me that I don’t, just spell it out.
Lvov At least don’t be so indiscreet about . . . you know who I mean.
Ivanov ( enlightened )God Almighty, do you know what you’re saying? Get out. I’m a sinner a thousand times over, but I’ll answer to God. No one has given you the right to hound me day after day.
Lvov And who gave you the right to destroy my belief in human nature? Until I met you, I could accept that people can lose their minds and do wicked things when they couldn’t help themselves, but I never knew there were wicked people who could consciously and wilfully commit evil. You’ve poisoned my faith in humanity.
Ivanov You should see a doctor.
Lvov sees Sasha entering; she is in a riding habit.
Lvov Really? Well, now I hope we understand each other perfectly!
He shrugs his shoulders and goes out.
Ivanov ( alarmed )Sasha – what are you doing here?
Sasha Hello. Did you think I wouldn’t come? Why have you kept away all this time?
Ivanov Sasha, for God’s sake, this is crazy. If my wife knew you were here, it would be the finish of her.
Sasha She won’t see me. I came in the back way. I’ll only stay a minute. I was worried about you. Are you all right? Why haven’t you come to see us?
Ivanov My wife is upset with me as it is, she’s almost dead and you show up here! Oh, Sasha, that was thoughtless and selfish.
Sasha What else could I do? I haven’t seen you for two weeks, and you haven’t answered my letters. I was at my wits’ end. You could have been ill or dead for all I knew. I’ve hardly slept. Well, I’ll go now – just tell me you’re all right.
Ivanov Well, I’m not, I’m exhausted. People won’t leave me alone. I’m out flat. And now you show up. This is all wrong, it’s not right. Oh, Sasha, I’m to blame for everything!
Sasha How you love to say all these doomy things. Blame for what? What are you supposed to have done?
Ivanov Idon’t know, I don’t know . . .
Sasha That’s no answer. You must know what you feel guilty about. Have you been forging banknotes or what?
Ivanov Don’t joke.
Sasha Are you guilty of not loving your wife any more? I don’t see how that’s your fault, you didn’t want to stop loving her. Or do you feel guilty because she saw us when I told you I loved you? – but you didn’t ask for that to happen either.
Ivanov ( interrupting )And on and on . . . I fell in love, fell out of love, didn’t want to stop loving her . . . One shop-worn banality after another, none of it helps –
Sasha It’s so tiring talking to you. ( Looks at a picture on the wall. )I like the painting of the dog. Was it done from life?
Ivanov Yes, it was. And our love affair is banality from beginning to end. He had lost heart, he felt himself drowning – then she appeared, so full of life and strength, and held out her hand to him . . . Very nice, but it’s only in novels, not life.
Sasha It’s life, too.
Ivanov Oh, I can see what a profound knowledge you have of real life. My moping around moves you to admiration and awe, you think you’ve found your very own Hamlet. As far as I’m concerned, my case and all its symptoms are the stuff of comedy and nothing more. People should be laughing themselves silly at my carrying on – but not you, you want to leap to my rescue, and save me by some act of heroism. God, I’m in such a fury with myself today, something’s got to give – maybe I’ll smash something or . . .
Sasha That’s it, that’s just what you should do – break something, smash up the place, scream your head off. You’re angry with me. It was stupid of me to come. So get angry, shout at me, stamp your feet, what are you waiting for?
Pause.
Well?
Ivanov You’re very funny.
Sasha Better! I think I saw a smile. Could you manage another. Just to please me?
Ivanov ( laughs )Whenever you start trying to save me, your eyes become wide and so deep, as though you were gazing at a comet. Don’t move, your shoulder is all dusty. There. A
Lvov At least don’t be so indiscreet about . . . you know who I mean.
Ivanov ( enlightened )God Almighty, do you know what you’re saying? Get out. I’m a sinner a thousand times over, but I’ll answer to God. No one has given you the right to hound me day after day.
Lvov And who gave you the right to destroy my belief in human nature? Until I met you, I could accept that people can lose their minds and do wicked things when they couldn’t help themselves, but I never knew there were wicked people who could consciously and wilfully commit evil. You’ve poisoned my faith in humanity.
Ivanov You should see a doctor.
Lvov sees Sasha entering; she is in a riding habit.
Lvov Really? Well, now I hope we understand each other perfectly!
He shrugs his shoulders and goes out.
Ivanov ( alarmed )Sasha – what are you doing here?
Sasha Hello. Did you think I wouldn’t come? Why have you kept away all this time?
Ivanov Sasha, for God’s sake, this is crazy. If my wife knew you were here, it would be the finish of her.
Sasha She won’t see me. I came in the back way. I’ll only stay a minute. I was worried about you. Are you all right? Why haven’t you come to see us?
Ivanov My wife is upset with me as it is, she’s almost dead and you show up here! Oh, Sasha, that was thoughtless and selfish.
Sasha What else could I do? I haven’t seen you for two weeks, and you haven’t answered my letters. I was at my wits’ end. You could have been ill or dead for all I knew. I’ve hardly slept. Well, I’ll go now – just tell me you’re all right.
Ivanov Well, I’m not, I’m exhausted. People won’t leave me alone. I’m out flat. And now you show up. This is all wrong, it’s not right. Oh, Sasha, I’m to blame for everything!
Sasha How you love to say all these doomy things. Blame for what? What are you supposed to have done?
Ivanov Idon’t know, I don’t know . . .
Sasha That’s no answer. You must know what you feel guilty about. Have you been forging banknotes or what?
Ivanov Don’t joke.
Sasha Are you guilty of not loving your wife any more? I don’t see how that’s your fault, you didn’t want to stop loving her. Or do you feel guilty because she saw us when I told you I loved you? – but you didn’t ask for that to happen either.
Ivanov ( interrupting )And on and on . . . I fell in love, fell out of love, didn’t want to stop loving her . . . One shop-worn banality after another, none of it helps –
Sasha It’s so tiring talking to you. ( Looks at a picture on the wall. )I like the painting of the dog. Was it done from life?
Ivanov Yes, it was. And our love affair is banality from beginning to end. He had lost heart, he felt himself drowning – then she appeared, so full of life and strength, and held out her hand to him . . . Very nice, but it’s only in novels, not life.
Sasha It’s life, too.
Ivanov Oh, I can see what a profound knowledge you have of real life. My moping around moves you to admiration and awe, you think you’ve found your very own Hamlet. As far as I’m concerned, my case and all its symptoms are the stuff of comedy and nothing more. People should be laughing themselves silly at my carrying on – but not you, you want to leap to my rescue, and save me by some act of heroism. God, I’m in such a fury with myself today, something’s got to give – maybe I’ll smash something or . . .
Sasha That’s it, that’s just what you should do – break something, smash up the place, scream your head off. You’re angry with me. It was stupid of me to come. So get angry, shout at me, stamp your feet, what are you waiting for?
Pause.
Well?
Ivanov You’re very funny.
Sasha Better! I think I saw a smile. Could you manage another. Just to please me?
Ivanov ( laughs )Whenever you start trying to save me, your eyes become wide and so deep, as though you were gazing at a comet. Don’t move, your shoulder is all dusty. There. A
Similar Books
