Page:Plays by Anton Tchekoff (1916).djvu/49

ACT II

. I myself— [She embraces ] Let us make peace.

. With all my heart.

. Has papa gone to bed?

. No, he is sitting up in the drawing-room. Heaven knows what reason you and I had for not speaking to each other for weeks. [Sees the open sideboard] Who left the sideboard open?

. Dr. Astroff has just had supper.

. There is some wine. Let us seal our friendship.

. Yes, let us.

. Out of one glass. [She fills a wine-glass] So, we are friends, are we?

. Yes. [They drink and kiss each other] I have long wanted to make friends, but somehow, I was ashamed to.

[She weeps.

. Why are you crying?

. I don’t know. It is nothing.

. There, there, don’t cry. [She weeps] Silly! Now I am crying too. [A pause] You are angry with me because I seem to have married your father for his money, but don’t believe the gossip you hear. I swear to you I married him for love. I was fascinated by his fame and learning. I know now that it was not real love, but it seemed real at the time. I am innocent, and yet your clever, suspicious eyes have been punishing me for an imaginary crime ever since my marriage.

. Peace, peace! Let us forget the past.

. You must not look so at people. It is not becoming to you. You must trust people, or life becomes impossible.

. Tell me truly, as a friend, are you happy?

. Truly, no.