graf Leo Tolstoy

“ Exit THEODORE IVÁNITCH.
Tánya. As I have grown up and lived in your house, Leoníd Fyódoritch, and as I am very grateful to you for everything, I shall open my heart to you as to a father. Simon, who is living in your house, wants to marry me.
Leoníd Fyódoritch. So that's it!
Tánya. I open my heart to you as to a father! I have no one to advise me, being an orphan.
Leoníd Fyódoritch. Well, and why not? He seems a nice lad.
Tánya. Yes, that's true. He would be all right; there is only one thing I have my doubts about. ”

“ Nikíta. That'll do, Anísya. Do you think I'll forget you? Never while I live! I'll not play you false, that's flat. I've been thinking that supposing they do go and make me marry, I'd still come back to you. If only he don't make me live at home.
Anísya. Much need I'll have of you, once you're married.
Nikíta. There's a go now. How is it possible to go against one's father's will?
Anísya. Yes, I daresay, shove it all on your father. You know it's your own doing. You've long been plotting with that slut of yours, Marína. It's she has put you up to it. ”

“ My sin has been forgiven, don't disturb...
Nikíta. What shall I do with my heart? Where am I to turn to?
Marína. What's there to be done? You've got a wife. Don't go looking at others, but keep to your own! You loved Anísya, then go on loving her!
Nikíta. Oh, that Anísya, she's gall and wormwood to me, but she's round my feet like rank weeds!
Marína. Whatever she is, still she's your wife.... But what's the use of talking; you'd better go to your visitors, and send my husband to me.
Nikíta. Oh dear, if you knew the whole business... but there's no good talking! ”

“ Then I'd make a noose and stretch it out, and I'd climb on to that rafter and jump down with my head in the noose! That's what my life is!
Marína. That's enough! Lord help you!
Nikíta. You think I'm joking? You think I'm drunk? I'm not drunk! To-day even drink takes no hold on me! I'm devoured by misery! Misery is eating me up completely, so that I care for nothing! Oh little Marína, it's only with you I ever lived! Do you remember how we used to while away the nights together at the railway?
Marína. Don't you rub the sores, Nikíta! ”

“ Nikíta (taken aback) . What will you tell?
Anísya. What? Everything! Who took the money? You! (NIKÍTA is silent.) And who gave the poison? I did! But you knew! You knew! You knew! We were in agreement!
Matryóna. That's enough now. Nikíta dear, why are you obstinate? What's to be done now? One must take some trouble. Go, honey.
Anísya. See the fine gentleman! He doesn't like it! You've put upon me long enough! You've trampled me under foot! Now it's my turn! Go, I tell you, or else I'll do what I said.... There, take the spade; there, now go!
Nikíta. Drat you! Can't you leave a fellow alone! ”

“ I hardly think it's necessary to be so delicate with Fédya.
Lisa. Perhaps, perhaps. (Smiling.) But don't you think we are becoming very selfish?
Karénin. Maybe. But it's all your fault, dear. After all, this hopelessness and waiting, to think of being happy at last! I suppose happiness does make us selfish.
Lisa. Don't believe you're alone in your happiness or selfishness. I am so filled with joy it makes me almost afraid. Misha's all right, your mother loves me, and above all, you are here, close to me, loving me as I love you. ”

“ Nikíta. Where's the good of making plans? What do I care? I work as hard as if I were doing it for myself. My master loves me, and his missus loves me. And if the wenches run after me, it's not my fault, that's flat.
Anísya. And you'll love me?
Nikíta (embracing her) . There, as you have ever been in my heart....
Matryóna (enters and crosses herself a long time before the icón. Nikíta and Anísya step apart) . What I saw I didn't perceive, what I heard, I didn't hearken to. Playing with the lass, eh? Well,—even a calf will play. Why shouldn't one have some fun when one's young? ”

“ Enter AKOULÍNA, smartly dressed and carrying their purchases.
Akoulína. Why have you thrown everything about? Where's the yarn?
Nikíta. The yarn? The yarn's there. Hullo, Mítritch, where are you? Asleep? Asleep? Go and put the horse up.
Akím (not seeing AKOULÍNA but looking at his son) . Dear me, what is he doing? The old man's what d'ye call it, quite done up, I mean,—been thrashing,—and look at him, what d'ye call it, putting on airs! Put up the horse! Faugh, what filth!
Mítritch (climbs down from the oven, and puts on felt boots) . Oh, merciful Lord! Is the horse in the yard? ”

