The Project Gutenberg EBook of Vera, by Oscar Wilde

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Title: Vera
or, The Nihilists

Author: Oscar Wilde

Release Date: August 30, 2008 [EBook #26494]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK VERA ***

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VERA; OR, THE NIHILISTS.

_Of this work, 200 copies only have been printed, for
private circulation. This is No...._

VERA;
OR, THE NIHILISTS.

A DRAMA
IN A PROLOGUE, AND FOUR ACTS.

BY
OSCAR WILDE.

NOW FIRST PUBLISHED.

[Device]

_PRIVATELY PRINTED_,
1902.

This Play was written in 1881, and is now published from the author's
own copy, showing his corrections of and additions to the original
text.

PERSONS IN THE PROLOGUE.

PETER SABOUROFF (an Innkeeper).
VERA SABOUROFF (his Daughter).
MICHAEL (a Peasant).
COLONEL KOTEMKIN.

Scene, Russia. Time, 1795.

PERSONS IN THE PLAY.

IVAN THE CZAR.
PRINCE PAUL MARALOFFSKI (Prime Minister of Russia).
PRINCE PETROVITCH.
COUNT ROUVALOFF.
MARQUIS DE POIVRARD.
BARON RAFF.
GENERAL KOTEMKIN.
A PAGE.

_Nihilists._

PETER TCHERNAVITCH, President of the Nihilists.
MICHAEL.
ALEXIS IVANACIEVITCH, known as a Student of Medicine.
PROFESSOR MARFA.
VERA SABOUROFF.

_Soldiers, Conspirators, &c._

Scene, Moscow. Time, 1800.

PROLOGUE.

SCENE.--_A Russian Inn._

_Large door opening on snowy landscape at back of stage._

_PETER SABOUROFF and MICHAEL._

PETER (_warming his hands at a stove_). Has Vera not come back yet,
Michael?

MICH. No, Father Peter, not yet; 'tis a good three miles to the post
office, and she has to milk the cows besides, and that dun one is a rare
plaguey creature for a wench to handle.

PETER. Why didn't you go with her, you young fool? she'll never love you
unless you are always at her heels; women like t