Four Plays | Page 6

now you are marrying a poor man,
and will live your life in poverty, and will work, and will do your duty.
And now forget," she says, "how you lived here, because not for you I

did all this; I was merely diverting myself, but you must never even
think of such a life; always remember your insignificance, and of what
station you are." And all this so feelingly that there are tears in her own
eyes.
LEONÍD. Well, now, that's fine.
POTÁPYCH. I don't know how to describe it, sir. Somehow they all
get tired of married life later; they mostly pine away.
LEONÍD. Why do they pine away, Potápych?
POTÁPYCH. Must be they don't like it, if they pine away.
LEONÍD. That's queer.
POTÁPYCH. The husbands mostly turn out ruffians.
LEONÍD. Is that so?
POTÁPYCH. Everybody hopes to get one of our protégées, because
the mistress right away becomes his patroness. Now in the case of these
she marries to government clerks, there's a good living for the husband;
because if they want to drive him out of the court, or have done so, he
goes at once to our mistress with a complaint, and she's a regular
bulwark for him; she'll bother the governor himself. And then the
government clerk can get drunk or anything else, and not be afraid of
anybody, unless he is insubordinate or steals a lot....
LEONÍD. But, say, Potápych, why is it that the girls run away from
me?
POTÁPYCH. How can they help running? They must run, sir!
LEONÍD. Why must they?
POTÁPYCH. Hm! Why? Why, because, as you are still under age, the
mistress wants to watch over you as she ought to; well, and she watches
over them, too.
LEONÍD. She watches us, ha, ha, ha!
POTÁPYCH. Yes, sir. That's the truth! She was talking about that.
You're a child, just like a dove, but, well--the girls are foolish.
[_Silence_] What next, sir? It's your mamma's business to be strict,
because she is a lady. But why should you mind her! You ought to act
for yourself, as all young gentlemen do. You don't have to suffer
because she's strict. Why should you let others get ahead of you? That'd
disgrace you.
LEONÍD. Well, well, but I don't know how to talk to the girls.
POTÁPYCH. But what's the use of talking to them a long time? What

about? What kind of sciences would you talk about with them? Much
they understand such stuff! You're just the master, and that's all.
LEONÍD. [_Glances to one side_] Who's this coming? That's NÁDYA,
evidently. Ah, Potápych, how pretty she is!
POTÁPYCH. She is related to me, sir, my niece. Her father was set
free by the late master; he was employed in a confectioner's in Moscow.
When her mother died, her mistress took and brought her up, and is
awful fond of her. And because her father is dead, why, now, she's an
orphan. She's a good girl.
LEONÍD. Looks as if they were coming this way.
POTÁPYCH. Well, let 'em.
GAVRÍLOVNA and NÁDYA enter.

SCENE III
_The same_, GAVRÍLOVNA and NÁDYA
GAVRÍLOVNA. How do you do, good master?
LEONÍD. [_Bows_] How do you do?
GAVRÍLOVNA. Well, master, I suppose you're bored in the country?
LEONÍD. No, not at all.
GAVRÍLOVNA. What, not bored yet! Why, you see it's like a
monastery here; they look after you with a hundred eyes. Well, as for
you, it goes without saying, you're a young gentleman, you ought to
have some amusement; but you can't. It's no great joy to shoot ducks!
[_She laughs._
LEONÍD. [Going up to GAVRÍLOVNA] Yes, yes, Gavrílovna.
NÁDYA. [To GAVRÍLOVNA] Let's go.
GAVRÍLOVNA. Where do you want to go? Now, seeing that the
mistress isn't at home, you ought to have a little fun with the young
master. That's what young folks need. And what a clever girl she is,
master! In talking, and in everything.
NÁDYA. Come, what's the use!
GAVRÍLOVNA. Well, there's no harm in it! I was young once. I didn't
run away from the gentlemen, and you see they didn't eat me. Perhaps
even he won't bite you. Quit playing the prude, and stay here! But I'm
going to get the tea ready! Good-by, good master! [_She goes out._
LEONÍD. Why did you not wish to remain with me?
POTÁPYCH. What's this, sir! You talk to her as if she were a young

lady! Call her Nádya!
LEONÍD. What are you afraid of, Nádya?
NÁDYA _is silent._
POTÁPYCH. Talk! What are you keeping still for? And I'm going, sir;
I must get dressed for tea, too. [_He goes out._

SCENE IV
LEONÍD, NÁDYA, and then LÍZA
NÁDYA. Of course I'm a girl of humble position, but, indeed, even we
do not want anybody to speak evil