Plays by Aleksandr Nikolaevich Ostrovsky Part 3

POTaPYCH. Talk! What are you keeping still for? And I'm going, sir; I must get dressed for tea, too. [_He goes out._

SCENE IV

LEONiD, NaDYA, _and then_ LiZA

NaDYA. Of course I'm a girl of humble position, but, indeed, even we do not want anybody to speak evil of us. Pray consider yourself, after such talk, who would marry me?

LEONiD. Are you going to get married?

NaDYA. Yes, sir. Every girl hopes to get married some time.

LEONiD. But have you a suitor?

NaDYA. Not yet, sir.

LEONiD. [_Timidly_] If you have no suitor, then, maybe you're in love with somebody?

NaDYA. You want to know a lot! Well, no, I needn't fib about it, I'm not in love with anybody, sir.

LEONiD. [_With great joy_] Then love me!

NaDYA. It's impossible to force the heart, sir.

LEONiD. Why? Don't you like me?

NaDYA. Well, how could I help liking you? But I'm not your equal! What sort of love is that? Clean ruin! Here comes Liza running after me, I suppose.

Good-by. Good luck to you! [_She goes away._

LiZA _comes in._

LiZA. Master, if you please! Your mamma has come.

LEONiD. Liza!

LiZA. [_Approaching_] What is it, please?

LEONiD. [_He embraces_ LiZA; _she trembles with pleasure_] Why won't Nadya love me?

LiZA. [_Affectedly_] What are you talking about, master! Girls of our sort must look out for themselves!

LEONiD. Look out for yourselves how?

LiZA. [_Looks him in the face and smiles_] Why, everybody knows. What are you talking like a child for?

LEONiD. [_Sadly_] What shall I do now? Indeed, I don't know. They all run away from me.

LiZA. But don't lose courage; just make love a little bit. Heavens, our hearts aren't of stone!

LEONiD. But see here! I asked her: she said she didn't love me.

LiZA. Well, if you aren't a queer one! Whoever asked girls right out whether they were in love or not! Even if one of us girls was in love, she wouldn't say so.

LEONiD. Why?

LiZA. Because she's bashful. Only let me go, sir! [_She gets free_] There goes the old fury!

LEONiD. Come out here into the garden after supper, when mamma goes to bed.

LiZA. You don't lose any time!

LEONiD. Please come.

LiZA. Well, we'll see later. [VASILiSA PEREGRiNOVNA _enters_] Master, please come to tea, your mamma is waiting.

LEONiD. All right, I'm coming.

SCENE V

_The same and_ VASILiSA PEREGRiNOVNA

VASILiSA PEREGRiNOVNA. I saw you, my dear, I saw you.

LiZA. There was nothing to see. [_She goes out._

LEONiD. Well, what did you see? What are you going to complain about? I shall simply say that you lie. Whom are they going to believe quicker, you or me?

[_He makes a grimace and goes out._

VASILiSA PEREGRiNOVNA. There, that's the way they all treat me. I can't stand it! My heart is just sick. I'm a martyr in this world. [_She plucks a flower viciously and pulls off its petals_] I believe that if I had the power I'd do this to all of you! I'd do this to all of you! I'd do this to all of you! You just wait, you young scamp! I'll catch you. My heart boils, it boils, it boils over! And now I must smirk before the mistress as if I were a fool. What a life! What a life! The sinners in h.e.l.l do not suffer as I suffer in this house! [_She goes out._

II

_A parlor. Rear centre, a door opening into the garden. Doors at the sides; in the centre a round table._

SCENE I

_From a side door there enter a footman with a samovar and a maid with a tea-service; they place both on the table and go out._ GAVRiLOVNA _and_ POTaPYCH _enter after them_. GAVRiLOVNA _prepares the tea_. VASILiSA PEREGRiNOVNA _enters from the garden_.