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The Road to Damascus: A Trilogy, a play by August Strindberg |
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Part 2 - Act 2 - Scene 2. The 'Rose' Room |
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_ PART II ACT II SCENE II. THE 'ROSE' ROOM [A room with rose-coloured walls; it has small windows with iron lattices and plants in pots. The curtains are rose red; the furniture is white and red. In the background a door leading to a white bed-chamber; when this door is opened, a large bed can be seen with a canopy and white hangings. On the right the door leading out of the house. On the left a fireplace with a coal fire. In front of it a bath tub, covered with a white towel. A cradle covered with white, rose-coloured and light-blue stuff. Baby clothes are spread out here and there. A green dress hangs on the right-hand wall. Four Sisters of Mercy are on their knees, facing the door at the back, dressed in the black and white of Augustinian nuns. The midwife, who is in black, is by the fireplace. The child's nurse wears a peasant's dress, of black and white, from Brittany. The MOTHER is standing listening by the door at the back. The STRANGER is sitting on a chair right and is trying to read a book. A hat and a brown cloak with a cape and hood hang nearby, and on the floor there is a small travelling bag. The Sisters of Mercy are singing a psalm. The others join in from time to time, but not the STRANGER.] SISTERS. Salve, Regina, mater misericordiae; (The STRANGER rises and goes to the MOTHER.)
STRANGER. I'm not so sure! If I want to go in, I'm not allowed to. And when I don't want to, you wish it. I'd like to now. MOTHER. She doesn't want to see you. Besides, presence here's no longer needed. The child matters most now. STRANGER. For you, yes; but I'm still of most importance to myself. MOTHER. The doctor's forbidden anyone to go in, whoever they may be, because she's in danger. STRANGER. What doctor? MOTHER. So your thoughts are there again! STRANGER. Yes. And it's you who led them! An hour ago you gave me to understand that the child couldn't be mine. With that you branded your daughter a whore; but that means nothing to you, if you can only strike me to the heart! You are almost the most contemptible creature I know! MOTHER (to the SISTERS). Sisters! Pray for this unhappy man. STRANGER. Make way for me to go in. For the last time--out of the way. MOTHER. Leave this room, and this house too. STRANGER. If I were to do as you ask, in ten minutes you'd send the police after me, for abandoning my wife and child! MOTHER. I'd only do that to have you taken to a convent you know of. MAID (entering at the back). The Lady's asking you to do something for her. STRANGER. What is it? MAID. There's supposed to be a letter in the dress she left hanging here. STRANGER (looks round and notices the green dress; he goes over to it and takes a letter from the pocket). This is addressed to me, and was opened two days ago. Broken open! That's good! MOTHER. You must forgive someone who's as ill as your wife. STRANGER. She wasn't ill two days ago. MOTHER. No. But she is now. STRANGER. But not two days ago! (Reading the letter.) Well, I'll forgive her now, with the magnanimity of the victor. MOTHER. Of the victor? STRANGER. Yes. For I've done something no one's ever done before. MOTHER. You mean the gold....? STRANGER. Here's a certificate from the greatest living authority. Now I'll go and see him myself. MOTHER. Now! STRANGER. At your request. MAID (to the STRANGER). The Lady asks you to come in. MOTHER. You hear? STRANGER. No, now I don't want to! You've made your own daughter, my wife, into a whore; and branded my unborn child a bastard. You can keep them both. You've murdered my honour. There's nothing for me to do but to revive it elsewhere. MOTHER. You can never forgive! STRANGER. I can. I forgive you--and I shall leave you. (He puts on the brown cloak and hat, picks up his stick and travelling bag.) For if I were to stay, I'd soon grow worse than I am now. The innocent child, whose mission was to ennoble our warped relationship, has been defiled by you in his mother's womb and made an apple of discord and a source of punishment a revenge. Why should I stay here to be torn to pieces? MOTHER. For you, duties don't exist. STRANGER. Oh yes, they do! And the first of them's this: To protect myself from total destruction. Farewell! [Curtain.] _ |
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