Delphi Complete Works of Anton Chekhov (Illustrated) (415 page)

SCENE XII

THE SAME AND KHROUSCHOV

KHROUSCHOV (in agitation): I’m very glad to find you in,

Alexander Vladimirovich... Excuse me for coming unseasonably

and for being in your way... But this isn’t the point. How do you do?

SEREBRYAKOV: What is it you want?

KHROUSCHOV: Excuse me, I’m agitated . . . it’s because I rode so quickly... Alexander Vladimirovich, I hear that you have just sold your wood to Kouznezov for timber. If it is true, not mere gossip, then I beg you, don’t do it.

ELENA ANDREYEVNA: Mikhail Lvovich, my husband isn’t in the mood now to talk business. Won’t you come with me into the garden?

KHROUSCHOV: But I must speak at once!

ELENA ANDREYEVNA: As you please. ... I can do no more. . . .
              
[Goes out.

KHROUSCHOV: Permit me to drive over to Kouznezov and tell him that you’ve changed your mind... Yes? Will you allow me? To fell a thousand trees, to destroy them the sake of two or three thousand roubles, for women’s rags,

whims, luxury. ... To destroy them so that posterity should curse our savagery! If you, a scholar, a famous man, dare perpetrate such a cruelty, what may not others do who stand so much below you! How very terrible!

ORLOVSKY: Misha, talk about it later!

SEREBRYAKOV: Come, let’s go, Ivan Ivanych; this will never end.

KHROUSCHOV (barring SEREBRYAKOV’S way): In that case,

look here, professor. ... In three months’ time I shall have the money and buy it myself.

ORLOVSKY: Excuse me, Misha, this is rather strange. . . .

Why, you, let us say, are a man of ideas ... we thank you most humbly for it, we bow to the ground before you.

(Bowing.) But why such a rumpus?

KHROUSCHOV (flaring up): You universal godfather!

There are too many good-natured men on earth, and this always seemed suspicious to me! They’re good-natured because they’re indifferent!

ORLOVSKY: Why, you’ve come here to quarrel, my boy.

It is not right! An idea is an idea, but look here, old chap,

this thing too is needed. (Pointing to his heart.) Without this thing, my dear fellow, all your forests and peat-beds are not worth a brass farthing... Don’t take offence, but you’re still green — ugh! how very green!

SEREBRYAKOV (sharply): Next time, please don’t trouble to come in unannounced, and please spare me your psychopathic pranks! You were all bent on trying my patience, and you’ve succeeded... Please leave me alone! All these forests of yours, peat-beds of yours, I consider sheer raving and psychopathy — there,

you have my opinion! Come, Ivan Ivanych!

[Goes out.

ORLOVSKY (following after him): Alexander my boy, that’s too much! . . . Why be so harsh?
[Goes out.

KHROUSCHOV (alone, after a pause): Raving psychopathy!

. . . According to the famous scholar and professor I am mad. ... I bow to the authority of Your Excellency and I’m going home immediately to shave my head... No!

It is the earth, which still endures you, that is mad!

(Goes hurriedly towards the right door; SONYA, who has stood listening outside all through the last scene,

comes in by the left door.)

SCENE XIII

KHROUSCHOV AND SONYA

SONYA (running after him): Stop! . . . I heard everything.

. . . Speak! . . . Speak quickly ... or I shan’t bear it any longer and shall start speaking myself!

KHROUSCHOV: Sophie Alexandrovna, I have already said all I wanted to say. I implored your father to spare the wood.

I was right, but he insulted me, and called me a madman.

... I, mad!

SONYA: Please, please! . . .

KHROUSCHOV: No, mad are not those who beneath their learning hide their cruel, stony heart, and pass off their soullessness

for profound wisdom! Mad are not those who marry old men in order to deceive them openly, in order to obtain fashionable, elegant dresses with the money got from the felling of forests!

SONYA: Listen to me, listen! . . . (Grasping his hands.)

Let me say . . .

KHROUSCHOV: Let us finish it. Let there be an end. I am a stranger to you, I know already your opinion of me,

and I’ve nothing more to do here. Good-bye. I am sorry that after our brief friendship, which was so dear to me, I shall only retain the memory of your father’s gout and of your arguments about my democratic sentiments... But it is not I who am to blame for it... No. . . .

[ Weeping and covering her face, SONYA hurries out by the left door.

