ou see how Nadya and Liza--the
hussies!--looked at me? Did you see how the snakes looked? Ha! I must look
after them, I must! [POTAPYCH, _with a wave of his hand, goes out_] Bah!
you! you old blockhead! What people! What people! There's no one to whom I
can talk, and relieve my heart. [_She goes out_.

III

_Part of the garden; to the rear, a pond, on the shore of which is a boat.
Starry night. A choral song is heard in the far distance. For a while the
stage is empty._

SCENE I

_Enter_ NADYA _and_ LIZA

LIZA. Oh, Nadya, what's this we're doing? When the mistress hears of this,
it'll be your last day on earth.

NADYA. If you're afraid, take yourself home.

LIZA. No, I'll wait for you. But all the same, my girl, it's awful, no
matter what you say! Lord preserve us when she finds it out.

NADYA. Always singing the same tune! If you fear the wolf, keep out of the
woods.

LIZA. But what has happened to you? Before, you didn't talk like this. You
used to hide yourself; and now you go to him of your own accord.

NADYA. Yes, before I ran away from him; now I don't want to. [_She stands
musing_] Now I myself don't know what has suddenly happened within me! Just
when the mistress said, a short while ago, that I shouldn't dare to argue,
but marry the man she said to marry, just then my whole heart revolted.
"Oh, Lord, what a life for me!" I thought. [_She weeps_] What's the use in
my living purely, guarding myself not merely from every word, but even from
every look? Even so, evil seized upon me. "Why," I thought, "should I guard
myself?" I don't want to! I don't want to! It was just as if my heart died
within me. It seemed that if she said another word, I should die on the
spot.

LIZA. What are you saying! Why, I really thought you were coming to the
master as a joke.

NADYA. As a joke! I can't bear an insult! I cannot. [_Silence_] Oh, Liza,
if life were better, I shouldn't have come into the garden at night. You
know how it used to be, when I would think about myself--I suppose it must
have come into your head, too--that here you are, an honest girl; you live
like a bird, suddenly you're fascinated by some man, he makes love to you,
comes to see you often, kisses you.... You're abashed before him, yet happy
to see him. That's the way it always is. Although you may not be rich;
although it may be you have to sit with your lover in the servants' room;
yet it is as if you were a queen, just as if every da