The Poor Bride

to please her, I struggle and struggle, and nothing comes of it; and then some upstart appears... I simply cannot bear to see how she flirts with him. How could I drive him away from here? Marry her? She will not marry me because I have nothing to live on, and besides, I think she does not love me. Why then am I struggling? I should just leave, give up, and pay no attention. But still, I must make her feel it. I must say to her: "Marya Andreyevna, you now have new acquaintances with whom you are having more fun than with the old ones; goodbye; but you are losing a friend who was devoted to you." She will, of course, try to persuade me to stay, and I will say: "No, if you have someone better, then what is there for me to do here? Perhaps I have already become a nuisance to you; goodbye, I will say... forever." — "But why forever, Ivan Ivanych?" — "No, I will say, if we are to say goodbye, then it must be forever, that is my character." Take my hat and leave... Well, what then? Ah, damn it! She might even be glad that I left, and Merich would be even more so. So no, I will stay to spite them; I will come every day. I will laugh in Merich's face; I will surely find a way to drive him out of here, I will resort to any means. (Paces the room).

SCENE XII

Greetings, Ivan Ivanych! What, have the matchmakers left?

It seems they have; I met two of them on my way here.

How boring. (Stands lost in thought). Come visit us more often, Vladimir Vasilyich. Promise.

Do I dare disobey when you command? I repeat to you, Marya Andreyevna, I am afraid of you. You are truly capable of exciting a serious passion in a man.

Enough with the joking.