SASHA Will you come and hear me play?

  Herzen cuffs Sasha affectionately. He picks up his glass. Worcell does the same.

  HERZEN To the Free Russian and Polish Press in London.

  They drain their glasses and smash them joyfully, embrace and leave, Sasha with them.

  SEPTEMBER 1853

  The Schoolroom. Malwida and Tata are at the table, Tata having an English lesson, reading hesitantly aloud.

  TATA ‘Georges and Marie go …’

  MALWIDA ‘George and Mary.’

  TATA ‘George and Mary go to the

  MALWIDA ‘Seaside.’

  TATA ‘One day in Augoost.’

  MALWIDA Good.

  TATA ‘One day in Augoost, Mrs Brown said to George …’ (Tata yawns.)

  MALWIDA Are you tired this morning, Tata?

  TATA Yes, Miss Malwida. I could hardly get out of bed.

  MALWIDA Hm. Is that why you haven't brushed your hair?

  TATA I brushed it.

  MALWIDA Fifty strokes of the brush with each hand, that's what I was taught. However … Go on, please.

  TATA ‘Said to George, Marie, Mary, cannot go on holiday with her family because they are poor

  Maria enters hot and bothered, holding a toddler's shoe.

  MARIA 1st Olga hier? [Is Olga here?]

  MALWIDA Olga? Nein, leider nicht, Maria. [Olga? No, I'm afraid not, Maria.]

  Maria makes a bad-tempered sound and leaves.

  TATA She'll be in the kitchen after a liquorice from cook, you'll see.

  Tata returns to the book. Malwida, nervous, looks quickly under the table.

  MALWIDA Continue.

  TATA ‘Said to George, Marie, Mary, cannot go on holiday with her family because they are poor …’ Where will you go for your holiday, Miss Malwida?

  MALWIDA To Broadstairs. Perhaps … (panicking) We must all help to look for Olga.

  Piano ‘music’ is heard, the keys hit randomly.

  TATA (laughs) It's Olga. Miss Malwida, which do you think is greater—England or Germany?

  MALWIDA Back to George and Mary. However, at Lord Wellington's funeral they played Beethoven's ‘Funeral March.’ I think that's all that needs to be said.

  The ‘Olga piano’ ceases, Maria is heard scolding her.

  TATA Can we do piano now?

  MALWIDA I think we might stick to the timetable.

  Olga is smacked and gives out howls.

  MALWIDA (cont.) (cross) Oh, really!

  Malwida leaves, Tata gathers up her books and skips after her.

  NOVEMBER 1853

  Herzen enters triumphantly, spinning a half-sovereign. Sasha follows, carrying a ruptured parcel of stacked pamphlets, several pounds in weight.

  SASHA Where shall I put them?

  HERZEN Half a sovereign! Cash! Tchorzewski has taken ten copies! (He empties a cigar box and puts the coin in it. He rattles the box.) Our first earnings.

  Sasha dumps the parcel on the table.

  SASHA How many are there left?

  HERZEN Four hundred and ninety. They're going like hot biscuits. Give this shilling to the boy.

  SASHA A shilling!

  Leaving, he is met by Malwida, unusually emotional.

  MALWIDA Sasha, Sasha, are you well? Did you miss me? Where are the girls?

  HERZEN Miss von Meysenbug … Go on, Sasha, he's waiting.

  Sasha leaves.

  HERZEN (cont.) You've returned early? Has something happened? Sit down … please … There. You didn't like Broadstairs?

  MALWIDA It wasn't that. You received my letter?

  HERZEN Of course. But was it a serious suggestion?—to send the children?

  MALWIDA I missed them so much! I thought you might—

  HERZEN Too busy! And Maria's English puts Broadstairs out of range, she can hardly get to town and back without a misadventure, lost omnibus tickets, parcels, children …

  MALWIDA It's not Maria's fault she can't manage … I have come with a proposal … that I should live in the house and take charge of the children—I mean their physical and moral welfare, their general deportment, to be a companion and guide, to preserve the children for their father and the father for his children. Maria, of course, will carry on in those areas suited to her, the laundry, the pantry, and so on—

  Herzen makes to interrupt.

  MALWIDA (cont.) I must only add that since the offer is made out of friendship, I would accept no payment, other than for those lessons I would continue to give.

  Herzen takes both her hands.

