The Lady with the Dog and Other StoriesChekhov, Anton Pavlovich
General
The Lady with the Dog and Other Stories
Chekhov, Anton Pavlovich
Chekhov, Anton Pavlovich, 1860-1904 -- Translations into English; Russia -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
In the park and in the garden people were moving about quietly, in the
house they were playing--so he alone had seen the monk. He had an
intense desire to tell Tanya and Yegor Semyonitch, but he reflected that
they would certainly think his words the ravings of delirium, and that
would frighten them; he had better say nothing.
He laughed aloud, sang, and danced the mazurka; he was in high spirits,
and all of them, the visitors and Tanya, thought he had a peculiar look,
radiant and inspired, and that he was very interesting.
III
After supper, when the visitors had gone, he went to his room and lay
down on the sofa: he wanted to think about the monk. But a minute later
Tanya came in.
"Here, Andryusha; read father's articles," she said, giving him a bundle
of pamphlets and proofs. "They are splendid articles. He writes
capitally."
"Capitally, indeed!" said Yegor Semyonitch, following her and smiling
constrainedly; he was ashamed. "Don't listen to her, please; don't read
them! Though, if you want to go to sleep, read them by all means; they
are a fine soporific."
"I think they are splendid articles," said Tanya, with deep conviction.
"You read them, Andryusha, and persuade father to write oftener. He
could write a complete manual of horticulture."
Yegor Semyonitch gave a forced laugh, blushed, and began uttering the
phrases usually made use of by an embarrassed author. At last he began
to give way.
"In that case, begin with Gaucher's article and these Russian articles,"
he muttered, turning over the pamphlets with a trembling hand, "or else
you won't understand. Before you read my objections, you must know what
I am objecting to. But it's all nonsense ... tiresome stuff. Besides, I
believe it's bedtime."
Tanya went away. Yegor Semyonitch sat down on the sofa by Kovrin and
heaved a deep sigh.
"Yes, my boy ..." he began after a pause. "That's how it is, my dear
lecturer. Here I write articles, and take part in exhibitions, and
receive medals.... Pesotsky, they say, has apples the size of a head,
and Pesotsky, they say, has made his fortune with his garden. In short,
'Kotcheby is rich and glorious.' But one asks oneself: what is it all
for? The garden is certainly fine, a model. It's not really a garden,
but a regular institution, which is of the greatest public importance
because it marks, so to say, a new era in Russian agriculture and
Russian industry. But, what's it for? What's the object of it?"
"The fact speaks for itself."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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