“ Matryóna. Ah, yes, Peter Ignátitch, now I look at you I see, as the saying has it, "Sickness lives where men live." You've shrivelled, shrivelled, all to nothing, poor dear, now I come to look at you. Seems illness does not add to good looks.
Peter. My last hour has come.
Matryóna. Oh well, Peter Ignátitch, it's God's will you know, you've had communion, and you'll have unction, God willing. Your missus is a wise woman, the Lord be thanked; she'll give you a good burial, and have prayers said for your soul, all most respectable! ”

“ Silence, whispers among the young people; suddenly VASÍLY LEONÍDITCH begins to cry like a baby: "ou-a, ou-a!" (Laughter.) Holding their mouths and noses, the girls and PETRÍSTCHEF run away bursting with laughter.
Fat Lady. Ah, that must be the monk who's been born again!
Leoníd Fyódoritch (beside himself with anger, whispers) . One gets nothing but tomfoolery from you! If you don't know how to behave decently, go away! ”

“ LEONÍD FYÓDORITCH enters, but, seeing his wife and the PEASANTS, wishes to retreat.
Anna Pávlovna. No, no, come here, please! I told you the land must not be sold on credit, and everybody told you so, but you let yourself be deceived like the veriest blockhead.
Leoníd Fyódoritch. How? I don't understand who is deceiving?
Anna Pávlovna. You ought to be ashamed of yourself! You have grey hair, and you let yourself be deceived and laughed at like a silly boy. You grudge your son some three hundred roubles which his social position demands, and let yourself be tricked of thousands—like a fool! ”

“ Masha. What's the use of me wondering about myself? I know when I'm in love, and I know that I sing best when my love is singing.
Fédya. Do you love me?
Masha (murmuring) . I love you.
Fédya. But I am a married man, and you belong to this gypsy troupe. They wouldn't let you leave it, and—
Masha (interrupting) . The troupe's one thing, and my heart's another. I love those I love, and I hate those I hate.
Fédya. Oh, you must be happy to be like that.
Masha. I'm always happy when handsome gentlemen come and say nice things to me. (Gypsies stop singing.) ”

“ The study of Redemption is so simple that it needs no illumination from me. The characters may walk in strange lands without introduction. They are part of us. Fédya is in all of us. His one cry "There has always been so much lacking between what I felt and what I could do" instantly makes him brother to all mankind. His simultaneous physical degeneration and spiritual regeneration is the glory that all people have invested in death. ”

“ Nikíta. Well, if he dies, God give him rest! What's that to me?
Matryóna (keeps looking towards the porch while she speaks) . Eh, sonny! Those that are alive have to think about living. One needs plenty of sense in these matters, honey. What do you think? I've tramped all over the place after your affairs, I've got quite footsore bothering about matters. And you must not forget me when the time comes.
Nikíta. And what's it you've been bothering about?
Matryóna. About your affairs, about your future. If you don't take trouble in good time you'll get nothing. You know Iván Mosévitch? ”

“ Anna Pávlovna (to LEONÍD FYÓDORITCH) . There, you see! You are being made a fool of.
Tánya. Let me go home, Anna Pávlovna!
Anna Pávlovna. No, my dear! You may have caused us a loss of thousands of roubles. Land has been sold that ought not to be sold!
Tánya. Let me go, Anna Pávlovna!
Anna Pávlovna. No; you'll have to answer for it! Such tricks won't do. We'll have you up before the Justice of the Peace! ”

“ Matryóna. So my old man—the old blockhead—off he goes: "Marry, marry," he says, "he must marry her and cover the sin," he says. "We must take the lad home," he says, "and he shall marry," he says. Well, I did my best to make him change his mind, but, dear me, no. So, all right, thinks I,—I'll try another dodge. One always has to entice them fools in this way, just pretend to be of their mind, and when it comes to the point one goes and turns it all one's own way. You know, a woman has time to think seventy-and-seven thoughts while falling off the oven, so how's such as he to see through it? ”

“ Matryóna. Why, if it's money, or something, you can leave orders?
Peter (to Anísya inside the house) . Has Nan gone?
Matryóna (aside) . There now, he's remembered!
Anísya (from inside) . She went then and there. Come inside, won't you? I'll help you in.
Peter. Let me sit here a bit for the last time. The air's so stuffy inside. Oh, how bad I feel! Oh, my heart's burning.... Oh, if death would only come!
Matryóna. If God don't take a soul, the soul can't go out. Death and life are in God's will. Peter Ignátitch. You can't be sure of death either. Maybe you'll recover yet. ”

