Oscar Wilde: The Complete Works. Knowledge house
Such weapons as these are not forged in a day. Why did you not tell us of it? A week ago there had been time to lay the mine, to raise the barricade, to strike one blow at least for liberty. But now the hour is past! It is too late, it is too late! Why did you keep it a secret from us, I say?
alexis
Now by the hand of freedom, Michael, my brother, you wrong me. I knew nothing of this hideous law. By my soul, my brothers, I knew not of it! How should I know?
michael
Because you are a traitor! Where did you go when you left us the night of our last meeting here?
·39· alexis
To mine own house, Michael.
michael
Liar! I was on your track. You left here an hour after midnight. Wrapped in a large cloak, you crossed the river in a boat a mile below the second bridge, and gave the ferryman a gold piece, you, the poor student of medicine! You doubled back twice, and hid in an archway so long that I had almost made up my mind to stab you at once, only that I am fond of hunting. So! you thought that you had baffled all pursuit, did you? Fool! I am a bloodhound that never loses the scent. I followed you from street to street. At last I saw you pass swiftly across the Place St. Isaac, whisper to the guards the secret password, enter the palace by a private door with your own key.
conspirators
The palace!
vera
Alexis!
michael
I waited. All through the dreary watches of our long Russian night I waited, that I might ·40· kill you with your Judas hire still hot in your hand. But you never came out; you never left that palace at all. I saw the blood-red sun rise through the yellow fog over the murky town; I saw a new day of oppression dawn on Russia; but you never came out. So you pass nights in the palace, do you? You know the password for the guards! you have a key to a secret door. Oh, you are a spy—you are a spy! I never trusted you, with your soft white hands, your curled hair, your pretty graces. You have no mark of suffering about you; you cannot be of the people. You are a spy—a spy—traitor.
omnes
Kill him! Kill him! [Draw their knives.]
vera
[Rushing in front of Alexis.] Stand back, I say, Michael! Stand back all! Do not dare lay a hand upon him! He is the noblest heart amongst us.
omnes
Kill him! Kill him! He is a spy!
vera
Dare to lay a finger on him and I leave you all to yourselves.
·41· president
Vera, did you not hear what Michael said of him? He stayed all night in the Czar’s palace. He has a password and a private key. What else should he be but a spy?
vera
Bah! I do not believe Michael. It is a lie! It is a lie! Alexis, say it is a lie!
alexis
It is true. Michael has told what he saw. I did pass that night in the Czar’s palace. Michael has spoken the truth.
vera
Stand back, I say; stand back! Alexis, I do not care. I trust you; you would not betray us; you would not sell the people for money. You are honest, true! Oh, say you are no spy!
alexis
Spy? You know I am not. I am with you, my brothers, to the death.
michael
Ay, to your own death.
·42· alexis
Vera, you know I am true.
vera
I know it well.
president
Why are you here, traitor?
alexis
Because I love the people.
michael
Then you can be a martyr for them?
vera
You must kill me first, Michael, before you lay a finger on him.
president
Michael, we dare not lose Vera. It is her whim to let this boy live. We can keep him here to-night. Up to this he has not betrayed us.
[Tramp of soldiers outside, knocking at door.]
voice
Open in the name of the Emperor!
·43· michael
He has betrayed us. This is your doing, spy!
president
Come, Michael, come. We have no time to cut one another’s throats while we have our own heads to save.
voice
Open in the name of the Emperor!
president
Brothers, be masked all of you. Michael, open the door. It is our only chance.
[Enter General Kotemkin and soldiers.]
general
All honest citizens should be in their own houses at an hour before midnight, and not more than five people have a right to meet privately. Have you not noticed the proclamation, fellow?
michael
Ay, you have spoiled every honest wall in Moscow with it.
vera
Peace, Michael, peace. Nay, sir, we knew it not. We are a company of strolling players ·44· travelling from Samara to Moscow to amuse His Imperial Majesty the Czar.
general
But I heard loud voices before I entered. What was that?
vera
We were rehearsing a new tragedy.
general
Your answers are too honest to be true. Come, let me see who you are. Take off those players’ masks. By St. Nicholas, my beauty, if your face matches your figure, you must be a choice morsel! Come, I say, pretty one; I would sooner see your face than those of all the others.
president
O God! if he sees it is Vera, we are all lost!
general
No coquetting, my girl. Come, unmask, I say, or I shall tell my guards to do it for you.
alexis
Stand back, I say, General Kotemkin!
general
Who are you, fellow, that talks with such a ·45· tripping tongue to your betters? [Alexis takes his mask off.] His Imperial Highness the Czarevitch!
omnes
The Czarevitch! It is all over!
president
He will give us up to the soldiers.
michael
[To Vera.] Why did you not let me kill him? Come, we must fight to the death for it.
vera
Peace! he will not betray us.
alexis
A whim of mine, General! You know how my father keeps me from the world and imprisons me in the palace. I should really be bored to death if I could not get out at night in disguise sometimes, and have some romantic adventure in town. I fell in with these honest folks a few hours