AFONYA.  Viper, viper!

KURITSYN.  What’s the use of looking at her!  She ought to pay the penalty right off.

ARKHIP comes in.

SCENE VI

The same and ARKHIP

ARKHIP.  What punishment has God sent us?  Why so much noise?  Is there a fire?  You know I can’t see.

ULYANA.  The sweet bride has been up to mischief!  If I were in brother’s place, I’d take her and crush her.

KRASNOV.  Away, away!  Don’t, don’t anybody lay a finger on her!  I’m her husband, so I’m her judge.  Now tell me, why did you do it?  Why did you go astray?  Were you drawn into the net of sin?  Perhaps you didn’t dream of such a thing of your own accord.  Perhaps you didn’t expect it?  Or did you rush into sin of your own free will?  How about you now?  Do you repent or not?  Or maybe you think that was the right thing to do?  Speak!  Why are you silent?  Are you abashed before people, or are you happy?  Are you ashamed, or are you glad of what you’ve done?  Are you made of stone?  Roll at every one’s feet, crucify yourself!  Or will you tell me outright that you did it to spite me!  I want to know what to do with you—­spare you, or kill you.  Did you love me at least a little bit; is there any reason for my sparing you?  Or did you cheat me all the time?  Did I only dream of happy days?

TATYANA. [With tears] I’m guilty, Lev Rodionych.  I deceived you.  I never loved you, and don’t love you now.  You’d better leave me, rather than have both of us suffer.  Better that we part!

KRASNOV.  How part?  Where shall we go?  No, you lie!  Whom shall I punish for my shame?  You say you don’t love me, and never did, while I went around town and boasted that a beautiful lady loved me.  How shall I take revenge for this insult?  Go in the kitchen!  You can’t be a wife, so be a cook!  You couldn’t walk hand in hand with your husband, so fetch water for him.  You have aged me in a day, and now I’ll make sport of your beauty!  Every day that the fair sun rises, you’ll get nothing from me but slaps and curses all your life; maybe some time when I’m angry, I’ll kill you like a dog.  Some one give me a knife!

TATYANA runs out.

AFONYA.  Brother! brother!  She’s going, she’s going away.

KRASNOV.  She won’t escape me!

AFONYA.  She’s going to the gentleman.  I heard them planning to go away to the country.

KRASNOV.  Who’ll take her from me, if I won’t give her up?  Who in the whole world is strong enough to take her from me?  If they take her they’ll have to tear my arms off.

AFONYA. [Looking out of the door] Brother, she’s getting ready!  She’s leaving, brother!

KRASNOV. [Pushing him aside] Stand aside!  A woman leaves her husband only for the grave, for nowhere else! [Goes out.  The cry of TATYANA is heard:  “Let me go!” He comes back] Bind me!  I’ve killed her.