NATALYA PETROVNA. Oh! very well. . . . [She tries to get up, and cannot]
ISLAYEV [helping her]. There you see. . . . [She leans on his arm] Shall I help you along?
NATALYA PETROVNA. Oh, I'm not so weak as all that! Come, Vera. [Goes towards the study. RAKITIN comes in from the outer room. NATALYA PETROVNA stops]
RAKITIN. I have come, Natalya Petrovna, to ...
ISLAYEV [interrupting him]. Ah, Michel, come here! [Draws him aside--in an undertone with vexation.] What made you tell her at once like this? Didn't I beg you not to! Why be in such a hurry?... I found her here in such a state.
RAKITIN [perplexed], I don't understand.
ISLAYEV. You've told Natasha you are going. . . .
RAKITIN. So you suppose that is what has upset her?
ISLAYEV. Sh! she is looking at us. [Aloud.] You're not going to lie down, Natasha?
NATALYA PETROVNA. Yes. . . . I'm going. . . .
RAKITIN. Good-bye, Natalya Petrovna! [NATALYA PETROVNA takes hold of the door-handle and makes no reply]
ISLAYEV [laying his hand on RAKITIN'S shoulder]. Natasha, do you know this is one of the best of men. . . .
NATALYA PETROVNA [with sudden vehemence]. Yes, I know he's a splendid man . . . you're all splendid men . . . all of you, all ... and yet. . . . [She hides her face in her hands, pushes the door open with her knee and goes out hurriedly. VERA goes out after her. ISLAYEV in silence sits down to the table and leans on his elbows.]
RAKITIN [looks at him for some time and with a bitter smile shrugs his shoulder.] Nice position mine! Glorious, it certainly is! Really it's positively refreshing. And what a farewell after four years of love! Excellent, serve the talker right. And thank God, it's all for the best. It was high time to end these sickly, morbid relations. [Aloud to ISLAYEV.] Well, Arkady, good-bye.
ISLAYEV [raises his head. There are tears in his eyes]. Good-bye, my dear, dear boy. It's . . . not quite easy to bear. I didn't expect it. It's like a storm on a clear day. Well, grind the corn and there'll be flour. But anyway, thank you, thank you. You're a true friend.
RAKITIN [aside through his teeth]. This is too much. [Abruptly.] Good-bye. [Is about to go into outer room. SHPIGELSKY runs in, meeting him.]
SHPIGELSKY. What is it? They tell me Natalya Petrovna is ill. . . .
ISLAYEV [getting up]. Who told you so?
SHPIGELSKY. The girl. . . her maid. . . .
ISLAYEV. No, it's nothing, Doctor. I think, better not disturb Natasha just now. . . .
SHPIGELSKY. Ah! well, that's all right. [To RAKITIN.] I hear you're going to town?
RAKITIN. Yes, on business.
SHPIGELSKY. Ah! on business!. . . [At that instant ANNA SEMYONOVNA, LIZAVETA BOGDANOVNA, KOLYA and SCHAAF burst in from the outer room, all at once.]
ANNA SEMYONOVNA. What is it? What's the matter? What's wrong with Natasha?
KOLYA. What's the matter with Mamma? What is it?
ISLAYEV. Nothing's the matter with her. ... I saw her a minute ago. What's the matter with all of you?
ANNA SEMYONOVNA. Really, Arkasha, we were told Natasha's been taken ill. . . .
ISLAYEV. Well, you shouldn't have believed it.
ANNA SEMYONOVNA. But why are you so cross, Arkasha? Our sympathy's only natural.
ISLAYEV. Of course ... of course.
RAKITIN. It's time for me to start.
ANNA SEMYONOVNA. You are going away?
RAKITIN. Yes. ... I am going.
ANNA SEMYONOVNA [to herself]. Ah! Well, now I understand.
KOLYA [to ISLAYEV]. Papa . ..
ISLAYEV. What do you want?
KOLYA. Why has Alexey Nikolaitch gone out?
ISLAYEV. Where's he gone?