“ Anna Pávlovna (following LEONÍD FYÓDORITCH with her eyes) . He has been tricked like a fool, and he sees nothing! (To JACOB.) What do you want?
Jacob. How many persons am I to lay the table for?
Anna Pávlovna. For how many?... Theodore Ivánitch! Let him give up the silver plate to you. Be off, at once! It is all his fault! This man will bring me to my grave. Last night he nearly starved the dog that had done him no harm! And, as if that were not enough, he lets the infected peasants into the kitchen, and now they are here again! It is all his fault! Be off at once! ”

“ Sophia Karénina (interrupting her kindly) . Forgive me, my dear. I know it's not your fault and that you've been most unhappy. And also I know my son. He will bear anything, and he'll bear it without saying a word, but his hurt pride will suffer and bring you infinite remorse. You must know how strongly he has always felt that the bond of marriage is indissoluble.
Lisa. Yes. I've thought of all that.
Sophia Karénina. Lisa, my dear, you're a wise woman and you're a good woman too. If you love him, you must want his happiness more than you want your own. ”

“ Oh, dear!
Anísya. Look at him,—seized with pity! He has found some one to pity too! He's been treating you like a dog, and even just now was giving orders to have you turned out of the house. You'd better show me some pity!
Nikíta. What are you to be pitied for?
Anísya. If he dies, and the money's been hidden away....
Nikíta. No fear, he'll not hide it....
Anísya. Oh, Nikíta darling! he's sent for his sister, and wants to give it to her. It will be a bad lookout for us. How are we going to live, if he gives her the money? They'll turn me out of the house! You try and manage somehow! ”

“ Idiot though she is, she keeps watch, and is always about. Oh my poor head! I'm bothered to death.
Matryóna. Oh, my jewel, if he gives the money to any one but you, you'll never cease regretting it as long as you live! They'll turn you out of house and home without anything. You've been worriting, and worriting all your life with one you don't love, and will have to go a-begging when you are a widow.
Anísya. No need to tell me, mother. My heart's that weary, and I don't know what to do. No one to get a bit of advice from. I told Nikíta, but he's frightened of the job. ”

“ Akoulína. She's dirtied my new shawl. If that bitch hadn't gone away, I'd have torn her eyes out!
Nikíta. That's enough. Why should you be angry? Now if I loved her....
Akoulína. Loved her? She's worth loving, with her fat mug! If you'd have given her up, then nothing would have happened. You should have sent her to the devil. And the house was mine all the same, and the money was mine! Says she is the mistress, but what sort of mistress is she to her husband? She's a murderess, that's what she is! She'll serve you the same way!
Nikíta. Oh dear, how's one to stop a woman's jaw? ”

“ That's always the way with this old mumbler of mine, Peter Ignátitch. Once he's got anything wedged in his pate there's no knocking it out. We've gone and troubled you all for nothing. The lad can go on living as he has been. Keep him; he's your servant.
Peter. Well, Daddy Akím, what do you say?
Akím. Why, the lad's his own master, if only he what d'you call it.... I only wish that, what d'you call it, I mean.
Matryóna. You don't know yourself what you're jawing about. The lad himself has no wish to leave. Besides, what do we want with him at home? We can manage without him. ”

“ Anísya. Growing a regular spindle-shanks. And just look at that fool Akoulína. Wasn't the girl a regular untidy slattern, and just look at her now! Where has it all come from? Yes, he has fitted her out. She's grown so smart, so puffed up, just like a bubble that's ready to burst. And, though she's a fool, she's got it into her head. "I'm the mistress," she says; "the house is mine; it's me father wanted him to marry." And she's that vicious! Lord help us, when she gets into a rage she's ready to tear the thatch off the house.
Neighbor. Oh dear, what a life yours is, now I come to look at you. ”

“ Men come up with their belts.
Nikíta. Wait, there's plenty of time! (Bows to the ground before his father.) Father, dear father, forgive me too,—fiend that I am! You told me from the first, when I took to bad ways, you said then, "If a claw is caught, the bird is lost!" I would not listen to your words, dog that I was, and it has turned out as you said! Forgive me, for Christ's sake!
Akím (rapturously) . God will forgive you, my own son! (Embraces him.) You have had no mercy on yourself; He will show mercy on you! God—God! It is He! ”