Act II

Scene as before. It is 8 p.m. Somebody is heard playing a concertina outside in the street. There is no fire.

Natalia Ivanovna enters in indoor dress carrying a candle; she stops by the door which leads into Andrey’s room.
Natasha What are you doing, Andrey? Are you reading? It’s nothing, only I.⁠ ⁠… She opens another door, and looks in, then closes it. Isn’t there any fire.⁠ ⁠…
Andrey Enters with book in hand. What are you doing, Natasha?
Natasha I was looking to see if there wasn’t a fire. It’s Shrovetide, and the servant is simply beside herself; I must look out that something doesn’t happen. When I came through the dining-room yesterday midnight, there was a candle burning. I couldn’t get her to tell me who had lighted it. Puts down her candle. What’s the time?
Andrey Looks at his watch. A quarter past eight.
Natasha And Olga and Irina aren’t in yet. The poor things are still at work. Olga at the teacher’s council, Irina at the telegraph office.⁠ ⁠… Sighs. I said to your sister this morning, “Irina, darling, you must take care of yourself.” But she pays no attention. Did you say it was a quarter past eight? I am afraid little Bobby is quite ill. Why is he so cold? He was feverish yesterday, but today he is quite cold⁠ ⁠… I am so frightened!
Andrey It’s all right, Natasha. The boy is well.
Natasha Still, I think we ought to put him on a diet. I am so afraid. And the entertainers were to be here after nine; they had better not come, Audrey.
Andrey I don’t know. After all, they were asked.
Natasha This morning, when the little boy woke up and saw me he suddenly smiled; that means he knew me. “Good morning, Bobby!” I said, “good morning, darling.” And he laughed. Children understand, they understand very well. So I’ll tell them, Andrey dear, not to receive the entertainers.
Andrey Hesitatingly. But what about my sisters. This is their flat.
Natasha They’ll do as I want them. They are so kind.⁠ ⁠… Going. I ordered sour milk for supper. The doctor says you must eat sour milk and nothing else, or you won’t get thin. Stops. Bobby is so cold. I’m afraid his room is too cold for him. It would be nice to put him into another room till the warm weather comes. Irina’s room, for instance, is just right for a child: it’s dry and has the sun all day. I must tell her, she can share Olga’s room. It isn’t as if she was at home in the daytime, she only sleeps here.⁠ ⁠… A pause. Andrey, darling, why are you so silent?
Andrey I was just thinking.⁠ ⁠… There is really nothing to say.⁠ ⁠…
Natasha Yes⁠ ⁠… there was something I wanted to tell you.⁠ ⁠… Oh, yes. Ferapont has come from the Council offices, he wants to see you.
Andrey Yawns. Call him here.
Natasha goes out; Andrey reads his book, stooping over the candle she has left behind. Ferapont enters; he wears a tattered old coat with the collar up. His ears are muffled.
Andrey Good morning, grandfather. What have you to say?
Ferapont The Chairman sends a book and some documents or other. Here.⁠ ⁠… Hands him a book and a packet.
Andrey Thank you. It’s all right. Why couldn’t you come earlier? It’s past eight now.
Ferapont What?
Andrey Louder. I say you’ve come late, it’s past eight.
Ferapont Yes, yes. I came when it was still light, but they wouldn’t let me in. They said you were busy. Well, what was I to do. If you’re busy, you’re busy, and I’m in no hurry. He thinks that Andrey is asking him something. What?
Andrey Nothing. Looks through the book. Tomorrow’s Friday. I’m not supposed to go to work, but I’ll come⁠—all the same⁠ ⁠… and do some work. It’s dull at home. Pause. Oh, my dear old man, how strangely life changes, and how it deceives! Today, out of sheer boredom, I took up this book⁠—old university lectures, and I couldn’t help laughing. My God, I’m secretary of the local district council, the council which has Protopopov for its chairman, yes, I’m the secretary, and the summit of my ambitions is⁠—to become a member of the council! I to be a member of the local district council, I, who dream every night that I’m a professor of Moscow University, a famous scholar of whom all Russia is proud!