KOLYA. I don't know. . . He kissed me, put on his cap and went out. . . . And it's time for my Russian lesson.
ISLAYEV. I expect he'll be back soon. . . . We can send to look for him, though.
RAKITIN [aside to ISLAYEV]. Don't send after him, Arkady, he won't come back. [ANNA SEMYONOVNA tries to overhear; SHPIGELSKY is whispering with LIZAVETA BOGDANOVNA.]
ISLAYEV. What's the meaning of that?
RAKITIN. He's going away, too.
ISLAYEV. Going away . . . where?
RAKITIN. To Moscow.
ISLAYEV. To Moscow? Why, is everybody going mad to-day, or what?
RAKITIN [in a still lower voice]. Well, the fact is ... Verotchka's fallen in love with him ... so being an honourable man he decided to go. [ISLAYEV, flinging up his hands, sinks into an arm-chair.] You understand now, why. . . .
ISLAYEV [leaping up]. Understand? I understand nothing. My head's going round. What is one to make of it? All fluttering off in different directions like a lot of partridges, and all because they're honourable men. . . . And all at once on the same day. . . .
ANNA SEMYONOVNA [coming up from one side]. But what's this? Mr. Beliayev, you say . . .
ISLAYEV [shouts hysterically]. Never mind, Mamma, never mind! Herr Schaaf, kindly give Kolya his lesson now instead of Mr. Beliayev. Take him away.
SCHAAF. Yes, Sir. [Takes KOLYA'S hand.]
KOLYA. But, Papa . . .
ISLAYEV [shouting]. Go along, go along! [SCHAAF leads KOLYA away.] I'll come part of the way with you, Rakitin. . . . I'll have my horse saddled, and wait for you at the dam. . . . And you, Mamma, meanwhile, for God's sake, don't disturb Natasha, nor you either, Doctor. . . . Matvey! Matvey! [Goes out hurriedly. ANNA SEMYONOVNA sits down with melancholy dignity. LIZAVETA BOGDANOVNA takes her stand behind her. ANNA SEMYONOVNA turns her eyes upwards, as though disclaiming all connexion with what is going on around her.]
SHPIGELSKY [slyly and stealthily to RAKITIN]. Well, Mihail Alexandritch, may I have the honour of driving you along the high road with my three new horses?
RAKITIN. Why? Have you got the horses already?
SHPIGELSKY [discreetly]. I had a little talk with Vera Alexandrovna. ... So may I?
RAKITIN. By all means! [Bows to ANNA SEMYONOVNA.] Anna Semyonovna, I have the honour to ...
ANNA SEMYONOVNA [still as majestically, not getting up]. Good-bye, Mihail Alexandritch.... I wish you a successful journey. . . .
RAKITIN. I thank you . . . Lizaveta Bogdanovna. . . . [Bows to her. She curtsies in reply. He goes into outer room.]
SHPIGELSKY [going up to kiss ANNA SEMYONOVNA'S hand]. Good-bye, gracious lady. .. .
ANNA SEMYONOVNA [less majestically but still severely], Ah! you are going too, Doctor. . . .
SHPIGELSKY. Yes. My patients, you know, madam. . . . Besides, you see my presence here is not needed. [As he bows himself out, winks slyly at LIZAVETA BOGDANOVNA, who replies with a smile.] Good-bye for the present. . . . [Runs off after RAKITIN.]
ANNA SEMYONOVNA [lets him disappear, then folding her arms, turns deliberately to LIZAVETA BOGDANOVNA]. And what do you think of all this, my dear, pray?
LIZAVETA BOGDANOVNA [sighing]. I really don't know what to say, Anna Semyonovna.
ANNA SEMYONOVNA. Did you hear, Beliayev too has gone? . . .
LIZAVETA BOGDANOVNA [sighing again]. Ah, Anna Semyonovna, perhaps I, too, may not be staying here much longer. ... I too am going away. [ANNA SEMYONOVNA stares at her in unutterable amazement. LIZAVETA BOGDANOVNA stands before her, without raising her eyes.]
CURTAIN
THE END
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A Month in the Country Page 12