ANNA PETROVNA (through tears). I don’t think you’d be capable of anything horrible . . . Will you write to me at least?
PLATONOV. I don’t dare write to you, besides you won’t care to read my letters! Absolutely forever . . . good-bye!
ANNA PETROVNA. Hm . . . You’ll be lost without me, Platonov! (Rubs her forehead.) I’m just the tiniest bit tipsy . . . Let’s go together!
PLATONOV. No . . . Tomorrow you’ll know it all and . . . (Turns away from the window.)
ANNA PETROVNA. Do you need money?
PLATONOV. No . . .
ANNA PETROVNA. So . . . I can’t help?
PLATONOV. I don’t know. Send me a card photo of you today . . . (Turns around.) Go away, Anna Petrovna, or I don’t know what the hell I might do! I’ll start sobbing, beat myself up and . . . Go away! There’s no way to keep me here! I’m talking to you in plain Russian! What are you waiting for! I have to go, is that so hard to understand! Why do you look at me like that? What’s the point of making such a face?
ANNA PETROVNA. Good-bye . . . (Offers her hand.) We shall meet again . . .
PLATONOV. No . . . (Kisses her hand.) We mustn’t . . . Go away, my nearest and dearest . . . (Kisses her hand.) Good-bye . . . Leave me . . . (Covers his face with her hand.)
ANNA PETROVNA. You’ve gone soft on me, dear heart . . . Well? Let go of my hand . . . Good-bye! Let’s have one for the road, shall we? (Pours.) Drink up! Happy journey, and happiness at journey’s end!
PLATONOV drinks.
What if you were to stay, Platonov? Eh? (Pours and drinks.) We’d have a rare old time . . . Where’s the crime in that? Can such things be in Voinitsevka?
Pause.
One more, to drown our sorrows?
PLATONOV. Sure.
ANNA PETROVNA (pours). Drink, my darling . . . Eh, damn it all to hell!
PLATONOV (drinks). Be happy! Live your life . . . You can get on without me . . .
ANNA PETROVNA. Let’s drink if we’re drinking . . . (Pours.) If you drink you die, and if you don’t drink you die, so it’s better to die drinking . . . (Drinks.) I’m a drunkard, Platonov . . . Eh? Have another? Don’t have to, though . . . We’ll get tongue-tied, and how will we talk then? (Sits down.) There’s nothing worse than being a cultured woman . . . A cultured woman with nothing to do . . . What’s the meaning of me, what’s the point of my life?
Pause.
Unintentionally immoral . . . I’m an immoral woman, Platonov . . . (Roars with laughter.) Eh? And I love you, maybe, because I’m immoral . . . (Rubs her forehead.) So I’ll be a lost soul too . . . My sort are always lost souls . . . I should have been some kind of professor, headmaster . . . If I had been a diplomat, I’d have screwed up the whole world good and proper . . . A cultured woman . . . with nothing to do. Useless, in other words . . . Horses, cows, and dogs are useful, but you are useless, a superfluous woman . . . Huh? Why don’t you say something?
PLATONOV. Both of us are in a bad way . . .
ANNA PETROVNA. If I had only had children . . . Do you like children? (Gets up. ) Do stay, darling! Won’t you stay? We would have such a good life! . . . Have fun, be friends . . . You’re leaving, but what about me? After all, I’d like to settle down . . . Michel! I have to settle down! I want to be . . . a wife, a mother . . .
Pause.
Say something! Speak! Will you stay? After all . . . after all, you do love me, you crackpot? You love me?
PLATONOV (looks out the window). I’ll kill myself, if I stay.
ANNA PETROVNA. You love me, don’t you?
PLATONOV. Who doesn’t love you?
ANNA PETROVNA. You love me, I love you, what more do you need? You’re losing your mind, I suppose . . . What more do you need? Why didn’t you come to me that night?
Pause.
Will you stay?
PLATONOV. Go away, for heaven’s sake! You’re tormenting me!
ANNA PETROVNA (offers her hand). Well . . . in that case . . . I wish you all the best . . .
PLATONOV. Do go away, or I’ll tell you all about it, and if I tell you, I’ll kill myself!
ANNA PETROVNA. I offer my hand . . . Don’t you see it? I’ll pop over here for a minute tonight . . .
PLATONOV. Don’t! I’ll come to you to say good-bye! I’ll come to your place myself . . . I won’t come for any reason! You won’t see me again, and I won’t see you! You really don’t want to see me! You’ll turn against me forever! A new life . . . (Embraces and kisses her.) For the last time . . . (Shoves her out the door.) Good-bye! Go and be happy! (Bolts the door shut.)
ANNA PETROVNA (behind the door). I swear to God we’ll meet again!
PLATONOV. No! Good-bye! (Puts his fingers in his ears.) I’m not listening! Shut up and go away! I’m stopping my ears!
ANNA PETROVNA. I’m going! I’ll send over Sergey and give you my word that you won’t go, but if you do, it’ll be with me! Good-bye!
Pause.
SCENE VI
PLATONOV (alone).
PLATONOV. Has she gone? (Goes to the door and listens.) She’s gone . . . But maybe she hasn’t gone? (Opens the door.) After all, she’s a devil . . . (Looks behind the door.) She’s gone . . . (Lies on the sofa.) Good-bye, charming woman! . . . (Sighs.) And I’ll never see her again . . . She’s gone . . . She might have stayed another five minutes . . .
Pause.
It wouldn’t have been so bad! I’ll ask Sofya to put off the trip another couple of weeks, and go away with the General’s lady! Right . . . Two weeks— that’s all! Sofya will agree to that . . . She can stay with her mother in the meantime . . . I’ll ask her . . . eh? While I’m away with the General’s lady, Sofya can have a bit of a rest . . . recover her strength, I mean . . . After all, I won’t be gone for an eternity!
Knock at the door.
I’ll go! That’s settled! Splendid . . .
Knock.
Who’s knocking? The General’s lady? Who’s there?
Knock.
Is that you? (Gets up.) I won’t let you in! (Goes to the door.) Is she there?
Knock.
She’s giggling, sounds like . . .(Laughs.) She is there . . . Have to let her in. . . . (Opens the door.) Ah!
Enter OSIP.
SCENE VII
PLATONOV and OSIP.
PLATONOV. What’s going on? That you, Satan? What’s brought you here?
OSIP. Good afternoon, Mikhail Vasilich!
PLATONOV. What have you got to say for yourself? To what and to whom am I obliged for a visit from such an important personage? Tell me quickly and then go to hell!