LYÚBA. I cannot lie; and I do not understand why you should torment yourself and everybody. I do not understand--and can say nothing. [Goes out weeping. Exeunt all except Borís]. BORÍS [alone] Oh how hard it is! Oh, how hard, Lord help me! [Prays]. Enter Warders with dressing-gown. WARDER. Please change. Borís puts on dressing-gown. Curtain. ACT IV SCENE 1 In Moscow a year later. A drawing-room in the Sarýntsov's town house is prepared for a dance. Footmen are arranging plants round the grand piano. Enter Mary Ivánovna in an elegant silk dress, with Alexándra Ivánovna. MARY IVÁNOVNA. A ball? No, Only a dance! A "Juvenile Party" as they once used to say. My children took part in the Theatricals at the Mákofs, and have been asked to dances everywhere, so I must return the invitations. ALEXÁNDRA IVÁNOVNA. I am afraid Nicholas does not like it. MARY IVÁNOVNA. I can't help it. [To Footmen] Put it here! [To Alexándra Ivánovna] God knows how glad I should be not to cause him unpleasantness. But I think he has become much less exacting. ALEXÁNDRA IVÁNOVNA. No, no! Only he does not show it so much. I saw how upset he was when he went off to his own room after dinner. MARY IVÁNOVNA. What can I do? After all, people must live. We have seven children, and if they find no amusement at home, heaven knows what they may be up to. Anyhow I am quite happy about Lyúba now. ALEXÁNDRA IVÁNOVNA. Has he proposed, then? MARY IVÁNOVNA. As good as proposed. He has spoken to her, and she has said, Yes! ALEXÁNDRA IVÁNOVNA. That again will be a terrible blow to Nicholas. MARY IVÁNOVNA. Oh, he knows. He can't help knowing. ALEXÁNDRA IVÁNOVNA. He does not like him. MARY IVÁNOVNA [to the Footmen] Put the fruit on the side-board. Like whom? Alexander Mikáylovich? Of course not; because he is a living negation of all Nicholas's pet theories. A nice pleasant kindly man of the world. But oh! That terrible night-mare--that affair of Borís Cheremshánov's. What has happened to him? ALEXÁNDRA IVÁNOVNA. Lisa has been to see him. He is still there. She says he has grown terribly thin, and the Doctors fear for his life or his reason. MARY IVÁNOVNA. Yes, he is one of the terrible sacrifices caused by Nicholas's ideas. Why need he have been ruined? I never wished it. Enter Pianist. MARY IVÁNOVNA [to Pianist] Have you come to play? PIANIST. Yes, I am the pianist. MARY IVÁNOVNA. Please take a seat and wait a little. Won't you have a cup of tea? PIANIST [goes to piano] No, thank you! MARY IVÁNOVNA. I never wished it. I liked Bórya, but still he was not a suitable match for Lyúba--especially after he let himself be carried away by Nicholas Ivánovich's ideas.