The Third Act

A festively decorated room with three windows to the street. One window is open, but the curtain is drawn. An open door, painted dark, leads into the room seen in the first act.

It is night and dark. Through the windows can be heard the continuous tramp of the pilgrims on their way to the monastery for the next day's celebration. Some are barefoot; some wear boots or bast shoes. Their steps are quick and eager, or slow and weary. They walk singly or in groups of two or three, the majority in silence, though now and then suppressed, indistinct talking may be heard. Starting from somewhere far off to the left, the sound of the footsteps and the talking, muffled at first, approaches and grows louder, until at times it seems to fill the whole room. Then it dies away in the distance again. The impression is that of some tremendous movement, elemental and irrepressible.

At the table, lighted only by a flickering stump of a tallow candle, sit Speransky and Tony. The latter is very drunk. Cucumbers, herring, and bottles of whiskey are on the table. The rest of the room is entirely dark. Occasionally the wind blows the white curtain at the window and sets the candle flame tossing.

Tony and Speransky talk in whispers. A prolonged pause follows the rise of the curtain.

TONY (bending over to Speransky, mysteriously)

So you say it is possible we do not exist, eh?

SPERANSKY (in the same manner)

As I have already stated, it is doubtful, extremely doubtful. There is very good reason to suppose that we really do not exist--that we don't exist at all.

TONY

And you are not, and I am not.

SPERANSKY

And you are not, and I am not. No one is. (Pause)

TONY (looking around, mysteriously)

Where are we then?

SPERANSKY

We?

TONY

Yes, we.

SPERANSKY

That's something no one can tell. No one knows, Anthony.

TONY

No one?

SPERANSKY

No one.

TONY (glancing around)

Doesn't Savva know?

SPERANSKY

No, Savva doesn't know either.

TONY

Savva knows everything.

SPERANSKY

But even he doesn't know that.

TONY (threatening with his finger)

Keep still, keep still! (Both look around and are silent)

TONY (mysteriously)

Where are they going, eh?

SPERANSKY

To the elevation of the ikon. To-morrow is a feast-day--the day of raising the ikon.

TONY

No, I mean where are they really going--really--don't you understand?

SPERANSKY

I do. It isn't known. No one knows, Anthony.

TONY

Hush! (Makes a funny grimace, closes his mouth with his hand and leans on it)

SPERANSKY (in a whisper)

What's the matter?

TONY