Page:Poet Lore, volume 27, 1916.djvu/400

 his mouth. If we had something that would strengthen him—(They are all helpless.)

Spravil.—There’s nothing here.

Vonka.—Wait. (Goes off thru centre—the soldiers follow him silently then.)

Levinsky.—He ran away.

Soukup.—No. (They all turn back.)

Svacha (Kneeling over ).—He fainted.

Vichodil.—He might be asleep. Leave him alone. Let him rest.

Svacha (Rises. Moved but quietly).—He will not last very long—I just wanted him to feel that he is among his own—After that—it’s the end of everything anyhow—(No one answers.) We were at the railroad depot and he was wounded there. I wanted to surrender with him but he didn’t want it—it was because of that hatred, that led us into the war, that hatred against them or perhaps it was something else—The wound didn’t seem to be serious and at first we walked quite well—then we met the transports and they picked us up and we went part of the way, but further down the road he fell off—on the way it got to be worse—until—and now he is—(Pause.)

Spravil.—You are students?

Svacha.—Yes.

Spravil.—Doctors?

Svacha.—Not yet—he was to have been a Doctor of Laws—

Spravil.—You were volunteers ( nods.) Patriotism—

Svacha (Warmly).—Yes, our country is in great danger. (Pause.) We were at the Sokol meeting where Dr. Gregr spoke—and that was how we enlisted. I had a premonition—I never believed that assurance about the Austrian strength and the Prussian weakness—He believed it less than I—he with his patriotism! We felt that our country was at this time in a greater danger than at the time of Frederick the Great, so against the consent of our parents he joined the army and I went with him. About me it doesn’t matter but he—he is the only son of Dr. Suk. I am poor and I have no one and I would remain while he—this—he was their pride, their baby—and has a sister—God, what a wonderful woman! (Is silent, then suddenly with a feverish resolution.) I am in despair—I don’t know what to do—there’s nothing to keep me here but him and he won’t last long—and our cause—our country is lost. (The soldiers moved—are silent. Just then the gate creaks and the men turn—They were expecting