The Cherry Orchard

takes no notice of me. Bless the man, it makes me miserable to see him.⁠ ⁠… Everyone’s talking of our being married, everyone’s congratulating me, and all the while there’s really nothing in it; it’s all like a dream. In another tone. You have a new brooch like a bee. Anya Mournfully. Mamma bought it. Goes into her own room and in a lighthearted childish tone. And you know, in Paris I went up in a balloon! Varya My darling’s home again! My pretty is home again! Dunyasha returns with the coffeepot and is making the coffee. Varya Standing at the door. All day long, darling, as I go about looking after the house, I keep dreaming all the time. If only we could marry you to a rich man, then I should feel more at rest. Then I would go off by myself on a pilgrimage to Kiev, to Moscow⁠ ⁠… and so I would spend my life going from one holy place to another.⁠ ⁠… I would go on and on.⁠ ⁠… What bliss! Anya The birds are singing in the garden. What time is it? Varya It must be nearly three. It’s time you were asleep, darling going into Anya’s room. What bliss! Yasha enters with a rug and a travelling bag. Yasha Crosses the stage, mincingly. May one come in here, pray? Dunyasha I shouldn’t have known you, Yasha. How you have changed abroad. Yasha H’m!⁠ ⁠… And who are you? Dunyasha When you went away, I was that high shows distance from floor. Dunyasha, Fyodor’s daughter.⁠ ⁠… You don’t remember me! Yasha H’m!⁠ ⁠… You’re a peach! Looks round and embraces her: she shrieks and drops a saucer. Yasha goes out hastily. Varya In the doorway, in a tone of vexation. What now? Dunyasha Through her tears. I have broken a saucer. Varya Well, that brings good luck. Anya Coming out of her room. We ought to prepare mamma: Petya is here. Varya I told them not to wake him. Anya Dreamily. It’s six years since father died. Then only a month later little brother Grisha was drowned in the river, such a pretty boy he was, only seven. It was more than mamma could bear, so she went away, went away without looking back shuddering.⁠ ⁠… How well I understand her, if only she knew! A pause. And Petya Trofimov was Grisha’s tutor, he may remind her. Enter Firs: he is wearing a pea-jacket and a white waistcoat. Firs Goes up to the coffe-pot, anxiously. The mistress will be served here puts on white gloves. Is the coffee ready? Sternly to Dunyasha. Girl! Where’s the cream? Dunyasha Ah, mercy on us! Goes out quickly. Firs Fussing round the coffeepot. Ech! you good-for-nothing! Muttering to himself. Come back from Paris. And the old master used to go to Paris too⁠ ⁠… horses all the way laughs. Varya What is it, Firs? Firs What is your pleasure? Gleefully. My lady has come home! I have lived to see her again! Now I can die weeps with joy. Enter Lyubov Andreyevna, Gaev and Semyonov-Pishtchik; the latter is in a short-waisted full coat of fine cloth, and full trousers. Gaev, as he comes in, makes a gesture with his arms and his whole body, as though he were playing billiards. Lyubov How does it go? Let me remember. Cannon off the red! Gaev That’s it⁠—in off the white! Why, once, sister, we used to sleep together in this very room, and now I’m fifty-one, strange as it seems. Lopahin Yes, time flies. Gaev What do you say? Lopahin Time, I say, flies. Gaev What a smell of patchouli! Anya I’m going to bed. Good night, mamma kisses her mother. Lyubov My precious darling kisses her hands. Are you glad to be home? I can’t believe it. Anya Good night, uncle. Gaev Kissing her face and hands. God bless you! How like you are to your mother! To his sister. At her age you were just the same, Lyuba. Anya shakes hands with Lopahin and Pishtchik, then goes out, shutting the door after her. Lyubov She’s quite worn out. Pishtchik Aye, it’s a long journey, to be sure. Varya To Lopahin and Pishtchik. Well, gentlemen? It’s three o’clock and time to say goodbye. Lyubov Laughs. You’re just the same as ever, Varya draws her to her and kisses her. I’ll just drink my coffee and then we will all go and rest. Firs puts a cushion under her feet. Thanks, friend. I am so fond of coffee, I drink it day and night. Thanks, dear old man kisses Firs. Varya I’ll just see whether all the things have been brought in goes out. Lyubov Can it really be me sitting here? Laughs. I want to dance about and clap my hands. Covers her face with her hands. And I could drop asleep in a moment! God knows I love my country, I love it tenderly; I couldn’t look out of the window in the train, I kept crying so. Through her tears. But I must drink my coffee, though. Thank you, Firs, thanks, dear old man. I’m so glad to find you still alive. Firs The day before yesterday. Gaev He’s rather deaf. Lopahin I have to set off for Harkov directly, at five o’clock.⁠ ⁠… It is annoying! I wanted to have a look at you, and a little talk.⁠ ⁠… You are just as splendid as ever. Pishtchik Breathing heavily. Handsomer, indeed.⁠ ⁠… Dressed in Parisian style⁠ ⁠… completely bowled me over. Lopahin Your brother, Leonid Andreyevitch here, is always saying that I’m a lowborn knave, that I’m a moneygrubber, but I don’t care one straw for that. Let him talk. Only I do want you to believe in me as you used to. I do want your wonderful tender eyes to look at me as they used to in the old days. Merciful God! My father was a serf of your father and of your grandfather, but