Page:Plays by Anton Tchekoff (1916).djvu/53

ACT III

women go out and teach and heal the peasants; how can I suddenly begin to do it?

. How can you live here and not do it? Wait awhile, you will get used to it all. [Embraces her] Don’t be sad, dearest. [Laughing] You feel miserable and restless, and can’t seem to fit into this life, and your restlessness is catching. Look at Uncle Vanya, he does nothing now but haunt you like a shadow, and I have left my work to-day to come here and talk with you. I am getting lazy, and don’t want to go on with it. Dr. Astroff hardly ever used to come here; it was all we could do to persuade him to visit us once a month, and now he has abandoned his forestry and his practice, and comes every day. You must be a witch.

. Why should you languish here? Come, my dearest, my beauty, be sensible! The blood of a Nixey runs in your veins. Oh, won’t you let yourself be one? Give your nature the reins for once in your life; fall head over ears in love with some other water sprite and plunge down head first into a deep pool, so that the Herr Professor and all of us may have our hands free again.

. [Angrily] Leave me alone! How cruel you are!

[She tries to go out.

. [Preventing her] There, there, my beauty, I apologize. [He kisses her hand] Forgive me.

. Confess that you would try the patience of an angel.

. As a peace offering I am going to fetch some flowers which I picked for you this morning: some autumn roses, beautiful, sorrowful roses.

[He goes out.

. Autumn roses, beautiful, sorrowful roses!

[She and stand looking out of the window.

. September already! How shall we live through the long winter here? [A pause] Where is the doctor?