Delphi Complete Works of Anton Chekhov (Illustrated) (379 page)

SCENE IX.

The SAME and TRILETZKY.

TRILETZKY (in the doorway). I’ll give you such an announcement that you won’t know yourself!

VOICE OF YAKOV. Master has given orders . . .

TRILETZKY. Go and kiss your master! He’s as big an ass as you are! (Enters.) Isn’t he here either? (Flings himself on the divan.) Terrible! This . . . this . . . (Jumps up.) Oh-h! (To Platonov.) The tragedy is coming to a climax, tragedian! To a climax!

PLATONOV. What do you want?

TRILETZKY. Having your fill here, are you? Why aren’t you home, unfortunate man? Aren’t you ashamed? Aren’t you conscious of your sin? Still philosophizing here, are you? Reading sermons?

PLATONOV. Talk like a human being, Nikolai! What do you want?

TRILETZKY. You’re a beast! (Sits down and covers his face with his hands.) What a misfortune! Who could have foreseen it?

PLATONOV. What’s happened?

TRILETZKY. What’s happened? You don’t even know? It’s none of your affair? You have no time?

ANNA PETROVNA. Nikolai Ivanovitch!

PLATONOV. Is it Sasha? Speak, Nikolai! Only this was lacking! What’s the matter with her?

TRILETZKY. She poisoned herself with matches!

PLATONOV. What are you saying?

TRILETZKY (shouts). She poisoned herself with matches! (Jum-ps up.) Here, read! Read! (Pushes a note to Platonov’s very eyes.) Read, philosopher!

PLATONOV (reads). “It is sinful to remember suicides, but please remember me. I deprived myself of life during illness. Misha, love Kolya and my brother as I love you. Don’t abandon your father. Live according to the law, Kolya, God will bless you, as I have blessed you with my maternal blessing. Forgive me, a sinner. The key to the chest of drawers is in the woollen dress.” My treasure! A sinner? She a sinner! This is all that was lacking! (Presses his hands to his head.) Poisoned herself... (Pause.) Sasha poisoned herself... Where is she? Listen! I’m going to her! (Tears the sling from his arm.) I’ll . . . give her new life!

TRILETZKY (lying down on the divan, face down). Before you can give people new life, you must learn how to preserve the old! You must learn not to kill!

PLATONOV. Kill... Why, fool do you say that? Have I killed her? Have I desired her death? (Weeps.) Poisoned herself... That alone was lacking, in order to drive over me with a wheel, like some dog! If it’s a punishment, then . . . (Flour-

ishes his fist.) It is a cruel, immoral punishment! . . . It’s beyond my strength! Why did it happen? Let us admit, I am a sinner... Still, I’m a living being! Look at me now, all of you! Look! Am I a pleasing sight?

TRILETZKY (jumping up). Yes, yes, yes . . . We shall weep now... What you want is a good drubbing! Put your hat on! We’re going! A husband! A good husband! Ruined a woman neither for one thing nor another! What’s he brought her to! And these people are keeping him here! They like him! An original man, an interesting subject, with noble grief in his eyes! And with traces of former beauty in his face! But now let’s start! We’ll see the sort of mess this original man, this interesting subject, has made!

PLATONOV. Only no words... Words are not necessary!

TRILETZKY. It’s your luck I happened to run in this early morning! D’you know what would have happened, if I hadn’t come just in the nick of time? She’d have died! Do you understand that or not? You usually understand everything except the most ordinary things! ... If you had only babbled less with your cursed tongue and had done a bit more listening, then you wouldn’t have had all this un- happiness! I wouldn’t exchange her for ten clever fellows like you! Let’s go!

VOINITZEV. Don’t shout! Ah-h . . . I’m weary of you all!

TRILETZKY. Let’s go!

PLATONOV. Wait... Then she . . . hasn’t died, you say?

TRILETZKY. Would you have liked to see her die?

PLATONOV (shouting). Then she hasn’t died! I can’t get it into my head... She hasn’t died? (Embraces Triletzky.) So she’s alive! (Laughs.) Alive!

