A Month in the Country Read online

  . . . [Stops.]

  SHPIGELSKY [in a loud, free and easy voice]. Really, Natalya Petrovna, the goings on in your house! I walk into the servants' hall and ask for the sick coachman, and my patient is sitting at the table gobbling up pancake and onion. Much good it is being a doctor and relying on illness for getting a living.

  NATALYA PETROVNA [with a constrained smile]. Really. [BELIAYEV is about to go away.] Alexey Nikolaitch, I forgot to tell you . . .

  VERA [running in from the outer room]. Alexey Nikolaitch! Alexey Nikolaitch! [She stops abruptly at the sight of NATALYA PETROVNA.]

  NATALYA PETROVNA [with some surprise]. What is it?

  What do you want?

  VERA [blushing and dropping her eyes, indicates BELIAYEV].

  He is wanted.

  NATALYA PETROVNA. By whom?

  VERA. Kolya . . . that is Kolya asked me . . . about the kite. . ..

  NATALYA PETROVNA. Oh! [Aside to VERA.] On n'entre pas comme cela dans une chambre. . . . Cela ne convient pas. [Turning to SHPIGELSKY.] What time is it, Doctor? Your watch is always right. . . . It's time for dinner.

  SHPIGELSKY. Allow me. [Takes out his watch.] It is just... I beg to inform you . . . just exactly twenty minutes past four.

  NATALYA PETROVNA. There, you see, it's dinner-time. [Goes to the looking-glass and tidies her hair. Meanwhile VERA whispers something to BELIAYEV. Both laugh. NATALYA PETROVNA sees them reflected in the looking-glass. SHPIGELSKY gives her a sidelong look.]

  BELIAYEV [laughing, in a low voice]. Really?

  VERA [nodding and speaking in a low voice too]. Yes, yes, she just went flop.

  NATALYA PETROVNA [turning with assumed indifference to VERA]. What? Who went flop?

  VERA [in confusion]. Oh no ... Alexey Nikolaitch made us a swing, and so nurse took it into her head . . .

  NATALYA PETROVNA [without waiting for her to finish, turns to SHPIGELSKY]. Oh, by the way, Shpigelsky, come here. . . . [She draws him aside and speaks again to VERA.] She wasn't hurt, I hope?

  VERA. Oh, no!

  NATALYA PETROVNA. But ... all the same, Alexey Nikolaitch, you shouldn't have done it.

  MATVEY [enters from the outer room and announces]. Dinner is served.

  NATALYA PETROVNA. Ah! But where is Arkady Sergey-itch? They'll be late again, he and Mihail Alexandritch.

  MATVEY. The gentlemen are in the dining-room.

  NATALYA PETROVNA. And mother?

  MATVEY. Madam is in the dining-room too.

  NATALYA PETROVNA. Well, then, come along. [Motioning to BELIAYEV.] Vera, allez en avant avec monsieur.

  [MATVEY goes out, followed by VERA and BELIAYEV. SHPIGELSKY [to NATALYA PETROVNA]

  You had something to say to me.

  NATALYA PETROVNA. Oh yes! To be sure. ... You see ... we'll have another talk about. ... your proposal. SHPIGELSKY. Concerning . . . Vera Alexandrovna? NATALYA PETROVNA. Yes . . .I will think about it.

  I'll think about it. [Both go out.]

  ACT II

  The garden. Seats to Right and to Left under trees; in the foreground raspberry bushes. KATYA and MATVEY come in on Right. KATYA has a basket in her hand.

  MATVEY. So how is it to be, Katerina Vassilyevna? Kindly explain yourself, I beg you earnestly.

  KATYA. Matvey Yegoritch, I really can't.

  MATVEY. You are very well aware, Katerina Vassilyevna, what my feelings, I may say, are for you. To be sure, I'm older than you in years, there's no denying that, certainly; but I can still hold my own, I'm still in my prime. I'm of mild disposition, as you are aware; I should like to know what more you want?

  KATYA. Matvey Yegoritch, believe me, I feel it very much, I'm very grateful, Matvey Yegoritch. . . . But you see ... Better wait a bit, I think.

  MATVEY. But, dear me, what is there to wait for, Katerina Vassilyevna? You used not to say that, allow me to tell you. And as for consideration, I can answer for that, I believe I may say------ You couldn't ask for more consideration than you will get from me, Katerina Vassilyevna. And I'm not given to drink, and I never hear a word of blame from the master and mistress either.

  KATYA. Really, Matvey Yegoritch, I don't know what to say. . . .

  MATVEY. Ah, Katerina Vassilyeina, something's come over you lately. . . .

  KATYA [blushing a little]. Lately? Why lately?

  MATVEY. I don't know . . . but there was a time when you didn't treat me like this.

