oubt of that. [Looking around] Some one
might come in; listen, Sasha, if you love me you must help me. Renounce
me this minute; quickly!

SASHA. Oh, Nicholas! If you only knew how you are torturing me; what
agony I have to endure for your sake! Good thoughtful friend, judge for
yourself; can I possibly solve such a problem? Each day you put some
horrible problem before me, each one more difficult than the last. I
wanted to help you with my love, but this is martyrdom!

IVANOFF. And when you are my wife the problems will be harder than ever.
Understand this: it is not love that is urging you to take this step,
but the obstinacy of an honest nature. You have undertaken to reawaken
the man in me and to save me in the face of every difficulty, and you
are flattered by the hope of achieving your object. You are willing to
give up now, but you are prevented from doing it by a feeling that is a
false one. Understand yourself!

SASHA. What strange, wild reasoning! How can I give you up now? How
can I? You have no mother, or sister, or friends. You are ruined; your
estate has been destroyed; every one is speaking ill of you--

IVANOFF. It was foolish of me to come here; I should have done as I
wanted to--

Enter LEBEDIEFF.

SASHA. [Running to her father] Father! He has rushed over here like a
madman, and is torturing me! He insists that I should refuse to marry
him; he says he doesn't want to drag me down with him. Tell him that I
won't accept his generosity. I know what I am doing!

LEBEDIEFF. I can't understand a word of what you are saying. What
generosity?

IVANOFF. This marriage is not going to take place.

SASHA. It is going to take place. Papa, tell him that it is going to
take place.

LEBEDIEFF. Wait! Wait! What objection have you to the marriage?

IVANOFF. I have explained it all to her, but she refuses to understand
me.

LEBEDIEFF. Don't explain it to her, but to me, and explain it so that I
may understand. God forgive you, Nicholas, you have brought a great deal
of darkness into our lives. I feel as if I were living in a museum; I
look about me and don't understand anything I see. This is torture. What
on earth can an old man like me do with you? Shall I challenge you to a
duel?

IVANOFF. There is no need of a duel. All you need is a head on your
shoulders and a knowledge of the Russian language.

SASHA. [Walks up and down in great excitement] This is dreadful,
dreadful! Absolutely childish.

LEBE