re you have me--now, eat me.

HELENA. You have gone mad!

ASTROFF. You are afraid!

HELENA. I am a better and stronger woman than you think me. Good-bye.
[She tries to leave the room.]

ASTROFF. Why good-bye? Don't say good-bye, don't waste words. Oh, how
lovely you are--what hands! [He kisses her hands.]

HELENA. Enough of this! [She frees her hands] Leave the room! You have
forgotten yourself.

ASTROFF. Tell me, tell me, where can we meet to-morrow? [He puts his arm
around her] Don't you see that we must meet, that it is inevitable?

He kisses her. VOITSKI comes in carrying a bunch of roses, and stops in
the doorway.

HELENA. [Without seeing VOITSKI] Have pity! Leave me, [lays her head on
ASTROFF'S shoulder] Don't! [She tries to break away from him.]

ASTROFF. [Holding her by the waist] Be in the forest tomorrow at two
o'clock. Will you? Will you?

HELENA. [Sees VOITSKI] Let me go! [Goes to the window deeply
embarrassed] This is appalling!

VOITSKI. [Throws the flowers on a chair, and speaks in great excitement,
wiping his face with his handkerchief] Nothing--yes, yes, nothing.

ASTROFF. The weather is fine to-day, my dear Ivan; the morning was
overcast and looked like rain, but now the sun is shining again.
Honestly, we have had a very fine autumn, and the wheat is looking
fairly well. [Puts his map back into the portfolio] But the days are
growing short.

HELENA. [Goes quickly up to VOITSKI] You must do your best; you must use
all your power to get my husband and myself away from here to-day! Do
you hear? I say, this very day!

VOITSKI. [Wiping his face] Oh! Ah! Oh! All right! I--Helena, I saw
everything!

HELENA. [In great agitation] Do you hear me? I must leave here this very
day!

SEREBRAKOFF, SONIA, MARINA, and TELEGIN come in.

TELEGIN. I am not very well myself, your Excellency. I have been limping
for two days, and my head--

SEREBRAKOFF. Where are the others? I hate this house. It is a regular
labyrinth. Every one is always scattered through the twenty-six enormous
rooms; one never can find a soul. [Rings] Ask my wife and Madame
Voitskaya to come here!

HELENA. I am here already.

SEREBRAKOFF. Please, all of you, sit down.

SONIA. [Goes up to HELENA and asks anxiously] What did he say?

HELENA. I'll tell you later.

SONIA. You are moved. [looking quickly and inquiringly into her face] I
understand; he said he would not come here any more. [A pause] Tell me,
did he?

HELENA n