  HERZEN Miss von Meysenbug … welcome to my house. Welcome! My mother was German, you know.

  MALWIDA Was she?

  HERZEN I'm half German! Luckily, the bottom half. Let's go and find the children. When would you like to move in? Tomorrow?

  MALWIDA (dubiously) Oh …

  HERZEN Today?

  MALWIDA (laughs) No! The beginning of the week, shall we say? But it's better if you explain to the children, and to Maria …

  HERZEN You're right.

  MALWIDA I must go home now.

  HERZEN Of course.

  They shake hands.

  MALWIDA By the way … I myself am half French.

  HERZEN I might have guessed. À bientôt!

  MALWIDA Kharashó. Da svidániya. [Yes—goodbye.]

  HERZEN (delighted) Da svidániya! [Goodbye!] Herzen shows her out.

  JANUARY 1854

  Sasha and Tata, strikingly spruced up, Tata with white cuffs, enter and stand side by side in readiness for an inspection … while a table, set for six, is laid with breakfast by the Parlourmaid. Malwida enters briskly.

  MALWIDA Dóbroye óotra, dyéti! [Good morning, children!]

  SASHA AND TATA Dóbroye óotra, Miss Malwida. [Good morning, Miss Malwida!]

  Sasha and Tata present both sides of their hands for inspection. Malwida then scrutinises their ears.

  MALWIDA Prekrásna! … A ty samá … [Excellent! … Did you choose …]… (abandoning Russian) Did you choose your blouse this morning, Tata?

  TATA No, Miss Malwida.

  MALWIDA Well, let's go in to breakfast, shall we?

  Sasha draws Malwida's chair back for her. Malwida sits. Sasha, with a smirk, draws a chair back for Tata. Tata, with a pleased smirk, sits. Sasha sits. Malwida's place is next to Herzen's. The empty chair (Olga's) is next. Tata and Sasha sit opposite, with Maria at the foot of the table opposite Herzen's place.

  MALWIDA (cont.) Hands!

  Tata removes her wrists from the table and puts them in her lap.

  Maria enters. Sasha stands and draws her chair back. Maria pulls her chair out of Sasha's hands and sits glowering.

  MALWIDA (cont.) Maria—if you would be so good—Tata's blouse is not suitable for school mornings. White cuffs pick up every little smut and look grubby for the rest of the day. The blouse with the grey cuffs would be preferable.

  MARIA It's in the wash.

  MALWIDA (politely surprised) Still? Hm … !

  MARIA And may I say—

  Herzen enters with a newspaper.

  CHILDREN Dóbroye óotra, Papá! [Good morning, Papa!]

  MALWIDA Dóbroye óotra! [Good morning!]

  HERZEN Dóbroye óotra! [Good morning!]

  Herzen sits down. Malwida pours coffee for him and for Maria. The children have pre-poured glasses of milk. Malwida has her own teapot. At Malwida's nod, the children drink from their glasses. Breakfast is a cold collation. Herzen and Maria help themselves, Malwida takes nothing but helps the children.

  Sasha, undetected for the moment, opens a book.

  HERZEN (to Maria) Where's Olga?

  MALWIDA We had our breakfast early. (She notices Tata pouring herself coffee.) Tata … !

  TATA Maria said I could.

  MARIA Coffee in the morning keeps a body regular.

  MALWIDA And excitable.

  She removes Tata's coffee cup away from her. Maria gets up and flounces out. Malwida takes no notice. She sees Sasha's book.

  MALWIDA (cont.) Reading at table? What will your father think of me?

  SASHA I'm not reading, I have to learn it.

  HERZEN Homework? There's a time for homework.

  SASHA Well, I couldn't, could I? I was doing your envelopes!

  HERZEN What about later?

  SASHA I would have missed the fun later.

  HERZEN (making an effort) Well, you have to choose between homework and breakfast!

  Sasha jumps up and hurries out with his nose in the book.

  HERZEN (cont.) Yes, I'm posting fifty copies to the enemy's citadels. Free subscriptions for the Winter Palace … the Ministry of the Interior, the censorship office, the Third Section, the police …

  MALWIDA If you don't want any breakfast, you'd better leave the table, Tata.

  TATA Thank you, Miss Malwida. (Tata takes the hint and leaves.)

