The Collected Works of Anton Chekhov - Anton Chekhov

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Elena Andreyevna, with which the whole district rang, turns out to be an abominable, dirty slander. … I believed that slander and slandered along with the rest; I hated, despised, insulted… .

      DYADIN: That’s certainly wrong.

      KHROUSCHOV: The first person whose word I ^ook was your brother, Julie dear. Yes, I too am a fine fellow! I believed your brother, whom I don’t respect; and disbelieved the woman, who before my very eyes was sacrificing herself. Imore readily believe evil than good, and see no further than my nose. And this means that I am as stupid as the rest.

      DYADIN (to JULIE): Come, let’s go to the mill, my dear. Let the cross baby work here, and we will go for a walk… . Work away, Misha, old chap! [Goes out with JULIE.

      KHROUSCHOV (alone; mixing the colours in a saucer): One night I saw him leaning his face against her hand. In his diary, that night is described in full; he tells how I came there, what I said to him. He quotes my words and calls me a fool and narrow-minded. (A pause.) … It’s too thick! … It should be thinner… And then he blames Sonya for having fallen in love with me… She never loved me… Now, there’s a blot… (Scraping the paper with a knife.) If even I admit that there’s some truth in it, yet I must not think of it… It began foolishly, and ended foolishly… (SEMYON and the labourers bring in a large table.) What’s this? What’s it for?

      SEMYON: Ilya Ilyich told us to bring it in. Company is coming from the Zheltoukhin estate to have tea here.

      KHROUSCHOV: All right. No work for me now… I’ll pack up my things and go home.

      Enter ZHELTOUKHIN with SONYA on his arm.

      SCENE VI

       Table of Contents

      KHROUSCHOV, ZHELTOUKHIN, AND SONYA

      ZHELTOUKHIN (singing): “Unwillingly to these shores am I drawn by an unknown power.”

      KHROUSCHOV: Who’s there? Eh?

      (Hastily packing his case of instruments.)

      ZHELTOUKHIN: One more question, dear Sophie… . Do you remember that day you lunched at our house, my birthday? Do own that you laughed then at my appearance.

      SONYA: Leonid Stepanych, how can you say such a thing? Ilaughed for no reason.

      ZHELTOUKHIN (noticing KHROUSCHOV): Oh, you too are here! How do you do?

      KHROUSCHOV: How do you do?

      ZHELTOUKHIN: You’re working away! Splendid! … Where’s Waffle?

      KHROUSCHOV: There… .

      ZHELTOUKHIN: Where’s there?

      KHROUSCHOV: I think I speak quite clearly… There, at the mill.

      ZHELTOUKHIN: I’d better ask him to come here. (Walking away and singing) “Unwillingly to these shores …”

      [Goes out.

      SONYA: How do you do? …

      KHROUSCHOV: How do you do?

      SONYA: What are you drawing?

      KHROUSCHOV: Oh! … nothing interesting.

      SONYA: Is it a plan?

      KHROUSCHOV: No, it’s a map showing the forests of our district. (After a pause.) I’ve mapped them out. The green colour indicates the places vyhere there were forests during the time of our grandfathers and before them; the bright green, where forests have been cut down during the last twenty-five years; and the blue, where there are forests still left intact… Yes… (A pause.) Well, and how are you? Are you happy?

      SONYA: This is not the time, Mikhail Lvovich, to think of happiness.

      KHROUSCHOV: What else is there to think of?

      SONYA: Our sorrow came only because we thought too much of happiness.

      KHROUSCHOV (after a pause): So!

      SONYA: There’s no evil without some good in it. Sorrow has taught me this, that one must forget one’s own happiness and think only of the happiness of others. One’s whole life should consist of sacrifices… .

      KHROUSCHOV (after a pause): Yes… Marie Vassilievna’s son shot himself, and she goes on searching for contradictions in her little books. A great misfortune befell yourself, and you’re pampering your self-love: you are trying to distort your life and you think this a sacrifice… No one has a heart… Neither you nor I… Quite the wrong things are being done, and everything goes to waste… I’ll go away presently and won’t be in your way and Zheltoukhin’s.… Why are you crying? I did not at all mean to make you cry.

      SONYA: Never mind, never mind… .

      (Wiping away her tears.)

      ENTER JULIE, DYADIN, AND ZHELTOUKHIN.

      SCENE VII

       Table of Contents

      THE SAME, JULIE, DYADIN, ZHELTOUKHIN, AND THEN SEREBRYAKOV AND ORLOVSKY

      SEREBRYAKOV’S VOICE: Hallo! Where are you all?

      SONYA (crying out): We’re here, papa!

      DYADIN: They’re bringing the samovar! That is fascinating! (He and JULIE arrange things on the table.)

      Enter SEREBRYAKOV and ORLOVSKY.

      SONYA: Here, papa!

      SEREBRYAKOV: I see, I see! …

      ZHELTOUKHIN (aloud): Gentlemen, I declare the sitting open! Waffle, uncork the liqueur.

      KHROUSCHOV (to SEREBRYAKOV): Professor, let us forget what has occurred between us! (Holding out his hands) I beg you to forgive me… .

      SEREBRYAKOV: I thank you. I am very glad. You too must forgive me. When the next day after that incident I tried to think over all that had taken place and recalled our conversation, I felt very upset… Let us be friends.

      (Taking his arm and going to the table.)

      ORLOVSKY: You should have done this long ago, dear soul.A bad peace is better than a good quarrel.

      DYADIN: Your Excellency, I am delighted that it pleased you to honour my oasis. Inexpressibly delighted!

      SEREBRYAKOV: Thank you, my dear sir. Indeed, it is a fine place. A real oasis!

      ORLOVSKY: And do you, Alexander, love nature?

      SEREBRYAKOV: Very much. (A pause.) Gentlemen, let us not keep silent, let us talk. In our position that is the best thing to do. One must look misfortune straight and boldly in the face. I am more cheerful than any of you, and for this reason, that I am the most unhappy.

      JULIE: I shan’t add any sugar; have your tea with jam.

      DYADIN (bustling about among the company): How glad, how very glad I am!

      SEREBRYAKOV: Latterly, Mikhail Lvovich, I have gone through such a great deal and thought over things so much that I believe I could write a treatise, for the edification of posterity, on how to live. Live an age and learn an age, but it is misfortunes that teach us.

      DYADIN: He who remembers the evil past, should lose an eye. God is merciful; all will end well, (SONYA starts.)

      ZHELTOUKHIN I What made you start?

      SONYA: I heard a cry.

      DYADIN: It’s the peasants on the river catching crayfish.

      (Pause.)

      ZHELTOUKHIN:

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