  KATYA [glancing hurriedly behind the scene]. Mind.... The German's coming.

  MATVEY [with annoyance]. Bother him, the long-nosed crane! ... I must talk to you again. [He goes out to Right. KATYA is moving towards the raspberries. Enter SCHAAF from the Left with a fishing-rod on his shoulder.]

  SCHAAF [calling after KATYA]. Vere you go, vere you go,

  Katerin?

  KATYA [stopping]. We've been told to pick raspberries, Adam Ivanitch.

  SCHAAF. Raspberries? . . . The raspberry is a pleasant fruit. You love raspberries?

  KATYA. Yes, I like them.

  SCHAAF. He ... he! And I do too! I love all that you love. [Seeing that she is going.] Oh, Katerin, vait a leetle.

  KATYA. I've no time to spare. The housekeeper will scold me.

  SCHAAF. Oh! That's nothing. You see I'm going . . . [Points to the rod] how do you say ... to feesh, you understand, to feesh, that is, to catch feesh. You love feesh?

  KATYA. Yes.

  SCHAAF. He, he, I do too, I do too. Do you know vhat I vill tell you, Katerin. There's a song in German: [Sings] Katrinchen, Katrinchen, wie lieb ich dich so sehr! that is, in Russian, O Katrinushka, Katrinushka, you are so pretty I love you! [Tries to put one arm round her.]

  KATYA. Give over, give over, for shame. . . . Here's the mistress coming! [Escapes into the raspberry patch.]

  SCHAAF [assuming a glum expression, aside]. Das ist dumm. . . .

  [Enter on Right NATALYA PETROVNA, arm in arm with RAKITIN.]

  NATALYA PETROVNA [to SCHAAF]. Ah! Adam Ivanitch! Are you going fishing? SCHAAF. Yes, madam. NATALYA PETROVNA. Where's Kolya?

  SCHAAF. With Lizaveta Bogdanovna . . . the music lesson.

  NATALYA PETROVNA. Ah! [Looking round.] You are alone here?

  SCHAAF. Yes.

  NATALYA PETROVNA. You haven't seen Alexey Nikolai then?

  SCHAAF. No, madam.

  NATALYA PETROVNA [after a pause]. We'll go with you, Adam Ivanitch, shall we? We'll look on while you fish.

  SCHAAF. I am very glad.

  RAKITIN [aside to NATALYA PETROVNA]. What possesses you?

  NATALYA PETROVNA. Come along, come along, beau ténébreux.

  [All three go out on Right.]

  KATYA [cautiously raising her head above the raspberries]. They've gone. . . . [Comes out, stops for a little and ponders.] That German! . . . [Sighs and begins picking raspberrits again, singing in a low voice.]

  'No fire is burning, no ember is glowing, But the wild heart is glowing, is burning.'

  Yes, Matvey Yegoritch is right! [Goes on singing.]

  'But the wild heart is glowing, is burning, Not for father dear, not for mother dear. . . .'

  What big raspberries! . . . [Goes on singing.]

  'Not for father dear, not for mother dear.' How hot it is! Stifling. . . . [Goes on singing.]

  'Not for father dear, not for mother dear, It glows and it burns for. . . .'

  [Suddenly turns round; is quiet and half hides behind the bushes. From Left BELIAYEV and VERA come in; BELIAYEV has a kite in his hand.]

  BELIAYEV [as he passes the raspberries, to KATYA]. Why have you stopped, Katya? [Sings.]

  'It glows and it burns for a maiden so fair.'

  KATYA [blushing]. That's not how we sing it.

  BELIAYEV. How then? [KATYA laughs and does not answer.'] What are you doing? Picking raspberries? Let

  us taste them.

  KATYA [giving him the basket]. Take them all.

  BELIAYEV. Why all? . . . Vera Alexandrovna, won't you have some? [VERA takes some from the basket, and he doe
s so too.] Well, that's enough. [Is giving back the basket

  to KATYA.]

  KATYA [putting back his hand]. Take them, take them

  all.

  BELIAYEV. No, thanks, Katya. [Gives her the basket.] Thank you. [To VERA.] Vera Alexandrovna, let's sit down on this seat. You see [Showing the kite] we must fasten the tail on. You'll help me. [They go and sit down on the seat. BELIAYEV puts the kite in her hands.] That's it. Mind now, hold it straight. [Begins to tie on the tail.] What's the matter?

  VERA. I can't see you. BELIAYEV. Why must you see me? VERA. I mean I want to see how you fix the tail on. BELIAYEV. Oh--wait a minute. [Arranges the kite so that she can see him.] Katya, why aren't you singing? Sing. [After a brief interval KATYA begins singing in a low voice.] VERA. Tell me, Alexey Nikolaitch, do you sometimes fly kites in Moscow too?