  HERZEN Maria has a good heart, I know you can come to an understanding with her. She has been with the children since Natalie died, Olga remembers no one else.

  MALWIDA My only concern is to give them a happy, well- ordered childhood.

  HERZEN And you are succeeding. You know that a German once did a great evil in my life … which you, in your way, are making good.

  MALWIDA Then please let me tell you frankly, Alexander, that you're not helping me by keeping open house for the émigré population of London. Almost every day and into the night, these people, some of them no better than riffraff, disturb the family peace, battening on you for free food, drink and entertainment …

  HERZEN Oh … But how … ?

  MALWIDA My advice is to set aside two evenings a week to receive your acquaintances. On the other evenings, and during the daytime—

  HERZEN By invitation only—easily done! You're right!

  MALWIDA Thank you. We're so … available here. If we lived a little further out …

  HERZEN The lease is almost up—where would you like to live?

  MALWIDA Oh … really! Well … Richmond, perhaps. The park would be lovely for the children, and it's on the railway …

  HERZEN That's settled, then.

  PARLOURMAID (entering) Worcell's come, he's got a tramp with him. And Maria's packing!

  HERZEN ‘Thank you.’

  The Parlourmaid leaves.

  HERZEN (cont.) I'll talk to her.

  MALWIDA It's for the best, Alexander.

  Malwida leaves, exchanging greetings with Worcell and another Pole of about the same age, ZENKOWICZ, as they enter.

  HERZEN Come in, come in, I was just finishing … there's coffee …

  WORCELL No—no—please. This is a melancholy business. Zenkowicz explained, our delegate is ready to leave for Poland. But the expense …

  HERZEN (to Zenkowicz) I told you I would give ten pounds.

  ZENKOWICZ (rudely) Ten pounds! That's a joke! He'll need sixty pounds at least, and we're forty short.

  HERZEN Well, this is very strange. He's your delegate, not mine. I was surprised to be asked at all.

  ZENKOWICZ He is taking Russian printed sheets.

  HERZEN Yes, he is. I pay for the press, the rent, the labour, paper, ink … You undertook to dispatch my Russian sheets through your channels. That was our arrangement.

  ZENKOWICZ As though you didn't know we haven't a penny!

  HERZEN So, it seems we have divided our responsibilities with the condition that both halves fall on me.

  ZENKOWICZ There's no point in arguing over nothing—what do you want from us?

  HERZEN You have no right to demand my money like a brigand.

  ZENKOWICZ A brigand? I have the honour to be Chief of Staff to Count Worcell, whom you insult by—

  WORCELL (distressed) I cannot permit this conversation to continue. Herzen, you're right, but what can we do?

  Sasha enters with his schoolbooks.

  HERZEN (to Zenkowicz) Come with me. (to Worcell) It's for your sake only and, on my word of honour, for the last time.

  Herzen and Zenkowicz leave. Sasha and Worcell sit down at the table. The Maid enters and clears the table. Worcell puts on his spectacles. Sasha opens his books.

  WORCELL So. Have you done your homework?

  31 DECEMBER 1854

  The Herzen house, Richmond. The table is overwhelmed … by a crowd of guests, by the remains of an elaborate buffet, by Christmas decorations. There are paper hats, there is singing and shouting and drinking. Worcell is among the guests. Herzen is in the crowd. Maria's replacement, an English nurse, MRS BLAINEY, brings Sasha and Tata. Also present are Kinkel, Joanna, Blanc, Jones, Mrs Jones (EMILY), CIERNECKI (the Polish printer), TCHORZEWSKI (of the bookshop) and other ÉMIGRÉS male and female. Ciemecki is playing his guitar. There is part of a large Christmas tree visible. Sasha and Tata, a year older, nearly two years since Parliament Hill, are dressed up for the occasion. A home-made ‘1855’ hangs like washing on a line, each child-written digit on a separate sheet.

  JONES (raising his glass to Blanc) To victory for La Grande Alliance in the Crimea!

  EMILY And one in the eye for Russia!

  JONES (noticing Herzen) Not to be taken personally!

  WORCELL You understand, cher Herzen, that I can't ask you to speak at our meeting. We've put our cause under English patronage, and it's impossible to explain to our friends in Parliament that Herzen and England have a common enemy in the Crimea.

