I know nothing about it, or have gone off my head, but I liked the play. There is something in it. When that girl talked about loneliness and afterwards when the devil’s eyes appeared, I was so excited that my hands trembled. It is fresh, naive. … Here he comes, I believe. I want to say all the nice things I can to him.
Treplev
Enters. They have all gone.
Dorn
I am here.
Treplev
Mashenka is looking for me all over the park. Insufferable creature she is!
Dorn
Konstantin Gavrilitch, I liked your play extremely. It’s a strange thing, and I haven’t heard the end, and yet it made a strong impression! You are a gifted man—you must persevere.
Treplev presses his hand warmly and embraces him impulsively.
Dorn
Fie, what an hysterical fellow! There are tears in his eyes! What I mean is this. You have taken a subject from the realm of abstract ideas. So it should be, for a work of art ought to express a great idea. A thing is only fine when it is serious. How pale you are!
Treplev
So you tell me to persevere?
Dorn
Yes. … But write only of what is important and eternal. You know, I have had varied experiences of life, and have enjoyed it; I am satisfied, but if it had been my lot to know the spiritual heights which artists reach at the moment of creation, I should, I believe, have despised my bodily self and all that appertains to it and left all things earthly as far behind as possible.
Treplev
Excuse me, where is Nina?
Dorn
And another thing. In a work of art there ought to be a clear definite idea. You ought to know what is your aim in writing, for if you go along that picturesque route without a definite goal you will be lost and your talent will be your ruin.
Treplev
Impatiently. Where is Nina?
Dorn
She has gone home.
Treplev
In despair. What am I to do? I want to see her … I must see her … I must go. …
Enter Masha.
Dorn
To Treplev. Calm yourself, my boy.
Treplev
But I am going all the same. I must go.
Masha
Come indoors, Konstantin Gavrilitch. Your mother wants you. She is worried.
Treplev
Tell her that I have gone away. And I beg you—all of you—leave me in peace! Let me alone! Don’t follow me about!
Dorn
Come, come, come, dear boy. … You can’t go on like that. … That’s not the thing.
Treplev
In tears. Goodbye, doctor. Thank you … goes off.
Dorn
With a sigh. Youth! youth!
Masha
When people have nothing better to say, they say, “Youth! youth!” … takes a pinch of snuff.
Dorn
Takes her snuffbox from her and flings it into the bushes. That’s disgusting! A pause. I believe they are playing the piano indoors. We must go in.
Masha
Wait a little.
Dorn
What is it?
Masha
I want to tell you once more. I have a longing to talk … growing agitated. I don’t care for my father … but I feel drawn to you. For some reason I feel with all my heart that you are very near me. … Help me. Help me, or I shall do something silly, I shall make a mock of my life and ruin it. … I can’t go on. …
Dorn
What is it? Help you in what?
Masha
I am miserable. No one, no one knows how miserable I am! Laying her head on his breast, softly. I love Konstantin!
Dorn
How hysterical they all are! How hysterical! And what a lot of love. … Oh, the sorcery of the lake! Tenderly. But what can I do, my child? What? What?
Curtain.
Act II
A croquet lawn. The house with a big verandah in the background on the right, on the left is seen the lake with the blazing sun reflected in it.
| Flower beds. Midday. Hot. Madame Arkadin, Dorn and Masha are sitting on a garden seat in the shade of an old lime tree on one side of the croquet lawn. Dorn has an open book on his knee. | |
| Madame Arkadin | To Masha. Come, let us stand up. They both get up. Let us stand side by side. You are twenty-two and I am nearly twice as old. Yevgeny Sergeitch, which of us looks the younger? |
| Dorn | You, of course. |
| Madame Arkadin | There! And why is it? Because I work, I feel I am always on the go, while you stay always in the same place and have no life at all. … And it is my rule never to look into the future. I never think about old age or death. What is to be, will be. |
| Masha | And I feel as though I had been born long, long ago; I trail my life along like an endless train. … And often I have not the slightest desire to go on living sits down. Of course, that’s all nonsense. I must shake myself and throw it all off. |
| Dorn | Hums quietly. “Tell her, my flowers.” |
| Madame Arkadin | Then I am as particular as an Englishman. I keep myself in hand, as they say, my dear, and am always dressed and have my hair done comme il faut. Do I allow myself to go out of the house even into the garden in a dressing-gown, or without my hair being done? Never! What has preserved me, is that I have never been a dowdy, I have never let myself go, as some women do … walks about the lawn with her arms akimbo. Here I am, as brisk as a bird. I could take the part of a girl of fifteen. |
| Dorn | Nevertheless, I shall go on takes up the book. We stopped at the corn merchant and the rats. … |
| Madame Arkadin | And the rats. Read sits down. But give it to me, I’ll read. It is my turn takes the book and looks in it. And rats. … Here it is. … |
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