Page:Poet Lore, volume 21, 1910.djvu/464

 (They go in.)

Maya (standing near the threshold).—And I must go in to say good by.

Petr (detains her).—Must you?

Maya.—Yes, to every one and everything. (Goes nearer to him.) And forgive me, Mr. Petr.

Petr (feverishly).—You must come again.

Maya.—I cannot.

Petr (decided).—Then I will come!

Maya (commandingly).—I forbid it! You must not! (Goes into the house.)

Petr (sinks on the bench and breaks out into a loud sobbing).

(From the distant village the faint music of the fiddle sounds sadly, softly, prolonged. After a while it ceases and a plaintive song from a solitary female voice is heard.)

''Scene as before. Time, early, before sunrise.''

Kocianova (sitting on the bench under the tree—she looks heart-broken and despairing).

Matoush (stands near her. He holds his hat in one hand and with the other he is mopping his brow).

Petr (stands before them. He looks downcast).

Kocianova (sobbing).—Petr, Petr, what have you done?

Matoush.—Boy, boy, don’t you feel sorry for your old mother?

Petr.—Maminka, for God’s sake, do not cry. Forgive me, but I cannot do otherwise. I have been holding it back, I have tried to keep it from you, and not to reveal it, I have tried to overcome it, but all in vain. For many nights I have not slept, and often I prayed the whole night. But in the morning I decided that I would be only lying to myself and to you if I kept it back and did not tell you the truth. I feel that I could never be happy. And that you would be unhappy also—uncle, for God’s sake, please!

Matoush.—Poor fellow! I thought it would happen. I thought so. But why did not you speak sooner? Did I not often remind you that you should study your heart and soul, that you should question it before you decided upon your course of life. That time when you graduated from the gymnasium I spoke to you about it,