Ferapont I can’t tell⁠ ⁠… I’m hard of hearing.⁠ ⁠…
Andrey If you weren’t, I don’t suppose I should talk to you. I’ve got to talk to somebody, and my wife doesn’t understand me, and I’m a bit afraid of my sisters⁠—I don’t know why unless it is that they may make fun of me and make me feel ashamed⁠ ⁠… I don’t drink, I don’t like public-houses, but how I should like to be sitting just now in Tyestov’s place in Moscow, or at the Great Moscow, old fellow!
Ferapont Moscow? That’s where a contractor was once telling that some merchants or other were eating pancakes; one ate forty pancakes and he went and died, he was saying. Either forty or fifty, I forget which.
Andrey In Moscow you can sit in an enormous restaurant where you don’t know anybody and where nobody knows you, and you don’t feel all the same that you’re a stranger. And here you know everybody and everybody knows you, and you’re a stranger⁠ ⁠… and a lonely stranger.
Ferapont What? And the same contractor was telling⁠—perhaps he was lying⁠—that there was a cable stretching right across Moscow.
Andrey What for?
Ferapont I can’t tell. The contractor said so.
Andrey Rubbish. He reads. Were you ever in Moscow?
Ferapont After a pause. No. God did not lead me there. Pause. Shall I go?
Andrey You may go. Goodbye. Ferapont goes. Goodbye. Reads. You can come tomorrow and fetch these documents.⁠ ⁠… Go along.⁠ ⁠… Pause. He’s gone. A ring. Yes, yes.⁠ ⁠… Stretches himself and slowly goes into his own room.
Behind the scene the nurse is singing a lullaby to the child. Masha and Vershinin come in. While they talk, a maidservant lights candles and a lamp.
Masha I don’t know. Pause. I don’t know. Of course, habit counts for a great deal. After father’s death, for instance, it took us a long time to get used to the absence of orderlies. But, apart from habit, it seems to me in all fairness that, however it may be in other towns, the best and most-educated people are army men.
Vershinin I’m thirsty. I should like some tea.
Masha Glancing at her watch. They’ll bring some soon. I was given in marriage when I was eighteen, and I was afraid of my husband because he was a teacher and I’d only just left school. He then seemed to me frightfully wise and learned and important. And now, unfortunately, that has changed.
Vershinin Yes⁠ ⁠… yes.
Masha I don’t speak of my husband, I’ve grown used to him, but civilians in general are so often coarse, impolite, uneducated. Their rudeness offends me, it angers me. I suffer when I see that a man isn’t quite sufficiently refined, or delicate, or polite. I simply suffer agonies when I happen to be among schoolmasters, my husband’s colleagues.
Vershinin Yes.⁠ ⁠… It seems to me that civilians and army men are equally interesting, in this town, at any rate. It’s all the same! If you listen to a member of the local intelligentsia, whether to civilian or military, he will tell you that he’s sick of his wife, sick of his house, sick of his estate, sick of his horses.⁠ ⁠… We Russians are extremely gifted in the direction of thinking on an exalted plane, but, tell me, why do we aim so low in real life? Why?
Masha Why?
Vershinin Why is a Russian sick of his children, sick of his wife? And why are his wife and children sick of him?
Masha You’re a little downhearted today.
Vershinin Perhaps I am. I haven’t had any dinner, I’ve had nothing since the morning. My daughter is a little unwell, and when my girls are ill, I get very anxious and my conscience tortures me because they have such a mother. Oh, if you had seen her today! What a trivial personality! We began quarrelling at seven in the morning and at nine I slammed the door and went out. Pause. I never speak of her, it’s strange that I bear my complaints to you alone. Kisses her hand. Don’t be angry with me. I haven’t anybody but you, nobody at all.⁠ ⁠… Pause.
