Ivanov

now he has got his eye on Zyuzushka’s moneybags. I’ll bet anything, damn my soul, if he does not bring Zyuzushka to beggary within a year. He’ll do for Zyuzushka and the Count for the widow. They’ll grab the money and live happy ever afterwards. Doctor, why are you so pale today? You don’t look like yourself. Lvov Oh, it’s nothing! I drank a little too much yesterday. Enter Lebedyev and Sasha. Lebedyev Coming in with Sasha. We can talk here to Lvov and Kossih. You can go and join the ladies, you Zulus. We want to talk secrets. Kossih Snaps his fingers enthusiastically as he passes Sasha. A picture! A queen of trumps. Lebedyev Run along, you caveman⁠—run along! Lvov and Kossih go out. Lebedyev Sit down, Sasha; that’s right⁠ ⁠… sits down and looks round. Listen attentively and with befitting reverence. It’s like this: your mother has told me to make this communication.⁠ ⁠… You understand, I am not going to say this from myself: it’s your mother’s orders. Sasha Father, do be brief! Lebedyev You are to have fifteen thousand roubles at your marriage. There.⁠ ⁠… Mind that there is no talk about it afterwards! Wait a minute, be quiet! There are more treats to come. Your portion is fifteen thousand, but, since Nikolay Alexeyevitch owes your mother nine thousand, that is to be deducted from your dowry.⁠ ⁠… Well, besides that⁠ ⁠… Sasha What are you telling me this for? Lebedyev Your mother told me to. Sasha Do leave me alone! If you had the slightest respect for me or for yourself, you could not bring yourself to speak to me in this way. I don’t want your dowry! I did not ask for it, and do not ask for it! Lebedyev Why do you fly out at me? In Gogol the two rats first sniffed, then went away, but you are so advanced you fly at me without sniffing. Sasha Leave me alone! Don’t insult my ears with your reckonings of halfpence! Lebedyev Firing up. Tfoo! The way you all go on will drive me to murder someone or stick a knife into myself! One is howling from morning to night, nagging and jawing away, counting her farthings, while the other’s so clever, and humane and emancipated⁠—dash it all!⁠—she can’t understand her own father! I insult her ears! Why, before coming here to insult your ears, out there points to the door I was torn to pieces, hacked into bits. She cannot understand! Her head is turned, and she has lost all sense.⁠ ⁠… Confound you all! Goes to the door and stops. I dislike it⁠—I dislike everything in you! Sasha What do you dislike? Lebedyev I dislike everything⁠—everything! Sasha What everything? Lebedyev Do you suppose I am going to sit down and begin telling you? There is nothing I like about it, and I can’t bear to see your wedding! Goes up to Sasha and says caressingly. Forgive me, Sasha, perhaps your marriage is all very clever, honourable, elevated, full of high principles, but there is something all wrong in it⁠—all wrong! It’s not like other marriages. You are young and fresh and clear as a bit of glass, and beautiful, while he is a widower, rather frayed and shabby, and I don’t understand him, God bless the man! Kisses his daughter. Sasha, forgive me, but there is something not quite straight. People are saying all sorts of things. The way his Sarra died, and then the way he was set on marrying you all at once⁠ ⁠… briskly. But there, I am an old woman⁠—an old woman! I am as womanish as an old crinoline. Don’t listen to me. Listen to no one but yourself. Sasha Father, I feel myself that there is something wrong.⁠ ⁠… There is⁠—there is! If only you knew how heavy my heart is! It’s unbearable! I am ashamed and frightened to admit it. Father darling, do help me to be brave, for God’s sake⁠ ⁠… tell me what to do. Lebedyev What is it? What is it? Sasha I am frightened as I have never been before looks round. It seems as though I don’t understand him and never shall. All the while I have been engaged to him he has never once smiled, has never looked me straight in the face. He is full of complaints, remorse for something, shudderings, hints at some wrong he has done.⁠ ⁠… I am exhausted. There are minutes when I even fancy that I⁠ ⁠… that I don’t love him as I ought. And when he comes to us or talks to me I am bored. What does it all mean, father? I am frightened. Lebedyev My darling, my only one, listen to your old father. Break it off. Sasha In alarm. What are you saying? Lebedyev Yes, really, Sasha. There will be a scandal, all the countryside will be wagging their tongues, but it is better to face a scandal than to ruin your whole life. Sasha Don’t speak of it, father. I won’t listen. I must struggle against gloomy thoughts. He is a fine man, unhappy and misunderstood. I will love him; I will understand him; I will set him on his feet; I will carry out my task. That’s settled! Lebedyev It’s not a task⁠—it’s neurosis. Sasha That’s enough. I have confessed to you what I would not admit to myself. Don’t tell anyone. Let us forget it. Lebedyev I can’t make head or tail of it. Either I’ve gone dotty with old age, or you have all grown too clever. Anyway, I can make nothing of it; I’ll be hanged if I can. Shabelsky Entering. The devil take them all and me into the bargain. It’s revolting. Lebedyev What’s wrong with you? Shabelsky No, seriously, come what may, I must play some dirty, shabby trick so that other people may be as sick as I am. And I will too. Honour bright! I’ve told Borkin to announce my engagement today laughs. Everyone is a scoundrel, and I’ll be a scoundrel too. Lebedyev Oh, you bore me!