The Seagull

with him too. You don’t want a duel, do you? Treplev Very well. Only, mother, do allow me not to meet him. It’s painful to me⁠—it’s more than I can bear. Enter Trigorin. Here he is⁠ ⁠… I am going⁠ ⁠… rapidly puts away the dressings in the cupboard. The doctor will do the bandaging now. Trigorin Looking in a book. Page 121⁠ ⁠… lines 11 and 12. Here it is. Reads. “If ever my life can be of use to you, come and take it.” Treplev picks up the bandage from the floor and goes out. Madame Arkadin Looking at her watch. The horses will soon be here. Trigorin To himself. “If ever my life can be of use to you, come and take it.” Madame Arkadin I hope all your things are packed? Trigorin Impatiently. Yes, yes. Musing. Why is it that I feel so much sorrow in that appeal from a pure soul and that it wrings my heart so painfully? “If ever my life can be of use to you, come and take it.” To Madame Arkadin. Let us stay one day longer. Madame Arkadin shakes her head. Trigorin Let us stay! Madame Arkadin Darling, I know what keeps you here. But have control over yourself. You are a little intoxicated, try to be sober. Trigorin You be sober too, be sensible and reasonable, I implore you; look at it all as a true friend should. Presses her hand. You are capable of sacrifice. Be a friend to me, let me be free! Madame Arkadin In violent agitation. Are you so enthralled? Trigorin I am drawn to her! Perhaps it is just what I need. Madame Arkadin The love of a provincial girl? Oh, how little you know yourself! Trigorin Sometimes people sleep as they walk⁠—that’s how it is with me, I am talking to you and yet I am asleep and dreaming of her.⁠ ⁠… I am possessed by sweet, marvellous dreams.⁠ ⁠… Let me be free.⁠ ⁠… Madame Arkadin Trembling. No, no! I am an ordinary woman, you can’t talk like that to me. Don’t torture me, Boris. It terrifies me. Trigorin If you cared to, you could be not ordinary. Love⁠—youthful, charming, poetical, lifting one into a world of dreams⁠—that’s the only thing in life that can give happiness! I have never yet known a love like that.⁠ ⁠… In my youth I never had time, I was always hanging about the editors’ offices, struggling with want. Now it is here, that love, it has come, it beckons to me. What sense is there in running away from it? Madame Arkadin Wrathfully. You have gone mad! Trigorin Well, let me? Madame Arkadin You are all in a conspiracy together to torment me today! Weeps. Trigorin Clutching at his heart. She does not understand! She won’t understand! Madame Arkadin Am I so old and ugly that you don’t mind talking of other women to me? Puts her arms round him and kisses him. Oh, you are mad! My wonderful, splendid darling.⁠ ⁠… You are the last page of my life! Falls on her knees. My joy, my pride, my bliss!⁠ ⁠… embraces his knees. If you forsake me even for one hour I shall not survive it, I shall go mad, my marvellous, magnificent one, my master.⁠ ⁠… Trigorin Someone may come in helps her to get up. Madame Arkadin Let them, I am not ashamed of my love for you kisses his hands. My treasure, you desperate boy, you want to be mad, but I won’t have it, I won’t let you⁠ ⁠… laughs. You are mine⁠ ⁠… mine.⁠ ⁠… This forehead is mine, and these eyes, and this lovely silky hair is mine too⁠ ⁠… you are mine all over. You are so gifted, so clever, the best of all modern writers, you are the one hope of Russia.⁠ ⁠… You have so much truthfulness, simplicity, freshness, healthy humour.⁠ ⁠… In one touch you can give all the essential characteristics of a person or a landscape, your characters are living. One can’t read you without delight! You think this is exaggerated? That I am flattering you? But look into my eyes⁠ ⁠… look.⁠ ⁠… Do I look like a liar? You see, I am the only one who can appreciate you; I am the only one who tells you the truth, my precious, wonderful darling.⁠ ⁠… Are you coming? Yes? You won’t abandon me?⁠ ⁠… Trigorin I have no will of my own⁠ ⁠… I have never had a will of my own.⁠ ⁠… Flabby, feeble, always submissive⁠—how can a woman care for such a man? Take me, carry me off, but don’t let me move a step away from you.⁠ ⁠… Madame Arkadin To herself. Now he is mine! In an easy tone as though nothing had happened. But, of course, if you like, you can stay. I’ll go by myself and you can come afterwards, a week later. After all, why should you be in a hurry? Trigorin No, we may as well go together. Madame Arkadin As you please. Let us go together then a pause. Trigorin makes a note. Madame Arkadin What are you writing? Trigorin I heard a good name this morning, “The Maiden’s Forest.” It may be of use stretches. So we are to go then? Again there will be railway carriages, station, refreshment bars, mutton chops, conversations.⁠ ⁠… Shamraev Enters. I have the honour to announce, with regret, that the horses are ready. It’s time, honoured lady, to set off for the station; the train comes in at five minutes past two. So please do me a favour, Irina Nikolaevna, do not forget to inquire what has become of the actor Suzdaltsev. Is he alive and well? We used to drink together at one time.⁠ ⁠… In The Plundered Mail he used to play incomparably⁠ ⁠… I remember the tragedian Izmailov, also a remarkable personality, acted with him in Elisavetograd.⁠ ⁠… Don’t be in a hurry, honoured lady, you need not start for five minutes. Once they were acting conspirators in a melodrama and when they were suddenly discovered