Arms and the Man
by
George Bernard Shaw
Summary
The play is set against the background of the Serbo-Bulgarian war of 1885.
The
curtain rises in the bedroom of Raina Petkoff in a small town in Bulgaria. It
is a cold night in 1885, and Raina is standing on her balcony, looking at the
snow covered Balkan mountains in the distance. She is conscious of the romantic
beauty of the night and of the fact that her own youth and beauty are part of
it. She is in her night gown, well covered by a long mantle of furs. Raina's
father, Major Petkoff, and her fiancé, Sergius Sarnoff are fighting against the
Serbs on the front. A decisive battle has taken place at Slivnitza between the
Serbs and the Bulgarians.
Catherine
Petkoff, Raina’s mother, enters to inform her daughter of the victory of the Bulgarians
in this battle. Catherine tells Raina about the heroism of Raina’s lover,
Sergius, who led a cavalry charge against the Serbs and put them to flight.
Hearing this report, Raina is thrilled, and is very proud of her lover. Louka,
the beautiful maid of the Petkoffs, enters and tells Raina that all the windows
and doors should be closed, as the fleeing Serbs are being chased by the
Bulgarians, and there could be shooting on the street below. Catherine and Louka
leave Raina's room after all the windows and doors are closed.
On
hearing about the heroism of her beloved, Raina is now elated beyond words.
Left alone in her bedroom, she worshipfully adores the portrait of her beloved
Sergius, and turns over the pages of a novel. She hears some shots, first at a
distance, and then close by, and blows out the candles in the room. Someone
suddenly opens the shutters, enters the room in the dark, and warns Raina that
if she called out, she would be shot. Raina lights a candle and finds a Serbian
army officer in a tattered uniform, with mud, blood, and snow all over his body,
in her room. He is being pursued by the Bulgarian army, and if Raina raised an
alarm, they would rush in to kill him. He has no intentions of dying. He knows
that Raina would not want any outsiders to come in and see her in her night
gown, and uses this aspect to defend himself. As long as Raina is not properly
dressed, she will not allow the Bulgarian soldiers to get into her room.
“The
Man: “I'll keep the cloak; you'll take care that nobody comes in and sees you without
it …. This is a better weapon than the revolver.
Raina:
It is not the weapon of a gentleman!
The
Man: It's good enough for a man with only you (Raina) to stand between him and death.”
Louka
knocks at the door, and the fugitive realizes that he is in a difficult
situation. He throws up his head with the gesture of a man who sees that it is
all over with him, and sword in hand, he prepares himself to die fighting with
the Bulgarians. On an impulse, Raina helps him hide behind the curtain. Raina
opens the door pretending to have been disturbed in her sleep.
Louka
tells her excitedly, that a Serb had been seen climbing up the water-pipe to
her balcony
and therefore
the Bulgarian soldiers want to search her bedroom. Catherine allows a Russian officer
from the Bulgarian side to enter Raina's room. While the officer searches,
Raina stands with her back to the curtain behind which the fugitive is hidden,
so that he would not be discovered. When the Russian officer questions her,
Raina tells him that she had not gone to bed and that no one could have got in
without her knowledge. Then the officer goes out satisfied, and Catherine
follows him. Louka, who notices the soldier’s pistol lying on the ottoman,
“glances at Raina, at the ottoman, at the curtain; then preses her lips
secretively, laughs to herself, and goes out.”
As
soon as Raina locks the door, the man steps out from behind the curtain, and realizing
that Raina had saved him, declares, “Dear young lady, your servant until
death.” He tells Raina that he is a mercenary Swiss soldier who has joined the
Serb army merely as a professional fighter. While handing over the revolver to
the soldier, she tells him that it was really fortunate that the Russian
officer did not notice it. The pistol is not loaded as he does not have any
ammunition. He says he usually carries chocolate, instead of ammunition, and
had finished his last bit of chocolate a long time back. Raina is shocked to
hear this and this further convinces her that he a very poor soldier. She then
offers him a box of chocolate creams, which he devours hungrily.