Masha What a noise in the oven. Just before father’s death there was a noise in the pipe, just like that.
Vershinin Are you superstitious?
Masha Yes.
Vershinin That’s strange. Kisses her hand. You are a splendid, wonderful woman. Splendid, wonderful! It is dark here, but I see your sparkling eyes.
Masha Sits on another chair. There is more light here.
Vershinin I love you, love you, love you⁠ ⁠… I love your eyes, your movements, I dream of them.⁠ ⁠… Splendid, wonderful woman!
Masha Laughing. When you talk to me like that, I laugh; I don’t know why, for I’m afraid. Don’t repeat it, please.⁠ ⁠… In an undertone. No, go on, it’s all the same to me.⁠ ⁠… Covers her face with her hands. Somebody’s coming, let’s talk about something else.
Irina and Tuzenbach come in through the dining-room.
Tuzenbach My surname is really triple. I am called Baron Tuzenbach-Krone-Altschauer, but I am Russian and Orthodox, the same as you. There is very little German left in me, unless perhaps it is the patience and the obstinacy with which I bore you. I see you home every night.
Irina How tired I am!
Tuzenbach And I’ll come to the telegraph office to see you home every day for ten or twenty years, until you drive me away. He sees Masha and Vershinin; joyfully. Is that you? How do you do.
Irina Well, I am home at last. To Masha. A lady came today to telegraph to her brother in Saratov that her son died today, and she couldn’t remember the address anyhow. So she sent the telegram without an address, just to Saratov. She was crying. And for some reason or other I was rude to her. “I’ve no time,” I said. It was so stupid. Are the entertainers coming tonight?
Masha Yes.
Irina Sitting down in an armchair. I want a rest. I am tired.
Tuzenbach Smiling. When you come home from your work you seem so young, and so unfortunate.⁠ ⁠… Pause.
Irina I am tired. No, I don’t like the telegraph office, I don’t like it.
Masha You’ve grown thinner.⁠ ⁠… Whistles a little. And you look younger, and your face has become like a boy’s.
Tuzenbach That’s the way she does her hair.
Irina I must find another job, this one won’t do for me. What I wanted, what I hoped to get, just that is lacking here. Labour without poetry, without ideas.⁠ ⁠… A knock on the floor. The doctor is knocking. To Tuzenbach. Will you knock, dear. I can’t⁠ ⁠… I’m tired.⁠ ⁠… Tuzenbach knocks. He’ll come in a minute. Something ought to be done. Yesterday the doctor and Andrey played cards at the club and lost money. Andrey seems to have lost 200 roubles.
Masha With indifference. What can we do now?
Irina He lost money a fortnight ago, he lost money in December. Perhaps if he lost everything we should go away from this town. Oh, my God, I dream of Moscow every night. I’m just like a lunatic. Laughs. We go there in June, and before June there’s still⁠ ⁠… February, March, April, May⁠ ⁠… nearly half a year!
Masha Only Natasha mustn’t get to know of these losses.
Irina I expect it will be all the same to her.
Chebutikin, who has only just got out of bed⁠—he was resting after dinner⁠—comes into the dining-room and combs his beard. He then sits by the table and takes a newspaper from his pocket.
Masha Here he is.⁠ ⁠… Has he paid his rent?
Irina Laughs. No. He’s been here eight months and hasn’t paid a copeck. Seems to have forgotten.
Masha Laughs. What dignity in his pose! They all laugh. A pause.
Irina Why are you so silent, Alexander Ignateyevitch?
Vershinin I don’t know. I want some tea. Half my life for a tumbler of tea: I haven’t had anything since morning.
Chebutikin Irina Sergeyevna!
Irina What is it?
Chebutikin Please come here, Venez ici. Irina goes and sits by the table. I can’t do without you. Irina begins to play patience.
Vershinin Well, if we can’t have any tea, let’s philosophize, at any rate.