  BELIAYEV. I've no time for kites in Moscow! Hold the string, that's right. Do you suppose we've nothing else to do in Moscow?

  VERA. What do you do in Moscow?

  BELIAYEV. What do we do? We study, listen to the professors.

  VERA. What do they teach you?

  BELIAYEV. Everything.

  VERA. I expect you're a very good student. Better than all the rest.

  BELIAYEV. No, I'm not very good. Better than all the rest, indeed! I'm lazy.

  VERA. Why are you lazy?

  BELIAYEV. Goodness knows! I was born so, apparently.

  VERA [after a pause]. Have you any friends in Moscow?

  BELIAYEV. Of course. ... I say, this string isn't strong enough.

  VERA. And are you fond of them?

  BELIAYEV. I should think so. Aren't you fond of your friends?

  VERA. I haven't any.

  BELIAYEV. I meant the girls you know.

  VERA [slowly]. Yes.

  BELIAYEV. I suppose you have some girl-friends?

  VERA. Yes . . . only I don't know why ... for some time past I've not thought much about them. ... I haven't even answered Lisa Moshnin, though she begged me to in her letter.

  BELIAYEV. How can you say you have no friends . . . what am I?

  VERA [with a smile]. Oh, you ... that's a different thing. [After a pause], Alexey Nikolaitch.

  BELIAYEV. Well?

  VERA. Do you write poetry?

  BELIAYEV. No. . . . Why?

  VERA. Oh, nothing. [After a pause] A girl in our school used to write poetry.

  BELIAYEV [pulling the knot with his teeth]. Did she? Was it good?

  VERA. I don't know. She used to read it to us, and we cried.

  BELIAYEV. What did you cry for?

  VERA. Pity. We were all so sorry for her.

  BELIAYEV. Were you educated in Moscow?

  VERA. Yes, at Madame Beauluce's school in Moscow. Natalya Petrovna took me away last year.

  BELIAYEV. Are you fond of Natalya Petrovna?

  VERA. Yes, she's so kind. I'm very fond of her.

  BELIAYEV [with a smile]. And you're afraid of her, I bet.

  VERA [also with a smile]. A little.

  BELIAYEV [after a pause]. And who sent you to school?

  VERA. Natalya Petrovna's mother. I grew up in her house. I'm an orphan.

  BELIAYEV [letting his hands fall]. You're an orphan? And you don't remember your father or your mother?

  VERA. No.

  BELIAYEV, My mother is dead too. We are both motherless. Well we must put up with it! We mustn't be down-hearted for all that.

  VERA. They say orphans quickly make friends with one another.

  BELIAYEV [looking into her eyes]. Do they? And do you think so?

  VERA [looks into his eyes with a smile]. I think they do.

  BELIAYEV [laughs and sets to work on the kite again]. I should like to know how long I've been in these parts.

  VERA. This is the twenty-eighth day.

  BELIAYEV. What a memory you have! Well, here's the kite finished. Look what a tail! We must go and fetch Kolya.

  KATYA [Coming up to him with the basket]. Won't you have some more raspberries?

  BELIAYEV. No, thanks, Katya. [KATYA goes off without speaking.]

  VERA. Kolya's with Lizaveta Bogdanovna.

  BELIAYEV. How absurd to keep a child indoors in this weather!

  VERA. Lizaveta Bogdanovna would only be in our way. . .

  BELIAYEV. But I'm not talking about her. . . .

  VERA [hurriedly]. Kolya couldn't come with us without her. . . . She was praising you ever so yesterday, though.

  BELIAYEV. Really?

  VERA. Don't you like her?

  BELIAYEV. Oh, I don't mind her. Let her enjoy her snuff, bless the woman. Why do you sigh?

  VERA [after a pause]. I don't know. How clear the sky is!

  BELIAYEV. Does that make you sigh? [A silence.] Perhaps you are depressed?

  VERA. Depressed? No! I never know myself why I sigh. . . . I'm not depressed at all. On the contrary . . . [A pause.] I don't know.... I think I can't be quite well. Yesterday I went upstairs to fetch a book--and all at once, fancy, on the staircase, I sat down and began to cry. Goodness knows why, and my tears kept on coming into my eyes for a long while afterwards. . . . What's the meaning of it? And yet I am quite happy.

  BELIAYEV. It's because you're growing. It's growing up. It does happen so. ... Of course, I noticed your eyes looked swollen yesterday evening.

  VERA. You noticed it?

  BELIAYEV. Yes.

  VERA. You notice everything.

  BELIAYEV. Oh no, not everything.

  VERA [dreamily]. Alexey Nikolaitch . . .

