new life will begin. … Pause. None of our plans are coming right. I didn’t want to be a headmistress, but they made me one, all the same. It means there’s no chance of Moscow. …
Vershinin
Well … thank you for everything. Forgive me if I’ve … I’ve said such an awful lot—forgive me for that too, don’t think badly of me.
Olga
Wipes her eyes. Why isn’t Masha coming …
Vershinin
What else can I say in parting? Can I philosophize about anything? Laughs. Life is heavy. To many of us it seems dull and hopeless, but still, it must be acknowledged that it is getting lighter and clearer, and it seems that the time is not far off when it will be quite clear. Looks at his watch. It’s time I went! Mankind used to be absorbed in wars, and all its existence was filled with campaigns, attacks, defeats, now we’ve outlived all that, leaving after us a great waste place, which there is nothing to fill with at present; but mankind is looking for something, and will certainly find it. Oh, if it only happened more quickly. Pause. If only education could be added to industry, and industry to education. Looks at his watch. It’s time I went. …
Olga
Here she comes.
Enter Masha.
Vershinin
I came to say goodbye. …
Olga steps aside a little, so as not to be in their way.
Masha
Looking him in the face. Goodbye. Prolonged kiss.
Olga
Don’t, don’t. Masha is crying bitterly.
Vershinin
Write to me. … Don’t forget! Let me go. … It’s time. Take her, Olga Sergeyevna … it’s time … I’m late …
He kisses Olga’s hand in evident emotion, then embraces Masha once more and goes out quickly.
Olga
Don’t, Masha! Stop, dear. … Kuligin enters.
Kuligin
Confused. Never mind, let her cry, let her. … My dear Masha, my good Masha. … You’re my wife, and I’m happy, whatever happens … I’m not complaining, I don’t reproach you at all. … Olga is a witness to it. Let’s begin to live again as we used to, and not by a single word, or hint …
Masha
Olga
Don’t, Masha, don’t … give her some water. …
Masha
I’m not crying any more. …
Kuligin
She’s not crying any more … she’s a good … A shot is heard from a distance.
Masha
Irina enters.
Olga
Be quiet, Masha. There’s a good girl. … Let’s go in.
Masha
Angrily. I shan’t go in there. Sobs, but controls herself at once. I’m not going to go into the house, I won’t go. …
Irina
Let’s sit here together and say nothing. I’m going away tomorrow. … Pause.
Kuligin
Yesterday I took away these whiskers and this beard from a boy in the third class. … He puts on the whiskers and beard. Don’t I look like the German master. … Laughs. Don’t I? The boys are amusing.
Masha
You really do look like that German of yours.
Olga
Laughs. Yes. Masha weeps.
Irina
Don’t, Masha!
Kuligin
It’s a very good likeness. …
Enter Natasha.
Natasha
To the maid. What? Mihail Ivanitch Protopopov will sit with little Sophie, and Andrey Sergeyevitch can take little Bobby out. Children are such a bother. … To Irina. Irina, it’s such a pity you’re going away tomorrow. Do stop just another week. Sees Kuligin and screams; he laughs and takes off his beard and whiskers. How you frightened me! To Irina. I’ve grown used to you and do you think it will be easy for me to part from you? I’m going to have Andrey and his violin put into your room—let him fiddle away in there!—and we’ll put little Sophie into his room. The beautiful, lovely child! What a little girlie! Today she looked at me with such pretty eyes and said “Mamma!”
Kuligin
A beautiful child, it’s quite true.
Natasha
That means I shall have the place to myself tomorrow. Sighs. In the first place I shall have that avenue of fir-trees cut down, then that maple. It’s so ugly at nights. … To Irina. That belt doesn’t suit you at all, dear. … It’s an error of taste. And I’ll give orders to have lots and lots of little flowers planted here, and they’ll smell. … Severely. Why is there a fork lying about here on the seat? Going towards the house, to the maid. Why is there a fork lying about here on the seat, I say? Shouts. Don’t you dare to answer me!
Kuligin
Temper! temper! A march is played off; they all listen.
Olga
They’re going.
Chebutikin comes in.
Masha
They’re going. Well, well. … Bon voyage! To her husband. We must be going home. … Where’s my coat and hat?
Kuligin
I took them in … I’ll bring them, in a moment.
Olga
Yes, now we can all go home. It’s time.
Chebutikin
Olga Sergeyevna!
Olga
What is it? Pause. What is it?
Chebutikin
Nothing … I don’t know how to tell you. … Whispers to her.
Olga
Frightened. It can’t be true!
Chebutikin
Yes … such a story … I’m tired out, exhausted, I won’t say any more. … Sadly. Still, it’s all the same!
Masha
What’s happened?
Olga
Embraces Irina. This is a terrible day … I don’t know how to tell you, dear. …
Irina
What is it? Tell me quickly, what is it? For God’s sake! Cries.
Chebutikin
The Baron was killed in the duel just now.
Irina
Cries softly. I knew it, I
Restraining her sobs.
“There stands a green oak by the sea,
And a chain of bright gold is around it. …
And a chain of bright gold is around it. …”
I’m going off my head … “There stands … a green oak … by the sea.” …
“There stands a green oak by the sea,
And a chain of bright gold is around it …
An oak of green gold. …”
I’m mixing it up. … Drinks some water. Life is dull … I don’t want anything more now … I’ll be all right in a moment. … It doesn’t matter. … What do those lines mean? Why do they run in my head? My thoughts are all tangled.
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