Works of Ivan Turgenev (Illustrated) (448 page)

ACT ONE

Scene:
A sitting - room in the house of a rich land - oumer. On the right are two windows and a door leading into the garden. On the left, a door leading into the reception - room. In the background, a door into the entry. Between the windows stands an extension table. Upon the table is a checker set. Towards the front, on the left, stands a table with two chairs at it. Between the reception - room and the vestibule there is a small passageway.

Trembinski [at back of stage]: What a disorder! I find disorder here in everything! It is unpardonable! [Entering in company with Petr, the lackey, and the Cossack, Vaska.] I have a formal writing from the Madam. Everyone here must mind me! [To Petr.] Do you understand me?

Petr: Yes, sir.

Trembinski: The Madam and her husband will be here to - day. They sent me here ahead of them, and what are we doing here? Nothing! [Turns to the Cossack.] What are you doing here? You like to stroll around too? Do nothing? [Gets hold of his ear and pulls it.] You want to be fed for nothing? All of your kind like to be fed for nothing. I know your kind. Get out of here! Go where you belong!

[Cossack boy goes out; Tkembinski sits down in a chair.] I’m pretty well tired out. [Jumps to his feet again.] Why haven’t I been introduced to the tailor? Where is he, that tailor?

Petr [looking into the vestibule]: There he is.

Trembinski: Why doesn’t he come in? What is he waiting out there for? Come in, my dear fellow. What is your name?

[Anpadist comes in, and remains at the door with his hands folded over his back.]

Trembinski [to Petr]: This is the tailor?

Petr: Yes, sir. That’s him.

Trembinski [to Anpadist]: How old are you, my dear fellow?

Anpadist: I am in my seventieth year, sir.

Trembinski [to Petr]: Is he the only tailor here?

Petr: No, sir. There was another, but he proved himself bad. He had a rotten mouth.

Trembinski [lifting his hand up high]: What disorder! [To Anpadist.] Well, old man, have you fulfilled the order?

Anpadist: I have, sir.

Trembinski: You put the collars on the livery coats?

Anpadist: I did, sir. Only, sir, there wasn’t enough yellow cloth, sir.

Trembinski: What did you do then?

Anpadist: Well, sir, they gave me a yellow petticoat, a kind of an old yellow petticoat.

Trembinski [dropping his hands]: Don’t say any more. Well, there is nothing to be done about it. We can’t go to town now after more cloth. Go! [Anpadist starts to go.] Now be quick about it; otherwise . . . Well, go. [Anpadist goes out. Trembinski sits down and jumps up again.] Oh, yes. Are they cleaning the paths in the garden?

Pete: Surely, they are cleaning them. A lot of single men were sent in from the country.

Trembinski [going up to Petr]: And who are you?

Petr [somewhat in doubt]: What is it?

Trembinski [goes up nearer to Petr]: Who are you, I ask — who are you?

Petr [with increased doubt]: I?

Trembinski [goes up very close to him]: Yes, you, you, you! Who are you?

[Petr gets confused, looks at Trembinski, and does not answer.]

Trembinski: Tell me! I ask you! Who are you?

Petr: I’m Petr.

Trembinski: No, you’re a lackey, that’s what you are. The house to attend to, — that’s your business; also to clean the lamps, but the garden has nothing to do with you. Whether they sent single men to do the work or married men, that has nothing to do with you. That’s the Manager’s business. I didn’t ask you that at all, and I didn’t demand any answer to that, either. Your business is to go and send the Manager here. That’s your business.

Petr: Here he is coming himself.

[Egor enters from the anteroom.]

Trembinski: Ah! Egor Aleksieich, you have come at a very opportune moment. Tell me, please, have you given orders in the garden concerning . . .

Egor: I have, Nartsys Konstantinych. Don’t trouble yourself about that. Won’t you snuff with me?

Trembinski [takes a little snuff with Egor and pushes it into his nose]: You won’t believe me, Egor Aleksieich, what trouble I have gone through since morning. I confess that I didn’t expect to find such disorder in so large an estate. Not in your department, surely — only in the household.

Egob: So?

Trembinski: Imagine, for instance, I ask, “Are there musicians among the household?” Of course you will understand the people must be met properly. I am told that there are musicians, so I said, “Bring them in.” And what do you think? Every musician has some other more important duty to perform! One is a gardener, one is a shoemaker, and the bass is a shepherd. Just think of that! And their instruments are out of order. I had awfully hard work to bring them into order. [Takes another snuff of tobacco.]

Egor: A very troublesome duty you’ve chosen.

Trembinski: Yes, I dare say. I am not going to eat my bread for nothing. Well, are the musicians at the gate now?

Egor: Surely, they are at the gate. A little rain began to fall, and they went into the servants’ room. They say that the instruments will get wet, but I must confess I kicked them out of there, for the people may come and they will just miss them. I told them to put their instruments under their coats.

