The Lower Depths Page #5

We'll have someone call her.

A little woman like her

is just what I need.

A sweet and lively housewife.

It's simple, lnspector.

She does everything here.

A hard worker,

inexpensive, easy to feed.

She's full of virtues.

All that and a pretty face, too.

That never hurts.

The truth is,

she's healthy and well-built.

With all the work in this house,

I don't know what we'd do

without her.

But for you,

no sacrifice is too great.

Yes, but would she have me?

Don't worry. Ill see to it.

I meant,

she'd be most flattered

by your attention.

Lord, first you send down

these troubles upon me,

and now you take Natasha away.

About those troubles...

perhaps we can work something out.

Listen, leave the washing.

Go make some tea.

It isn't time yet.

We have a guest.

Who?

- The inspector.

- Im not going.

Why not?

I don't like him.

He's fat and sweaty.

Men who sweat like that

are disgusting.

I don't want to see him.

How dare you speak to me that way?

Don't you realize we need that man?

If he wanted,

he could arrest us tomorrow,

or take away

Kostylyov's housing license.

In any case, he could ruin us.

You're nothing

but an ungrateful wretch.

What does he want, anyway?

To see you for a moment.

That's not much.

And it'll get us out of this mess.

Have you no heart?

Don't forget that we've fed you,

sheltered you,

saved you from the gutter.

Enough. Ill go.

They look after people like me?

Where?

In -

Ive forgotten the name of the town,

but Ill remember.

There's a magnificent hospital

with marble floors and columns.

It's bright and airy.

You breathe freely.

A palace.

- Marble.

Doctors in white coats

look after you with great kindness.

Until then, get ready to be healed.

Stop drinking, okay?

You'll start a new life.

A little tea in a family setting

now and then is just the thing.

It makes me forget

my administrative headaches.

Oh, yes.

Miss?

May I ask a favor?

We could go out on Sunday.

We could go to dinner

anywhere you please.

Would you like that?

- Certainly she would.

My sister never gets out.

- The poor child.

What an honor for her.

Isn't it, Natasha?

Don't cry.

I don't want to hurt you.

Just the opposite.

The idiot!

She'll ruin everything.

My dream is to protect you.

Why refuse before you hear me out?

You'd live like a queen.

Believe me.

Accept before it's too late.

Old Kostylyov

can't be easy to live with.

And the others in the courtyard.

Look at them.

Wallowing like pigs.

Is that any life for you?

I say it isn't.

And that's all I have to say.

I dreamed I was fishing

and caught a huge bream.

It must've weighed five pounds.

A real dream fish.

And then -

And then your line broke,

and you woke up.

And the bream was Vassilissa.

No, she makes me sick.

Everything here makes me sick.

Everything you touch is filthy.

The mattress, the pots -

everything's rotten.

The feelings, even the words you say -

covered in lice, cockroaches and slime.

Fishing for bream

didn't work out so well.

Next time,

dream about a different fish.

And Nastia with her Gaston,

and the actor with his organism.

Im tired of listening to them.

I need a change.

Im sick and tired of them.

Are you tired of me?

Of course not, you're different.

You don't lie.

You don't go on

about why you're here.

That'd be hard to do.

I don't know how I got here.

There's a kind of fog in my noggin.

When I look back, it seems

all I did was change uniforms.

First the schoolboy,

then the student.

Ive forgotten everything

I ever learned at the university.

I got married, wore a tailcoat,

then a dressing gown.

What was the point?

I wore the uniform of

a government official and grew poorer.

My clothes became

more and more threadbare.

Finally I wear these,

the last of the line.

And it all seems like a dream.

Isn't it absurd?

Ever been to prison?

That would have been

one more uniform.

- And you?

- No, not yet.

But it'll happen sooner or later.

My path was laid out for me

by my father.

Poor guy spent his life in prison

and urged me to follow

in his footsteps, so -

His concern for you does him credit.

Is he dead?

- Yes.

He died in prison, just as I will.

The only thing that could change

my father's prediction

is if Natasha ran away with me.

- Really?

- Yeah.

If she'd just throw

her arms around me and say,

Pepel, I believe in you.

You'll protect me.

No more Pepel the thief.

Id be a new man.

We'd go far away,

far from all this filth

and rottenness!

What about you, Baron?

- Ill stay here.

Once you told me how nice

it was to doze in the grass.

I didn't really believe you then,

but I do now.

Pepper?

I don't care.

Mustard?

- I don't care.

- She doesn't care.

Ill serve you myself.

Salad?

I want to save you

from that brute Kostylyov.

Don't be a hypocrite.

You know my sister made me come.

So what?

Isn't it nice here?

We can come every Sunday.

Every day of the week.

Believe me when I say I want

to treat you like a little queen.

You're no king.

No king! She's so witty!

Tell your king you're not angry.

Have mercy.

Make me drink

until I forget everything.

Get me stewed to the gills,

otherwise Ill never agree

to be your queen.

For that you must agree

to drink something!

Come, my little treasure.

Leave it to me.

In one hour,

you won't even remember

your mother's name.

- What are you doing here?

- Am I bothering you?

- I came here to get away from you.

- Looking for my sister, no doubt.

Why are you avoiding me?

I told you. lt's over between us.

You're driving me crazy,

always after me.

Im sick of your stories,

sick of your face! Get it?

- What's wrong with me?

- You're selfish.

You'd do anything

to get what you want.

And her, with her great big eyes

and clumsy hands, what can she give you?

That's my business.

What if she's making a fool of you?

What if the sweet rose, the holy saint,

was like everyone else:

selling to the highest bidder?

I don't believe it.

Poor fool.

Know where she is?

It's the story of the pate

made of lark:

half lark and half horse.

One lark.

You're not following.

One lark, and one horse.

- One horse.

- One lark.

Where'd my cigar go?

Tell me the one

about the fat shopkeeper.

- Where's my cigar?

- lt's too much!

Where is he?

I asked where he was.

What do you want?

How dare you come in here!

Oh, it's you.

This won't take long.

Get out or Ill call the police.

Natasha, we need to talk,

but this place disgusts me.

What right do you have

to order me around? Im not Vassilissa.

Let me go!

- Exactly! What right?

Don't touch her, you thief!

Vagabond! Hoodlum!

Pimp! Go back to Vassilissa!

Shut up.

Vassilissa's money isn't enough.

You want her sister too!

Let go. You're hurting me.

You're hurting me, too,

you know. Come on.

Help! Murderer! Hoodlum! Pimp!

He's killing me!

Police! Murderer!

What is this? Get the police.

I didn't do anything.

To hell with your champagne!

A bit of ice, lnspector.

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