The Sea-Gull | Page 8

us with sulphur to
demonstrate to us how plays should be written, and what is worth
acting. I am tired of him. No one could stand his constant thrusts and
sallies. He is a wilful, egotistic boy.
SORIN. He had hoped to give you pleasure.
ARKADINA. Is that so? I notice, though, that he did not choose an
ordinary play, but forced his decadent trash on us. I am willing to listen
to any raving, so long as it is not meant seriously, but in showing us
this, he pretended to be introducing us to a new form of art, and
inaugurating a new era. In my opinion, there was nothing new about it,
it was simply an exhibition of bad temper.
TRIGORIN. Everybody must write as he feels, and as best he may.
ARKADINA. Let him write as he feels and can, but let him spare me

his nonsense.
DORN. Thou art angry, O Jove!
ARKADINA. I am a woman, not Jove. [She lights a cigarette] And I
am not angry, I am only sorry to see a young man foolishly wasting his
time. I did not mean to hurt him.
MEDVIEDENKO. No one has any ground for separating life from
matter, as the spirit may well consist of the union of material atoms.
[Excitedly, to TRIGORIN] Some day you should write a play, and put
on the stage the life of a schoolmaster. It is a hard, hard life.
ARKADINA. I agree with you, but do not let us talk about plays or
atoms now. This is such a lovely evening. Listen to the singing, friends,
how sweet it sounds.
PAULINA. Yes, they are singing across the water. [A pause.]
ARKADINA. [To TRIGORIN] Sit down beside me here. Ten or fifteen
years ago we had music and singing on this lake almost all night. There
are six houses on its shores. All was noise and laughter and romance
then, such romance! The young star and idol of them all in those days
was this man here, [Nods toward DORN] Doctor Eugene Dorn. He is
fascinating now, but he was irresistible then. But my conscience is
beginning to prick me. Why did I hurt my poor boy? I am uneasy about
him. [Loudly] Constantine! Constantine!
MASHA. Shall I go and find him?
ARKADINA. If you please, my dear.
MASHA. [Goes off to the left, calling] Mr. Constantine! Oh, Mr.
Constantine!
NINA. [Comes in from behind the stage] I see that the play will never
be finished, so now I can go home. Good evening. [She kisses
ARKADINA and PAULINA.]

SORIN. Bravo! Bravo!
ARKADINA. Bravo! Bravo! We were quite charmed by your acting.
With your looks and such a lovely voice it is a crime for you to hide
yourself in the country. You must be very talented. It is your duty to go
on the stage, do you hear me?
NINA. It is the dream of my life, which will never come true.
ARKADINA. Who knows? Perhaps it will. But let me present
Monsieur Boris Trigorin.
NINA. I am delighted to meet you. [Embarrassed] I have read all your
books.
ARKADINA. [Drawing NINA down beside her] Don't be afraid of him,
dear. He is a simple, good-natured soul, even if he is a celebrity. See,
he is embarrassed himself.
DORN. Couldn't the curtain be raised now? It is depressing to have it
down.
SHAMRAEFF. [Loudly] Jacob, my man! Raise the curtain!
NINA. [To TRIGORIN] It was a curious play, wasn't it?
TRIGORIN. Very. I couldn't understand it at all, but I watched it with
the greatest pleasure because you acted with such sincerity, and the
setting was beautiful. [A pause] There must be a lot of fish in this lake.
NINA. Yes, there are.
TRIGORIN. I love fishing. I know of nothing pleasanter than to sit on a
lake shore in the evening with one's eyes on a floating cork.
NINA. Why, I should think that for one who has tasted the joys of
creation, no other pleasure could exist.
ARKADINA. Don't talk like that. He always begins to flounder when

people say nice things to him.
SHAMRAEFF. I remember when the famous Silva was singing once in
the Opera House at Moscow, how delighted we all were when he took
the low C. Well, you can imagine our astonishment when one of the
church cantors, who happened to be sitting in the gallery, suddenly
boomed out: "Bravo, Silva!" a whole octave lower. Like this: [In a deep
bass voice] "Bravo, Silva!" The audience was left breathless. [A pause.]
DORN. An angel of silence is flying over our heads.
NINA. I must go. Good-bye.
ARKADINA. Where to? Where must you go so early? We shan't allow
it.
NINA. My father is waiting for me.
ARKADINA. How cruel he is, really. [They kiss