The Cherry Orchard

appointment with you here. That I can’t endure. Dunyasha Coughing softly. The cigar has made my head ache⁠ ⁠… goes off. Yasha remains sitting near the shrine. Enter Lyubov Andreyevna, Gaev and Lopahin. Lopahin You must make up your mind once for all⁠—there’s no time to lose. It’s quite a simple question, you know. Will you consent to letting the land for building or not? One word in answer: Yes or no? Only one word! Lyubov Who is smoking such horrible cigars here? Sits down. Gaev Now the railway line has been brought near, it’s made things very convenient sits down. Here we have been over and lunched in town. Cannon off the white! I should like to go home and have a game. Lyubov You have plenty of time. Lopahin Only one word! Beseechingly. Give me an answer! Gaev Yawning. What do you say? Lyubov Looks in her purse. I had quite a lot of money here yesterday, and there’s scarcely any left today. My poor Varya feeds us all on milk soup for the sake of economy; the old folks in the kitchen get nothing but pease pudding, while I waste my money in a senseless way drops purse, scattering gold pieces. There, they have all fallen out! Annoyed. Yasha Allow me, I’ll soon pick them up collects the coins. Lyubov Pray do, Yasha. And what did I go off to the town to lunch for? Your restaurant’s a wretched place with its music and the tablecloth smelling of soap.⁠ ⁠… Why drink so much, Leonid? And eat so much? And talk so much? Today you talked a great deal again in the restaurant, and all so inappropriately. About the era of the ’seventies, about the decadents. And to whom? Talking to waiters about decadents! Lopahin Yes. Gaev Waving his hand. I’m incorrigible; that’s evident. Irritably to Yasha. Why is it you keep fidgeting about in front of us! Yasha Laughs. I can’t help laughing when I hear your voice. Gaev To his sister. Either I or he⁠ ⁠… Lyubov Get along! Go away, Yasha. Yasha Gives Lyubov Andreyevna her purse. Directly hardly able to suppress his laughter. This minute⁠ ⁠… goes off. Lopahin Deriganov, the millionaire, means to buy your estate. They say he is coming to the sale himself. Lyubov Where did you hear that? Lopahin That’s what they say in town. Gaev Our aunt in Yaroslavl has promised to send help; but when, and how much she will send, we don’t know. Lopahin How much will she send? A hundred thousand? Two hundred? Lyubov Oh, well!⁠ ⁠… Ten or fifteen thousand, and we must be thankful to get that. Lopahin Forgive me, but such reckless people as you are⁠—such queer, unbusiness-like people⁠—I never met in my life. One tells you in plain Russian your estate is going to be sold, and you seem not to understand it. Lyubov What are we to do? Tell us what to do. Lopahin I do tell you every day. Every day I say the same thing. You absolutely must let the cherry orchard and the land on building leases; and do it at once, as quick as may be⁠—the auction’s close upon us! Do understand! Once make up your mind to build villas, and you can raise as much money as you like, and then you are saved. Lyubov Villas and summer visitors⁠—forgive me saying so⁠—it’s so vulgar. Gaev There I perfectly agree with you. Lopahin I shall sob, or scream, or fall into a fit. I can’t stand it! You drive me mad! To Gaev. You’re an old woman! Gaev What do you say? Lopahin An old woman! Gets up to go. Lyubov In dismay. No, don’t go! Do stay, my dear friend! Perhaps we shall think of something. Lopahin What is there to think of? Lyubov Don’t go, I entreat you! With you here it’s more cheerful, anyway a pause. I keep expecting something, as though the house were going to fall about our ears. Gaev In profound dejection. Potted the white! It fails⁠—a kiss. Lyubov We have been great sinners.⁠ ⁠… Lopahin You have no sins to repent of. Gaev Puts a caramel in his mouth. They say I’ve eaten up my property in caramels laughs. Lyubov Oh, my sins! I’ve always thrown my money away recklessly like a lunatic. I married a man who made nothing but debts. My husband died of champagne⁠—he drank dreadfully. To my misery I loved another man, and immediately⁠—it was my first punishment⁠—the blow fell upon me, here, in the river⁠ ⁠… my boy was drowned and I went abroad⁠—went away forever, never to return, not to see that river again⁠ ⁠… I shut my eyes, and fled, distracted, and he after me⁠ ⁠… pitilessly, brutally. I bought a villa at Mentone, for he fell ill there, and for three years I had no rest day or night. His illness wore me out, my soul was dried up. And last year, when my villa was sold to pay my debts, I went to Paris and there he robbed me of everything and abandoned me for another woman; and I tried to poison myself.⁠ ⁠… So stupid, so shameful!⁠ ⁠… And suddenly I felt a yearning for Russia, for my country, for my little girl⁠ ⁠… dries her tears. Lord, Lord, be merciful! Forgive my sins! Do not chastise me more! Takes a telegram out of her pocket. I got this today from Paris. He implores forgiveness, entreats me to return tears up the telegram. I fancy there is music somewhere listens. Gaev That’s our famous Jewish orchestra. You remember, four violins, a flute and a double bass. Lyubov That still in existence? We ought to send for them one evening, and give a dance. Lopahin Listens. I can’t hear.⁠ ⁠… Hums softly. “For money the Germans will turn a Russian into a Frenchman.” Laughs. I did see such a piece at the theatre yesterday! It was funny! Lyubov And most likely there was nothing funny in it. You shouldn’t look at plays, you should look at yourselves