Works of Ivan Turgenev (Illustrated) (399 page)

BELIAYEV
[after a pause].
And who sent you to school?

VERA. Natalya Petrovna’s mother. I grew up in her house. I’m an orphan.

BELIAYEV
[letting his hands fall].
You’re an orphan? And you don’t remember your father or your mother?

VERA. No.

BELIAYEV, My mother is dead too. We are both motherless. Well we must put up with it! We mustn’t be down - hearted for all that.

VERA. They say orphans quickly make friends with one another.

BELIAYEV
[looking into her eyes].
Do they? And do you think so?

VERA
[looks into his eyes with a smile].
I think they do.

BELIAYEV
[laughs and sets to work on the kite again].
I should like to know how long I’ve been in these parts.

VERA. This is the twenty - eighth day.

BELIAYEV. What a memory you have! Well, here’s the kite finished. Look what a tail! We must go and fetch Kolya.

KATYA
[Coming up to him with the basket].
Won’t you have some more raspberries?

BELIAYEV. No, thanks, Katya. [KATYA
goes off without speaking.]

VERA. Kolya’s with Lizaveta Bogdanovna.

BELIAYEV. How absurd to keep a child indoors in this weather!

VERA. Lizaveta Bogdanovna would only be in our way. . .

BELIAYEV. But I’m not talking about her. . . .

VERA
[hurriedly].
Kolya couldn’t come with us without her. . . . She was praising you ever so yesterday, though.

BELIAYEV. Really?

VERA. Don’t you like her?

BELIAYEV. Oh, I don’t mind her. Let her enjoy her snuff, bless the woman. Why do you sigh?

VERA
[after a pause]. I
don’t know. How clear the sky is!

BELIAYEV. Does that make you sigh?
[A silence.]
Perhaps you are depressed?

VERA. Depressed? No! I never know myself why I sigh. . . . I’m not depressed at all. On the contrary . . . [
A pause.] I
don’t know.... I think I can’t be quite well. Yesterday I went upstairs to fetch a book -
 
- and all at once, fancy, on the staircase, I sat down and began to cry. Goodness knows why, and my tears kept on coming into my eyes for a long while afterwards. . . . What’s the meaning of it? And yet I am quite happy.

BELIAYEV. It’s because you’re growing. It’s growing up. It does happen so. ... Of course, I noticed your eyes looked swollen yesterday evening.

VERA. You noticed it?

BELIAYEV. Yes.

VERA. You notice everything.

BELIAYEV. Oh no, not everything.

VERA
[dreamily].
Alexey Nikolaitch . . .

BELIAYEV. What is it?

VERA
[after a pause].
What was it I was going to ask you? I’ve forgotten what I was going to say.

BELIAYEV. You are absent - minded! VERA. No . . . but ... oh yes! This is what I meant to ask. I think you told me -
 
- you have a sister?

BELIAYEV. Yes.

VERA. Tell me, am I like her?

BELIAYEV. Oh no. You’re much better looking.

VERA. How can that be? Your sister ... I should like to be in her place.

BELIAYEV. What? You’d like to be in our poor little house at this moment?

VERA. I didn’t mean that. ... Is your home so small?

BELIAYEV. Tiny. Very different from this house.

VERA. Well, what’s the use of so many rooms?

BELIAYEV. What’s the use? You’ll find out one day how useful rooms are.

VERA. One day. . . . When?

BELIAYEV. When you’re the mistress of a house yourself. . . .

VERA
[dreamily].
Do you think so?

BELIAYEV. Yes, you will see. [
A pause.]
Hadn’t we better go and fetch Kolya, Vera Alexandrovna?

VERA. Why don’t you call me Verotchka?

BEHAYEV. You can’t call me Alexey, can you?

VERA. Why not?...
[Suddenly starting.]
Oh!

BELIAYEV. What’s the matter?

VERA
[in a low voice].
There’s Natalya Petrovna coming this way.

BELIAYEV
[also in a low voice].
Where? VERA
[nodding towards the Right].
Over there . . . along the path, with Mihail Alexandritch.

BELIAYEV
[getting up].
Let’s go to Kolya.... He must have finished his lesson by now.