ANNA PETROVNA. I don’t understand! . . . Triletzky, please talk sense! Everyone seems particularly stupid today! What’s the meaning of this letter?

TRILETZKY. She wrote this letter. ... If it weren’t for me, she’d have died... But now she’s frightfully ill! I’m not sure that her organism will withstand it. ... If she should die, then ... Go away from me, please!

PLATONOV. HOW you’ve frightened me! My God! She’s still alive! So you haven’t let her die! My dear fellow! (Kisses Triletzky.) Dear fellow! (Laughs.) I’ve never believed in medicine before, and now I believe even in you! How is she now? Weak? Unwell? We will bring her to herself!

TRILETZKY. It’s a question whether she will survive.

PLATONOV. But why didn’t you say that she was alive? Anna Petrovna, my dear, a glass of water, please, and I’m a happy man! Forgive me, all! Anna Petrovna! . . . I’ll go out of my mind with happiness! (Kisses Anna Petrovnays hand.) Sasha is alive... Water, water . . . my dear!

ANNA PETROVNA (goes out with an empty decanter and presently returns with it full).

PLATONOV (to Triletzky). Let’s go to her! We must put her on her feet! . . . Who should go on living on this earth if not she? Let’s go! But, no . . . wait! My head goes round. ... I am terribly ill... Wait... (Sits down on the divan.) I’ll rest a bit, then we’ll start. ... Is she very weak?

TRILETZKY. Very... He’s overjoyed! Why, Heaven knows!

ANNA PETROVNA. I too was frightened. One ought to talk more sensibly. Drink! (Hands Platonov the water.)

PLATONOV (drinking avidly). Thank you, dear! I am a wretch, an extraordinary wretch! (To Triletzky.) Sit beside me! (Triletzky sits down.) You must be tired... Thank you, my friend. Did she swallow much?

TRILETZKY. Enough to have dispatched Her to the other world.

PLATONOV. Well, thank God!-. . . How my hand hurts! . . . Please give me more water. I’m rather ill myself, Nikolai! I can scarcely hold my head... I’m seeing things. ... I must have a fever... I feel terribly ill!

TRILETZKY (feels his pulse).

ANNA PETROVNA (quietly, to Triletzky). Take him home, Nikolai Ivanovitch! I myself will look in today and have a chat with Alexandra Ivanovna. What ever put it into her head to frighten us so? Is all danger past?

TRILETZKY. It’s too early to say. She hadn’t succeeded with the poison, but, generally speaking, she’s not what she might be!

PLATONOv. What did you give her?

TRILETZKY. What I should. (Rises.) Come, let’s start!

PLATONOV. What did you give to Anna Petrovna just now?

TRILETZKY. You’re delirious... Come!

PLATONOV. Yes, we must start . . . (Rises.) Sergey Pavlovitch, chuck it! (Sits down.) You seem weighed down with grief. It’s as if someone had stolen the sun from the earth! You once studied philosophy too! Be Socrates! Eh? Sergey Pavlovitch! (Quietly.) Perhaps, I don’t know what I’m talking about...

TRILETZKY (putting his hand on Platonov’s head). Yes, get ill now! Illness may help to purge your conscience!

ANNA PETROVNA. Platonov! Go, and God be with you! You might send for another doctor for consultation. ... In any case, I’ll send one along... please reassure Alexandra Ivanovna!

PLATONOV. Anna Petrovna, there’s a tiny piano crawling on your breast! (Laughs.) It’s comic! I’m ill, Nikolai... I’m in earnest... I’m not joking. . . Let’s start! (Enter Ivan Ivanovitch.)

SCENE X .

The SAME and IVAN IVANOVITCH.

IVAN IVANOVITCH (all dishevelled, in a dressing- gown). My Sasha! (Weeps.)

