RAKITIN. Oh, can you make them?
BELIAYEV. Yes; I've picked out the right place already, the other side of the pond. I heard it's Natalya Petrovna's name-day next week, so they will come in for that.
RAKITIN. Natalya Petrovna will be pleased at such an attention from you. She likes you, Alexey Nikolaitch, I may tell you.
BELIAYEV. I'm very much flattered. . . . Ah, by the way, Mihail Alexandritch, I believe you take a magazine. Could you let me have it to read?
RAKITIN. Certainly, with pleasure. . . . There's good poetry in it.
BELIAYEV. I'm not fond of poetry.
RAKITIN. How's that?
BELIAYEV. I don't know. Comic verses strike me as far-fetched, besides there aren't many; and sentimental ones. ... I don't know. There's something unreal in them somehow.
RAKITIN. You prefer novels?
BELIAYEV. Yes. I like good novels; but critical articles--they appeal to me------
RAKITIN. Oh, why?
BELIAYEV. It's a fine man that writes them.
RAKITIN. And you don't go in for authorship yourself?
BELIAYEV. Oh no! It's silly to write if you've no talent. It only makes people laugh at you. Besides, it's a queer thing, I wish you would explain it to me, sometimes a man seems sensible enough, but when he takes up a pen he's perfectly hopeless. No, writing's not for us, we must thank God if we understand what's written.
RAKITIN. Do you know, Alexey Nikolaitch, not many young men have as much common sense as you have.
BELIAYEV. Thank you for the compliment. going to let off the fireworks the other side of the pond, because I can make Roman candles, and they will be reflected in the water.... [A pause.] I'm
RAKITIN. That will be beautiful. . , . Excuse me, Alexey Nikolaitch, by the way, do you know French?
BELIAYEV. No, I translated a novel of Paul de Kock's, 'La Laitiere de Montfermeil,' perhaps you've heard of it, for fifty roubles; but I didn't know a word of French. For instance: quatre-vingt-dix I translated four-twenty-ten. . . . Being hard-up drove me to it, you know. But it's a pity. I should like to know French. It's my cursed laziness. I should like to read Georges Sand in French. But the accent . . . how is one to get over the accent? An, on, en, in, isn't it awful?
RAKITIN. Well, that's a difficulty that can be got over. . . .
BELIAYEV. Please tell me, what's the time?
RAKITIN [looking at his watch]. Half-past one.
BELIAYEV. Lizaveta Bogdanovna is keeping Kolya a long time at the piano. ... I bet he's dying to be running about.
RAKITIN [cordially]. But one has to study too, you know, Alexey Nikolaitch. . . .
BELIAYEV [with a sigh]. You oughtn't to have to say that, Mihail Alexandritch, and I oughtn't to have to hear it. . . . Of course, it would never do for everyone to be a loafer like me.
RAKITIN. Oh, nonsense. . . .
BELIAYEV. But I know that only too well.
RAKITIN. Well, I know too, on the contrary, that just what you regard as a defect, your impulsiveness, your freedom from constraint is what's attractive.
BELIAYEV. To whom, for instance?
RAKITIN. Well, to Natalya Petrovna, for example.
BELIAYEV. Natalya Petrovna? With her I don't feel that I am free, as you call it.
RAKITIN. Ah! Is that really so?
BELIAYEV. And after all, Mihail Alexandritch, isn't education the thing that matters most in a man? It's easy for you to talk.... I can't make you out, really. [Suddenly looking round.] What's that? I thought I heard a corncrake calling in the garden. [Is about to go]
RAKITIN. Perhaps. . . . But where are you off to?
BELIAYEV. To fetch my gun. . . . [Goes to Left; NATALYA PETROVNA comes in, meeting him.]
NATALYA PETROVNA [seeing him, suddenly smiles]. Where are you going, Alexey Nikolaitch? BELIAYEV. I was . . . RAKITIN. To fetch his gun. . .. He heard a corncrake in the garden. . . .
NATALYA PETROVNA. No, please don't shoot in the garden. . . . Let the poor bird live. . . . Besides, you may startle Granny.
BELIAYEV. I obey, madam.
NATALYA PETROVNA [laughing]. Oh, Alexey Nikolaitch, aren't you ashamed? 'I obey, madam,' what a way to speak! How can you . . . talk like that? But wait, you see Mihail Alexandritch and I will see to your education. . . . Yes, yes ... we have talked together about you more than once already. . . . There's a plot against you, I warn you. . . . You will let me have a hand in your education, won't you?
BELIAYEV. Why, of course. ... I shall be only too . . .
NATALYA PETROVNA. To begin with, don't be shy, it doesn't suit you at all. Yes, we will look after you. [Indicating RAKITIN.] We are old people, you know, he and I, while you are young. You are, aren't you? You will see how good it will be. You will look after Kolya and I .. . we . . , will look after you.
BELIAYEV. I shall be very grateful. NATALYA PETROVNA. That's right. What have Mihail Alexandritch and you been talking about?
RAKITIN [smiling]. He has been telling me how he translated a French book without knowing a word of French.
NATALYA PETROVNA. Ah! Now there, we will teach you French. What have you done with your kite, by the way?
BELIAYEV. I've taken it indoors. I thought you didn't like it.
NATALYA PETROVNA [with some embarrassment]. What made you think that? Was it because of Vera . . . because I took Vera indoors? No, that . . No, you were mistaken. [Eagerly.] I tell you what . . . Kolya must have finished his lesson by now. Let us take him and Vera and the kite, shall we? . . . and all of us together fly it in the meadow? Yes?
BELIAYEV. With pleasure, Natalya Petrovna.
NATALYA PETROVNA. That's right then. Come, let us go, let us go. [Ho/ding out her arm to him.] But take my arm, how awkward you are! Come along . . . make haste. [They go off quickly to Left.]
RAKITIN [looking after them]. What eagerness . . . what gaiety. ... I have never seen a look like that on her face. And what a sudden transformation! [A pause.] Souvent femme varie. . . . But ... I am certainly not in her good books to-day. That's clear. [A pause.] Well, we shall see what will come later. [Slowly] Is it possible? . . . [With a gesture of dismissal] It can't be! ... But that smile, that warm, soft, bright look in her eyes. ... O God spare me from knowing the tortures of jealousy, especially a senseless jealousy! [Suddenly looking round.] Hullo, what do I see? [SHPIGELSKY and BOLSHINTSOV enter from Left. RAKITIN goes to meet them] Good day, gentlemen. ... I confess I didn't expect to see you to-day, Shpigelsky.... [Shakes hands.]
SHPIGELSKY. Well, I didn't expect it myself. ... I never imagined. . . . But you see I called in on him [Indicating BOLSHINTSOV] and he was already sitting in his carriage, coming here. So I turned round and came back with him.
RAKITIN. Well, you are very welcome.
BOLSHINTSOV. I certainly was intending ...
SHPIGELSKY [cutting him short]. The servants told us you were all in the garden. . . . Anyway there was nobody in the drawing-room. . .
RAKITIN. But didn't you meet Natalya Petrovna?
SHPIGELSKY. When?
RAKITIN. Why, just now.
SHPIGELSKY. No. We didn't come here straight from the house. Afanasy Ivanovitch wanted to see whether there were any mushrooms in the copse.
BOLSHINTSOV [surprised]. I really . . .
SHPIGELSKY. Oh, there, we know how fond you are of mushrooms. So Natalya Petrovna has gone in? Well then, we can go back again.