Delphi Complete Works of Anton Chekhov

SCENE II.

SOFYA EGOROVNA and afterwards VOINITZEV.

SOFYA EGOROVNA. It’s terrible! Yesterday he gave me his word to appear at the cottage at ten o’clock, and didn’t show up. ... I waited until dawn for him. And he gave his word of honour! He doesn’t love me! [He doesn’t. Or he wouldn’t subject me to this torture. ... I love him only as a woman can love a man! I love even his faults. And he? {Pause.) No . . . he does love me... Something must have happened... Perhaps the school inspector had called him out into town... No, no . . . He didn’t come yesterday, he’ll come today. . . .

VOINITZEV {entering). I’ll lie down, perhaps I’ll manage to get to sleep. (Seeing Sofya Egorovna.) You ... in my room? In my study?

SOFYA EGOROVNA. I here? (Looks round her.) Yes • . . I’ve come in here not meaning to... (Goes to the door.)

VOINITZEV. One minute!

SOFYA EGOROVNA (stopping). Well?

VOINITZEV. Please give me two or three minutes.

• . . . You don’t mind staying three minutes here?

SOFYA EGOROVNA. Speak! Have you something to tell me? i VOINITZEV. Yes... (Pause.) The time is past when we two had not been strangers in this room. . . .

SOFYA EGOROVNA. Yes, it’s past.

VOINITZEV. Are you leaving?

SOFYA EGOROVNA. Yes.

VOINITZEV. H’M . . . Soon?

SOFYA EGOROVNA. Today.

VOINITZEV. With him?

SOFYA EGOROVNA. Yes.

VOINITZEV. I wish you happiness! (Pause.) Good material for happiness! Passions of the flesh and the unhappiness of another. The unhappiness of another is always a source for someone’s happiness! It’s an old story. ... A new lie is always more eagerly listened to than an old truth... God be with you! Live as you know best!

SOFYA EGOROVNA. YOU wanted to tell me something. VOINITZEV. Am I silent, then? Well, yes . . . This is what I wanted to say. ... I want to be perfectly clean before you, not be in your debt, and so I ask you to forgive me for my yesterday’s conduct... I said many rude, spiteful things to you yesterday... Forgive me, please... You do forgive me?

SOFYA EGOROVNA. I forgive you. (Starts to go out.) VOINITZEV. Don’t go yet. I haven’t said all I wanted to say! One thing more. (He sighs.) I’m mad, Sofya! I’m not strong enough to withstand this terrible shock... I’m mad, but I’m still able to understand everything. In the immeasurable fog of my mind there’s one bright spot, which enables me to understand everything... When this one bright spot leaves me, then . . . that will mean, I’m lost forever. I understand everything... (Pause.) I am now standing in my study. This study once belonged to my father, His Excellency, Major-General Voinitzev, Cavalier of St. George, a great and splendid man! They saw only the spots on him... They saw how he beat people and stamped on them, but how they beat him and stamped on him, no one wanted to see... (Points to Sofya Egorovna.) This is my ex-wife.

SOFYA EGOROVNA (trying to leave). VOINITZEV. Don’t go yet. Allow me to finish! I speak stupidly, but you must hear me to the end . . . after all, it’s the last time!

SOFYA EGOROVNA. Why, you’ve said everything... What else can you say? We must part... What is there to say? You want to show that I’m guilty before you? Don’t waste the effort! I know what I ought to think of myself... VOINITZEV. What can I say? Oh, Sofya, Sofya! You know nothing! Nothing. Or else you wouldn’t look at me with such scorn! [It’s terrible just to remember it! Do you know, what happened yesterday? Yesterday I almost killed Platonov! I brought a knife with me! If he hadn’t awakened, I would have killed him. I went for the sleeping, unarmed man with a knife in my hand!

SOFYA EGOROVNA. When? VOINITZEV. Last evening! He saw!

SOFYA EGOROVNA (sits down and covers her face). What happened?

VOINITZEV. I wanted to kill him for taking my wife from me! I didn’t want to let you go to him easily! If he hadn’t awakened I would have killed him with that accursed dagger!] Ah, you don’t know what’s transpiring in my soul . . . it’s something horrible! (Falls on his knees before her.) Think of what you are doing, Sofya! Where are you goading me on . . . and yourself? For God’s sake, have pity! I’ll go out of my mind! Stay with me! I’ll forget everything, and I’ve already forgiven you. ... I shall be your slave, I shall love you. ... I shall love you as I have not loved before! I shall give you happiness! You shall be happy with me as a goddess! He’s not the man to give you happiness! You’ll only ruin yourself, and ruin him! You’ll ruin Platonov, Sofya! ... I know that one can’t be loving by force, but stay! You’ll be gay again... You are so deathly pale now, so unhappy... Again I’ll be a human being, and he’ll come and see us . . . Platonov! Please stay! We’ll bring back the past, before it’s too late! Platonov will agree. ... I know him... He doesn’t love you... It’s just that you gave yourself to him, and he took you. . . .

(.He rises.) Are you crying?

SOFYA EGOROVNA [rising). Don’t take these tears to your account! Perhaps, Platonov will agree. Let him agree! (Sharply.) You’re all nasty people! Where’s Platonov?

VOINITZEV. I don’t know where he is.

SOFYA EGOROVNA. Leave me in peace, won’t you! I hate you! Get out! Where’s Platonov? What nasty people... Where is he? [Did you frighten him away with your knife.?] I hate you!

VOINITZEV. Why?

SOFYA EGOROVNA. [You wanted to kill a sleeping man. Why, then, didn’t you kill him when he awoke? Was it because a man awake is more dangerous than a man asleep?] Where is he?

VOINITZEV. I gave him some money, and he promised to go away.

SOFYA EGOROVNA. You bribed him? Why do you lie?

VOINITZEV. I gave him a thousand roubles, and he renounced you. Well, I am lying! It’s all a lie! Don’t believe me, for God’s sake! This accursed Platonov is alive and well. Go, take him, exchange kisses with him! . . . No, I didn’t bribe him! But surely, will you . . . will he ... be happy? And this is my wife, my Sofya... What does it all mean? I can’t believe it even now! Are you on platonic relations with him? Did it get to . . . the last stage?

SOFYA EGOROVNA. I am his wife, his mistress. What more do you want? (Starts to go.) Why do you hold me? I haven’t the time to listen to all sorts of . . . VOINITZEV. Wait, Sofya! So you’re his mistress? Y6U speak rather insolently! (Seizes her hand.) And you could do it! You could do it! (Enter Anna Petrovna.)

SOFYA EGOROVNA. Leave me in peace! (Exit.)