The Storm

KATERINA and BORIS.

BORIS (not seeing Katerina).

My God! It's her voice! Where is she? (Looks round.)

KATERINA (runs to him and falls on his neck).

At last I see you again! (Weeps on his bosom. Silence.)

BORIS.

We are weeping together, God has brought us together.

KATERINA.

You have not forgotten me?

BORIS.

Me forget you? Don't!

KATERINA.

Oh no, oh no! You're not angry?

BORIS.

How could I be angry?

KATERINA.

Forgive me, anyway! I did not mean to harm you; but I was not free myself.

I did not know what I was doing, what I was saying.

BORIS.

Oh don't! how can you! how can you!

KATERINA.

Well, how is it with you? how are you now?

BORIS.

I am going away.

KATERINA.

Where are you going?

BORIS.

Far away, Katia, to Siberia.

KATERINA.

Take me with you, away from here!

BORIS. I cannot, Katia. I am not going of my own free will; my uncle is sending me, he has the horses waiting for me already; I only begged for a minute, I wanted to take a last farewell of the spot where we used to see each other.

KATERINA. Go and God be with you! Don't grieve over me. At first your heart will be heavy perhaps, poor boy, and then you will begin to forget.

BORIS. Why talk of me! I am free at least; how about you? what of your husband's mother?

KATERINA. She tortures me, she locks me up. She tells everyone and tells my husband: 'don't trust her, she's sly and deceitful.' They all follow me about all day long and laugh at me before my face. At every word they reproach me with you.

BORIS.

And your husband?

KATERINA. One minute he's kind, one minute he's angry, but he's drinking all the while. He is loathsome to me, loathsome; his kindness is worse than his blows.

BORIS.

You are wretched, Katia?

KATERINA.

So wretched, so wretched, that it were better to die!

BORIS. Who could have dreamed that we should have to suffer such anguish for our love! I'd better have run away then!

KATERINA. It was an evil day for me when I saw you. Joy I have known little of, but of sorrow, of sorrow, how much! And how much is still before me! But why think of what is to be! I am seeing you now, that they cannot take away from me; and I care for nothing more. All I wanted was to see you. Now my heart is much easier; as though a load had been taken off me. I kept thinking you were angry with me, that you were cursing me….

BORIS.

How can you! How can you!

KATERINA. No, that's not what I mean; that's not what I wanted to say! I was sick with longing for you, that's it; and now, I have seen you….

BORIS.

They must not come upon us here!