Trembinski: Quite right, quite right! Now I think everything is in good shape.

Egor: You can rest assured, Nartsys Konstantinych. [Looks at Petr.] What are you standing there for? Goon, get out of here. Go to your place. [Petr goes out into the anteroom. From the corridor, Masha enters.] Ho, ho! Ho, ho! Where are you running to, my lady?

Masha: Oh, Egor Aleksieich, let me alone. Praskovia Ivanovna has tired me out as it is. [She runs into the anteroom.]

t Egor [follows her with his eyes, then turns to Trembinski and winks his eye. Tbembinski smiles]: Tell me, Nartsys Konstantinych, what time is it.

Trembinski [looks at his watch]: Quarter of eleven. Before we know it the people will be here.

[Kuzovkin appears in the anteroom. He stops, makes some signs in back of him, then he enters quietly and walks up to the table near the window.]

Egor: I’ll run into the office a moment. The Elder surely hasn’t combed his beard, and yet he’ll want td kiss the people. [Going out, he runs into Kuzovkin.]

Kuzovkin: How do you do, Egor Aleksieich.

Egor [not without a bit of regret]: Oh, Vasili Semenych; I can’t be bothered with you now. [Goes into the anteroom.] [Kuzovkin continues to get nearer to the window.]

Trembinski [looks around and notices Kuzovkin. To himself]: Who’s that? [Kuzovkin bows to Trembinski. Trembinski shakes his head a little, and talks to Kuzovkin over his shoulder.] Well, you’re here, too. You want to meet the young couple, too, eh?

Kuzovkin: Why not?

Trembinski: Well, are you glad? [Not waiting for his answer.] Have you changed your clothes?

Kuzovkin: Yes . . That is . . .

Trembinski: All right, all right! You can stay here in the corner. You can sit down here if you like. [Kuzovkin fcows.] Oh, yes, I forgot. Petr! Whaf s the matter, is there nobody in the anteroom?

Ivanov [appears halfway through the door]: What do you wish, sir?

Trembinski [with some surprise]: Let me see. How did it happen that you . . .

Ivanov [coming in further]: I am Ivanov. Ivan Kuz - mich, a friend of his. [Points to Kuzovkin.]

Kuzovkin [to Trembinski]: A neighbor. He belongs here. ... He has come to visit me.

Tbembinski [drawling and shaking his head]: Oh, this isn’t the right time, nor the place, gentlemen.

[Pete comes in from the anteroom, pushing away Ivanov. Ivanov hides himself.]

Tbembinski: Where do you keep yourself? Follow me! I want to see what you have done there in the office. I am sure nothing is there as I ordered it. One hardly can depend upon you fellows.

[Both go into the sitting room. Kuzovkin remains alone.]

Kuzovkin [after a short silence]: Ivan. Oh, Ivan.

Ivanov [from the anteroom]: What?

Kuzovkin: Come in, Ivan. It’s all right, you can come in.

Ivanov [entering slowly]: I’d better go away.

Kuzovkin: No, remain here. What of it. You have come to see me. Come here. Sit down right here. This is my corner.

Ivanov: We had better get into your room.

Kuzovkin: We can’t go into my room now. The laundry is being examined there, and they’ve got a lot of featherbeds there. Why isn’t it all right here?

Ivanov: No, I had better go home.

Kuzovkin: No, Ivan, remain here. Sit down right here, and I’ll sit down too. [Kuzovkin sits down.] The young people will soon arrive. We’ll have a look at them.

Ivanov: What’s that to look at?

Kuzovkin: What do you mean by “What’s that to look at?” Whaf s the matter? Olga Petrovna got married in St. Petersburg. It’s interesting to see her husband. And then, you and I haven’t seen her for a long time . It’s a little over six years since we’ve seen her. Sit down.

Ivanov: But truly, Yasili Semenych . . .

Kuzovkin: Sit down, sit down, I tell you. Don’t mind the new Superintendent. The Lord be with him. That’s his business.

Ivanov: Olga Petrovna surely married a rich man. [Ee sits down.]

Kuzovkin: I don’t know, Ivan, what to tell you. They say he’s some high official. Well, Olga Petrovna deserves a good man. She couldn’t live forever with her aunt.

Ivanov: Suppose, Vasili Semenych, her husband kicks both of us out.

Kuzovkin: Why should he kick us out?

Ivanov: I really meant you.

Kuzovkin [with a sigh]: I know, Ivan, I know what you meant. You, my dear fellow, are a land - owner, though a small one, and my clothes aren’t even my own. They have always been on some other body first, and still the new master wouldn’t kick me out. The deceased, the real master, he didn’t kick me out, either. And how mad he was at me!