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Page 98
CONFESSOR. There's a home for everyone! I'll show you the way. (He
goes with her into the background. The STRANGER makes a movement.)
You're impatient? You mustn't be! (He goes out. The STRANGER
remains sitting alone. The WORSHIPPERS OF VENUS get up, go towards
him and form a circle round him.)
STRANGER. What do you want with me?
WORSHIPPERS. Hail! Father.
STRANGER (much upset). Why call me that?
FIRST VOICE. Because we're your children. Your dear ones!
STRANGER (tries to escape, but is surrounded and cannot). Let me go.
Let me go!
SECOND VOICE (that of a pale youth). Don't you recognise me,
Father?
TEMPTER (appearing in the background at the left-hand fork of the
path). Ha!
STRANGER (to the Second Voice). Who are you? I seem to know your
face.
SECOND VOICE. I'm Erik--your son!
STRANGER. Erik! You here?
SECOND VOICE. Yes. I'm here.
STRANGER. God have mercy! And you, my boy, forgive me!
SECOND VOICE. Never! You showed us the way to the sulphur springs!
Is it far to the lake?
(The STRANGER falls to the ground.)
TEMPTER. Ha! Jubilate, temptatores!
VENUS WORSHIPPERS. Sulphur! Sulphur! Sulphur! Mercury!
TEMPTER (coming forward and touching the STRANGER with his foot).
The worm! You can make him believe whatever you like. That comes
from his unbelievable pride. Does he think he's the mainspring of
the universe, the originator of all evil? This foolish man believes
he taught youth to go in search of Venus; as if youth hadn't done
that long before he was born! His pride's insupportable, and he's
been rash enough to try to botch my work for me. Give him another
greeting, lying Erik! (The SECOND VOICE--that is the youth--bends
over the STRANGER and whispers in his ear.) There were seven deadly
sins; but now there are eight. The eighth I discovered! It's called
despair. For to despair of what is good, and not to hope for
forgiveness, is to call ... (He hesitates before pronouncing the
word God, as if it burnt his lips.) God wicked. That is calumny,
denial, blasphemy. ... Look how he winces!
STRANGER (rising quickly, and looking the TEMPTER to the eyes). Who
are you?
TEMPTER. Your brother. Don't we resemble one another? Some of your
features seem to remind me of my portrait.
STRANGER. Where have I seen it?
TEMPTER. Almost everywhere! I'm often to be found in churches,
though not amongst the saints.
STRANGER. I can't remember. ...
TEMPTER. Is it so long since you've been to church? I'm usually
represented with St. George. (The STRANGER totters and would like
to fly, but cannot.) Michael and I are sometimes to be seen in a
group, in which, to be sure, I don't appear in the most favourable
light; but that can be altered. All can be altered; and one day the
last shall be first. It's just the same in your case. For the
moment, things are going badly with you, but that can be altered
too ... if you've enough intelligence to change your company.
You've had too much to do with skirts, my son. Skirts raise dust,
and dust lies on eyes and breast. ... Come and sit down. We'll have
a chat. ... (He takes the STRANGER jocularly by the ear and leads
him round the table.) Sit down and tremble, young man! (They both
sit down.) Well? What shall we do? Call for wine--and a woman? No!
That's too old a trick, as old as Doctor Faust! Bon! We modern are
in search of mental dissipation. ... So you're on your way to those
holy men up there, who think that they who sleep can't sin; to the
cowardly ones, who've given up the battle of life, because they
were defeated once or twice; to those that bind souls rather than
free them. ... And talking of that! Has any saintly man ever freed
you from the burden of sin? No! Do you know why sin has been
oppressing you for so long? Through renunciation and abstinence,
you've grown so weak that anyone can seize your soul and take
possession of it. Why, they can even do it from a distance! You've
so destroyed your personality that you see with strange eyes, hear
with strange ears and think strange thoughts. In a word you've
murdered your own soul. Just now, didn't you speak well of the
enemies of mankind; of Woman, who made a hell of paradise? You
needn't answer me; I can read your answer in your eyes and hear it
on your lips. You talk of pure love for a woman! That's lust, young
man, lust after a woman, which we have to pay for so dearly. You
say you don't desire her. Then why do you want to be near her?
You'd like to have a friend? Take a male friend, many of them!
You've let them convince you you're no woman hater. But the woman
gave you the right answer; every healthy man's a woman hater, but
can't live without linking himself to his enemy, and so must fight
her! All perverse and unmanly men are admirers of women! How's it
with you now? So you saw those invalids and thought yourself
responsible for their misery? They're tough fellows, you can
believe me; they'll be able to leave here in a few days and go back
to their occupations. Oh yes, lying Erik's a wag! But things have
gone so far with you, that you can't distinguish between your own
and other people's children. Wouldn't it be a great thing to escape
from all this? What do you say? Oh, I could free you ... but I'm no
saint. Now we'll call old Maia. (He whistles between his fingers:
MAIA appears.) Ah, there you are! Well, what are you doing here?
Have you any business with this fellow?
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