Events unfold over one day in the living room of a military house in the 80s. XIX century
Rotmister and Pastor are examining the case of Private Noid. He received a complaint - he does not want to give money for the maintenance of his illegitimate child. Noid justifies himself by nodding to another soldier - Ludwig: how much to know, maybe he is the father of the child? Emma walked with both. If Noyd was sure that he was the father, he would marry. But how can he be sure of this? And all his life with a strange child to mess around is not so hot as interesting. The bosses drive Noida out of the room. In fact, what can you prove!
Rotmister and Pastor, brother of Rotmister Laura’s wife, did not meet about Noid; they discuss what to do with the education of Bert, daughter of Rotmistra. The fact is that the husband and wife differ sharply in their views on her upbringing: Laura discovered artistic talent at her daughter, and Rotmister believes that it is better to give Berthe the profession of a teacher. Then, if she does not marry, she will have a well-paid job, and if she does, she will be able to properly raise her own children. Laura, however, stands her ground. She does not want her daughter sent to study in the city, where she will have to live with her friend Rotmister Smedberg, known, according to Laura, as a freethinker and troublemaker. The captain doesn’t want to leave Berta at home, where everyone educates her in his own way: his mother-in-law prepares her to be a spiritualist, Laura dreams of becoming an actress, the governess tries to turn her into a Methodist, the old Margrethe, the nurse Rotmistra, turns her into Baptism, and the maids pulled into the salvation army.
According to the Pastor, the Rothmeister dismissed his women altogether. Let her be careful with Laura, she has a strong temper, in her childhood she achieved everything - she pretended to be paralyzed and lay like that until her wishes were fulfilled. In general, recently the Rotmister does not look good. Does he know a new doctor is coming to them?
Rothmistur comes in Laura. She needs money to farm. What happened to Noid? Ah, this is a business matter! But the whole house knows about him! Is Noida released? Only because the child is illegitimate and it is impossible to prove who his father is? And in marriage, according to Rotmistra, is it possible?
The first to meet the new Dr. Laura. Is everyone in the family healthy? Thank God there are no acute diseases. But not everything is safe. The doctor knows certain circumstances ... It seems to her that her husband is ill. He orders books in boxes, but does not read them. And yet, looking through a microscope, he claims to be seeing other planets. Does he often change decisions? Over the past twenty years, probably, there was no order that he would not cancel ... Yes, of course, she would not worry her husband with unexpected ideas. In a heated brain, any idea can turn into an obsession, into a mania. So you don’t need to arouse suspicion in him?
The captain welcomes the newcomer cordially. Did the Doctor really read his works on mineralogy? Just now, he is on his way to a great discovery. Investigations of a meteorite substance with a spectroscope yielded amazing results. He found traces of coal in it - organic life! Unfortunately, the ordered literature does not come. Will the doctor live here, in the outbuilding, or will he occupy the state-owned apartment? Does he care? Let him know in advance. The captain doesn’t like indifferent people!
The Nurse comes to Rotmistr. He would calm down and make peace with his wife! Let him leave the girl at home! The mother has only joy that the child! The captain is indignant. How, and his old nurse is also on the side of his wife? Old Margrethe, what is more dear to him than his mother! Traitor! Yes, he agrees with Margrethe; learning about family matters is not a help. As they say, to live with wolves - howl like a wolf! .. Well, now there is no true faith in him! Why is it at the Nurse, when she starts talking about her God, her eyes become evil?
With his daughter Berta, whom Rotmister passionately loves, his relationship to the end also does not work out. The daughter agrees to go to the city, if only the father persuades mom. Berta does not want to engage in spiritualism with his grandmother. Another grandmother says that although his father looks at other planets through a telescope, he knows nothing in ordinary life.
That same evening, another explanation takes place between Rothmistre and Laura. Did the captain firmly decide to send the girl to the city? Laura will not allow this! She, like her mother, has more rights to the girl! After all, you can’t know exactly who the father of the child is, while his mother is one. What does this mean in this case? “And what Laura can announce: Berta is her daughter, not his!” Then Rotmistra’s power over the child is over! By the way, why is he so sure of his paternity?
The captain leaves the house, promising to return no earlier than midnight. At this time, Laura is talking with the Doctor. He believes that Rotmistr is absolutely healthy: doing science more testifies to the clarity of the mind than to its disorder. The non-receipt of the books to Rothmistra, as it seems, is explained by the increased concern of the wife for the calmness of her husband? Yes, but today the husband again started into the most unbridled fantasies. He imagined that he was not the father of his own daughter, and before that, analyzing the case of one soldier, he stated that no man could say with full confidence that he was the father of his child. This is not the first time that has happened to him. Six years ago, in a similar situation, he admitted in a letter to a doctor that he fears for his mind.
