Page:Plays by Anton Tchekoff (1916).djvu/217

ACT IV

for one thing, don’t believe in a future life, and for another, you haven’t committed any sins. You have served as a Councillor for twenty-five years, that is all.

. [Laughing] Twenty-eight years!

comes in and sits down on a stool at feet. fixes her eyes on his face and never once tears them away.

. We are keeping Constantine from his work.

. No matter.

. Of all the cities you visited when you were abroad, Doctor, which one did you like the best?

. Genoa.

. Why Genoa?

. Because there is such a splendid crowd in its streets. When you leave the hotel in the evening, and throw yourself into the heart of that throng, and move with it without aim or object, swept along, hither and thither, their life seems to be yours, their soul flows into you, and you begin to believe at last in a great world spirit, like the one in your play that Nina Zarietchnaya acted. By the way, where is Nina now? Is she well?

. I believe so.

. I hear she has led rather a strange life; what happened?

. It is a long story, Doctor.

. Tell it shortly.

. She ran away from home and joined Trigorin; you know that?

. Yes.

. She had a child that died. Trigorin soon tired of her and returned to his former ties, as might have been expected. He had never broken them, indeed, but out of weakness of character had always vacillated between the