When I went into the wood my thoughts were far away from murder; I went there with only one object: to find Olga and continue to torment and scold her… When I am drunk I always feel the necessity to quarrel… I met her about two hundred paces from the clearing… She was standing under a tree and looking pensively at the sky… I called to her… When she saw me she smiled and stretched out her arms to me….
‘ “Don’t scold me, I’m so unhappy!” she said.
‘That night she looked so beautiful, that I, drunk as I was, forgot everything in the world and pressed her in my arms… She swore to me that she had never loved anybody but me… and that was true… she really loved me… and in the very midst of her assurances she suddenly took it into her head to say something terrible: “How unhappy I am! If I had not got married to Urbenin, I might now have married the Count!” All that was boiling in my breast bubbled over. I seized the vile little creature by the shoulder and threw her to the ground as you throw a ball. My rage reached its peak… Well… I finished her… I just finished her… You understand about Kuz’ma….’
I glanced at Kamyshev. On his face I could neither read repentance nor regret. ‘I just finished her’ was said as easily as ‘I just had a smoke.’ In my turn I also experienced a feeling of wrath and loathing… I turned away.
‘And Urbenin is in penal servitude?’ I asked quietly.
‘Yes… I heard he had died on the way, but that is not certain… What then?’
‘What then? An innocent man is suffering and you ask “What then?’
‘But what am I to do? Go and confess?’
‘I should think so.’
‘Well, let us suppose it! I have nothing against taking Urbenin’s place, but I won’t do it voluntarily… Let them take me if they want, but I won’t give myself up. Why did they not take me when I was in their hands? At Olga’s funeral I wept so long, and had such hysterics that even a blind man should have known the truth… It’s not my fault that they are stupid.’
‘You are odious to me.’
‘That is natural… I am odious to myself….’
There was silence again… I opened the cash-book and began mechanically to count the figures… Kamyshev took up his hat.
‘I see you feel stifled by my presence,’ he said. ‘By-the-by, don’t you want to see Count Karnéev. There he is sitting in the cab!’
I went up to the window and glanced at him… Sitting in the cab with his back towards us sat a small stooping figure, in a shabby hat and a faded collar. It was difficult to recognize in him one of the actors of the drama!
‘I heard that Urbenin’s son is living here in Moscow in the Andréev Chambers,’ Kamyshev said. ‘Do you know what I want, what I am going to do? I’ll ruin the Count, I’ll bring him to such a pass that he’ll be asking Urbenin’s son for money. That will be his punishment. But I must say goodbye….’
Kamyshev nodded and left the room. I sat down at the table and gave myself up to bitter thoughts.
I felt stifled.
‘Its peak… Well… I finished her… I just finished her… You understand about Kuz’ma….’
I glanced at Kamyshev. On his face I could neither read repentance nor regret. ‘I just finished her’ was said as easily as ‘I just had a smoke.’ In my turn I also experienced a feeling of wrath and loathing… I turned away.
‘And Urbenin is in penal servitude?’ I asked quietly.
‘Yes… I heard he had died on the way, but that is not certain… What then?’
‘What then? An innocent man is suffering and you ask “What then?” *
‘But what am I to do? Go and confess?’
‘I should think so.’
‘Well, let us suppose it! I have nothing against taking Urbenin’s place, but I won’t do it voluntarily… Let them take me if they want, but I won’t give myself up. Why did they not take me when I was in their hands? At Olga’s funeral I wept so long, and had such hysterics that even a blind man should have known the truth… It’s not my fault that they are stupid.’
‘You are odious to me.’
‘That is natural… I am odious to myself….’
There was silence again… I opened the cash-book and began mechanically to count the figures… Kamyshev took up his hat.
‘I see you feel stifled by my presence,’ he said. ‘By-the-by, don’t you want to see Count Karnéev. There he is sitting in the cab!’
I went up to the window and glanced at him… Sitting in the cab with his back towards us sat a small stooping figure, in a shabby hat and a faded collar. It was difficult to recognize in him one of the actors of the drama!
‘I heard that Urbenin’s son is living here in Moscow in the Andréev Chambers,’ Kamyshev said. ‘Do you know what I want, what I am going to do? I’ll ruin the Count, I’ll bring him to such a pass that he’ll be asking Urbenin’s son for money. That will be his punishment. But I must say goodbye….’
Kamyshev nodded and left the room. I sat down at the table and gave myself up to bitter thoughts.
I felt stifled.
Plays:
ON THE HIGH ROAD
A DRAMATIC STUDY
CHARACTERS
TIHON EVSTIGNEYEV, the proprietor of a inn on the main road
SEMYON SERGEYEVITCH BORTSOV, a ruined landowner
MARIA EGOROVNA, his wife
SAVVA, an aged pilgrim
NAZAROVNA and EFIMOVNA, women pilgrims
FEDYA, a labourer
EGOR MERIK, a tramp
KUSMA, a driver
POSTMAN
BORTSOV’S WIFE’S COACHMAN
PILGRIMS, CATTLE-DEALERS, ETC.
The action takes place in one of the provinces of Southern Russia
[The
