"THE DOUBLE" is a short story by Fyodor Dostoevsky. The story, as translated by Constance Garnett, has been adapted for the stage.
GOLYADKIN WAKES UP.
GOLYADKIN: (whispered) What a thing it would be, what a thing it would be if I were not up to the mark today, if something were amiss, if some intrusive pimple had made its appearance, or anything else unpleasant had happened; so far, however, there’s nothing wrong, so far everything’s all right.
GOLYADKIN COUNTS HIS MONEY SLOWLY.
GOLYADKIN: (half-whispering) One hundred thousand dollars, cash. A hundred thousand dollars. A noteworthy sum! It’s an agreeable sum.
GOLYADKIN’S THOUGHTS: It’s a very agreeable sum! A sum agreeable to anyone! I’d like to see the man who’d call it a trivial sum! It’s impossible to say what a man couldn’t do with a sum like that… But wait. What’s the meaning of this? Where’s Petrushka?
THE TEA KETTLE IS NEARLY BOILING OVER.
GOLYADKIN’S THOUGHTS (cont.): Damn guy. That lazy brute might really drive a man out of all patience; where’s he dawdling now?
GOLYADKIN GOES INTO THE HALL AND SEES PETRUSHKA SURROUNDED BY LACKEYS. THEY ARE TALKING NOISILY.
GOLYADKIN’S THOUGHTS (cont.): That beast would sell a man for a nickel, and his boss before anyone. He has sold me. He certainly has. I bet he’s sold me for a penny.
GOLYADKIN: Well?
PETRUSHKA: They delivered the uniform, sir.
GOLYADKIN: Put it on, and come here.
GOLYADKIN INSPECTS PETRUSHKA, WHO LOOKS RIDICULOUS AND IS BAREFOOT.
GOLYADKIN (cont.): Well, and what about the car?
PETRUSHKA: The car is here too.
GOLYADKIN: For the whole day?
PETRUSHKA: For the whole day. Four thousand dollars.
GOLYADKIN: And have the boots been sent?
PETRUSHKA: Yes.
GOLYADKIN: Dolt! Can’t even say, ‘yes, sir.’ Bring them here.
PETRUSHKA BRINGS GOLYADKIN THE BOOTS. GOLYADKIN WASHES HIS FACE, SHAVES, GETS DRESSED, AND PUTS ON THE BOOTS. PETRUSHKA PUTS ON HIS OWN BOOTS. THEY STEP OUTSIDE.
PETRUSHKA: Off!
THEY GET INTO THE CAR WHICH MOVES TOWARD NEVSKY PROSPECT. TWO OF GOLYADKIN’S COLLEAGUES SEE HIM IN THE CAR AND POINT HIM OUT TO EACH OTHER.
COLLEAGUE 1: Golyadkin!
GOLYADKIN ROLLS UP HIS WINDOW.
GOLYADKIN’S THOUGHTS: Stupid kids! Why, what’s strange about this—a man in a car? A man needs to be in a car, so he hires a car. They’re simply noodles! I know them—simply stupid kids, who still need a beating! They want to be paid a salary for flipping pennies and dawdling around, that’s all they’re good for. I’d let them all know, if only…
GOLYADKIN ROLLS HIS WINDOW BACK DOWN AND STICKS HIS HEAD OUT. HE SEES ANDREY FLIPPOVICH, HIS BOSS. HE RECOILS BACK INSIDE.
GOLYADKIN’S THOUGHTS (cont.): Bow or not? Call back or not? Recognize him or not?
GOLYADKIN: Or pretend that I am not myself, but somebody else strikingly like me, and look like nothing’s wrong. Not with me, not me— and that’s all.
HE TAKES OFF HIS HAT TO ANDREY FLIPPOVICH.
GOLYADKIN: (whispering) I’m… I’m all right. I’m… quite all right. It’s not me, it’s not me—and that is the fact of the matter.
GOLYADKIN’S THOUGHTS: I was a fool not to call back. I should’ve been bolder and acted with gentlemanly openness. I should’ve said ‘This is how it is, Andrey Filippovich, I’m invited to the dinner, too,’ and that’s all it is!
GOLYADKIN: (to DRIVER) Bring me to Dr. Rutenspitz.
THEY DRIVE TO THE DOCTOR'S HOUSE. GOLYADKIN GETS OUT OF THE CAR AND WALKS UP TO THE DOOR.
GOLYADKIN’S THOUGHTS: Will it be all right, though? Will it be all right? Will it be proper? Will it be appropriate?
HE WALKS UP THE STAIRS.
GOLYADKIN: After all, though, after all, it’s on my own business, and there’s nothing reprehensible in it… It would be stupid to keep out of sight. Why, of course, I’ll act like I’m quite all right, and I just happened to have looked in as I passed… He will see that it’s all just as it should be.
GOLYADKIN STANDS OUTSIDE THE DOCTOR’S DOOR. HE DECIDES TO LEAVE, THEN HEARS FOOTSTEPS, THEN RINGS THE DOORBELL. go on, then