attempt to commit murder and I have not been arrested; no one has sent for the police. So I am looked upon as a madman with a bitter laugh. I am mad, but people are not mad who hide their crass stupidity, their flagrant heartlessness under the mask of a professor, a learned sage. People are not mad who marry old men and then deceive them before the eyes of everyone. I saw you kissing her! I saw!
Astrov
Yes, I did kiss her, and that’s more than you ever have!
Voynitsky
Looking towards the door. No, the earth is mad to let you go on living on it!
Astrov
Come, that’s silly.
Voynitsky
Well, I am mad. I am not responsible. I have a right to say silly things.
Astrov
That’s a stale trick. You are not a madman: you are simply a crank. A silly fool. Once I used to look upon every crank as an invalid—as abnormal; but now I think it is the normal condition of man to be a crank. You are quite normal.
Voynitsky
Covers his face with his hands. I am ashamed! If you only knew how ashamed I am! No pain can be compared with this acute shame miserably. It’s unbearable bends over the table. What am I to do? What am I to do?
Astrov
Nothing.
Voynitsky
Give me something! Oh, my God! I am forty-seven. If I live to be sixty, I have another thirteen years. It’s a long time! How am I to get through those thirteen years? What shall I do? How am I to fill them up? Oh, you know … squeezing Astrov’s hand convulsively; you know, if only one could live the remnant of one’s life in some new way. Wake up on a still sunny morning and feel that one had begun a new life, that all the past was forgotten and had melted away like smoke weeps. To begin a new life. … Tell me how to begin it … what to begin. …
Astrov
With vexation. Oh, get away with you! New life, indeed! Our position—yours and mine—is hopeless.
Voynitsky
Yes?
Astrov
I am convinced of it.
Voynitsky
Give me something. … Pointing to his heart. I have a scalding pain here.
Astrov
Shouts angrily. Leave off! Softening. Those who will live a hundred or two hundred years after us, and who will despise us for having lived our lives so stupidly and tastelessly—they will, perhaps, find a means of being happy; but we … There is only one hope for you and me. The hope that when we are asleep in our graves we may, perhaps, be visited by pleasant visions with a sigh. Yes, old man, in the whole district there were only two decent, well-educated men: you and I. And in some ten years the common round of the trivial life here has swamped us, and has poisoned our life with its putrid vapours, and made us just as despicable as all the rest. Eagerly. But don’t try to put me off: give me what you took away from me.
Voynitsky
I took nothing from you.
Astrov
You took a bottle of morphia out of my travelling medicine-chest a pause. Look here, if you insist on making an end of yourself, go into the forest and shoot yourself. But give me back the morphia or else there will be talk and conjecture. People will think I have given it you. It will be quite enough for me to have to make your postmortem. Do you think I shall find it interesting?
Enter Sonya.
Voynitsky
Leave me alone.
Astrov
To Sonya. Sofya Alexandrovna, your uncle has taken a bottle of morphia out of my medicine-chest, and won’t give it back. Tell him that it’s … really stupid. And I haven’t the time to waste. I ought to be going.
Sonya
Uncle Vanya, did you take the morphia? A pause.
Astrov
He did. I am certain of it.
Sonya
Give it back. Why do you frighten us? Tenderly. Give it back, Uncle Vanya! I am just as unhappy, perhaps, as you are; but I am not going to give way to despair. I am bearing it, and will bear it, till my life ends of itself. … You must be patient too a pause. Give it back! Kisses his hands. Dear, good uncle, darling! give it back! Weeps. You are kind, you will have pity on us and give it back. Be patient, uncle!—be patient!
Voynitsky
Takes the bottle out of the table-drawer and gives it to Astrov. There, take it! To Sonya. But we must make haste and work, make haste and do something, or else I can’t … I can’t bear it.
Sonya
Yes, yes, work. As soon as we have seen our people off, we’ll sit down to work. Nervously turning over the papers on the table. We have let everything go.
Astrov
Puts the bottle into his case and tightens the straps. Now I can set off.
Enter Yelena.
Yelena
Ivan Petrovitch, are you here? We are just starting. Go to Alexandr, he wants to say something to you.
Sonya
Go, Uncle Vanya. Takes Voynitsky by the arm. Let us go. Father and you must be reconciled. That’s essential.
Sonya and Voynitsky go out.
Yelena
I am going away. Gives Astrov her hand. Goodbye.
Astrov
Already?
Yelena
The carriage is waiting.
Astrov
Goodbye.
Yelena
You promised me today that you would go away.
Astrov
I remember. I am just going a pause. You have taken fright? Takes her hand. Is it so terrible?
Yelena
Yes.
Astrov
You had better stay, after all! What do you say? Tomorrow in the plantation—
Yelena
No. It’s settled. And I look at you so fearlessly just because it is settled. I have only one favour to ask of you: think better of me. I should like you to have a respect for me.
Astrov
Ugh! Makes a gesture of impatience. Do stay, I ask you to. Do
Вы читаете Uncle Vanya