Tuzenbach Yes, let’s. About what?
Vershinin About what? Let us meditate⁠ ⁠… about life as it will be after our time; for example, in two or three hundred years.
Tuzenbach Well? After our time people will fly about in balloons, the cut of one’s coat will change, perhaps they’ll discover a sixth sense and develop it, but life will remain the same, laborious, mysterious, and happy. And in a thousand years’ time, people will still be sighing: “Life is hard!”⁠—and at the same time they’ll be just as afraid of death, and unwilling to meet it, as we are.
Vershinin Thoughtfully. How can I put it? It seems to me that everything on earth must change, little by little, and is already changing under our very eyes. After two or three hundred years, after a thousand⁠—the actual time doesn’t matter⁠—a new and happy age will begin. We, of course, shall not take part in it, but we live and work and even suffer today that it should come. We create it⁠—and in that one object is our destiny and, if you like, our happiness.
Masha laughs softly.
Tuzenbach What is it?
Masha I don’t know. I’ve been laughing all day, ever since morning.
Vershinin I finished my education at the same point as you, I have not studied at universities; I read a lot, but I cannot choose my books and perhaps what I read is not at all what I should, but the longer I love, the more I want to know. My hair is turning white, I am nearly an old man now, but I know so little, oh, so little! But I think I know the things that matter most, and that are most real. I know them well. And I wish I could make you understand that there is no happiness for us, that there should not and cannot be.⁠ ⁠… We must only work and work, and happiness is only for our distant posterity. Pause. If not for me, then for the descendants of my descendants.
Fedotik and Rode come into the dining-room; they sit and sing softly, strumming on a guitar.
Tuzenbach According to you, one should not even think about happiness! But suppose I am happy!
Vershinin No.
Tuzenbach Moves his hands and laughs. We do not seem to understand each other. How can I convince you? Masha laughs quietly, Tuzenbach continues, pointing at her. Yes, laugh! To Vershinin. Not only after two or three centuries, but in a million years, life will still be as it was; life does not change, it remains forever, following its own laws which do not concern us, or which, at any rate, you will never find out. Migrant birds, cranes for example, fly and fly, and whatever thoughts, high or low, enter their heads, they will still fly and not know why or where. They fly and will continue to fly, whatever philosophers come to life among them; they may philosophize as much as they like, only they will fly.⁠ ⁠…
Masha Still, is there a meaning?
Tuzenbach A meaning.⁠ ⁠… Now the snow is falling. What meaning? Pause.
Masha It seems to me that a man must have faith, or must search for a faith, or his life will be empty, empty.⁠ ⁠… To live and not to know why the cranes fly, why babies are born, why there are stars in the sky.⁠ ⁠… Either you must know why you live, or everything is trivial, not worth a straw. A pause.
Vershinin Still, I am sorry that my youth has gone.
Masha Gogol says: life in this world is a dull matter, my masters!
Tuzenbach And I say it’s difficult to argue with you, my masters! Hang it all.
Chebutikin Reading. Balzac was married at Berdichev. Irina is singing softly. That’s worth making a note of. He makes a note. Balzac was married at Berdichev. Goes on reading.
Irina Laying out cards, thoughtfully. Balzac was married at Berdichev.
Tuzenbach The die is cast. I’ve handed in my resignation, Maria Sergeyevna.
Masha So I heard. I don’t see what good it is; I don’t like civilians.
Tuzenbach Never mind.⁠ ⁠… Gets up. I’m not handsome; what use am I as a soldier? Well, it makes no difference⁠ ⁠… I shall work. If only just once in my life I could work so that I could come home in the evening, fall exhausted on my bed, and go to sleep at once. Going into the dining-room. Workmen, I suppose, do sleep soundly!
Fedotik To Irina. I bought some coloured pencils for you at Pizhikov’s in the Moscow Road, just now. And here is a little knife.
