BELIAYEV. That's right. What did you want to tell me?
KATYA. My young lady . . . Vera Alexandrovna, asked me . . . she wants to see you.
BELIAYEV. Ah! well, I'll go to her at once.
KATYA. No . . . she'll come here. She wants to have a talk with you.
BELIAYEV [with some surprise]. She wants to come here?
KATYA. Yes. . . . Here, you see. . . . Nobody comes in here. You won't be interrupted here. . . . [Sighs.] She likes you very much, Alexey Nikolaitch. . . . She's so kind. I'll go and fetch her. And you'll wait, won't you?
BELIAYEV. Of course, of course.
KATYA. In a minute. ... [Is going and stops.] Alexey Nikolaitch, is it true what they are saying, that you are leaving us?
BELIAYEV. I? No. . . . Who told you so?
KATYA. So you're not going away? Thank goodness! [In confusion.] We'll be back in a minute. [Goes out by door leading to the house.]
BELIAYEV [remains for some time without moving]. How strange it all is! Strange things are happening to me. I must say I never expected all this. . . . Vera loves me. . . . Natalya Petrovna knows it. ... Vera has confessed it herself. .. extraordinary! Vera .. . such a sweet, dear child; but. . . what's the meaning of this note? [Takes a scrap of paper out of his pocket.] From Natalya Petrovna ... in pencil. 'Don't go away, don't decide on anything till I have had a talk with you.' What does she want to talk about? [A pause.] Such idiotic ideas come into my head! I must say all this is very embarrassing. If anybody had told me a month ago that I . . .I . . . I simply can't get over that conversation with Natalya Petrovna, Why is my heart throbbing like this? And now Vera wants to see me. . . . What am I going to say to her? Anyway, I shall find out what's the matter. . . . Perhaps Natalya Petrovna's angry with me. . .. But whatever for? [Looks at the note again.] It's all queer, very queer.
[The door is opened softly. He quickly hides the note. VERA and KATYA appear in the doorway. He goes up to them. VERA is very pale, she does not raise her eyes, nor move from the spot.]
KATYA. Don't be afraid, miss, go up to him; I'll be on the look-out. Don't be afraid. [To BELIAYEV.] Oh! Alexey Nikolaitch! [She shuts the windows, goes out into the garden and closes the door behind her.]
BELIAYEV. Vera Alexandrovna... you wanted to see me. Come here, sit down here. [Takes her by the hand and leads her to the seat. VERA sits down.] That's it. [Looking at her with surprise.] You've been crying?
VERA [without looking up]. That doesn't matter. . . . I've come to beg you to forgive me, Alexey Nikolaitch.
BELIAYEV. What for?
VERA. I heard . . . you have had an unpleasant interview with Natalya Petrovna . . . you are going . . . you're being sent away.
BELIAYEV. Who told you that?
VERA. Natalya Petrovna herself. ... I met her just after you had been with her. . . . She told me you yourself are unwilling to stay. But I believe you are being sent away.
BELIAYEV. Tell me, do they know this in the house?
VERA. No . . . only Katya knows. ... I had to tell her. ... I wanted to see you, to beg you to forgive me. Imagine now how wretched I must be. ... I'm the cause of it, Alexey Nikolaitch, it's all my fault,
BELIAYEV. Your fault, Vera Alexandrovna?
VERA. I never could have thought. . . Natalya Petrovna. . . . But I don't blame her. Don't you blame me either.... This morning I was a silly child, but now. ... [Breaks off.]
BELIAYEV. Nothing's settled yet, Vera Alexandrovna. ... I may be staying.
VERA [sadly]. You say nothing's settled yet, Alexey Nikolaitch. . . . No, everything's settled, everything's over. See how you are with me now, and remember only yesterday, in the garden. . . . [A pause.] Ah! I see Natalya Petrovna has told you everything.
BELIAYEV [embarrassed]. Vera Alexandrovna . . . VERA. She has told you, I see it. ... She tried to catch me, and I, like a silly, fell into her trap. But she betrayed herself too. , . . I'm not such a child. [Dropping her voice.] Oh no!
BELIAYEV. What do you mean?
VERA [glancing at him]. Alexey Nikolaitch, did you really want to leave us yourself? BELIAYEV. Yes.
VERA. Why? [BELIAYEV is silent.] You don't answer? BELIAYEV. Vera Alexandrovna, you are not mistaken. . . . Natalya Petrovna told me everything. VERA [faintly]. What, for instance? BELIAYEV. Vera Alexandrovna ... I really can't. . . . You understand.
VERA. She told you perhaps that I love you? BELIAYEV [hesitating]. Yes. VERA [quickly]. But it's untrue. . . . BELIAYEV [in confusion]. What! . . . VERA [hides her face in her hands and whispers in a toneless voice through her fingers]. Anyway, I didn't tell her that, I don't remember. . . . [Lifting her head.] Oh! how cruelly she has treated me! And you . . . you meant to go away because of that?
BELIAYEV. Vera Alexandrovna, only consider. . . . VERA [glancing at him]. He does not love me! [Hides her face again.]
BELIAYEV [sits down beside her and takes her hands]. Vera Alexandrovna, give me your hand. . . . Listen, there must not be misunderstandings between us. I love you as a sister; I love you because no one could help loving you. Forgive me if I ... I've never in my life been in such a position.... I can't bear to wound you. ... [She hides her face again.] I'm not going to pretend with you, I know that you like me, that you've grown fond of me. . . . But think, what can come of it? I'm only twenty, I haven't a farthing. Please don't be angry with me. I really don't know what to say.
VERA [taking her hands from her face and looking at him]. And as though I expected anything, my God! But why so cruelly, so heartlessly. . . . [She breaks off.]
BELIAYEV. Vera Alexandrovna, I didn't mean to hurt you.
VERA. I'm not blaming you, Alexey Nikolaitch. How are you to blame? It's all my fault. . . . And how I am punished! I don't blame her either, I know she's a kind-hearted woman but she couldn't help herself. .. . She didn't know what she was doing.
BELIAYEV [in amazement]. Didn't know what she was doing?
VERA [turning to him]. Natalya Petrovna loves you, Beliayev.
BELIAYEV. What?
VERA. She's in love with you.
BELIAYEV. What are you saying?
VERA. I know what I'm saying. To-day has made me years older. . . . I'm not a child now, believe me. She was actually jealous ... of me! [With a bitter smile..] What do you think of that?
BELIAYEV. But it's impossible!
VERA. Impossible. . . . Then why has she suddenly taken it into her head to marry me to that gentleman, what's his name, Bolshintsov? Why did she send the doctor to me, why did she try to persuade me to it herself? Oh! I know what I am saying! If you could have seen, Beliayev, how her whole face changed when I told her. . . . Oh! you can't imagine how cunningly, how treacherously she trapped me into admitting it. Yes, she's in love with you; it's only too evident. . . .
BELIAYEV. Vera Alexandrovna, you're mistaken, I assure you.
VERA. No, I'm not mistaken. I tell you I'm not mistaken. If she doesn't love you, why has she tortured me like this? What have I done to her? [Bitterly.] Jealousy is an excuse for anything. But what's the good of talking! And now why is she sending you away? She imagines that you . . . that we . . . Oh! she need not worry herself! You can stay! [Hides her face in her hands.]
BELIAYEV. She hasn't sent me away so far, Vera Alexandrovna. . . . As I've told you already, nothing is decided yet. . . .
