Delphi Complete Works of Anton Chekhov

SCENE V.

VOINITZEV and SOFYA (come out of the depths of the garden).

VOINITZEV [You don’t want to understand the sad position in which I find myself. I am suffering, Sofya! Your cold “yes” and “no” are a source of great unhappiness to me. You neither laugh nor smile, and are always silent as if you were thinking of something else. ... I am distressed by this mental obsession of yours, which appears to give you no rest. . . .] What are you thinking of? SOFYA EGOROVNA. Honestly, I don’t know.

VOINITZEV. You resent my help... Surely, I’m in a position to help you! What are all these secrets, Sofya? Secrets from your husband... H’m . . . ( They sit down.)

SOFYA EGOROVNA. Secrets? I myself don’t know what’s happening to me... Don’t torment yourself for nothing. Sergey! Don’t pay any attention to my spleen. [And forgive me for my “yes” and “no”. . . .] (Pause.) Let’s leave this place, Sergey!

VOINITZEV. Leave this place? SOFYA EGOROVNA. Yes.

VOINITZEV. Why?

SOFYA EGOROVNA. I’d like to... Let’s go abroad. Say yes.

VOINITZEV. You’d like that... But why? SOFYA EGOROVNA. It’s very nice here, and gay too, but I can’t . . . Everything is quite all right here, only . . . we ought to go... You promised not to cross-examine me.

VOINITZEV. We shall leave tomorrow. Tomorrow will be our last day here. (Kisses her hand.) You’re bored here! I can understand that too. I understand. The deuce knows, what sort of people are here! The Petrins, the Stcherbooks . . . SOFYA EGOROVNA. They’re not to blame... Let’s not think about them... (Pause.)

VOINITZEV. Where do you women get all this boredom? Why be bored? (Kisses his wife’s cheek.) Enough! Cheer up, now! Live while there’s life! You ought to take Platonov’s recipe for boredom. Oh, that reminds me . . . why don’t you chat with him some times? He’s an amusing fellow! Have a heart-to-heart talk with him. You’ll feel the better for it. And chat with maman oftener . . . and with Triletzky... (He laughs.) Just chat with them, and don’t regard them condescendingly... You may have something to learn from them. ... I recommend them to you, because they are people to my taste. I love them. You will also learn to love them when you know them better.

ANNA PETROVNA (from the window). Sergey! Sergey! Who’s there? Call Sergey Pavlovitch!

VOINITZEV. At your service.

ANNA PETROVNA. YOU there? I want you for a minute.

VOINITZEV. At once. {To Sofya Egorozma.) We’ll leave here tomorrow, unless you change your mind!

(He enters the housed)

SOFYA EGOROVNA (after a pause). This is a real misfortune! I am already in a state where for days I can’t think of my husband. I forget his very existence, and his words have no meaning for me... It’s become a burden... What am I to do? (Becomes thoughtful.) It’s terrible! And it’s such a short time since the wedding... It’s always that . . . Pla- tonov! I have neither the strength nor the character, nothing, to withstand that man! He follows me around from morning till night, looks for me, does not give me any peace when he gazes at me with his understanding eyes... It’s terrible . . . and how stupid! I can’t be responsible for myself! If he takes but a single step . . . anything may happen!