German soldiers.
[RADA]
A BELGIAN CHRISTMAS EVE
The action takes place in a Belgian village, during the War of 1914. The scene is a room in the doctor’s house. On the right there is a door opening to the street, a window with red curtains, and a desk under the window. On the left there is a large cupboard with a door on either side of it, one leading to a bedroom and the other to the kitchen. At the back an open fire is burning brightly. Over the fireplace there is a reproduction in colours of the Dresden Madonna. The room is lit only by the firelight and two candles in brass candlesticks, on a black oak table, at which the two soldiers are seated, playing cards and drinking beer.
Rada, a dark handsome woman, sits on a couch to the left of the fire, with her head bowed in her hands, weeping.
Nanko sits cross-legged on a rug before the fire, rubbing his hands, snapping his fingers, and chuckling to himself.
Tarrasch (throwing down the cards).
Pish! You have all the luck. (He turns to Rada) Look here, my girl, where is the use of snivelling? We’ve been killing pigs all day and now we want to unbuckle a bit. You ought to think yourself infernally lucky to be alive at all, and I’m not sure that you will be so fortunate when the other boys come back. Wheedled them out of the house finely, didn’t you? On a fine wildgoose chase, too. Hidden money! Refugees don’t bury their money and leave the secret behind them. You’ve been whimpering ever since we two refused to believe you. What’s your game, eh? I warn you there’ll be hell to pay when they come back.
Rada (sobbing and burying her face).