TRILETZKY. All that’s been lacking here . . . your tears! Get out! Why have you come here? IVAN IVANOVITCH. She’s dying! She wants to confess! I’m afraid, afraid... Oh, how I’m afraid! (Goes up to Platonov.) Misha dear! I implore you in the name of the Lord and all the Saints! You dear, clever, splendid, honest man! Go to her, tell her that you love her! Chuck all these nasty romances! I implore you on my knees! You see, she’s dying! I have only her, only her! If she dies, I am lost! Tell her that you love her, that you consider her your wife! Console her, for Christ’s sake! Misha dear! There’s sometimes a lie in salvation... God sees you are just, but lie for the sake of-saving someone dear to you! Come with me to her, do this kindness! Do me this charity, for Christ’s sake. ... I am an old man!

PLATONOV. All right, Colonel! (Laughs.) We’ll cure Sasha, and have a drink together! Oh, how I want to drink!

IVAN IVANOVITCH. Let’s go, my noble fellow... Two words from you, and she is saved! No doctor will save her! It’s her soul that is in agony!

TRILETZKY. Father, leave this room for a minute! (.Leading his father from the room by a sleeve.) Who told you she’s dying? Where did you get the idea? She’s not in danger! Wait a bit in the other room. We’ll shortly go to her all together. Aren’t you ashamed to appear in a strange house looking like this?

IVAN IVANOVITCH (to Anna Petrovna). It’s sinful, Diana! God won’t forgive you! He’s a young, inexperienced man. . . .

TRILETZKY (pushing him into the next room). Wait there! {To Platonov.) Do you want to go?

PLATONOV. I am terribly ill... I’m ill, Nikolai!

TRILETZKY. I’m asking you, do you want to go, or not?

PLATONOV (rising). Only less words... My mouth is so dry, what shall I do? Yes, we’ll go... I think I’ve come here without a hat... (Sits down again.) Do look for my hat!

SOFYA EGOROVNA. He should have foreseen this. I gave myself to him, without a question. ... I knew that I was killing my husband, but I . . . stopped before nothing! (She rises and walks over to Platonov.) What have you done with me? (Weeps.)

TRILETZKY (presses his hands to his head). A commission of investigation! (Paces up and down.)

ANNA PETROVNA. Keep calm, Sofya! It’s not the proper time... He is ill.

SOFYA EGOROVNA. Is one to be allowed to make mock of a human life? (Sits down beside Platonov.) My whole life is now ruined... I’m no longer alive... Save me, Platonov! It isn’t too late! (Pause.)

ANNA PETROVNA (weeping). Sofya . . . what do you want? There’ll be plenty of time... What can he say to you now? Haven’t you heard . . . haven’t you heard?

SOFYA EGOROVNA. Platonov . . . once more I ask you . . . (Weeps.) No?

PLATONOV (moves away from her).

SOFYA EGOROVNA. No, no . . . Very well, then. . . .

(Falls on her knees.) Platonov!

ANNA PETROVNA. That’s too much, Sofya! You mustn’t do this! No one is worth it . . . not on your knees... (Raises her from the floor and forces her into a seat.) You . . . are a woman!

SOFYA EGOROVNA (weeping). Tell him... Prevail on him. . . .

ANNA PETROVNA. Call to your aid all the strength of your mind... You must be firm... You’re a woman! Enough! Go to your own room! (Pause.) Go, and lie down. ... (To Triletzky.) Nikolai Ivanovitch! What’s to be done?

TRILETZKY. We must ask dear Misha about this! (Paces up and down.)

ANNA PETROVNA. Let’s take her to her bed! Sergey!

Nikolai Ivanovitch! You might at least lend a hand!

VOINITZEV {rises, and approaches Sofya Egorovna).

TRILETZKY. Yes, we’ll take her to her room. I must give her something to soothe her.

ANNA PETROVNA. I myself should be glad to take chloroform. ... (To Voinitzev.) Be a man, Sergey! -Don’t lose your head! I don’t feel better than you, but I manage to stand on my feet... Come, Sofya! What a day! (They lead Sofya Egorovna.) Be a man, Sergey! Let us be human beings!

VOINITZEV. I’ll try, maman. I’m doing what I can. . . .

TRILETZKY. Don’t grieve, brother Sergey! You’re neither the first, nor yet the last!

VOINITZEV. I’ll try... Yes, I’ll try... (Exit.)