Uncle Vanya

recognise, you have nothing to do in this world, you have no object in life, you have nothing to occupy your mind, and sooner or later you will give way to feeling⁠—it’s inevitable. And it had better not be at Harkov, or somewhere in Kursk, but here, in the lap of nature.⁠ ⁠… It’s poetical, anyway, even the autumn is beautiful.⁠ ⁠… There is the forest plantation here, half-ruined homesteads in the Turgenev style.⁠ ⁠… Yelena How absurd you are.⁠ ⁠… I am angry with you, but yet⁠ ⁠… I shall think of you with pleasure. You are an interesting, original man. We shall never meet again, and so⁠—why conceal it?⁠—I was really a little bit in love with you. Come, let us shake hands and part friends. Don’t remember evil against me. Astrov Pressing her hand. Yes, you had better go⁠ ⁠… musing. You seem to be a good, warmhearted creature, and yet there is something strange about your whole personality, as it were. You came here with your husband, and all of us who were at work, toiling and creating something, had to fling aside our work and attend to nothing all the summer but your husband’s gout and you. The two of you have infected all of us with your idleness. I was attracted by you and have done nothing for a whole month, and, meanwhile, people have been ill, and the peasants have pastured their cattle in my woods, of young, half-grown trees.⁠ ⁠… And so, wherever you and your husband go, you bring destruction everywhere.⁠ ⁠… I am joking, of course, yet⁠ ⁠… it is strange. And I am convinced that if you had stayed here, the devastation would have been immense. I should have been done for⁠ ⁠… and you wouldn’t have fared well either! Well, go away. Finita la comedia! Yelena Taking a pencil from his table and hurriedly putting it in her pocket. I shall take this pencil as a keepsake. Astrov It is strange.⁠ ⁠… We have been friends and all at once for some reason⁠ ⁠… we shall never meet again. So it is with everything in this world.⁠ ⁠… While there is no one here⁠—before Uncle Vanya comes in with a nosegay⁠—allow me to kiss you at parting.⁠ ⁠… Yes? Kisses her on the cheek. That’s right. Yelena I wish you all happiness. Looks round. Well, so be it! For once in my life! Embraces him impulsively and both simultaneously draw rapidly apart from each other. I must go⁠—I must go! Astrov Make haste and go. Since the carriage is there, you had better set off. Yelena There’s someone coming, I believe. Both listen. Astrov Finita! Enter Serebryakov, Voynitsky, Marya Vassilyevna, with a book; Telyegin and Sonya. Serebryakov To Voynitsky. Let bygones be bygones. After what has happened, I have gone through and experienced so much in these few hours, that I believe I could write a whole treatise on the art of living for the benefit of posterity. I gladly accept your apologies and apologise myself. Goodbye! He and Voynitsky kiss each other three times. Voynitsky You shall receive regularly the same sum as hitherto. Everything shall be as before. Yelena Andreyevna embraces Sonya. Serebryakov Kisses Marya Vassilyevna’s hand. Maman.⁠ ⁠… Marya Kissing him. Alexandr, have your photograph taken again and send it to me. You know how dear you are to me. Telyegin Goodbye, your Excellency! Don’t forget us! Serebryakov Kissing his daughter. Goodbye goodbye, everyone. Shaking hands with Astrov. Thanks for your pleasant company. I respect your way of thinking, your enthusiasms, your impulses, but permit an old man to add one observation to his farewell message: you must work, my friends! you must work! He bows to them all. I wish you all things good! Goes out, followed by Marya Vassilyevna and Sonya. Voynitsky Warmly kisses Yelena Andreyevna’s hand. Goodbye.⁠ ⁠… Forgive me.⁠ ⁠… We shall never meet again. Yelena Moved. Goodbye, dear Ivan Petrovitch kisses him on the head and goes out. Astrov To Telyegin. Waffles, tell them, by the way, to bring my carriage round too. Telyegin Certainly, my dear soul goes out. Only Astrov and Voynitsky remain. Astrov Clearing his paints from the table and putting them away in his portmanteau. Why don’t you go and see them off? Voynitsky Let them go, I⁠ ⁠… I can’t. My heart is too heavy. I must make haste and occupy myself with something.⁠ ⁠… Work! Work! Rummages among his papers on the table. A pause; there is the sound of bells. Astrov They’ve gone. The Professor is glad, I’ll be bound. Nothing will tempt him back. Marina Enters. They’ve gone sits down in an easy chair and knits her stocking. Sonya Enters. They’ve gone wipes her eyes. Good luck to them. To her uncle. Well, Uncle Vanya, let us do something. Voynitsky Work, work.⁠ ⁠… Sonya It’s ever so long since we sat at this table together lights the lamp on the table. I believe there is no ink takes the inkstand, goes to the cupboard, and fills it with ink. But I feel sad that they have gone. Marya Vassilyevna comes in slowly. Marya They’ve gone sits down and becomes engrossed in reading. Sonya Sits down to the table and turns over the pages of the account book. First of all, Uncle Vanya, let us make out our accounts. We’ve neglected it all dreadfully. Someone sent for his account again today. Make it out. If you will do one account, I will do another. Voynitsky Writes. “Delivered⁠ ⁠… to Mr.⁠ ⁠…”Both write in silence. Marina Yawning. I am ready for bye-bye. Astrov How quiet it is! The pens scratch and the cricket churrs. It’s warm and snug. I don’t want to go. There is the sound of bells. There are my horses.⁠ ⁠… There is nothing left for me but to say goodbye to you, my friends⁠—to say goodbye to my table⁠—and be off! Packs up his