VOYNITSKY [Kissing HELENA'S hand fervently] Good-bye -- forgive me. I'll never see you again!
HELENA. [Touched] Good-bye, my dear.
She lightly kisses his head as he bends over her hand, and goes out.
ASTROV. [To TELEGIN] Tell them to bring my carriage around too, Waffles.
TELEGIN. All right, old man. [Goes out]
ASTROV and VOYNITSKY are left behind alone. ASTROV collects his paints and drawing materials on the table and packs them away in a box.
ASTROV. Why don't you go to see them off?
VOYNITSKY. Let them go! I -- I can't go out there. I feel too sad. I must go to work on something at once. To work! To work!
He rummages through his papers on the table. A pause.
The tinkling of bells is heard as the horses trot away.
ASTROV. They've gone! The professor, I suppose, is glad to go. He couldn't be tempted back now by a fortune.
MARINA comes in.
MARINA. They've gone. [She sits down in an arm-chair and knits her stocking.]
SONYA comes in.
SONYA. They've gone. [Wiping her eyes] God be with them. [To her uncle] And now, Uncle Vanya, let's do something!
VOYNITSKY. To work! To work!
SONYA. It's been a long, long time since you and I have sat together at this table. [She lights a lamp on the table] No ink! [She takes the inkstand to the cupboard and fills it from an ink-bottle] How sad it is to see them go!
MME. VOYNITSKAYA comes slowly in.
MME. VOYNITSKAYA. They have gone.
She sits down and at once becomes absorbed in her book.
SONYA sits down at the table and looks through an account book.
SONYA. First, Uncle Vanya, let's write up the accounts. They're in a dreadful state. Come on, begin. You take one and I'll take the other.
VOYNITSKY. In account with -- Mr. -- [They sit silently writing.]
MARINA. [Yawning] The sand-man has come.
ASTROV. How still it is. Their pens scratch, the cricket sings; it's so warm and comfortable. I hate to go. [The tinkling of bells is heard.]
ASTROV. My carriage has come. There now remains but to say good-bye to you, my friends, and to my table here, and then -- away! [He puts the map into the portfolio.]
MARINA. Don't hurry away; sit a little longer with us.
ASTROV. Impossible.
VOYNITSKY. [Writing] And carry forward from the old debt two roubles seventy-five --
The WORKMAN comes in.
WORKMAN. Your carriage is waiting, sir.
ASTROV. I heard it. [He hands the WORKMAN his medicine-case, portfolio, and suitcase] Look out, don't crush the portfolio!
WORKMAN. Very well, sir. [Goes out]
ASTROV. Well, now -- [Goes to say good-bye]
SONYA. When shall we see you again?
ASTROV. Hardly before next summer. Probably not this winter, though, of course, if anything should happen you'll let me know. [He shakes hands with them] Thank you for your kindness, for your hospitality, for everything! [He goes up to MARINA and kisses her head] Good-bye, old Nanny!
MARINA. Are you going without your tea?
ASTROV. I don't want any, Nanny.
MARINA. Won't you have a drop of vodka?
ASTROV. [Hesitatingly] Yes, I might.
MARINA goes out.
ASTROV. [After a pause] My trace horse has gone lame for some reason. I noticed it yesterday when Peter was taking him to water.
VOYNITSKY. You should have him re-shod.
ASTROV. I'll have to go around by the blacksmith's on my way home. It can't be avoided. [He stands looking up at the map of Africa hanging on the wall] I suppose it's roasting hot in Africa now.
VOYNITSKY. Yes, I suppose it is.
MARINA comes back carrying a tray on which are a glass of vodka and a piece of bread.
MARINA. Help yourself.
ASTROV drinks the vodka.
MARINA. To your good health, my dear! [She bows deeply] Eat your bread with it.
ASTROV. No, I like it so. And now, all the best to you! [To MARINA] You needn't come out to see me off, Nanny.
He goes out. SONYA follows him with a candle to light him to the carriage. MARINA sits down in her armchair.
VOYNITSKY. [Writing] On the 2d of February, twenty pounds of butter; on the 16th, twenty pounds of butter again. Buckwheat flour -- [A pause. Bells are heard tinkling.]
MARINA. He's gone. [A pause.]
SONYA comes in and sets the candle stick on the table.
SONYA. He has gone.
VOYNITSKY. [Adding on an abacus and writing] Total, fifteen -- twenty-five --
SONYA sits down and begins to write.
MARINA. [Yawning] Oh, ho! The Lord have mercy.
TELEGIN comes in on tiptoe, sits down near the door, and begins to tune his guitar.
VOYNITSKY. [To SONYA, stroking her hair] Oh, my child, I'm terribly depressed; if you only knew how miserable I am!
SONYA. What can we do? We must live our lives. [A pause] Yes, we shall live, Uncle Vanya. We shall live through the long procession of days before us, and through the long evenings; we shall patiently bear the trials that fate imposes on us; we shall work for others without rest, both now and when we are old; and when our last hour comes we shall meet it humbly, and there, beyond the grave, we shall say that we have suffered and wept, that our life was bitter, and God will have pity on us. Ah, then dear, dear Uncle, you and I shall see that bright and beautiful life; we shall rejoice and look back upon our sorrow here; a tender smile -- and -- we shall rest. I have faith, Uncle, fervent, passionate faith. [SONYA kneels down before her uncle and lays her head on his hands. She speaks in a weary voice] We shall rest. [TELEGIN plays softly on the guitar] We shall rest. We shall hear the angels. We shall see heaven all shining with diamonds. We shall see all evil and all our pain sink away in the great compassion that shall enfold the world. Our life will be as peaceful and tender and sweet as a caress. I have faith; I have faith. [She wipes away her tears with a handkerchief] My poor, poor Uncle Vanya, you are crying! [Weeping] You have never known what happiness was, but wait, Uncle Vanya, wait! We shall rest. [She embraces him] We shall rest! [The WATCHMAN'S rattle is heard in the garden; TELEGIN plays softly; MME. VOYNITSKAYA writes something on the margin of her pamphlet; MARINA knits her stocking] We shall rest!
The curtain slowly falls.
Notes
Following notes are by James Rusk and A. S. Man, 1998: TITLE
Vanya is a familiar diminutive of the Russian name Ivan -- the title's English equivalent would be "Uncle Johnny." CHARACTERS