Irina You have got into the habit of behaving to me as if I am a little girl, but I am grown up. Takes the pencils and the knife, then, with joy. How lovely!
Fedotik And I bought myself a knife⁠ ⁠… look at it⁠ ⁠… one blade, another, a third, an ear-scoop, scissors, nail-cleaners.
Rode Loudly. Doctor, how old are you?
Chebutikin I? Thirty-two. Laughter.
Fedotik I’ll show you another kind of patience.⁠ ⁠… Lays out cards.
A samovar is brought in; Anfisa attends to it; a little later Natasha enters and helps by the table; Soleni arrives and, after greetings, sits by the table.
Vershinin What a wind!
Masha Yes. I’m tired of winter. I’ve already forgotten what summer’s like.
Irina It’s coming out, I see. We’re going to Moscow.
Fedotik No, it won’t come out. Look, the eight was on the two of spades. Laughs. That means you won’t go to Moscow.
Chebutikin Reading paper. Tsitsigar. Smallpox is raging here.
Anfisa Coming up to Masha. Masha, have some tea, little mother. To Vershinin. Please have some, sir⁠ ⁠… excuse me, but I’ve forgotten your name.⁠ ⁠…
Masha Bring some here, nurse. I shan’t go over there.
Irina Nurse!
Anfisa Coming, coming!
Natasha To Soleni. Children at the breast understand perfectly. I said “Good morning, Bobby; good morning, dear!” And he looked at me in quite an unusual way. You think it’s only the mother in me that is speaking; I assure you that isn’t so! He’s a wonderful child.
Soleni If he was my child I’d roast him on a frying-pan and eat him. Takes his tumbler into the drawing-room and sits in a corner.
Natasha Covers her face in her hands. Vulgar, ill-bred man!
Masha He’s lucky who doesn’t notice whether it’s winter now, or summer. I think that if I were in Moscow, I shouldn’t mind about the weather.
Vershinin A few days ago I was reading the prison diary of a French minister. He had been sentenced on account of the Panama scandal. With what joy, what delight, he speaks of the birds he saw through the prison windows, which he had never noticed while he was a minister. Now, of course, that he is at liberty, he notices birds no more than he did before. When you go to live in Moscow you’ll not notice it, in just the same way. There can be no happiness for us, it only exists in our wishes.
Tuzenbach Takes cardboard box from the table. Where are the pastries?
Irina Soleni has eaten them.
Tuzenbach All of them?
Anfisa Serving tea. There’s a letter for you.
Vershinin For me? Takes the letter. From my daughter. Reads. Yes, of course⁠ ⁠… I will go quietly. Excuse me, Maria Sergeyevna. I shan’t have any tea. Stands up, excited. That eternal story.⁠ ⁠…
Masha What is it? Is it a secret?
Vershinin Quietly. My wife has poisoned herself again. I must go. I’ll go out quietly. It’s all awfully unpleasant. Kisses Masha’s hand. My dear, my splendid, good woman⁠ ⁠… I’ll go this way, quietly. Exit.
Anfisa Where has he gone? And I’d served tea.⁠ ⁠… What a man.
Masha Angrily. Be quiet! You bother so one can’t have a moment’s peace.⁠ ⁠… Goes to the table with her cup. I’m tired of you, old woman!
Anfisa My dear! Why are you offended!
Andrey’s voice Anfisa!
Anfisa Mocking. Anfisa! He sits there and⁠ ⁠… Exit.
Masha In the dining-room, by the table angrily. Let me sit down! Disturbs the cards on the table. Here you are, spreading your cards out. Have some tea!
Irina You are cross, Masha.
Masha If I am cross, then don’t talk to me. Don’t touch me!
Chebutikin Don’t touch her, don’t touch her.⁠ ⁠…
Masha You’re sixty, but you’re like a boy, always up to some beastly nonsense.