The
Swiss soldier describes the cavalry charge undertaken by the Bulgarians. He
tells her that the Bulgarians had shown “sheer ignorance of the art of war”, on
the part of its leader, adding indignantly, “I never saw anything so
unprofessional.” He describes the leader of the charge (Sergius) thus: “He did
it like an operatic tenor—a regular handsome fellow, with flashing eyes and lovely
moustache, shouting a war-cry and charging like Don Quixote at the windmills….”
It
was really a mad act to throw a cavalry regiment on a battery of machine guns
with the certainty that if the guns went off, all would be killed in no time.
As the Serbs were without cartridges because of some mistake, the Bulgarians
won and the Serbs had to flee from the battlefield. The Bulgarian officer who
led the charge must be a mad man to throw his cavalry so foolishly into the
jaws of death. He behaved like Don Quixote, who charged the windmills.
Raina
then shows the Swiss soldier the portrait of her beloved and tells him that she
is betrothed to Sergius. Seeing the portrait, the soldier comments that it is
the same foolish Don Quixote. He then adds apologetically that perhaps her fiancé
had come to know that the Serbs had no cartridges and decided that it was a
safe job to attack them. As this remark means that Sergius was a pretender and
coward, Raina is more offended than earlier.
Angered
at his remarks about her fiancé, Raina tells him, that he should climb down the
pipe, into the street below; at this thought, the Swiss soldier drops his head
on his hands in the deepest dejection. Overcome by pity, Raina, calls him a
“very poor soldier—a 'chocolate cream soldier'” and tries to cheer him up. To
avoid causing inconvenience to Raina by staying on in the room, the Swiss
soldier proposes to climb down; but a terrible burst of firing is heard from
the street, and Raina pulls him away from the window. She asks him to trust to the
hospitality of the Petkoffs. The soldier does not wish to stay in Raina’s
bedroom secretly longer than is necessary, and asks her to inform her mother. Raina
goes to bring her mother, and by the time mother and daughter come back, the
soldier is fast asleep and does not wake up even after Catherine tries to
shakes his hand. Raina stops her mother saying, “Don’t, mamma: the poor dear is
worn out. Let him sleep.”
The next
scene opens in the garden of Major Petkoff’s house on a fine spring morning,
nearly four months after the events of Act I. Nicola, the middle-aged servant
of the Petkoffs, is lecturing Louka, the maid and telling her to improve her
manners and be respectful to her mistress. Nicola wishes to enjoy the goodwill
of the Petkoffs; he is planning to start a shop in Sofia after leaving his present
job, and he relies heavily on their support. Louka declares that she is not
afraid of her mistress as she knows some of their family secrets. Nicola warns
her that nobody would believe her and that once she is dismissed from the service
of the Petkoff family, she would never get another situation. He adds that even
though he too knows some secrets of the family, the disclosure of which may bring
about problems among the members, he does not disclose them as it will not be
good for his prospects. Louka despises Nicola for his servile attitude and
says, “You have the soul of a servant, Nicola…. You’ll never put the soul of a
servant into me.”
Major
Petkoff returns from the war and enters his garden. Catherine, comes to the
garden and greets him affectionately. Major Petkoff tells her about the ending
of the war and the signing of the peace treaty. Catherine says that he should
have annexed Serbia and made Prince Alexander the emperor of the Balkans. Her
husband, in a lighter vein, tells her that such a task would have kept him away
from her for a long time. When Catherine complains of suffering from a sore
throat, her husband attributes the cause of sore throat to her habit of washing
every day.
Catherine
responds that he is a barbarian at heart and hopes that he behaved properly
before the Russian officers. Petkoff answers that he has done his best and even
told them that his home has a library. Catherine adds that the library now has
an electric bell as well, so that they will not have to shout for their
servant, something that civilized people are not supposed to do.
Major
Sergius Saranoff knocks at the door. When Nicola goes to bring him in, Petkoff
tells his wife that he wishes to avoid the company of Sergius as long as he
can, because Sergius pesters him for promotion. Catherine thinks that Sergius
should be promoted, soon after his marriage to Raina. Sergius Saranoff, a romantically
handsome man, now enters the scene.
