I hate this Tartuffe,9 this pompous scoundrel, with all my heart ... Now he’s going off ... His unhappy wife’s entire happiness lies in his being near her, he is the air she breathes. She begs him to spend just one evening with her, but he ... he cannot ... Because, you see, he finds the atmosphere at home so heavy and suffocating. If he spends a single evening at home, he’ll put a bullet into his forehead out of boredom. Wretched fellow ... he needs space to do some new bit of villainy ... Oh, I know why you drive over every evening to those Lebedevs. I know!

VI

[LVOV, IVANOV (in a hat and overcoat), SHABELSKY and ANNA PETROVNA.]

SHABELSKY [coming out of the house withIVANOV and ANNA PETROVNA]: Nicolas,10 this is just inhuman! ... You yourself go out every evening and we stay here by ourselves. We go to bed at eight out of boredom. This is a horror, not a life! And why can you go while we can’t? Why?

ANNA PETROVNA: Count, let him be. Let him go, let him ...

IVANOV [to his wife]: Well, where would you be going with your illness? You are ill and mustn’t be in the open air after sunset ... Ask the doctor here. You’re not a child, Anyuta, you must use your reason ... [To the Count] And why would you go there?

SHABELSKY: I’d go into the flames of hell, into the jaws of the crocodile, just so as not to stay here. I am bored. I’ve become dulled from boredom. I’ve got on everyone’s nerves. You leave me at home so she isn’t bored alone, but I’ve made her life hell, I’ve eaten her up!

ANNA PETROVNA: Leave him alone, Count, leave him. Let him go if he enjoys it there.

IVANOV: Anya, why this tone? You know I don’t go there for pleasure. I have to talk about the promissory note.

ANNA PETROVNA: I don’t understand why you’re justifying yourself. Go! Who’s keeping you?

IVANOV : My friends, let’s not devour one another! Do we have to?

SHABELSKY [in a plaintive voice]: Nicolas my dear, I ask you, take me with you. I’ll have a look there at the crooks and fools, and perhaps I’ll be entertained. You know I haven’t been anywhere since Easter.

IVANOV [crossly]: Very well, we’ll go together. I’m so fed up with you all!

SHABELSKY: We’ll go? So merci, merci ... [Gailytakes Ivanov’s arm and leads him aside.] May I wear your straw hat?

IVANOV: You may, only hurry up please.

[The Count runs into the house.]

I’m so fed up with all of you! But what am I saying to you? My tone when I talk to you is impossible. That never used to happen to me before.