Natasha Sighs. Dear Masha, why use such expressions? With your beautiful exterior you would be simply fascinating in good society, I tell you so directly, if it wasn’t for your words. Je vous prie, pardonnez moi, Marie, mais vous avez des manières un peu grossières.
Tuzenbach Restraining his laughter. Give me⁠ ⁠… give me⁠ ⁠… there’s some cognac, I think.
Natasha Il parait, que mon Bobick déjà ne dort pas, he has awakened. He isn’t well today. I’ll go to him, excuse me⁠ ⁠… Exit.
Irina Where has Alexander Ignateyevitch gone?
Masha Home. Something extraordinary has happened to his wife again.
Tuzenbach Goes to Soleni with a cognac-flask in his hands. You go on sitting by yourself, thinking of something⁠—goodness knows what. Come and let’s make peace. Let’s have some cognac. They drink. I expect I’ll have to play the piano all night, some rubbish most likely⁠ ⁠… well, so be it!
Soleni Why make peace? I haven’t quarrelled with you.
Tuzenbach You always make me feel as if something has taken place between us. You’ve a strange character, you must admit.
Soleni Declaims. “I am strange, but who is not? Don’t be angry, Aleko!”
Tuzenbach And what has Aleko to do with it? Pause.
Soleni When I’m with one other man I behave just like everybody else, but in company I’m dull and shy and⁠ ⁠… talk all manner of rubbish. But I’m more honest and more honourable than very, very many people. And I can prove it.
Tuzenbach I often get angry with you, you always fasten on to me in company, but I like you all the same. I’m going to drink my fill tonight, whatever happens. Drink, now!
Soleni Let’s drink. They drink. I never had anything against you, Baron. But my character is like Lermontov’s In a low voice. I even rather resemble Lermontov, they say.⁠ ⁠… Takes a scent-bottle from his pocket, and scents his hands.
Tuzenbach I’ve sent in my resignation. Basta! I’ve been thinking about it for five years, and at last made up my mind. I shall work.
Soleni Declaims. “Do not be angry, Aleko⁠ ⁠… forget, forget, thy dreams of yore.⁠ ⁠…”
While he is speaking Andrey enters quietly with a book, and sits by the table.
Tuzenbach I shall work.
Chebutikin Going with Irina into the dining-room. And the food was also real Caucasian onion soup, and, for a roast, some chehartma.
Soleni Cheremsha3 isn’t meat at all, but a plant something like an onion.
Chebutikin No, my angel. Chehartma isn’t onion, but roast mutton.
Soleni And I tell you, chehartma⁠—is a sort of onion.
Chebutikin And I tell you, chehartma⁠—is mutton.
Soleni And I tell you, cheremsha⁠—is a sort of onion.
Chebutikin What’s the use of arguing! You’ve never been in the Caucasus, and never ate any chehartma.
Soleni I never ate it, because I hate it. It smells like garlic.
Andrey Imploring. Please, please! I ask you!
Tuzenbach When are the entertainers coming?
Irina They promised for about nine; that is, quite soon.
Tuzenbach

Embraces Andrey.

“Oh my house, my house, my new-built house.”

Andrey Dances and sings. “Newly-built of maple-wood.”
Chebutikin

Dances.

“Its walls are like a sieve!”

Laughter.

Tuzenbach Kisses Andrey. Hang it all, let’s drink. Andrey, old boy, let’s drink with you. And I’ll go with you, Andrey, to the University of Moscow.
Soleni Which one? There are two universities in Moscow.
Andrey There’s one university in Moscow.
Soleni Two, I tell you.
Andrey Don’t care if there are three. So much the better.
Soleni There are two universities in Moscow! There are murmurs and “hushes.” There are two universities in Moscow, the old one and the new one. And if you don’t like to listen, if my words annoy you, then I need not speak. I can even go into another room.⁠ ⁠… Exit.
Tuzenbach Bravo, bravo! Laughs. Come on, now. I’m going to play. Funny man, Soleni.⁠ ⁠… Goes to the piano and plays a waltz.
