LUKA [trembling] Where’s Vassily—? Call Vaska—oh, God—listen, brothers . . .
THE ACTOR [running out] I’ll find him at once!
BUBNOFF. They beat her a lot these days . . .
SATINE. Come on, old man—we’ll be witnesses . . .
LUKA [following Satine] Oh—witnesses—what for? Vassily—he should be called at once!
NATASHA. Sister—sister dear! Va-a-a . . .
BUBNOFF. They’ve gagged her—I’ll go and see . . .
[The noise in Kostilyoff’s room dies down gradually as if they had gone into the hallway. The old man’s cry: “Stop!” is heard. A door is slammed noisily, and the latter sound cuts off all the other noises sharply. Quiet on the stage. Twilight.]
KLESHTCH [seated on the sledge, indifferently, rubbing his hands; mutters at first indistinguishably, then:] What then? One must live. [Louder] Must have shelter—well? There’s no shelter, no roof—nothing . . . there’s only man—man alone—no hope . . . no help . . .
[Exit slowly, his head bent. A few moments of ominous silence, then somewhere in the hallway a mass of sounds, which grows in volume and comes nearer. Individual voices are heard.]