  BELIAYEV. What is it?

  VERA [after a pause]. What was it I was going to ask you? I've forgotten what I was going to say.

  BELIAYEV. You are absent-minded! VERA. No . . . but ... oh yes! This is what I meant to ask. I think you told me--you have a sister?

  BELIAYEV. Yes.

  VERA. Tell me, am I like her?

  BELIAYEV. Oh no. You're much better looking.

  VERA. How can that be? Your sister ... I should like to be in her place.

  BELIAYEV. What? You'd like to be in our poor little house at this moment?

  VERA. I didn't mean that. ... Is your home so small?

  BELIAYEV. Tiny. Very different from this house.

  VERA. Well, what's the use of so many rooms?

  BELIAYEV. What's the use? You'll find out one day how useful rooms are.

  VERA. One day. . . . When?

  BELIAYEV. When you're the mistress of a house yourself. . . .

  VERA [dreamily]. Do you think so?

  BELIAYEV. Yes, you will see. [A pause.] Hadn't we better go and fetch Kolya, Vera Alexandrovna?

  VERA. Why don't you call me Verotchka?

  BEHAYEV. You can't call me Alexey, can you?

  VERA. Why not?... [Suddenly starting.] Oh!

  BELIAYEV. What's the matter?

  VERA [in a low voice]. There's Natalya Petrovna coming this way.

  BELIAYEV [also in a low voice]. Where? VERA [nodding towards the Right]. Over there . . . along the path, with Mihail Alexandritch.

  BELIAYEV [getting up]. Let's go to Kolya.... He must have finished his lesson by now.

  VERA. Let's go ... or I'm afraid she'll scold me. . . . [They get up and walk away quickly to the Left. KATYA hides again in the raspberry bushes. NATALYA PETROVNA and RAKITIN come in on Right.] NATALYA PETROVNA [standing still]. I believe that's Mr. Beliayev with Vera. RAKITIN. Yes, it is. ...

  NATALYA PETROVNA. It looks as though they were running away from us.

  RAKITIN. Perhaps they are.

  NATALYA PETROVNA [after a pause]. But I don't think Verotchka ought... to be alone like this with a young man in the garden. . . . Of course, she's only a child, still, it's not the proper thing. . . . I'll tell her.

  RAKITIN. How old is she?

  NATALYA PETROVNA. Seventeen! She's actually seventeen. ... It is hot to-day. I'm tired. Let's sit down. [They sit down on the seat on which VERA and BELIAYEV have been sitting.] Has Shpigelsky gone home?

&nb
sp; RAKITIN. Yes, he's gone.

  NATALYA PETROVNA. It's a pity you didn't keep him. I can't imagine what induced that man to become a district doctor. . . . He's very amusing. He makes me laugh.

  RAKITIN. Well, I thought you were not in a very laughing humour to-day.

  NATALYA PETROVNA. What made you think that?

  RAKITIN. Oh, I don't know.

  NATALYA PETROVNA. Because nothing sentimental appeals to me to-day? Oh, certainly, I must warn you there's absolutely nothing that could touch me to-day. . . . But that doesn't prevent me from laughing; on the contrary. Besides, there's something I had to discuss with Shpigelsky to-day.

  RAKITIN. May I ask what?

  NATALYA PETROVNA. No, you mayn't. As it is, you know everything I think, everything I do. That's boring.

  RAKITIN. I beg your pardon. ... I had no idea. . . .

  NATALYA PETROVNA. I want to have some secrets from you.

  RAKITIN. What next! From what you say, one might suppose I know everything. . . .

  NATALYA PETROVNA [interrupting]. And don't you?

  RAKITIN. You are pleased to make fun of me.

  NATALYA PETROVNA. Why don't you know everything that goes on in me? If you don't I can't congratulate you on your insight. When a man watches me from morning to night. . . .

  RAKITIN. What do you mean? Is that a reproach. . . .

  NATALYA PETROVNA. A reproach? [A pause.] No, I see; you certainly have not much insight.

  RAKITIN. Perhaps not . . . but since I watch you from morning to night, allow me to tell you one thing I have noticed. . . .

  NATALYA PETROVNA. About me? Please do.

  RAKITIN. You won't be angry with me?

  NATALYA PETROVNA. Oh no! I should like to be, but I shan't.

  RAKITIN. For some time past, Natalya Petrovna, you have been in a state of permanent irritability, and that irritability is something unconscious, involuntary: you seem to be in a state of inward conflict, as though you were perplexed. I had never observed anything of the sort in you before my visit to the Krinitsyns'; it has only come on lately. [NATALYA PETROVNA draws lines in the sand before her with her parasol.] At times you sigh--such deep, deep sighs --like a man who's very tired, so tired that he can't find rest.