Masha Dancing solo. The Baron’s drunk, the Baron’s drunk, the Baron’s drunk!
Natasha comes in.
Natasha To Chebutikin. Ivan Romanovitch!
Says something to Chebutikin, then goes out quietly; Chebutikin touches Tuzenbach on the shoulder and whispers something to him.
Irina What is it?
Chebutikin Time for us to go. Goodbye.
Tuzenbach Good night. It’s time we went.
Irina But, really, the entertainers?
Andrey In confusion. There won’t be any entertainers. You see, dear, Natasha says that Bobby isn’t quite well, and so.⁠ ⁠… In a word, I don’t care, and it’s absolutely all one to me.
Irina Shrugging her shoulders. Bobby ill!
Masha What is she thinking of! Well, if they are sent home, I suppose they must go. To Irina. Bobby’s all right, it’s she herself.⁠ ⁠… Here! Taps her forehead. Little bourgeoise!
Andrey goes to his room through the right-hand door, Chebutikin follows him. In the dining-room they are saying goodbye.
Fedotik What a shame! I was expecting to spend the evening here, but of course, if the little baby is ill⁠ ⁠… I’ll bring him some toys tomorrow.
Rode Loudly. I slept late after dinner today because I thought I was going to dance all night. It’s only nine o’clock now!
Masha Let’s go into the street, we can talk there. Then we can settle things.
Goodbyes and good nights are heard. Tuzenbach’s merry laughter is heard. (All go out.) Anfisa and the maid clear the table, and put out the lights. (The nurse sings.) Andrey, wearing an overcoat and a hat, and Chebutikin enter silently.
Chebutikin I never managed to get married because my life flashed by like lightning, and because I was madly in love with your mother, who was married.
Andrey One shouldn’t marry. One shouldn’t, because it’s dull.
Chebutikin So there I am, in my loneliness. Say what you will, loneliness is a terrible thing, old fellow.⁠ ⁠… Though really⁠ ⁠… of course, it absolutely doesn’t matter!
Andrey Let’s be quicker.
Chebutikin What are you in such a hurry for? We shall be in time.
Andrey I’m afraid my wife may stop me.
Chebutikin Ah!
Andrey I shan’t play tonight, I shall only sit and look on. I don’t feel very well.⁠ ⁠… What am I to do for my asthma, Ivan Romanovitch?
Chebutikin Don’t ask me! I don’t remember, old fellow, I don’t know.
Andrey Let’s go through the kitchen. They go out.
A bell rings, then a second time; voices and laughter are heard.
Irina Enters. What’s that?
Anfisa Whispers. The entertainers! Bell.
Irina Tell them there’s nobody at home, nurse. They must excuse us.
Anfisa goes out. Irina walks about the room deep in thought; she is excited. Soleni enters.
Soleni In surprise. There’s nobody here.⁠ ⁠… Where are they all?
Irina They’ve gone home.
Soleni How strange. Are you here alone?
Irina Yes, alone. A pause. Goodbye.
Soleni Just now I behaved tactlessly, with insufficient reserve. But you are not like all the others, you are noble and pure, you can see the truth.⁠ ⁠… You alone can understand me. I love you, deeply, beyond measure, I love you.
Irina Goodbye! Go away.
Soleni I cannot live without you. Follows her. Oh, my happiness! Through his tears. Oh, joy! Wonderful, marvellous, glorious eyes, such as I have never seen before.⁠ ⁠…
Irina Coldly. Stop it, Vassili Vassilevitch!
Soleni This is the first time I speak to you of love, and it is as if I am no longer on the earth, but on another planet. Wipes his forehead. Well, never mind. I can’t make you love me by force, of course⁠ ⁠… but I don’t intend to have any more-favoured rivals.⁠ ⁠… No⁠ ⁠… I swear to you by all the saints, I shall kill my rival.⁠ ⁠… Oh, beautiful one!
