Lover's Prayer Page #3

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Except for Woldemar!

I told you he would come.

- Oh, no! Dashed! Ruined!

- Wait! We can win.

- We'll destroy him!

- Men of Gaul, prepare to die!

A man amongst boys. Well done.

Denis, thank you. I'm so grateful.

Call me whenever I can help you.

I'm at your service.

- We've always been neighbors after all.

- Yes, we've always been neighbors.

God bless you.

Have you had any news from Vesya?

When will the Army let him come home?

He's somewhere in Poland.

That's all I know.

You poor woman.

I did get some money

from Vasya last month.

As I said, if there's

anything I can do.

Thank you.

There is a sleigh outside.

It's loaded with wood

but I haven't been able

to get it into the barn.

I haven't been able to do it.

Yes. I'll come around then to help you.

I'll expect you then.

At your service, your ladyship.

Would you be so kind as

to copy out a petition for me?

- You are educated after all.

- With pleasure.

Only mind, make

your letters nice and big.

Could you please do it

today, my dear sir?

I'll do it now, ma'am.

Zinaida. I say, Zinaida!

Zinaida guessed at once

that I'd fallen in love with her.

From that day, my passion began. Not

that I alone had fallen in love with her.

Here is a very beautiful day.

- Don't you agree, Denis?

- Yes, it is

- And you are as beautiful.

- Am I?

I have to tell you my

real feelings or I will die.

I must. I must tell you. I suffer so.

Or perchance it some secret rival

that sudden cast his spell on thee.

Where to for, I thus suspect

a hen would near thee lay.

Big dogs what?

Only at that instant did the

thought flash through my mind.

My God, she has fallen in love.

I kept watch on Zinaida.

A change had come over her. She

began to go for long solitary walks.

Would you receive

this young gentleman, sir?

Why do you keep trailing in

and out of here, young man?

You should be studying,

working while you're young.

Instead of which, you're doing what?

You can't tell whether

I work at home or not.

A lot of work you do. You've

something else on your mind.

I won't argue. At your age,

that's natural enough.

But your choice isn't very fortunate.

Can't you see what

sort of a house this is?

- I'm not quite sure what you mean.

- So much the worse for you.

It's all very well for people like me,

for old bachelors to go on coming here.

It can't do too much to us old

bachelors. But you have a tender skin.

- What do you mean?

- You well now?

Are you in a normal condition?

Do you consider that

what you feel now is healthy?

What am I feeling now?

Bless you. Whatever is in your heart

is still written all over your face.

How can you, with your intelligence

not see what's going on around you?

Why? What's going on around me?

What do you mean by bringing that hoe

into this house? Take it out this instant!

You said you'd pay me last week,

and now it's this week.

And you're not getting rid of me again.

If you refuse to pay me,

I'm contacting law!

That is an insolent remark,

and you are a peasant!

And you shall no talk to me

in that tone of voice!

I am a peasant, but I'm not a serf.

Money is owed to me, and you will

pay it or you will talk to the law.

How dare you... How dare you

suggest such a thing in my house!

You're already famous, you know.

For being a regular

soldier's wife yourself. Oh, yes.

That's no business of yours. How would

you like me to clap you in that fat face!

That is enough! You've gone quite

far enough! Stepan! Looshin!

I can go much further, you know

I can. Now, the money please.

You'll get it soon enough!

You'll get it.

Now is better, for your sake.

Stepan! Looshin!

Looshin, I have a toothache.

I have a dreadful surly

peasant here and a toothache!

And here we have Zinaida who spends the

whole day wandering around out of doors

like a Biblical Hebrew

without orientation!

I'm at my wit's end with this house!

- Looshin, do something.

- Such as what, Princess?

Tell her off. She wanders... She drinks

iced water the whole day long.

Can that be good for her,

with her weak chest?

- Why do you do this?

- Why? What can it do to me?

Do to you? You could

catch cold and die.

- Really? Then that would be that.

- I see. So that's how it is.

Yes, that is how it is.

Is life so gay then?

Why, if you look around you,

is it so very attractive?

Do you think I don't understand?

Can you seriously maintain to me

that this life is not worth risking

for the pleasure of iced water?

Enough, dear Zinaida. Your entire

nature is very aptly conveyed.

No, you've missed, my dear doctor.

You're not a good observer.

Put on your spectacles.

Help?

Monsieur Woldemar,

I cannot bear to be pitied.

Zinaida. Zinaida!

It is bad, bad, young man.

The atmosphere in this house.

Did you tell him about the inspector

from the legal department?

Several days ago, ma'am, yes.

- What was his reply?

- Not much, ma'am.

But he went directly

across to the Zasyekin lodge.

- What did he propose over there?

- I'm sorry, I don't know that, ma'am.

Thank you.

And drown an eye unused to flow.

Loathsome. Maidanov, I'm sorry.

Your poem stinks.

It isn't mine. It's Shakespeare.

- I thought he was supposed to be good.

- Very famous, you know.

He is good. Good, at the very least.

"Drown an eye unused to flow"?

It's insipid.

Does he not simply mean cry or weep?

He should simply say that.

"I wept" or "I cried."

I order Shakespeare

stricken from the house.

Hugo is a first rate writer.

I have Hugo.

Tronkosheyev too, in his

Spanish novel "El Trovador."

The book with the question

marks upside down?

No. Let's play a game instead.

- Forfeits?

- No, forfeits are boring.

I propose a game called Analogies.

An object will be compared

to something else.

Whoever thinks of the

best analogy will win a prize.

- Very well. Let's play!

- Yes, let's play.

What are those clouds like?

I think they're like those

purple sails on the golden ship

on which Cleopatra sailed

to meet Antony.

Do you remember?

- Yes, yes.

- Yes, precisely.

- Exactly.

- Perfectly.

How old was Antony then?

- He must surely have been young.

- Yes, young.

I beg your pardon, he was over forty.

Over forty. Will the gentlemen

please let me pass?

Yes. Yes, of course.

Good analogy.

Mashenka!

Everything about her fascinated me.

I was constantly curious and

used to sneak up to her house

hoping to find her idle

and wanting company.

- Are you gathering onions?

- Yes, Princess.

You know, my mother

is very cross with you.

She could make trouble.

But that's not what I want.

Let's have a secret.

- A secret, Princess?

- I enjoy natural bathing when it's hot.

But it must be hidden.

A place no one will catch me.

I know a cool pond yonder, Princess.

I have bathed there myself.

Is it very hidden?

So hidden that you could even meet

a lover there and never be found?

- I have never done that, Princess.

- But you could.

You see, Princess, no one can look here.

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