Catherine
welcomes him with enthusiasm. When Catherine says that everybody is mad about him
and wild with enthusiasm, because of his magnificent cavalry charge, Sergius
makes a profound statement: “Madam: it was the cradle and the grave of my
military reputation. … I won the battle the wrong way when our worthy Russian
generals were losing it the right way.” He was therefore denied a promotion.
Being
frustrated about not getting a promotion, Sergius has sent in his resignation.
Though Major Petkoff advises him to withdraw his resignation, Sergius sticks to
his decision. When he asks for Raina, she appears, and they greet each other
solemnly. To Catherine’s remark that Sergius is not a soldier anymore, he responds
that soldiering is the coward's art of attacking mercilessly when one is strong
and keeping out of harm's way when one is weak. He adds that he has accepted
the advice of a captain who arranged the exchange of prisoners with them at
Pirot. Petkoff remarks that the Swiss captain overreached them about the
horses. Confirming Petkoff’s remark, Sergius adds, “Ah, he was a soldier—every
inch a soldier!” He was so thoroughly professional and clever that at his hands
Sergius and Petkoff were like children. Sergius then narrates to them the story
that he had heard about the Swiss soldier.
After
the battle of Slivnitza, he was pursued by the Bulgarian soldiers and climbed
the waterpipe of the house of a Bulgarian family and entered the bedroom of a
young lady. She was enchanted by the Swiss soldier’s manners and entertained
him for a while, before informing her mother. The next morning, he was sent by
the lady and her mother on his way, disguised in an old coat belonging to the
master of the house who was away at the war. Sergius and Petkoff are totally
unaware that the incident happened in the Petkoff household itself. There being
no doubt about the identity of the Swiss soldier, Raina becomes disturbed and tells
Sergius that his camp life has made him coarse, and that is why he could repeat
such a story before her. Agreeing with her daughter, Catherine says that if
such women really existed, she and Raina should be spared the knowledge of such
indecent women. Sergius begs to be excused for his mistake, but Major Petkoff
says that Raina, being a soldier’s daughter, should be able to with stand a
little strong conversation. Petkoff then asks Sergius to join him in the
library for he has to discuss some military affairs, the issue of three
regiments that are to be sent back to Philip polis. Catherine asks Sergius to
remain with Raina and takes her husband to see the new electric bell.
Raina
places her hands over the shoulders of Sergius, and looking at him with
admiration and worship, addresses him as 'my hero' and ‘my king’, while Sergius
responds by calling her ‘my queen’ and kissing her forehead “with holy awe.” She
admits that she is entirely unworthy of his love, for while he has won glory in
the battlefield, she has been doing nothing at home. Sergius replies that he
had gone to war “like a knight in a tournament with his lady looking on at
him,” and could achieve victory, only because she inspired him all the time. Raina
is delighted to hear these words and says that both of them have found 'higher
love' and that when she thinks of him, she can never do a base deed or think an
ignoble thought. When Sergius wants to be the worshipper of Raina, the ‘saintly
lady’, she responds by saying that she loves and trusts him, and she knows that
Sergius will never disappoint her. At this moment of higher love, Louka enters
the scene to clear the table.
The
moment Raina goes into the house to collect her hat for going out with her
beloved, the attention of Sergius is arrested by Louka. He asks if she knows
what higher love is. On her replying in the negative, he explains to her that
keeping up higher love is very tiring, and so he feels the need of some relief
afterwards. Putting his hand around Louka's waist, Sergius asks her whether she
considers him handsome. After a feigned protest, Louka advises him to go behind
a bush where they may not be seen by prying eyes. Having hidden in a safe spot,
Louka tells him that Raina is sure to be spying upon them. Offended by Louka's
words, Sergius says that though he is worthless enough to betray the higher
love, he cannot tolerate anybody insulting it.
