Krotkaya Page #2

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Why, why should I even

make excuses in front of her?

Could she even understand my

excuses, my sufferings?

Some day she'll get it

by herself,

and she'll appreciate it

twice as much.

- I came here, thinking that

you may be interested in hearing

the details of your husband's

life before marriage.

Not here, of course... in a more

suitable place.

Shame on you! How

can you even talk like that?

Keeping in mind our

previous relations,

I do hope you will no longer dare

come into my house!

If you please.

You're right. Your house is not a

pleasant place for meetings.

I'd rather meet somewhere else.

All the best, Ma'am.

How low, how disgusting!

You think I didn't love her?

Everybody would tell you,

that I loved her!

You see, there goes the biting

irony of this situation...

Because I did, I really did

love her!

Although...

why am I even talking about it?

The point here is...

That I ramble on and on, but

can't quite get it together.

How did it all start?

Yes, that's how.

One... four... nine... seven...

Now that will do.

Thirty rubles.

Okay. It's a present, from

my deceased husband.

The last thing I have

in memory of him.

Could you take all these,

instead of the locket?

No. They are worthless.

- Please keep it in safe, I'll pay off!

- By all means.

I'll keep it during one month,

starting from today,

After that, you can't claim

any rights on it.

Stay here.

I can't.

I just can't leave here the last

thing that's dear to me.

Take it.

But you do need money,

what are you going to do?

I'll try to pawn any of these...

Noone will take them,

believe me.

I'll try anyway.

Give it here.

Take it, go on.

- How can I thank you?

- Please go.

- Go.

- Thank you so much.

Thank you.

The money, that you spent

so generously, were mine!

Mine, do you understand? Cheap

generosity is always easy.

Is that what you seek?

How about the difficult option?

The inglorious one,

when you're slandered,

when everyone sees

the scoundrel in you,

while you're more honest than

anyone else on earth?

Try that heroic deed

for a change.

No? You won't?

And me, I've been

doing it all my life.

When I invited you into my house,

I hoped you'll understand all that,

and make it a rule to...

So you hoped to buy

my respect, my love?

No, sir. You can't buy that.

From now on you take no part

in my occupation.

Where's she going?

- Is she with you?

- No, she's not here.

That's strange.

- And all these days...

- I haven't seen her for a long time.

I don't get it.

I told her not to leave the

house without me.

It's your own fault.

Serves you right.

I'm asking you...

find out what you can

and tell me.

I'll give it a try, Mister.

I'll be back later.

Is that true you were kicked

out of your regiment?

For cowardice, for declining a duel?

Yes.

- Kicked out as a coward?

- Yes, that's how they named it.

So that's who you are, a coward!

To rise agains their tyranny,

takes much more courage than

fighting on any duel.

So it's true that you wandered around

the city for three years, like a tramp?

Begging for coins, sleeping

under the bridge?

Yes, that's true.

In my life I had a great deal

of shame and hardships

- But that's in the past.

- Yes, now you're a big man.

A financier.

- Is that a hint?

- Whatever you like.

Everyone talks badly

about the pawnbroker.

So what? What of it?

I must have reasons of my own.

And yet you didn't tell me that

before the marriage.

Yes, I didn't tell her. I kept

my mouth shut.

Why was I silent?

I was, like any proud man would be!

She's heard the

disgraceful gossip

and thinks that she knows

all about me.

But the innermost secret

I kept to myself.

You see,

that was an incident

which has been bothering me every

hour, every minute of my life.

To put it shortly...

It started in the theater, I went

out during the intermission.

Have you heard?

Captain Bezumcev is making

a scandal upstairs in the bar.

Bezumcev who? Which regiment?

Ah, he's one of these.

Why don't you bring your

brother-officer to reason?

We're in public area, after all.

- I have seen nothing reprehensible.

- Nothing? It seems like he's drunk!

It only seems so.

We thank you for upholding the

honor of our regiment.

The whole city's talking about us.

He should be nominated

for an award.

Allow me, gentlemen.

You did witness the guardsmen

talking about Cap. Bezumcev didn't you?

Why didn't you stop them?

Why should I? It's his and Bezumcev's

own business to discuss.

- I see.

- No it's not!

This concerns each and

every one of us!

You've brought shame on us, in front

of other officers and everyone!

Will you cut it out?

You don't seem to care about

the regiment's honor.

The regiment's honor is fine.

Gentlemen, that's foolish, you're

making a problem out of nothing.

The honor of our officers

is not "nothing"!

You're just a coward!

Calm down, gentlemen.

It think it's not too late

for our staff-captain

to clear our name

by demanding satisfaction from

the officer in question.

You're offering me a duel?

or...

I won't submit to your

narrow-minded tyranny!

- I won't fight!

- Then we demand that you leave

our regiment immediately!

I resigned and left my regiment.

I was penniless...

and all alone on the streets.

I lost my courage and willpower.

I was thrown away...

thrown away and forgotten.

And nobody knows that.

Closing time!

Shut the doors,

turn off the light.

I was offended, for life,

For my noble impulse

towards people.

So let it be shame, let it

be disgrace.

Let it be sin.

The worse - the better.

And that's what I chose.

But where did she

learn all that?

Turns out, it is all Yulia Samsonovna,

our former acquaintance.

A widow, lives upstairs.

That's where your wife

spends time nowadays.

Your former colleague

is involved too,

an officer by the name Efymovych.

He's a good friend of hers.

They're having a date tonight.

If you wish, I can arrange that you'll

hear every word of their rendez-vous.

- That'll do.

- Yes, but...

The colonel's wife would

want her share too, so...

So Efymovych told her...

...and she's having a date with him.

...your spouse was

shivering with fear.

He's not worthy of such charming,

such intelligent,

such courageous woman as you.

Courageous?

Ah, yes, courageous.

To dare go on date with you takes

a lot of courage, is that what you say?

You're right, though.

Please go on.

You promised to prove me, that

my husband is a coward

and a disreputable man. Until now, I've

been hearing lies and nothing more.

- I don't believe you.

- If you don't, how come

you've taken a risk of

granting me this date?

Don't look at me like that.

Only affected and spontaneous

hatred towards me

could trick her into

a date like this.

- What can I do for you?

- Don't you dare!

- You won't!

- I'll do anything!

- Don't!

- Let me kiss at least your dress!

- Don't you dare touch me, I'll scream!

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