YELENA ANDREEVNA. Very, very.
SONYA. It all seems so peculiar, his forests, the peat . . . I don’t understand.
YELENA ANDREEVNA. Are forests really the point? Darling, what you have to understand is, he’s got talent!29 Do you know the meaning of talent? Daring, an uncluttered mind, breadth of vision . . . he plants a tree or digs a ton of peat—and already he’s planning ahead, what the result will be in a thousand years, he’s already imagining the happiness of mankind. People like that are rare, and one must love them. God bless you. You’re both pure, daring, honest . . . He’s a bit unbalanced, you’re sensible, intelligent . . . You’ll complement one another wonderfully . . . (Gets up.) But mine is a dreary walk-on part . . . In the field of music and in my husband’s house, in any of life’s dramas—no matter where, in short, I’ve only had a walk-on part. Personally speaking, Sonya, when you think about it, I’m probably very, very unhappy! (Walks nervously around the stage.) No happiness for me in this world. No! Why are you laughing?
SONYA (laughs, covering her face). I’m so happy! How happy I am!
YELENA ANDREEVNA (wringing her hands). As a matter of fact, how unhappy I am!
SONYA. I’m happy . . . happy.
YELENA ANDREEVNA. I’d like to play the piano . . . I want to play something right now . . .
SONYA. Do play. (Embraces her.) I can’t sleep . . . Play.
YELENA ANDREEVNA. Presently. Your father isn’t asleep. When he’s ill, music irritates him. Go and ask. If he doesn’t object, I’ll play . . . go on . . .
SONYA. Right this minute. (Exits.)
In the garden the WATCHMAN is tapping.
YELENA ANDREEVNA. It’s been a long time since I played. I’ll play and weep, weep like a fool . . . (Out the window.) Is that you tapping, Yefim?
Voice of the WATCHMAN: Uh-huh!
Don’t tap, the master’s not well.
Voice of the WATCHMAN: “I’ll go right now! (Whistles under his breath.) Blacky! Laddy! Blacky!”30
Pause.
SONYA (returning). The answer’s no!
Curtain
ACT THREE
The drawing-room in Serebryakov’s house. Three doors: right, left and center. Daytime. We can hear Yelena Andreevna offstage playing on the piano Lensky’s aria preceding the duel in
Yevgeny Onegin.31
I
ORLOVSKY, VOINITSKY, and FYODOR IVANOVICH (the last in Circassian costume with a fur shako in his hand).
VOINITSKY (listening to the music). That’s Yelena Andreevna playing . . . My favorite piece . . .
The offstage music fades away.
Yes . . . a fine piece . . . I don’t think it’s ever been so boring around here as it is now . . .
FYODOR IVANOVICH. You have no idea what real boredom is, my boy. When I was a volunteer in Serbia, that’s what I call boredom! Hot, muggy, dirty, head splitting with a hangover . . . Captain Kashkinazi was with me . . . Ran out of conversation ages ago, nowhere to go, nothing to do, don’t feel like drinking—sickening, get me, you simply want to stick your head in a noose! We sit, like vipers, glaring at one another . . . He glares at me, and I glare at him . . . I glare at him, and he glares at me . . . We glare at one another and don’t know why . . . Another hour, get me, goes by, and we go on glaring. Suddenly out of the blue he jumps up, grabs his saber and goes for me . . . What d’ye think of that! . . . Of course, I immediately—he’s about to kill me! — draw my saber, and we go at it hot and heavy: chik-chak, chik-chak, chik-chak . . . They had a hard time pulling us apart. I was all right afterward, but Captain Kashkinazi goes around with a scar on his cheek to this very day. That how fed up to the gills people can get sometimes . . .
ORLOVSKY. Yes, it happens.
Enter SONYA.
II
The same and SONYA.
SONYA (aside). I don’t know what to do with myself . . . (Walks and laughs.)
ORLOVSKY. Pussycat, where are you off to? Sit with us.
SONYA. Fedya, come over here . . . (She leads Fyodor Ivanovich aside.) Come over here . . .
FYODOR IVANOVICH. What’s got into you? Why is do you look so radiant?
SONYA. Fedya, give me your word you’ll do what I ask!
FYODOR IVANOVICH. Well?
SONYA. Ride over . . . to the Wood Goblin.
FYODOR IVANOVICH. What for?
SONYA. No reason . . . just ride over . . . Ask him how come he hasn’t been here for so long . . . Two weeks now.
FYODOR IVANOVICH. She’s blushing! For shame! Gentlemen, Sonya is in love!
EVERYONE. For shame! For shame!
SONYA covers her face and runs away.
FYODOR IVANOVICH. She slinks around from room to room like a shadow and doesn’t know what to do with herself. She’s in love with the Wood Goblin.
ORLOVSKY. A splendid little girl . . . I love her. I had hoped, Fedyusha, that you would marry her—you couldn’t find a better bride, oh well, I suppose it’s God’s will . . . But how nice and pleasant it would have been for me! I’d drive over to your place, and you’d have a young wife, a hearth and home, the little samovar would be boiling away . . .
FYODOR IVANOVICH. That’s not my cup of tea. If I ever did have a bee in my bonnet about getting married, I’d probably marry Yulya. She’s small, at least, and you should always pick the lesser of two evils. And she’s a good housekeeper too . . . (Slaps his forehead.) I’ve got an idea!
ORLOVSKY. What’s the matter?
FYODOR IVANOVICH. Let’s have some champagne!
VOINITSKY. It’s too early, besides it’s hot . . . Wait a while . . .
ORLOVSKY (admiring). My sonny boy, my beauty . . . He wants champagne, the dear boy!
Enter YELENA ANDREEVNA.
III
The same and YELENA ANDREEVNA.
YELENA ANDREEVNA walks across the stage.
VOINITSKY. Wonder at her: she can’t walk, without tottering from sheer indolence. Very charming! Very!
YELENA ANDREEVNA. Stop it, Georges. It’s boring enough without your buzzing around.
VOINITSKY (blocking her path). A talent, an artist! Well, do you look like an artist? An apathetic, Oblomov-like32 sluggard . . . So very virtuous that, forgive me, it makes me sick to look at you.
YELENA ANDREEVNA. Then don’t look . . . Leave me alone . . .
VOINITSKY. Why are you mooning about? (Vigorously.) Come, my dear, show how clever you are! The blood of water nymphs courses through your veins, be a water nymph!
YELENA ANDREEVNA. Give over!
VOINITSKY. Satisfy your desires at least once in your life, fall in love as fast as you can, head over heels, with some water sprite . . .33