history. But these celebrities of the left spend their time writing tomorrowâs headlines and hoping that someone else will make the news to go with them. And donât they know whatâs good for us! Virtue by decree. Theyâre building prisons out of the stones of the Bastille. Thereâs no country in the world that has shed more blood for liberty and understands it less. Iâm going to Italy.
BAKUNIN Â Â Â (
excitedly
) Forget about the French. Polish independence is the only revolutionary spark in Europe. Iâve been here six years and I know what Iâm talking about. Iâm in the market for a hundred rifles, by the way, payment in cash.
Sazonov shushes him urgently. The Servant has entered. He whispers to Bakunin.
BAKUNIN Â Â Â (
cont.
) My cabbie wants to go home. Can you lend me five francs?
HERZEN Â Â Â No. You should have walked.
TURGENEV Â Â Â Iâll do it.
Turgenev gives five francs to the Servant, who leaves.
BELINSKY Â Â Â Isnât it time to go?
SAZONOV Â Â Â (
to Belinsky
) Itâs a shame. With your abilities, you could have done more, instead of wasting your time in Russia.
HERZEN Â Â Â (
to Sazonov
) And do tell us, what have
you
done? You donât think discussing the borders of Poland with the émigrés every day in the Café Lamblin is doing something?â
SAZONOV Â Â Â Hold on, hold on, you forget our situation.
HERZEN Â Â Â What situation? Youâve lived in freedom all these years, playing statesmen-in-waiting and calling yourselves pink budgerigarsâ
SAZONOV Â Â Â (
furiously
) Who told you about theâ
HERZEN Â Â Â You did.
SAZONOV Â Â Â (
bursting into tears
) I knew I wasnât to be trusted!
EMMA Â Â Â
Parlez français, sâil vous plaît!
BAKUNIN Â Â Â (
comforting Sazonov with a hug
) I trust you.
NATALIE Â Â Â Is George all right?
HERZEN Â Â Â I never saw a man more all right.
Natalie goes to George and Emma.
BAKUNIN Â Â Â (
to Herzen
) Donât be deceived by George Herwegh. He got expelled from Saxony for political activity.
HERZEN Â Â Â Activity? George?
BAKUNIN Â Â Â And heâs got what every revolutionary needs, a rich wife.
HERZEN    Nick Ogarev knew him when they were together in Paris ⦠Nick gave me a letter â¦
BAKUNIN Â Â Â Whatâs more, sheâll do anything for him. I once heard Marx explaining economic relations to George for an hour while Emma rubbed his feet.
HERZEN Â Â Â Why?
BAKUNIN    He said his feet were cold ⦠other parts of him, it seems, are kept warm by the Contesse dâAgoult.
NATALIE Â Â Â (
to Emma
)
Continuez, continuez
â¦
HERZEN Â Â Â (
offended
) I wonât have tittle-tattle about my friends in my house ⦠and anyway, you donât know itâs true.
BAKUNIN Â Â Â (
laughs
) Youâre rightâmaybe heâs only boasting.
Emma continues to smooth Georgeâs brow.
NATALIE Â Â Â (
arriving
) Ah, thatâs what love should be!
BAKUNIN Â Â Â Love is a mystery, and womanâs privilege is to be the priestess of the mystery, vestal of the sacred flame.
HERZEN Â Â Â Am I being reproached because I donât let you mother me?
NATALIE Â Â Â I donât reproach you, Alexander, I only say itâs a fine thing to see.
HERZEN Â Â Â What is? George having the vapours?
NATALIE    No ⦠a womanâs love that transcends egoism.
HERZEN    Love without egoism cheats women of equality and independence, not to mention any other ⦠satisfaction.
BAKUNIN Â Â Â Heâs right, madame!
HERZEN Â Â Â But you just said the opposite!
BAKUNIN Â Â Â (
unabashed
) Heâs right again!
GEORGE Â Â Â (
in German
) Emma, Emma â¦
EMMA Â Â Â
Was ist denn, mein Herz?
[What is it, my
Maria Wilhelm, Dirk Mathison