BORIS (_sobbing_). God be with thee! There's only one thing to pray God for, that she may soon be dead, that she may not be tortured long! Farewell! KATERINA. Farewell! [_Boris goes out. Katerina follows him with her eyes and stands for some time, lost in thought._ SCENE IV KATERINA (_alone_). Where am I going now? Home? No, home or the grave--it's the same. Yes, home or the grave! ... the grave! Better the grave.... A little grave under a tree ... how sweet.... The sunshine warms it, the sweet rain falls on it ... in the spring the grass grows on it, soft and sweet grass ... the birds will fly in the tree and sing, and bring up their little ones, and flowers will bloom; golden, red and blue ... all sorts of flowers, (_dreamily_) all sorts of flowers ... how still! how sweet! My heart's as it were lighter! But of life I don't want to think! Live again! No, no, no use ... life is not good! ... And people are hateful to me, and the house is hateful, and the walls are hateful! I will not go there! No, no, I will not go! If I go to them, they'll come and talk, and what do I want with that? Ah, it has grown dark! And there is singing again somewhere! What are they singing? I can't make out.... To die now.... What are they singing? It is just the same whether death comes, or of myself ... but live I cannot! A sin to die so! ... they won't pray for me! If anyone loves me he will pray ... they will fold my arms crossed in the grave! Oh yes.... I remember. But when they catch me, and take me home by force.... Ah, quickly, quickly! _(Goes to the river bank. Aloud)_ My dear one! My sweet! Farewell! [_Exit._ [_Enter Mme. Kabanova, Kabanov, Kuligin and workmen with torches._ SCENE V MME. KABANOVA, KABANOV and KULIGIN. KULIGIN. They say she was seen here. KABANOV. Is it certain? KULIGIN. They say they saw her. KABANOV. Thank God, if she has been seen alive. MME. KABANOVA. And you in such a fright already and crying over it! There's no need. She's not worth fretting about! Don't worry yourself, we shall have our hands full with her for many a long year yet. KABANOV. Who would have dreamed of her coming here! A place so frequented. No one would ever think of hiding here. MME. KABANOVA. That's just her way! The shameless hussy! She wants to keep up her character, it seems! [_A crowd with torches collects, coming in from different directions._ ONE OF THE CROWD. Well, is she found? MME. KABANOVA. It seems not. She seems to have vanished into the earth. SEVERAL VOICES. How strange! It's a queer thing. And where could she hide? ONE OF THE CROWD. Oh, she'll be found! A SECOND. Of course she'll be found! A THIRD. To be sure, she'll come back of herself. [_A voice behind the scene: "Hi, boat there!"_ KULIGIN _(from the bank)._ Who's calling? What is it? [_The voice: "A woman's thrown herself into the water!" Kuligin and several men after him run out._ SCENE VI MME. KABANOVA, and KABANOV and Crowd.