When
Sergius tries to kiss her, Louka avoids him and tells him that just as he is
making love to her behind Raina's back, Raina was doing the same behind his
back. He again feels offended and tells her that as a gentleman he is not going
to discuss the conduct of the lady to whom he is engaged, with her maid. His
jealousy is, however, aroused and so he asks her to tell him the name of his
rival. Louka refuses, saying she had not seen the person, only heard him
through the door of Raina’s room. Then Louka says she is sure that if the
gentleman comes again, Raina will definitely marry him.
At
this juncture, Sergius is so much annoyed that he catches hold of her arm
tightly and, as result, her arm is bruised. He then turns away from her and
declares that she is an abominable little clod of common clay. Feeling her
bruised hands, Louka says indignantly that whatever clay she is made of, he is
also made of the same and adds that Raina is a liar and cheat. When Sergius
apologizes for hurting her and offers money to make amends, she refuses to
accept it.
Louka
leaves, as Raina returns, dressed for a walk. Raina asks Sergius whether he had
been flirting with Louka, and Sergius denies, asking her how she could think of
such a thing. Raina tells him that she meant it as a jest. Catherine enters and
asks Sergius to help her husband who is in the library with his work. After
Sergius leaves, Catherine tells Raina that the first thing her father asked for
was his old coat in which they had sent off the Swiss soldier. Raina remarks
that it was really bad on the part of the Swiss soldier to tell his friend that
he had stayed in a young lady’s room, and adds that if she had been there, she
would have filled his mouth with chocolate creams to silence him. As Raina's
remark smacks of love for the Swiss soldier, Catherine bluntly asks her how
long the Swiss soldier had stayed with her in her room. Raina does not give a
direct answer. Catherine expresses her apprehensions about the consequences if
Sergius comes to know of the incident .Raina firmly replies that she is not
afraid even if Sergius comes to know of the ‘chocolate cream soldier’.
After
Raina leaves the scene, Louka comes in to inform her that a Serbian soldier is
at the door, requesting to meet Catherine. He is carrying a carpet bag, adds
Louka, and from his card, Catherine recognizes that it is Bluntschili. She realizes
that Bluntschili has come to return Petkoff’s old coat. Catherine, then, orders
Louka to bring the man at once into the garden, without anybody’s knowledge,
and instructs her to shut the door of the library. When Captain Bluntschili,
who is now clean and smartly dressed appears, Catherine asks him to leave at once.
If her husband discovers their secret, he would not spare her and her daughter.
Also, she asks him to leave the bag containing the coat, and assures him that the
bag would be sent back to him at his address. As Bluntschili hands her his
card, Petkoff, who has already seen him through the window of the library and
was wondering why his servants didn't bring Bluntschili to the library, comes
there followed by Sergius. Petkoff addresses the Swiss soldier as “my dear
Captain Bluntschili”, and welcomes him. Catherine, who is afraid of the disclosure
of the secret, rises to the occasion and lies that she was just asking Bluntschili
to join them for lunch. Sergius tells Bluntschili, that they will not allow him
to go so soon, as they need his advice about sending the three regiments to
Philippopolis. Petkoff appreciates the way Bluntschili under stood the whole
problem immediately. Raina returns at this juncture and recognising Bluntschili
exclaims spontaneously "Oh! The chocolate cream soldier!"
As Bluntschili
stands rigid, Sergius is amazed, and Petkoff also wonders what could be happening.
Then, Catherine, with great presence of mind, saves the situation by
introducing Bluntschili to Raina as though she has never met him earlier. Raina
then explains her remark by saying that she was referring to a beautiful
ornament which she had earlier made for the ice pudding, which had been spoiled
by Nicola. Turning towards Bluntschili, she says she hoped he did not think
that she had called him ‘the chocolate cream soldier’. After hearing Raina's
remark, Petkoff is angry with Nicola and says that the servant must have taken
to drinking. In the first place, he had brought the visitor to the garden,
instead of taking him to the library, and in the second place, he has spoilt
Raina's ice pudding. At this moment, Nicola appears with a bag and places it
respectfully before Bluntschili. Petkoff asks him why he has brought the bag
there, and Nicola replies that he brought it there at his lady's orders; but
interrupting him Catherine says that she didn't order him to bring the bag
there. Hearing Catherine’s falsehood, after a moment's bewilderment, Nicola
accepts it as his fault and begs to be excused for it. Catherine and Raina try
to soothe Petkoff. Captain Bluntschili is then pressed by all of them to stay
with them till he returns to Switzerland. Bluntschili finally agrees to stay.