VERA. Let’s go ... or I’m afraid she’ll scold me. . . .
[They get up and walk away quickly to the Left.
KATYA
hides again in the raspberry bushes.
NATALYA PETROVNA
and
RAKITIN
come in on Right.]
NATALYA PETROVNA
[standing still].
I believe that’s Mr. Beliayev with Vera. RAKITIN. Yes, it is. ...

NATALYA PETROVNA. It looks as though they were running away from us.

RAKITIN. Perhaps they are.

NATALYA PETROVNA
[after a pause].
But I don’t think Verotchka ought... to be alone like this with a young man in the garden. . . . Of course, she’s only a child, still, it’s not the proper thing. . . . I’ll tell her.

RAKITIN. How old is she?

NATALYA PETROVNA. Seventeen! She’s actually seventeen. ... It is hot to - day. I’m tired. Let’s sit down.
[They sit down on the seat on which
VERA
and
BELIAYEV
have been sitting.]
Has Shpigelsky gone home?

RAKITIN. Yes, he’s gone.

NATALYA PETROVNA. It’s a pity you didn’t keep him. I can’t imagine what induced that man to become a district doctor. . . . He’s very amusing. He makes me laugh.

RAKITIN. Well, I thought you were not in a very laughing humour to - day.

NATALYA PETROVNA. What made you think that?

RAKITIN. Oh, I don’t know.

NATALYA PETROVNA. Because nothing sentimental appeals to me to - day? Oh, certainly, I must warn you there’s absolutely nothing that could touch me to - day. . . . But that doesn’t prevent me from laughing; on the contrary. Besides, there’s something I had to discuss with Shpigelsky to - day.

RAKITIN. May I ask what?

NATALYA PETROVNA. No, you mayn’t. As it is, you know everything I think, everything I do. That’s boring.

RAKITIN. I beg your pardon. ... I had no idea. . . .

NATALYA PETROVNA. I want to have some secrets from you.

RAKITIN. What next! From what you say, one might suppose I know everything. . . .

NATALYA PETROVNA
[interrupting].
And don’t you?

RAKITIN. You are pleased to make fun of me.

NATALYA PETROVNA. Why don’t you know everything that goes on in me? If you don’t I can’t congratulate you on your insight. When a man watches me from morning to night. . . .

RAKITIN. What do you mean? Is that a reproach. . . .

NATALYA PETROVNA. A reproach?
[A pause.]
No, I see; you certainly have not much insight.

RAKITIN. Perhaps not . . . but since I watch you from morning to night, allow me to tell you one thing I have noticed. . . .

NATALYA PETROVNA. About me? Please do.

RAKITIN. You won’t be angry with me?

NATALYA PETROVNA. Oh no! I should like to be, but I shan’t.

RAKITIN. For some time past, Natalya Petrovna, you have been in a state of permanent irritability, and that irritability is something unconscious, involuntary: you seem to be in a state of inward conflict, as though you were perplexed. I had never observed anything of the sort in you before my visit to the Krinitsyns’; it has only come on lately. [NATALYA PETROVNA
draws lines in the sand before her with her parasol.]
At times you sigh -
 
- such deep, deep sighs -
 
- like a man who’s very tired, so tired that he can’t find rest.

NATALYA PETROVNA. And what do you deduce from that, you observant person?

RAKITIN. I deduce? Nothing.. .. But it worries me.

NATALYA PETROVNA. Humbly grateful for your sympathy.

RAKITIN. And besides . . .

NATALYA PETROVNA
[with some impatience].
Please, change the subject.

[A pause.]

RAKITIN. You have no plans for going out anywhere to - day?

NATALYA PETROVNA. No. RAKITIN. Why not? It’s so fine.

NATALYA PETROVNA. Too lazy.
[A pause.]
Tell me . . . you know Bolshintsov, of course?

RAKITIN. Our neighbour, Afanasy Ivanitch?

NATALYA PETROVNA. Yes.

RAKITIN. What a question! Only the day before yesterday we were playing preference with him in your house.

NATALYA PETROVNA. I want to know what sort of man he is.

RAKITIN. Bolshintsov?

NATALYA PETROVNA. Yes, yes, Bolshintsov.

RAKITIN. Well, I must say, that I never expected that!

NATALYA PETROVNA
[impatiently].
What didn’t you expect?

RAKITIN. That you would ever be making inquiries about Bolshintsov! A foolish, fat, tedious man -
 
- though of course there’s no harm in the man.