KHROUSCHOV: I had the imprudence to fall in love here,

it shall be a lesson to me! Out of this dungeon!

(Goes to the right door; ELENA ANDREYEVNA comes in by the left door.)

SCENE XIV

KHROUSCHOV AND ELENA ANDREYEVNA

ELENA ANDREYEVNA: You are here! One moment. . . .

Ivan Ivanych has just told me that my husband was harsh with you... You must forgive him, he’s cross to-day and did not understand you. ... As for myself, my soul is with you, Mikhail Lvovich! Believe in the sincerity of my respect, I sympathize with you, I am moved; and allow me with a pure heart to offer you my friendship! {Holding out both hands.)

KHROUSCHOV (with aversion): Get away from me! ... I despise your friendship!
    
[Goes out.

ELENA ANDREYEVNA (alone, groaning): Why, why?

(A shot is heard behind the scenes.)

SCENE XV

ELENA ANDREYEVNA, MARIE VASSILIEVNA, AND THEN SONYA,

SEREBRYAKOV, ORLOVSKY, AND ZHELTOUKHIN

MARIE VASSILIEVNA comes out by the middle door, staggers, cries out and falls unconscious to the ground, SONYA comes in and runs to the middle door.

SEREBRYAKOV, ORLOVSKY, and ZHELTOUKHIN: What’s the matter?

(SONYA is heard crying out; she returns and cries:

“ Uncle George has shot himself!” She,

ORLOVSKY, SEREBRYAKOV, and ZHELTOUKHIN run out through the middle door.)

ELENA ANDREYEVNA (groaning): Why, why?

DYADIN appears at the door on the right.

SCENE XVI

ELENA ANDREYEVNA, MARIE VASSILIEVNA, AND DYADIN

DYADIN (in the doorway): What’s the matter?

ELENA ANDREYEVNA (to him): Take me away from here!

Throw me into a deep pit, kill me, but I can’t remain here any longer! Quick, I implore you! [Goes out with DYADIN.

CURTAIN

ACT IV

The forest and the house by the mill which DYADIN rents from KHROUSCHOV.

SCENE I

ELENA ANDREYEVNA and DYADIN sitting on a bench under the window ELENA ANDREYEVNA: Ilya Ilyich dear, to-morrow you’ll drive over again to the post office.

DYADIN: Most certainly.

ELENA ANDREYEVNA: I shall wait another three days. If I get no answer to my letter from my brother, I’ll borrow some money from you and go to Moscow. I can’t stay for ever at your mill.

DYADIN: Just so! ... (A pause.) I dare not give you advice, my deeply respected lady, but all your letters, telegrams,

and my daily journeys to the post office — all these,

pardon me, are labour lost. Whatever answer your brother may send you, all the same you will go back to your husband.

ELENA ANDREYEVNA: I shan’t go back... One must be logical, Ilya Ilyich. I do not love my husband. The young people, of whom I was fond, were unjust to me all along. Why should I go back there? You will say — duty. ... I too know this perfectly well, but, I say again, one must be logical.

(A pause.)

DYADIN: Yes! . . . The greatest Russian poet, Lomonosov,

ran away from the Archangel province to seek his fortune in Moscow. This was certainly noble of him... But why did you run away? Your happiness, if we fairly consider the matter, is nowhere to be found. ... It was appointed that the canary should sit in its cage and look on at the happiness of others; well, it must sit there all its life long.

ELENA ANDREYEVNA: Perhaps I’m not a canary, but a free sparrow!

DYADIN: O-oh! A bird is judged by its flight, my deeply respected lady... During these last two weeks any other lady would have managed to be in ten towns, and would have thrown dust in everybody’s eyes; but you have only ventured to run as far as the mill, and even this has worn your soul out... No, no! You’ll stay here a short time longer, your heart will be softened, and you’ll return to your husband.

(Listening.) Someone’s coming in a carriage. (Getting up.)

ELENA ANDREYEVNA: I’ll go in.

DYADIN: I dare not trouble you any more with my presence... I’ll go to the mill to have a little nap. ... I rose this morning before Aurora.

ELENA ANDREYEVNA: After you’ve had your nap, come and we’ll have tea together.
        
(Goes into the house.)

DYADIN (alone): If I lived in an intellectual centre, they could draw a caricature of me for a magazine, with a very funny satirical inscription. Gracious! I, at my time of life and with an unattractive appearance, to have carried off a famous professor’s young wife! That is fascinating!

[Goes away.