After
lunch, the scene shifts to Major Petkoff’s library. Bluntschili is hard at work
with a couple of maps before him; Sergius, who is supposed to be working, is
watching him, wondering at Bluntschili’s quick, business-like progress. Major
Petkoff feels uncomfortable without his old coat, and asks for it. Catherine
says that it must be hanging in the blue closet where he had left it. But Major
Petkoff emphatically says that he had looked in the closet, and did not find
it. Catherine calls Nicola and orders him to bring his master's coat from the closet.
When Nicola returns with the old coat, Petkoff feels that because of his age,
he is suffering from hallucinations.
After
Bluntschili completes the task that Petkoff has given him, Major Petkoff,
Catherine, and Sergius go out to give those papers and the necessary
instructions to the messengers. Looking mischievously at Bluntschili, Raina
comments that he is looking smarter than he looked when they last met. He tells
her that it is because he has now washed, brushed, slept, and taken a meal.
Raina remarks that Bluntschili must have made a lovely story about his
experience of staying in her room and narrated it to his friends after he had
gone back to his camp.
Bluntschili
tells her that he had told the story to one particular friend. Raina informs
him that his friend had passed it on to others, and that it had reached Sergius
and Major Petkoff. She adds that they did not know that it was in her room that
Bluntschili had taken refuge. She warns him that if Sergius ever came to know
of it, he would definitely kill Bluntschili. Also, she does not wish to deceive
Sergius, since her relationship with Sergius is the one really beautiful and
noble part of her life.
Raina
declares that in her life she has lied only twice, both times for the sake of Bluntschili.
Bluntschili then tells her: "When you strike that noble attitude and speak
in that thrilling voice, I admire you, but I find it impossible to believe a
single word you say." Impressed by his straightforward nature, Raina tells
him that he is the first man she ever met who did not take her seriously and
she wonders how he is able to see through her. She is now anxious to know
whether he detests her as he has “found her out”. Bluntschili then, says that
lying is a part of her youth and charm and he reveals that he is like others,
her “infatuated admirer”.
Now
Raina asks him what he had thought about her putting her portrait in the pocket
of the old coat after scribbling some words on it. Bluntschili says that he
knows nothing about her portrait and had never seen it. Raina is worried that
it is still in the pocket of the coat, and that her father would find it. Then Bluntschili
tells her that as he could not carry the coat while on active service, he had
pawned it to keep it in safe custody. Raina is furious to hear this and tells
him that he has a low shop-keeping mind and thought of things that would never
occur to a gentleman.
Louka
comes in with a heap of letters and telegrams for Bluntschili and tells him
that a messenger is waiting for him. After going through the letters and
telegrams, Bluntschili tells Raina that his father had died, leaving several
big hotels behind him to be looked after.
Bluntschili
goes out to make arrangements with the messenger to leave immediately for his country.
Left alone with Raina, Louka remarks that the Swiss soldier has not much heart
for he did not utter a word of grief for his departed father. Raina responds
that as a soldier Bluntschili does nothing but kill people, and like all
soldiers, he does not care for death. Louka teases her by saying that Sergius,
even though a soldier, has plenty of heart. At this, Raina goes out haughtily.
Louka prepares to follow her, but just then Nicola comes in. Nicola tells Louka
that he has received some money from Sergius and from Bluntschili. He offers
Louka some of it, provided she talks to him as to a human being. After refusing
to take the money, she says that he is born to be a servant, whereas she is
not. Nicola is offended by her remarks and says that she has great ambition in
her, and if any luck comes to her, it comes on account of him, for it is he,
who has made a lady of her. Louka teases him saying that he would prefer her to
be his customer rather than his wife. Nicola advises her not to be defiant, and
says that as a servant should stand by another, he would stand by her. Rising impatiently,
Louka tells him that his coldblooded wisdom is taking all the courage out of
her.
