used to be – sing, laugh, let off steam. Don’t go. We’ll have a laugh, have a drink, we’ll chase away your misery in a minute. Do you want me to sing for you? Or we could go and sit in your den in the dark as we used to and you can tell me all about your misery! There’s such suffering in your eyes! – I’ll look into your eyes and cry and we’ll both feel better. ( Laughing and crying. )How does it go? ‘Flowers return with the spring, but happiness lingers behind.’ Is that it? Oh – all right, go then, just go!
Ivanov Say a prayer for me, Anya!
He moves off, hesitates.
No, I can’t!
Anna Then go . . .!
Ivanov leaves. Lvov approaches her.
Lvov Anna Petrovna – you must make it a rule: when the clock strikes six you must come indoors and not go out till morning. The evening air is damp, it’s bad for your chest.
Anna Very good, sir.
Lvov I’m serious.
Anna I don’t want to be serious. ( Coughs. )
Lvov You see?
Shabelsky comes out of the house in hat and coat.
Shabelsky Where’s Nikolay? Are the horses brought round?
He walks quickly over to Anna and kisses her hand.
Good night, light of my life! ( Pulls a funny face. ) Gevalt! Exscushe pliz.
Shabelsky hurries out.
Lvov Idiot!
Pause. Distant sounds of an accordion can be heard.
Anna How unfair! Even the coachmen and cooks are having a party over there. I’m not invited to the ball . . . Yevgeny, what are you marching up and down for? Come and sit down.
Lvov I can’t sit down.
Pause.
Anna They’re playing ‘The Little Finch’. ( Sings. )’Little finch, little finch, where did you go? Tippling vodka out in the snow.’
Pause.
Do you have a mother and father somewhere?
Lvov My father’s dead, but I have a mother.
Anna Do you miss her?
Lvov I have no time to miss people.
Anna ( laughs )’Flowers return with every spring, but happiness lingers behind.’ Who taught me that? . . . Can’t remember . . . It must have been Nikolay. ( Listens. ) There goes that owl again.
Lvov Let it.
Anna Ifeel I’ve been swindled by life. Most people no better than I am are happy and haven’t had to pay for it. But I’ve paid for absolutely everything . . . paid all I have . . . and I’m still getting final demands. Oy vay. Do you know any funny stories?
Lvov Me? No .
Anna Nikolay knows lots. You know, another thing – I’m beginning to be amazed by how unfair people are. Why don’t they repay love with love? – instead of lies? How long do you think my mother and father are going to go on hating me? They live only a day from here. but I can feel their hatred even in my sleep. And what am I to think of poor Nikolay? He says it’s only in the evenings, when he’s at his lowest, that he stops loving me. I try to understand, I bear it patiently but suppose he stopped loving me altogether? Of course I know he won’t, but suppose suddenly he did? No – no I mustn’t . . . ( Sings. ) ‘Little finch, little finch, where did you go?’ ( Shudders. ) I have such terrible thoughts sometimes . . .
Lvov Explain something to me – explain how a decent, honest, almost saintly woman like you let herself be taken in for so long, and dragged into this miserable mare’s nest. Why are you here? What have you got in common with that heartless – no, leaving aside your husband, what is a woman like you doing in this dead end among these no-hopers? – Oh, my dear God! – that endlessly droning, decrepit, crazy old count, and that crook Borkin with his ugly face – just explain it to me. Why are you here? How did you get here?
Anna ( laughs )That’s just how Nikolay used to sound . . . exactly like that . . . and when he got worked up his eyes would blaze like coals! Go on talking, don’t stop!
Lvov ( stands up and makes a dismissive gesture with his hand )What’s there to say? Please go indoors . . .
Anna You say Nikolay is this, that, and the other, but how would you know? Can you know all about someone in six months? What you have to
Ivanov Say a prayer for me, Anya!
He moves off, hesitates.
No, I can’t!
Anna Then go . . .!
Ivanov leaves. Lvov approaches her.
Lvov Anna Petrovna – you must make it a rule: when the clock strikes six you must come indoors and not go out till morning. The evening air is damp, it’s bad for your chest.
Anna Very good, sir.
Lvov I’m serious.
Anna I don’t want to be serious. ( Coughs. )
Lvov You see?
Shabelsky comes out of the house in hat and coat.
Shabelsky Where’s Nikolay? Are the horses brought round?
He walks quickly over to Anna and kisses her hand.
Good night, light of my life! ( Pulls a funny face. ) Gevalt! Exscushe pliz.
Shabelsky hurries out.
Lvov Idiot!
Pause. Distant sounds of an accordion can be heard.
Anna How unfair! Even the coachmen and cooks are having a party over there. I’m not invited to the ball . . . Yevgeny, what are you marching up and down for? Come and sit down.
Lvov I can’t sit down.
Pause.
Anna They’re playing ‘The Little Finch’. ( Sings. )’Little finch, little finch, where did you go? Tippling vodka out in the snow.’
Pause.
Do you have a mother and father somewhere?
Lvov My father’s dead, but I have a mother.
Anna Do you miss her?
Lvov I have no time to miss people.
Anna ( laughs )’Flowers return with every spring, but happiness lingers behind.’ Who taught me that? . . . Can’t remember . . . It must have been Nikolay. ( Listens. ) There goes that owl again.
Lvov Let it.
Anna Ifeel I’ve been swindled by life. Most people no better than I am are happy and haven’t had to pay for it. But I’ve paid for absolutely everything . . . paid all I have . . . and I’m still getting final demands. Oy vay. Do you know any funny stories?
Lvov Me? No .
Anna Nikolay knows lots. You know, another thing – I’m beginning to be amazed by how unfair people are. Why don’t they repay love with love? – instead of lies? How long do you think my mother and father are going to go on hating me? They live only a day from here. but I can feel their hatred even in my sleep. And what am I to think of poor Nikolay? He says it’s only in the evenings, when he’s at his lowest, that he stops loving me. I try to understand, I bear it patiently but suppose he stopped loving me altogether? Of course I know he won’t, but suppose suddenly he did? No – no I mustn’t . . . ( Sings. ) ‘Little finch, little finch, where did you go?’ ( Shudders. ) I have such terrible thoughts sometimes . . .
Lvov Explain something to me – explain how a decent, honest, almost saintly woman like you let herself be taken in for so long, and dragged into this miserable mare’s nest. Why are you here? What have you got in common with that heartless – no, leaving aside your husband, what is a woman like you doing in this dead end among these no-hopers? – Oh, my dear God! – that endlessly droning, decrepit, crazy old count, and that crook Borkin with his ugly face – just explain it to me. Why are you here? How did you get here?
Anna ( laughs )That’s just how Nikolay used to sound . . . exactly like that . . . and when he got worked up his eyes would blaze like coals! Go on talking, don’t stop!
Lvov ( stands up and makes a dismissive gesture with his hand )What’s there to say? Please go indoors . . .
Anna You say Nikolay is this, that, and the other, but how would you know? Can you know all about someone in six months? What you have to