Complete Works of Anton Chekhov

SCENE III.

PLATONOV and MARKO.

PLATONOV. What can I do for you? Whom do you want? (Rises.)

MARKO. For your Honour... (Takes a -paper from his wallet.) A summons for you, Sir...

PLATONOV. Ah . . . Very good... What sort of summons? From whom?

MARKO. From Ivan Andreitch, justice of the peace. . . .

PLATONOV. H’M . . . Justice of the peace? What’s up? Give it here! (Takes the surnmons.) I don’t understand. ... Is he inviting me to a baptism? He’s as fertile as a grasshopper, the old sinner! (Reads.) “In the quality of the defendant in the case of the active affront against the daughter of the State Councilor, Marya Efimovna Grekova.” (Laughs.) Ah, the deuce take it! When will this case take place? The day after tomorrow? Very well, I’ll come... Tell the elder that I’ll come. ... A clever girl, by God, a clever girl! A smart wench! She should have done it long ago!

MARKO. A receipt, please!

PLATONOV. A receipt? Allow me to ... Do you know, brother, you look startlingly like a shot duck! MARKO. Can’t say that . . .

PLATONOV (sitting down by the table). What do you resemble then?

MARKO. I’m made in God’s own image... [I’m a Christian, Sir, and I’ve served God and the Tsar a full twenty-five years... I’ve taken the oath on the Holy Gospels. . . .]

PLATONOV. So . . . You’ve served under Tsar Nicholas?

MARKO. Just so. After the Sebastopol campaign I got my discharge papers... Besides my service, I spent four years in a hospital bed. ... A non-commissioned officer, Sir. ... In the artillery...

PLATONOV. So . . . Were the guns good? MARKO. The common sort. ... Of round diameter. . . .

PLATONOV. May I use a pencil? MARKO. Yes . . . Received such and such a summons... Then your name, paternity, and so on.

PLATONOV (rising). Here it is. Well, what about your justice of the peace? Is he still playing at cards? MARKO. Quite so.

PLATONOV. From five o’clock in the evening till five o’clock the next evening? MARKO. Quite so.

PLATONOV. He hasn’t gambled away his chain yet? MARKO. Not at all, Sir. . . .

PLATONOV. Tell him . . . No matter, don’t tell him anything. Of course he doesn’t pay his gambling losses... He goes on playing, the stupid fellow, gets into debt, and has a whole pack of children... Who are the witnesses? Who else is getting the summons?

MARKO (looking through his papers and reading). “To Doctor Nikolai Ivanovitch Triletzky . . .”

PLATONOV. Triletzky? (Laughs.) It’ll be a comedy! And who else?

MARKO (reading). “To Mr. Kiryl Porfiritch Glagol- yev; to Mr. Alfonse Ivanovitch Shrifter; his Honour, the retired cornet of the Guard, Maxim Egorovitch Aleutov; the son of the actual State Councilor, high-school student, Ivan Talyej the bachelor of the Saint Petersburg Neversity . . .”

PLATONOV. Is it actually written “Neversity” there? MARKO. Not at all.

PLATONOV. Why, then, do you read it like that? MARKO. Just from ignorance... (Reads.) “Uni . . . uni . . . neversity, Sergey Pavlovitch Voinit- zev; wife of the bachelor of the Saint Petersburg Uni . . . neversity, Sofya Egorovna, Mrs. Voinit- zev; the student of Kharkov Neversity, Isaac Abramitch Vengerovitch.” That’s all! . . .

PLATONOV. H’m . . . This is after tomorrow, and I must leave tomorrow. Too bad. It promises to be quite a case... H’m . . . It’s really too bad! I should have liked to satisfy her... (Walks up and down.’) Too bad. . . .

MARKO. Aren’t you going to treat me to the price of a drink, your Honour...

PLATONOV. Eh-h?

MARKO. A trifle for a drink... I’ve walked six miles. . . .

PLATONOV. For a drink? . . . It’s not necessary... But what am I saying? Very well, my dear fellow! I shan’t give you anything for a drink, but I’ll do better than that... It’ll be more convenient for me, and more sober for you... (Takes a tea-canister out of the cupboard.) Come here... It’s good, strong tea... What shall I put it in? MARKO (opening his pocket). Pour it in here...

PLATONOV. What, straight into the pocket? Won’t it give the tea a bad smell?

MARKO. Pour it in! Pour it in! Don’t you worry on that account!

PLATONOV (pouring the tea into the pocket). Enough?

MARKO. I thank you most humbly.

PLATONOV. What an old fellow you are. ... I like you old soldier boys! . . . You are the right sort! But even among you there are sometimes such terrible fellows. . . .

MARKO. To be sure, there are... God alone is without sin... Wishing you luck, Sir!

PLATONOV. Wait... Just a moment... (He sits down and writes on the summons.) “I kissed you then, because . . . because I felt irritated and didn’t know what I wanted. Now I would have kissed you as something sacred. I admit I acted like a beast. I’ve been a beast with everyone. Unfortunately, we shall not meet in the courtroom. Tomorrow I shall leave this place forever. I wish you happiness, and hope you will, at least, try and be just to me! I don’t ask you to forgive me!” (To Marko.) Do you know where Grekova lives?

MARKO. I know... Eight miles from here or so, if you ford the river.

PLATONOV. Oh, yes . . . She lives in Zhilkov... Take her this letter and you’ll get three silver pieces. Give it to the young lady herself, and don’t wait for an answer. ... If she gives you one, don’t take it... I want the letter delivered today. ... At once... Take it to her now, and you can deliver your other summonses afterward. (Paces up and down.)

MARKO. I understand.

PLATONOV. What else? Oh, yes! Tell everyone that I asked Grekova for forgiveness, and that she refused.

MARKO. I understand. The best of luck to you, Sir!

PLATONOV. Good-bye, my friend! Keep well! MARKO (exit).