Natasha enters with a candle; she looks in through one door, then through another, and goes past the door leading to her husband’s room.
Natasha Here’s Andrey. Let him go on reading. Excuse me, Vassili Vassilevitch, I did not know you were here; I am engaged in domesticities.
Soleni It’s all the same to me. Goodbye! Exit.
Natasha You’re so tired, my poor dear girl! Kisses Irina. If you only went to bed earlier.
Irina Is Bobby asleep?
Natasha Yes, but restlessly. By the way, dear, I wanted to tell you, but either you weren’t at home, or I was busy⁠ ⁠… I think Bobby’s present nursery is cold and damp. And your room would be so nice for the child. My dear, darling girl, do change over to Olga’s for a bit!
Irina Not understanding. Where?
The bells of a troika are heard as it drives up to the house.
Natasha You and Olga can share a room, for the time being, and Bobby can have yours. He’s such a darling; today I said to him, “Bobby, you’re mine! Mine!” And he looked at me with his dear little eyes. A bell rings. It must be Olga. How late she is! The maid enters and whispers to Natasha. Protopopov? What a queer man to do such a thing. Protopopov’s come and wants me to go for a drive with him in his troika. Laughs. How funny these men are.⁠ ⁠… A bell rings. Somebody has come. Suppose I did go and have half an hour’s drive.⁠ ⁠… To the maid. Say I shan’t be long. Bell rings. Somebody’s ringing, it must be Olga. Exit.
The maid runs out; Irina sits deep in thought; Kuligin and Olga enter, followed by Vershinin.
Kuligin Well, there you are. And you said there was going to be a party.
Vershinin It’s queer; I went away not long ago, half an hour ago, and they were expecting entertainers.
Irina They’ve all gone.
Kuligin Has Masha gone too? Where has she gone? And what’s Protopopov waiting for downstairs in his troika? Whom is he expecting?
Irina Don’t ask questions⁠ ⁠… I’m tired.
Kuligin Oh, you’re all whimsies.⁠ ⁠…
Olga My committee meeting is only just over. I’m tired out. Our chairwoman is ill, so I had to take her place. My head, my head is aching.⁠ ⁠… Sits. Andrey lost 200 roubles at cards yesterday⁠ ⁠… the whole town is talking about it.⁠ ⁠…
Kuligin Yes, my meeting tired me too. Sits.
Vershinin My wife took it into her head to frighten me just now by nearly poisoning herself. It’s all right now, and I’m glad; I can rest now.⁠ ⁠… But perhaps we ought to go away? Well, my best wishes, Feodor Ilitch, let’s go somewhere together! I can’t, I absolutely can’t stop at home.⁠ ⁠… Come on!
Kuligin I’m tired. I won’t go. Gets up. I’m tired. Has my wife gone home?
Irina I suppose so.
Kuligin Kisses Irina’s hand. Goodbye, I’m going to rest all day tomorrow and the day after. Best wishes! Going. I should like some tea. I was looking forward to spending the whole evening in pleasant company and⁠—o, fallacem hominum spem!⁠ ⁠… Accusative case after an interjection.⁠ ⁠…
Vershinin Then I’ll go somewhere by myself. Exit with Kuligin, whistling.
Olga I’ve such a headache⁠ ⁠… Andrey has been losing money.⁠ ⁠… The whole town is talking.⁠ ⁠… I’ll go and lie down. Going. I’m free tomorrow.⁠ ⁠… Oh, my God, what a mercy! I’m free tomorrow, I’m free the day after.⁠ ⁠… Oh my head, my head.⁠ ⁠… Exit.
Irina Alone. They’ve all gone. Nobody’s left.
A concertina is being played in the street. The nurse sings.
Natasha In fur coat and cap, steps across the dining-room, followed by the maid. I’ll be back in half an hour. I’m only going for a little drive. Exit.
Irina Alone in her misery. To Moscow! Moscow! Moscow!