KATYA

(Enters through the right door, walks briskly to the window, and for some time looks out to the garden) No, I don’t see him. They said he went to the greenhouse. It means he’s still there. So I’ll wait till he passes by. There’s no other way . . . (Sighs and leans against the window) He’s leaving, they say. (Sighs again) What are we going to do without him . . . Poor miss! How she begged me . . . Well, why not be a help? Let her talk with him one last time. Such a warm day! And it seems to be sprinkling . . . (Looks out the window again and suddenly backs away) Are they coming here? Yes, they are. Oh, lord . . .

She wants to run away, but before she reaches the door to the corridor, Shpigelsky and Lizaveta Bogdanovna enter from the garden. Katya hides behind a column.

SHPIGELSKY

(Shaking rain off his hat) We can wait here till the rain stops. It won’t last.

LIZAVETA

Probably not.

SHPIGELSKY

(Looking around) What is this, some kind of storeroom?

LIZAVETA

(Pointing to the iron door) No, the storeroom is there. They say Arkady Sergeich’s father had this addition built when he came back from foreign lands.

SHPIGELSKY

Ah! I see what it is. Here we are in Venice, ladies and gentlemen! (Sits down on the bench) Let’s sit down.

Lizaveta Bogdanovna sits down.

You must admit, Lizaveta Bogdanovna, this shower was untimely. It interrupted our talk at the most sensitive spot.

LIZAVETA

(Lowering her eyes) Ignaty Ilyich . . .

SHPIGELSKY

But nothing keeps us from taking it up again . . . By the way, you say Anna Semyonovna’s out of sorts today?

LIZAVETA

Yes, she is. She even had dinner in her room.

SHPIGELSKY

Well, now! That’s really serious!

LIZAVETA

This morning she found Natalya Petrovna in tears . . . with Mikhail Alexandrych . . . Of course, he’s like one of the family, but still . . . Anyway, Mikhail Alexandrych promised to explain everything.

SHPIGELSKY

Oh, she needn’t worry. In my opinion, Mikhail Alexandrych has never been a dangerous man, and now less than ever.

LIZAVETA

What do you mean?

SHPIGELSKY

Just that. He’s got a facile tongue. Some break out in a rash, the smart ones break out in babble. In the future, Lizaveta Bogdanovna, don’t be afraid of babblers: they’re not dangerous. It’s the silent ones, a bit touched, temperamental, with thick necks—they’re the dangerous ones.

LIZAVETA

(After a pause) Tell me, is Natalya Petrovna really unwell?

SHPIGELSKY

As unwell as you and me.

LIZAVETA

She didn’t eat anything at dinner.

SHPIGELSKY

Sickness isn’t the only thing that spoils the appetite.

LIZAVETA

Did you dine at Bolshintsov’s?

SHPIGELSKY

Yes . . . I went to see him. And came back only for your sake, by God.

LIZAVETA

Come now. Do you know what, Ignaty Ilyich? Natalya Petrovna’s angry with you about something . . . What she said about you at the table wasn’t exactly flattering.