The Collected Works of Anton Chekhov - Anton Chekhov

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How can I say? I can’t say straight away without a counting-board, George Petrovich.

      VOYNITSKY: I’ll fetch you a counting-board, if you must have one… .

      (Goes out and returns with a counting-board.)

      ORLOVSKY: Ducky, is your brother quite well?

      JULIE: Thank God he is. Godpa dear, where did you buy that nice tie?

      ORLOVSKY: In town, at Kirpichov’s.

      JULIE: How pretty! I’ll buy one like it for Lennie.

      VOYNITSKY: Here’s the counting-board.

      (JULIE sits down and raps the beads on the counting-board.)

      ORLOVSKY: What a splendid manager God has given Lennie! A wee thing, hardly visible, and see how she works away! See!

      FYODOR: Yes, and he’s only lounging about, smoothing his cheek. Idler!

      JULIE: Now, you have confused my reckoning.

      VOYNITSKY: Come, let’s go to some other room. Into the hall. It’s so dull here… . (Yawning.)

      ORLOVSKY: Well, let’s go into the hall. … I don’t mind… . [They go out by the left door.

      JULIE (alone: after a pause): Fedya dressed as a Circassian… That’s what happens when parents fail to give the right direction. There’s no handsomer man in the whole district, clever, rich, and yet no earthly good… Hopeless…

      (Raps on the counting-board.)

      ENTER SONYA.

      SCENE V

       Table of Contents

      JULIE AND SONYA

      SONYA: You’re here, Julie dear? I didn’t know… .

      JULIE (kissing her): My dear!

      SONYA: What are you doing? Counting? What an admirable manager you are — the mere sight of you makes me envious! Julie dear, why don’t you marry?

      JULIE: You see… One or two men have been suggested to me, but I have refused. A real suitor would not want to marry me! (Sighing.) No!

      SONYA: But why?

      JULIE: I am an uneducated girl. I was taken from the high school in my second year.

      SONYA: But why did they take you away, Julie dear?

      JULIE: For incapacity. (SONYA laughs.)

      JULIE: Why do you laugh, Sonya?

      SONYA: There’s something queer going on in my head… . Juli? dear, I am so happy to-day, so happy, that I feel even bored by my happiness. … I don’t know what to do with myself… Now let’s talk of something, come… Have you ever been in love? (JULIE nods her head.) Yes? Is he interesting? (JULIE whispers in her ear.) Who? Fyodor?

      JULIE (nodding her head): And you?

      SONYA: I, too … only not with Fyodor. (Laughing.) Go on, tell me more… .

      JULIE: I have wanted to have a talk with you for a long time, Sonechka.

      SONYA: Please do.

      JULIE: I want to make things clear… You see… . Truly I’ve always been well disposed towards you. … I have many girl friends, but you are the very best of them all. If you were to say to me, Julie, give me ten horses, or, say, two hundred sheep, I would do it with pleasure. … To you I should grudge nothing… .

      SONYA: Why are you blushing, Julie?

      JULIE: I’m rather shy of … I … I am sincerely well disposed towards you. You are the very best of them all … not proud… What a pretty print you are wearing!

      SONYA: We’ll talk of the print later… Go on… .

      JULIE (getting up): I don’t know how it’s done among clever people… Allow me to propose to you… Make me happy. … I mean … I mean … I mean … marry Lennie. (Covering her face.)

      SONYA (getting up): We’d better not talk about it, Julie dear… No, we’d better not… .

      ENTER ELENA ANDREYEVNA.

      SCENE VI

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      THE SAME AND ELENA ANDREYEVNA

      ELENA ANDREYEVNA: There’s simply no place to sit in. The two Orlovskys and George are lounging about all over the house, and whatever room I go into, they’re there. It’s simply exasperating. What do they want here? Why don’t they go somewhere else?

      JULIE (through tears): How do you do, Elena Andreyevna?

      (About to kiss her.)

      ELENA ANDREYEVNA: How do you do, Julie dear? Forgive me, I don’t like continual kissing. Sonya, what’s your father doing? (A pause.) Sonya, why don’t you answer me? Iask you: what’s your father doing? (A pause.) Sonya, why don’t you answer me?

      SONYA: You want to know? Come here… (Taking her aside) Well, I’ll tell you… My heart feels too pure to-day to allow me to talk to you and go on dissembling. Here, take this! (Handing her a letter.) I found it in the garden. Julie, come, let’s go!

      [Goes out with JULIE by the left door.

      SCENE VII

       Table of Contents

      ELENA ANDREYEVNA, AND THEN FYODOR IVANOVICH

      ELENA ANDREYEVNA (alone): What? A letter from George to me! But how am I to blame? Oh, how harsh and cruel of her! … Her heart feels so pure to-day that she can’t talk to me… My God, what an insult! My head is dizzy. … I shall drop! …

      FYODOR (coming out by the left door and crossing the stage): Why do you always start when you see me? (A pause.)

      H’m! … (Taking the letter from her hands and tearing it to pieces.) You must stop all this. You must think of me only.

      (A pause )

      ELENA ANDREYEVNA: What does that mean?

      FYODOR: It means that if I once pick out someone, it’s no use her trying to escape from my hands.

      ELENA ANDREYEVNA: No, it only means that you are an impudent fool.

      FYODOR: This evening at half-past seven you will be by the little bridge behind the garden and wait for me… Well?… I’ve nothing more to say to you… And so, my angel, until half-past seven! (Tries to take her arm. She gives him a slap on the face.) Forcibly expressed! …

      ELENA ANDREYEVNA: Off you gO!

      FYODOR: At your service… (Walking away and returning.) Iam touched… Let’s reason it out peacefully… You see… I’ve experienced everything in this world; I have even tasted goldfish soup once or twice… But I’ve never yet gone up in a balloon, nor ever once carried off learned professors’ wives… .

      ELENA ANDREYEVNA: GO!

      FYODOR: In a minute… I’ve experienced everything.… And because of that, there’s so much impudence in me that I simply don’t know what to do with myself. I mean, I am saying all this to you with this object, that if you ever happen to need a friend or a faithful dog, just turn to me… . Iam touched… .

      ELENA ANDREYEVNA:

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