Before
Nicola could retort, Sergius comes in and Nicola cryptically tells Sergius that
he has been advising Louka not to cultivate habits above her position. After
Nicola leaves, Sergius examines Louka's injured arm. He then tries to take her
in his arms, but Louka stops him. Louka teases him saying that she is braver
than Sergius, for even if she were the Empress of Russia, she would marry the
man she loved - however beneath her his position might be. She adds that he
does not have the courage to marry the one he loves who is beneath his position
or to allow his love for her to grow. She adds further that he will soon marry
a rich man's daughter because he is afraid of what people would say of him.
Sergius, retorts that even if he were the Czar himself, he would marry her, if
he loved her. He adds that as he loved another woman, Raina, who is far above
Louka, he will marry her, not Louka.
At
this point, Louka reveals Raina’s secret - she tells Sergius that Raina will
never marry him, but will marry the Swiss soldier whom she loves and who has
come back now. Sergius is shocked and furious to hear this and he tells Louka
that he cannot believe anything bad about Raina because her worst thoughts are
higher than Louka's best thoughts. Upset by this unexpected revelation, Sergius
tells Louka that she belongs to him, and that he will have the courage to marry
her in spite of what the whole of Bulgaria says. If his hands ever touch her again,
they will touch his affianced bride. As Louka leaves, Bluntschili enters. Still
upset about what Louka told him, Sergius accuses Bluntschili of deceiving him
and invites him for a duel. Bluntschili responds by saying that as he is in the
artillery, he would prefer to use a machine gun and this time he would make
sure of the cartridges. Thinking that Bluntschili is joking with him, Sergius
asks him to take the matter seriously.
Bluntschli,
then tells him that he will fight him on foot and that he does not want to kill
him if he can help it. Raina enters at this point and hears part of their
conversation. Raina is worried about their planned duel, but Bluntschili assures
her that no harm will be done to either of them as he is skilled in the use of
the sword and will take care not to kill Sergius. He further assures that he
will leave for home soon and then Raina and Sergius could be happy together.
Sergius
accuses Raina of being in love with Bluntschili and adds that Bluntschili
deceived Sergius, knowing fully well the relations between Raina and Sergius. Bluntschili
says this is sheer nonsense and adds that Raina does not even know whether he
is married or not. Sergius jumps to the conclusion that Raina's behaviour on
hearing this indicates her concern for Bluntschili, who has enjoyed the
privilege of staying in Raina's bedroom one night.
Bluntschili
explains to Sergius how this happened - pursued by the Bulgarian soldiers, he
had to take shelter in Raina's room and she allowed him stay in her room as he
had threatened to shoot her if she raised an alarm. Raina thinks at first that Bluntschili’s
friend, to whom he had narrated this story, must have passed it on to Sergius,
but Sergius declares that he was not the informant. Suddenly Raina realizes, it
was Louka who had told Sergius about this incident. She recalls seeing them
together through her window earlier that day, now she realizes Sergius had been
flirting with Louka, and that it was foolish on her part to have taken him to be
a god. Sergius, then, remarks: "Raina! our romance is shattered. Life's a
farce." He adds that he will not fight with Bluntschili even if he is
considered a coward. Raina, then, sarcastically comments that since Sergius’
new lover is Louka, he would have to fight a duel with Nicola to whom Louka is
engaged.
Hearing
this, Sergius once again loses his temper, and starts calling Raina names. Bluntschili
tries to stop this quarrelling so that they could talk things over. When Bluntschili
enquires where Louka is, Raina answers that Louka must be outside the door,
eavesdropping. Sergius opens the door in order to prove Raina wrong, and, as
rightly sensed by Raina, finds Louka standing just outside the door, listening
to the conversation. In his rage, he drags her in and flings her against the
table. Louka tells Raina that her love is stronger than Raina’s feelings for
her “chocolate cream soldier”.
