his calves； daunted by her implacable disdain）。
You have a great ambition in you； Louka。 Remember： if any luck
comes to you； it was I that made a woman of you。
LOUKA。 You！
NICOLA （with dogged self…assertion）。 Yes； me。 Who was it made
you give up wearing a couple of pounds of false black hair on
your head and reddening your lips and cheeks like any other
Bulgarian girl？ I did。 Who taught you to trim your nails； and
keep your hands clean； and be dainty about yourself； like a fine
Russian lady？ Me！ do you hear that？ me！ （She tosses her head
defiantly； and he rises； ill…humoredly； adding more coolly） I've
often thought that if Raina were out of the way； and you just a
little less of a fool and Sergius just a little more of one； you
might come to be one of my grandest customers； instead of only
being my wife and costing me money。
LOUKA。 I believe you would rather be my servant than my husband。
You would make more out of me。 Oh； I know that soul of yours。
NICOLA （going up close to her for greater emphasis）。 Never you
mind my soul； but just listen to my advice。 If you want to be a
lady； your present behaviour to me won't do at all； unless when
we're alone。 It's too sharp and imprudent； and impudence is a
sort of familiarity： it shews affection for me。 And don't you
try being high and mighty with me either。 You're like all
country girls： you think it's genteel to treat a servant the way
I treat a stable…boy。 That's only your ignorance； and don't you
forget it。 And don't be so ready to defy everybody。 Act as if
you expected to have your own way； not as if you expected to be
ordered about。 The way to get on as a lady is the same as the
way to get on as a servant： you've got to know your place；
that's the secret of it。 And you may depend on me to know my
place if you get promoted。 Think over it； my girl。 I'll stand by
you： one servant should always stand by another。
LOUKA （rising impatiently）。 Oh； I must behave in my own way。
You take all the courage out of me with your cold…blooded
wisdom。 Go and put those logs on the fire： that's the sort of
thing you understand。 （Before Nicola can retort； Sergius comes
in。 He checks himself a moment on seeing Louka； then goes to the
stove。）
SERGIUS （to Nicola）。 I am not in the way of your work； I hope。
NICOLA （in a smooth； elderly manner）。 Oh； no； sir； thank you
kindly。 I was only speaking to this foolish girl about her habit
of running up here to the library whenever she gets a chance； to
look at the books。 That's the worst of her education； sir： it
gives her habits above her station。 （To Louka。） Make that table
tidy； Louka； for the Major。 （He goes out sedately。）
（Louka； without looking at Sergius； begins to
arrange the papers on the table。 He crosses slowly
to her； and studies the arrangement of her sleeve
reflectively。）
SERGIUS。 Let me see： is there a mark there？ （He turns up the
bracelet and sees the bruise made by his grasp。 She stands
motionless； not looking at him： fascinated； but on her guard。）
Ffff！ Does it hurt？
LOUKA。 Yes。
SERGIUS。 Shall I cure it？
LOUKA （instantly withdrawing herself proudly； but still not
looking at him）。 No。 You cannot cure it now。
SERGIUS （masterfully）。 Quite sure？ （He makes a movement as if
to take her in his arms。）
LOUKA。 Don't trifle with me； please。 An officer should not
trifle with a servant。
SERGIUS （touching the arm with a merciless stroke of his
forefinger）。 That was no trifle； Louka。
LOUKA。 No。 （Looking at him for the first time。） Are you sorry？
SERGIUS （with measured emphasis； folding his arms）。 I am never
sorry。
LOUKA （wistfully）。 I wish I could believe a man could be so
unlike a woman as that。 I wonder are you really a brave man？
SERGIUS （unaffectedly； relaxing his attitude）。 Yes： I am a
brave man。 My heart jumped like a woman's at the first shot； but
in the charge I found that I was brave。 Yes： that at least is
real about me。
LOUKA。 Did you find in the charge that the men whose fathers are
poor like mine were any less brave than the men who are rich
like you？
SERGIUS （with bitter levity。） Not a bit。 They all slashed and
cursed and yelled like heroes。 Psha！ the courage to rage and
kill is cheap。 I have an English bull terrier who has as much of
that sort of courage as the whole Bulgarian nation； and the
whole Russian nation at its back。 But he lets my groom thrash
him； all the same。 That's your soldier all over！ No； Louka； your
poor men can cut throats； but they are afraid of their officers；
they put up with insults and blows； th
