Ivanov
By Anton Chekhov.
Translated by Constance Garnett.
Imprint
This ebook is the product of many hours of hard work by volunteers for Standard Ebooks, and builds on the hard work of other literature lovers made possible by the public domain.
This particular ebook is based on digital scans from the HathiTrust Digital Library.
The source text and artwork in this ebook are believed to be in the United States public domain; that is, they are believed to be free of copyright restrictions in the United States. They may still be copyrighted in other countries, so users located outside of the United States must check their local laws before using this ebook. The creators of, and contributors to, this ebook dedicate their contributions to the worldwide public domain via the terms in the CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. For full license information, see the Uncopyright at the end of this ebook.
Standard Ebooks is a volunteer-driven project that produces ebook editions of public domain literature using modern typography, technology, and editorial standards, and distributes them free of cost. You can download this and other ebooks carefully produced for true book lovers at standardebooks.org.
Characters in the Play
-
Nikolay Alexeyevitch Ivanov (permanent member of the Rural Board)
-
Anna Petrovna (his wife, before her baptism and marriage called Sarra Abramson)
-
Count Matvey Semyonitch Shabelsky (his maternal uncle)
-
Pavel Kirillitch Lebedyev (Chairman of the District Zemstvo)
-
Zinaida Savishna (his wife)
-
Sasha (their daughter, aged twenty)
-
Yevgeny Konstantinovitch Lvov (a young Zemstvo Doctor)
-
Marfa Yegorovna Babakin (the young widow of a landowner, daughter of a rich merchant)
-
Dmitri Nikititch Kossih (Excise officer)
-
Mihail Mihailovitch Borkin (a distant relative of Ivanov and Steward of his estate)
-
Avdotya Nazarovna (an old woman of no definite occupation)
-
Yegorushka (a dependant of the Lebedyevs)
-
First guest
-
Second guest
-
Third guest
-
Fourth guest
-
Pyotr (Ivanov’s manservant)
-
Gavril (Lebedyev’s manservant)
-
Visitors (of both sexes)
-
Menservants
The action takes place in one of the provinces of Central Russia.
Ivanov
A Play in Four Acts
Act I
The garden on Ivanov’s estate. On the left, the front of the house with the verandah. One window is open. In front of the verandah is a wide semicircular space, from which an avenue at right angles to the house, and another to the right, run into the garden. On the right side of the verandah are garden seats and tables. On one of the latter a lamp is burning. Evening is coming on. As the curtain rises there is the sound of a duet of piano and cello being practised indoors.
Ivanov is sitting at a table reading. Borkin, wearing high boots and carrying a gun, comes into sight at the further end of the garden—he is a little drunk; seeing Ivanov, he advances on tiptoe towards him, and when he reaches him aims his gun at his face.
| Ivanov | Seeing Borkin, starts and jumps up. Misha, what are you about? … You gave me a fright. … I am worried as it is, and then you come with your stupid jokes … sits down. He has frightened me, and is delighted … |
| Borkin | Laughs. There, there. … I am sorry, I am sorry sits down beside him. I won’t do it again, I really won’t … takes off his cap. I’m hot. Would you believe it, my dear soul, I’ve done nearly twelve miles in three hours! … Just feel how my heart is beating! … |
| Ivanov | Reading. All right, presently. … |
| Borkin | No, feel now takes Ivanov’s hand and lays it on his chest. Do you hear? Too-too-too-too-too-too. … It shows I’ve got heart-disease, you know. I might die suddenly, any minute. I say, will you be sorry if I die? |
| Ivanov | I am reading … presently. … |
| Borkin | No, seriously, will you be sorry if I die? Nikolay Alexeyevitch, will you be sorry if I die? |
| Ivanov | Don’t pester me! |
| Borkin | My dear fellow, do tell me whether you will be sorry. |
| Ivanov | I am sorry you smell of vodka. Misha, it’s disgusting! |
| Borkin | Laughs. Do I smell of it? How surprising! … Though there is nothing surprising in it, really. At Plesniki I met the examining magistrate, and I must own we put away eight glasses or so each. Drinking is very bad for one, really. I say, it is bad for one, isn’t it? It is, isn’t it? |
| Ivanov | This is really intolerable. … You must see that it’s simply maddening. … |
| Borkin | There, there. … I am sorry, I am sorry. … God bless you; sit still … gets up and walks away. Queer people; there’s no talking to them! Comes back. Oh yes, I was almost forgetting. … Give me the eighty-two roubles. |
| Ivanov | What eighty-two roubles? |
| Borkin | To pay the labourers tomorrow. |
| Ivanov | I haven’t got it. |
| Borkin | Very much obliged! Mimicking. I haven’t got it. … But the labourers must be paid, mustn’t they? |
| Ivanov | I don’t know. I haven’t the money today. Wait till the first of next month, when I get my salary. |
| Borkin | Much good it is talking to such a specimen! … The labourers won’t come for the money on the first; they will come tomorrow morning! … |
| Ivanov | Well, what am I to do? You may cut my throat, hack me to pieces. … And what a revolting habit it is of yours to pester me just when I am reading or writing, or … |
| Borkin | I ask you, must the labourers be paid or not? But what’s the use of talking to you! Waves his hand. And he is a country gentleman—hang it all, a landowner! … Up-to-date agricultural methods. … Three thousand acres, and not a penny in his pocket! … There is a wine-cellar, and no corkscrew. … I’ll go and sell the three horses tomorrow! Yes! I have sold the standing oats, and now I’ll |