Petkoff
enters without his coat. He tells Raina that somebody else with a differently
shaped back had been wearing his coat;
it has burst open at the back and is being mended. When Nicola brings back the
coat, Raina pretends to help him in putting on the coat, cleverly takes her
portrait from the pocket, and throws it on the table before Bluntschili, who
covers it with
a
sheet of paper, while Sergius who looks on in amazement.
Petkoff
suddenly remembers the portrait which he has already found. When he searches
his pockets, he finds it gone (since Raina has cleverly removed it). He says
that Catherine may have removed Raina's picture with the inscription:
"Raina, to her Chocolate Cream Soldier: a Souvenir", that he had
found earlier. Major Petkoff suspects that there is something more in this than
meets the eye. He crosschecks with Nicola whether he had actually spoiled an
ice pudding made by Raina. When Nicola loyally tries to defend Raina, Major
Petkoff turns towards Sergius and asks him whether he is Raina's “chocolate
cream soldier”. Sergius emphatically denies this.
Bluntschili
then steps up and says that he is the “chocolate cream soldier”. He adds that
he is the fugitive in the story that Petkoff and Sergius had heard. Raina saved
his life by giving him chocolate creams when he was starving. Raina explains to
her father that when she sent her portrait, she did not know that Bluntschili
is married; to her great relief, Bluntschili declares that he is not married.
Raina informs Petkoff that Louka is the object of Sergius' affections presently.
Nicola makes things easier by revealing that he and Louka are not engaged;
Louka, has a soul above her station, and he expects her to be his rich customer
when he sets up a shop. Louka then asks Sergius to apologize, for she has been
insulted by everybody because of him. Sergius apologizes to Louka and kisses
her hand. Louka reminds him of his vow and says that his touch has made her his
affianced bride. To the bewildered astonishment of all those present, including
Catherine who just enters the scene, Sergius puts his arm around Louka and
declares that she belongs to him. Catherine rebukes Louka for telling stories
about Raina, but Louka affirms that she has done Raina no harm. She had told
Sergius that Raina would marry Bluntschili if he came back. Louka tells Raina
that it appears that Raina is more fond of Bluntschili than of Sergius.
Bluntschili
declares that Raina simply saved his life, but never cared much for him. He
adds that a young lady like Raina who is rich, beautiful and imaginative would
not fall in love with a commonplace Swiss soldier like him. Also, there is a
great disparity in their ages – he is thirty-four, while she doesn’t look older
than seventeen. Raina tells him that he should know the difference between a
girl of seventeen and a woman of twenty-three. She then snatches her portrait
from Bluntschili, tears it and throws the pieces on his face. Overwhelmed by
the information that Raina is twenty-three years old, Bluntschili requests
Major Petkoff to allow him to formally become the suitor of his daughter. Catherine
politely objects to Bluntschili proposal by saying that the Petkoffs and Saranoff
are two of the richest families in Bulgaria, implying that a common soldier
like Bluntschili is not a suitable match for her daughter. Major Petkoff points
out that Raina is accustomed to a comfortable lifestyle and hints that Sergius
who keeps twenty horses could provide her a comfortable life. Bluntschili is
amused to hear this and reveals that his father had left enormous wealth for
him. He now owns two hundred horses, seventy carriages, and many other assets.
Petkoff
and his wife are impressed by the account of Bluntschili’s wealth and are now
happy to have him as their daughter’s suitor. Raina’s pride is hurt and says
that she does not want to be sold to the highest bidder. Bluntschili, then,
says that he had earlier appealed to her as a fugitive, a beggar and a starving
man, and she had accepted him. Pleased by his gesture, Raina agrees to marry
her “chocolate cream soldier”. Looking at his watch, Bluntschili becomes
business-like once again. He asks Sergius not to get married till he comes back
and he assumes that he would be back in two weeks. As Bluntschili leaves,
Sergius remarks admiringly, "What a man! What a man!" and here, the
play ends here.
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