The Lower Depths

PEPEL. Look here. Yesterday, before witnesses, I sold you a watch for ten rubles, you gave me three – now let me have the other seven. What are you blinking for? You hang around here – you disturb people – and don’t seem to know yourself what you’re after.

KOSTILYOFF. Sh-sh! Don’t be angry, Vaska. The watch – it is —

SATINE. Stolen!

KOSTILYOFF [sternly] I do not accept stolen goods – how can you imagine —

PEPEL [taking him by the shoulder] What did you disturb me for? What do you want?

KOSTILYOFF. I don’t want – anything. I’ll go – if you’re in such a state —

PEPEL. Be off, and bring the money!

KOSTILYOFF. What ruffians! I – I – [Exit]

THE ACTOR. What a farce!

SATINE. That’s fine – I like it.

PEPEL. What did he come here for?

SATINE [laughing] Don’t you understand? He’s looking for his wife. Why don’t you beat him up once and for all, Vaska?

PEPEL. Why should I let such trash interfere with my life?

SATINE. Show some brains! And then you can marry Vassilisa – and become our boss —

PEPEL. Heavenly bliss! And you’d smash up my household and, because I’m a soft-hearted fool, you’ll drink up everything I possess. [Sits on a bunk] Old devil – woke me up – I was having such a pleasant dream. I dreamed I was fishing – and I caught an enormous trout – such a trout as you only see in dreams! I was playing him – and I was so afraid the line would snap. I had just got out the gaff – and I thought to myself – in a moment —

SATINE. It wasn’t a trout, it was Vassilisa —

THE ACTOR. He caught Vassilisa a long time ago.

PEPEL [angrily] You can all go to the devil – and Vassilisa with you —

[Kleshtch comes from the hall.]

KLESHTCH. Devilishly cold!

THE ACTOR. Why didn’t you bring Anna back? She’ll freeze, out there —

KLESHTCH. Natasha took her into the kitchen —

THE ACTOR. The old man will kick her out —

KLESHTCH [sitting down to his work] Well – Natasha will bring her in here —

SATINE. Vassily – give me five kopecks!

THE ACTOR [to Satine] Oh, you – always five kopecks – Vassya – give us twenty kopecks —

PEPEL. I’d better give it to them now before they ask for a ruble. Here you are!

SATINE. Gibraltar! There are no kindlier people in the world than thieves!

KLESHTCH [morosely] They earn their money easily – they don’t work —

SATINE. Many earn it easily, but not many part with it so easily. Work? Make work pleasant – and maybe I’ll work too. Yes – maybe. When work’s a pleasure, life’s, too. When it’s toil, then life is a drudge. [To the Actor] You, Sardanapalus! Come on!

THE ACTOR. Let’s go, Nebuchadnezzar! I’ll get as drunk as forty thousand topers!

[They leave.]

PEPEL [yawning] Well, how’s your wife?

KLESHTCH. It seems as if soon – [Pause.]

PEPEL. Now I look at you – seems to me all that filing and scraping of yours is useless.

KLESHTCH. Well – what else can I do?

PEPEL. Nothing.

KLESHTCH. How can I live?

PEPEL. People manage, somehow.

KLESHTCH. Them? Call them people? Muck and dregs – that’s what they are! I’m a workman – I’m ashamed even to look at them. I’ve slaved since I was a child… D’you think I shan’t be able to tear myself away from here? I’ll crawl out of here, even if I have to leave my skin behind – but crawl out I will! Just wait.. my wife’ll die.. I’ve lived here six months, and it seems like six years.

PEPEL. Nobody here’s any worse off than you.. say what you like.

KLESHTCH. No worse is right. They’ve neither honor nor conscience.

PEPEL [indifferently] What good does it do – honor or conscience? Can you get them on their feet instead of on their uppers – through honor and conscience? Honor and conscience are needed only by those who have power and energy.

BUBNOFF [coming back] Oh – I’m frozen.

PEPEL. Bubnoff! Got a conscience?

BUBNOFF. What? A conscience?

PEPEL. Exactly!

BUBNOFF. What do I need a conscience for? I’m not rich.

PEPEL. Just what I said: honor and conscience are for the rich – right! And Kleshtch is upbraiding us because we haven’t any!

BUBNOFF. Why – did he want to borrow some of it?