The doctor suggests: you have to wait for Rotmistra. So that he would not suspect anything, let him be told that the doctor was called because of the illness of the mother-in-law.
The captain returns. Having met the Nurse, he asks her who was the father of her child? Of course her husband. Is she sure? In addition to her husband, she had no men. Did the husband believe in his fatherhood? Forced!
The Doctor enters the living room. What does the doctor do here in the late hour? He was called: the mistress's mother twisted her leg. Weird! A nurse said a minute ago that her mother-in-law had a cold. By the way, what does the Doctor think: after all, paternity cannot be established with absolute certainty? Yes, but women remain. Well, who believes in women! With Rotmister, when he was younger, so many juicy stories happened! No, he would not believe a single, even the most virtuous woman! But this is not true! - the Doctor is trying to appease him. The captain speaks up, his thoughts generally take a painful direction.
As soon as the Doctor manages to leave, the Rothmister calls his wife! He knows she overhears their conversation outside the door. And she wants to talk to her. He went to the post office. His suspicions were confirmed: Laura intercepts all his orders. And he, in turn, printed out all the letters addressed to her and learned from them that his wife had been inspiring all his friends and colleagues for a long time that he was insane. But he still offers Laura peace! He will forgive her everything! Let him just say: who really is their father, Bert? This thought torments him, he really can go crazy!
There is a vigorous explanation between the spouses: from the aggressiveness and conviction of Laura in all kinds of vices, the Rotmister goes on to self-abasement and praise her maternal virtues: she, weak, she supported in the most critical moments! Yes, only at such moments she liked him, - admits Laura. She hates the man in him. Which of the two is right? - the Rotmister asks and answers his own question: the one in whose hands the power is. Then the victory is hers! - announces Laura. Why? Because tomorrow morning they will establish custody of him! But on what grounds? Based on his own letter to the doctor, where he confesses to his insanity. Did he forget? Enraged, Rothmeister throws a lit table lamp at Laura. His wife dodges and runs away.
The captain is locked in one of the rooms. He is trying to break the door from the inside. Laura tells her brother: her husband went crazy and threw a burning lamp at her, had to lock him. But is there her own fault? - more affirming than asking, says the brother. The Doctor enters the living room. What is more profitable for them? He asks directly. If sentenced Rotmistra to a fine, he still will not calm down. If you put him in jail, he will soon be released from it. It remains to recognize him as crazy. A straitjacket is ready. Who will put her on Rotmistra? There are no hunters among those present. Private Noid is called upon to help. Only now does the Nurse agree to dress the patient. She doesn’t want Noyd to hurt her big boy.
Finally, the captain breaks the door and goes outside. He argues with himself: his case has been repeatedly described in the literature. Telemachus told Athena: it is impossible to know who the father is to man. Ezekiel has a similar one. Alexander Pushkin, too, became a victim - not so much a fatal bullet as rumors about his wife’s infidelity. Fool, he believed on her deathbed in her innocence!
The captain insults the Pastor and the Doctor, calling them cuckolds. He knows something about them and can whisper in the ear of the Doctor. Did he turn pale? That's it! In general, clarity in family relationships can be made only one way: you need to get married, divorce, become a lover of his ex-wife and adopt his own child. Then the relationship will be indicated with absolute accuracy! What does Berta tell him? That he treated his mother badly by throwing a lamp at her? And that after that he is not her father? Clear! Where is his revolver? Ammo has already been taken out of it! Alas! And the nurse? What is the Nurse doing with him now? Does Adolf remember how in childhood she took away from him a dangerous toy - a knife? Give, they say, a snake, otherwise it will bite! So now she dressed him. Let him lay on the sofa now! Bye Bye!
No, Rotmistru is positively unlucky with women! They are all against him: the mother was afraid to give birth to him, the sister demanded obedience from him, the first woman rewarded him with a bad illness, the daughter, forced to choose between him and his mother, became his enemy, and his wife became the enemy who pursued him until he fell dead!
But Laura was not going to destroy him! Maybe somewhere in the back streets of her soul lay the desire to get rid of him, but she primarily defended her interests. So, if she is to blame before him, before God and conscience Laura is pure. As for his suspicions about Berta, they are ridiculous.
The captain demands that he be covered with a marching uniform. He curses women (“Mighty power fell before a low cunning, and damn you, witch, damn you all, women!”), But then calls for the help of the mother woman. He calls the Nurse. His last words: “Lull me to sleep, I'm tired, I'm so tired! Good night, Margrethe, blessed are you in wives. " The captain dies, as the Doctor determined, from an apoplexy stroke.
