LEBEDEV (to Ivanov). Today you’re talking like a German pastor. Drop this sermonizing . . . If we’re going to drink, let’s drink, but don’t waste valuable time. Let’s go, count . . . (He links arms with the Count and Ivanov.) Forward . . . (Drinks.) Let’s the three of us polish off a bottle right now . . .
BORKIN (barring their way). Gents, I’m not joking about this stud farm . . . This is serious business . . . First of all, it’s a money-making operation, and, second, it’s needed . . . It’ll turn a profit sooner than you think . . . First of all, there are lots of ponds, second, incredible watering holes, third, land for a farm.
VI
The same and BABAKINA.
BABAKINA (enters from the reception room). Now where is my escort? Count, how dare you leave me alone? There’s no one for me to clink glasses with . . . Ooh, you’re a disgrace! (Strikes the Count on the arm with her fan.)
SHABELSKY (squeamishly). Leave me alone . . . get away from me . . .
SHABELSKY, LEBEDEV, and IVANOV go into the reception room.
BABAKINA (dumbfounded). What’s going on? What right has he to do that? Thanks ever so much . . .
BORKIN. Marfunchik, I’ll drop by tomorrow, we’ll have a serious talk and come to terms . . . (Breathing hard.) In the initial phase we’ll need quite a bit of money. If every shareholder invests about two thousand to start with, that’ll be more than enough . . .
BABAKINA. How dare he? I treated him with affection, refinement, like a lady, and he goes—get away from me . . . What’s going on? Is he off his rocker or what?
BORKIN (impatiently). Ah, that’s not the point . . . He doesn’t want to get married, the hell with him . . . There are things more important than being a count or getting married. Just think, Marfunchik; in the whole district we’ve only got one stud farm, and that one’s about to be sold at auction. A terrible dearth of good horses is felt. If we go into business on a broad scale, we can order two or three good stallions . . .
BABAKINA (angrily). Stop it, quit it . . .
BORKIN. Just please let me hammer it home . . . (Passionately.) To do this we need no more than two or three thousand, that’s all, and in five to ten years we’ll make a fortune . . . First of all, lots of ponds, second, watering holes, third . . .
BABAKINA (weeps). All year long he’d come by three times a week, drink, eat, drive my horses around, and now, when his nephew is getting married to a rich girl, I’m not needed any more. Thanks ever so . . . Maybe I didn’t give him any money, but after all I’m not a millionaire . . .
BORKIN (clasping his hands). I’m talking business to her, and she’s raving . . . Wonderful people . . . Try and do business with people like this . . . Those guys refuse to listen, this one’s raving like a loon . . . My friends, it’s high time you cast off your indolence, apathy, you’ve got to get down to business! . . . How can you fail to notice that we’re being ruined by indifferentism!63
BABAKINA (spitefully, through her tears). Stop! . . . I’ll scratch his eyes out! . . . Nobody’s going to set foot in my house again . . . Not one of these scoundrels better dare poke his nose in! . . . (Weeps.)
BORKIN. Which means, my idea is going to go bust and the deal will fall through. (Bitterly.) Thank you, madam . . . I’m much obliged to you . . . You’ve got money for frippery and Madeira, but you won’t spare a penny on a solid, profitable business deal . . . You bow down before the golden calf, Mammon . . .
BABAKINA tries to leave.
(Takes her by the hand, which she yanks away; resolutely) Well, Marfa Yegorovna, in that case I’ve got another idea . . . Marfochka, if you begrudge two thousand, then let me make you a proposal . . . I am making you a proposal . . .
BABAKINA (spitefully and surprised). What?
BORKIN. I offer you my hand and heart. I love you passionately, madly. From the first time I saw you, I understood the meaning of my life . . . To love you and not to possess you is torture . . . the Spanish Inquisition . . .
BABAKINA. No, no, no, no . . .
BORKIN. True, I have enjoyed reciprocity in the fullest sense, but this did not satisfy me. I want legal wedlock, so I may belong to you forever . . . (Takes her round the waist.) I love and I suffer . . . Oh thou, who in thy grief complains in vain to God, o man . . .64 What more can I tell you? Let’s get hitched, and that’s that . . . You’ve got plenty of money, it’s nothing to do with you personally, I’m a businesslike, stable fellow . . . besides I’m in love . . .
BABAKINA. But after all, you . . . are always joking . . . You proposed last year too, and the next day you showed up and took it back.
BORKIN. Word of honor, it’s no joke . . . Here I am on my knees. (Gets on his knees.) I love you to the point of madness . . .
A FOOTMAN passes by.
BABAKINA (cries out). Ah . . . the footman saw us . . .
BORKIN. Let everybody see us . . . I’ll explain it all right away. (Gets up.)
BABAKINA. Only, Misha, I’m not going to give you a lot of money . . .
BORKIN. We’ll see about that, we’ll see . . . (Kisses her.) Marfunchik, my big-bassdrumchik . . . Let’s start living . . . We’ll have such racehorses that the winnings alone’11 make me a fortune.
BABAKINA (shouts). Don’t crumple my dress, my dress . . . It cost two hundred rubles . . .
VII
BABAKINA, BORKIN, and AVDOTYA NAZAROVNA.
AVDOTYA NAZAROVNA (comes out of the reception room and, on seeing the couple kissing, screams). Ah . . .
BORKIN. Avdotya Nazarovna, greetings . . . The bridegroom and the bride . . . I’m getting married . . . (He and Babakina go to the door to the reception room) Has she gone nuts? I say I’m getting married! . . . (Kisses Babakina.) There . . . now I don’t need any shareholders, I can open the stud farm myself . . .
AVDOTYA NAZAROVNA. My sweetie-pie, my beauty . . . I wish you joy!
BORKIN. Wait, make way . . . (Exits with Babakina into the reception room.)
AVDOTYA NAZAROVNA (following them, shouts). Just take a look, good people, what a match I’ve made! . . . Take a look . . . (Exits.)
VIII
LVOV (alone).
LVOV (enters from the door at left; looks at his watch). I’m a little late, but then they’re probably all drunk, they won’t notice . . . (Goes to the door at right and his hands shake in agitation.) The main thing is not to get excited . . . (Looks through the doorway.) He’s sitting next to her, smiling . . . He’s cheated, robbed and smiles at his victim . . . (Shrinks with agitation.) The main thing is not to get excited . . . He sits happy, healthy, merry, and unpunished. There you have it, the triumph of virtue and truth . . . He didn’t manage to rob one wife, so he tortured her and drove her to her grave . . . Now he’s found another girl . . . He’ll play the hypocrite with this one too, until he cleans her out and, once he’s done that, lays her where poor Sarra is lying . . . The same old mercenary story . . .