  HERZEN (toasting) To England! I'll never get over this place. In the street today there were urchins shouting for Prince Albert to be sent to the Tower …

  JONES (chuckling) Ah yes, well, Prussia is taking an unhelpful attitude to the Crimean business.

  HERZEN (seriously astonished) No, but really. The Times reported a public meeting calling for the Queen of England's husband to be impeached—and nobody is arrested! Not even the editor!

  JONES Having one's say isn't grounds for arrest, why should it be?

  HERZEN I don't know! It just feels so … strange.

  KINKEL (interrupting) So you won't be speaking at the 1848 anniversary?

  HERZEN Won't I? I thought I was. (to Jones) Et tu, Brute?

  KINKEL Oh! I've put my toe in it!

  JONES The fact is, Marx says he refuses to share a platform with you.

  HERZEN In that case, I'd like to accept your invitation to speak.

  JONES Quite right, quite right. (Shouts.) Ladies and gentlemen! Your attention please!

  The noise reduces generally.

  JONES (cont.) Thank you! While so many of us are here … For your diaries—citizens—comrades—an International Soirée and Public Meeting to commemorate the Great Revolutionary Movement of 1848 … will be held at St Martin's Hall, Long Acre, on February 27th, that's a Tuesday, please note … Tea on table at five o'clock—thank you, ladies!—door to hall open seven-thirty for eight. On the platform: Messieurs, in alphabetical order, Barbès, Blanc, Cuningham, Cooper, Herzen, Hugo, Kinkel, Kossuth, Ledru-Rollin …

  EMILY The platform will collapse! Le plate-forme …

  JONES Ha-ha, Marx, no, not Marx, Mayne-Reid, Mazzini, we hope, Saffi and Worcell. Double tickets, two shillings and sixpence—single tickets, one shilling and sixpence—meeting only, threepence … Thank you!

  TCHORZEWSKI How much for tea only?

  Jones ‘stands down’ amid laughter. Emily squeezes his hand. Blanc and Herzen catch each other's eye.

  BLANC The rock against which the revolution breaks. There were eleven dead at Peterloo, eleven!—and they call it a ‘massacre.’

  Ciemecki comes to Herzen with a small book, wrapped.

  CIERNECKI Herzen! It's come. It'll cost you the cab from the binders.

  HERZEN Ciernecki!

  He kisses Ciemecki and tears open the wrapper. He kisses the book … and shouts for silence.

  HERZEN (cont.) Time! Who has the right time? Gottfried, what time is it?

  GUESTS Plenty of time—at least five minutes! … Eleven fifty-eight … One minute to! … Four minutes to! … Exactly midnight … We've missed it! Two minutes past! (etc.)

  Malwida succeeds in hushing everyone up. She has a reason: when all is quiet, distant church bells are heard.

  BLANC (putting away his watch) Three minutes early.

  But the others, now including the Parlourmaid, cheer, raise glasses, kiss each other, shake hands.

  Into the midst of this, at waist level, Olga, aged four, appears in her nightdress, looking for Malwida—who swoops on her with endearments in German and carries her off to protests that Olga should remain. Herzen makes space and silence for himself. Malwida hands over Olga to the Nurse.

  HERZEN I have something to give to my son, Sasha, and something to say to him.

  Applause. Sasha is pushed, bashful, into prominent view.

  HERZEN (cont.) Sasha … this is a book I wrote in the year of revolution, six years ago now. It was only ever published in German. But here it is at last in Russian, as I wrote it. I put into your hand this occasionally impudent protest against ideas which are obsolete and fraudulent, against absurd idols that belong to another age. Don't look for solutions in this book. There are none. Anything which is solved is over and done with. The coming revolution is the only religion I pass on to you, and it's a religion without a paradise on the other shore. But do not remain on this shore. Better to perish. Go in your time, preach the revolution at home to our own people. There they once loved my voice, and will perhaps remember me.

  Herzen presents the book. There is applause. Sasha bursts into tears and hugs him. The party closes around them, applauding. Malwida is dabbing tears from her eyes.

  HERZEN (cont.) (Calls out.) It's a beautiful frosty night, who's for greeting the New Year in Richmond Park?

  There is assent and enthusiasm. Herzen notices that he's offended Blanc, who makes his own departure, obscured by the general exodus. The Maid begins to clear the table. Herzen and Sasha look up at the stars. The guests move away in groups in the darkness. Joanna is heard rather than seen—