The Cherry Orchard

A room, which has always been called the nursery. One of the doors leads into Anya’s room. Dawn, sun rises during the scene. May, the cherry trees in flower, but it is cold in the garden with the frost of early morning. Windows closed.

Enter Dunyasha with a candle and Lopahin with a book in his hand.

Lopahin

The train’s in, thank God. What time is it?

Dunyasha

Nearly two o’clock puts out the candle. It’s daylight already.

Lopahin

The train’s late! Two hours, at least yawns and stretches. I’m a pretty one; what a fool I’ve been. Came here on purpose to meet them at the station and dropped asleep.⁠ ⁠… Dozed off as I sat in the chair. It’s annoying.⁠ ⁠… You might have waked me.

Dunyasha

I thought you had gone listens. There, I do believe they’re coming!

Lopahin

Lyubov

I don’t quite understand you, Yermolay Alexeyevitch.

Lopahin

You will get a rent of at least twenty-five roubles a year for a three-acre plot from summer visitors, and if you say the word now, I’ll bet you what you like there won’t be one square foot of ground vacant by the autumn, all the plots will be taken up. I congratulate you; in fact, you are saved. It’s a perfect situation with that deep river. Only, of course, it must be cleared⁠—all the old buildings, for example, must be removed, this house too, which is really good for nothing, and the old cherry orchard must be cut down.

Lyubov

Cut down? My dear fellow, forgive me, but you don’t know what you are talking about. If there is one thing interesting⁠—remarkable indeed⁠—in the whole province, it’s just our cherry orchard.

Lopahin

The only thing remarkable about the orchard is that it’s a very large one. There’s a crop of cherries every alternate year, and then there’s nothing to be done with them, no one buys them.

Gaev

This orchard is mentioned in the Encyclopaedia.

Lopahin

Glancing at his watch. If we don’t decide on something and don’t take some steps, on the 22nd of August the cherry orchard and the whole estate too will be sold by auction.

Softly. Anya’s asleep. Softly opens the window. Now the sun’s risen, it’s not a bit cold. Look, mamma, what exquisite trees! My goodness! And the air! The starlings are singing!

Gaev

Opens another window. The orchard is all white. You’ve not forgotten it, Lyuba? That long avenue that runs straight, straight as an arrow, how it shines on a moonlight night. You remember? You’ve not forgotten?

Lyubov

Looking out of the window into the garden. Oh, my childhood, my innocence! It was in this nursery I used to sleep, from here I looked out into the orchard, happiness waked with me every morning and in those days the orchard was just the same, nothing has changed laughs with delight. All, all white! Oh, my orchard! After the dark gloomy autumn, and the cold winter; you are young again, and full of happiness, the heavenly angels have never left you.⁠ ⁠… If I could cast off the burden that weighs on my heart, if I could forget the past!

Gaev

H’m! and the orchard will be sold to pay our debts; it seems strange.⁠ ⁠…

Charlotta wears an old forage cap; she has taken a gun from her shoulder and is tightening the buckle on the strap.

Charlotta

Musingly. I haven’t a real passport of my own, and I don’t know how old I am, and I always feel that I’m a young thing. When I was a little girl, my father and mother used to travel about to fairs and give performances⁠—very good ones. And I used to dance salto mortale and all sorts of things. And when papa and mamma died, a German lady took me and had me educated. And so I grew up and became a governess. But where I came from, and who I am, I don’t know.⁠ ⁠… Who my parents were, very likely they weren’t married⁠ ⁠… I don’t know takes a cucumber out of her pocket and eats. I know nothing at all a pause. One wants to talk and has no one to talk to⁠ ⁠… I have nobody.

Epihodov

Plays on the guitar and sings. “What care I for the noisy world! What care I for friends or foes!” How agreeable it is to play on the mandoline!

Lyubov

Oh, my sins! I’ve always thrown my money away recklessly like a lunatic. I married a man who made nothing but debts. My husband died of champagne⁠—he drank dreadfully. To my misery I loved another man, and immediately⁠—it was my first punishment⁠—the blow fell upon me, here, in the river⁠ ⁠… my boy was drowned and I went abroad⁠—went away forever, never to return, not to see that river again⁠ ⁠… I shut my eyes, and fled, distracted, and he after me⁠ ⁠… pitilessly, brutally. I bought a villa at Mentone, for he fell ill there, and for three years I had no rest day or night. His illness wore me out, my soul was dried up. And last year, when my villa was sold to pay my debts, I went to Paris and there he robbed me of everything and abandoned me for another woman; and I tried to poison myself.⁠ ⁠… So stupid, so shameful!⁠ ⁠… And suddenly I felt a yearning for Russia, for my country, for my little girl⁠ ⁠… dries her tears. Lord, Lord, be merciful! Forgive my sins! Do not chastise me more! Takes a telegram out of her pocket. I got this today from Paris. He implores forgiveness, entreats me to return tears up the telegram. I fancy there is music somewhere listens.

Gaev

That’s our famous Jewish orchestra. You remember, four violins, a flute and a double bass.