ARKADINA: How can you ask that? What do you think I am? Tm just a woman, Just like any other woman, like the women that you write, like the - ‘TRIGORIN: No you're not. You know you're not. We both know you're not. You don’t have to be. Just understand, try to, try to understand, I’ve never, never felt this before. I didn’t know this existed She can’t answer him. ‘TRIGORIN: It’s - it’s something, something I've never - Love is the only thing on this earth that can make you happy. Not, not art, not, not, not whatever else, all that - all that. There’s only love. It’s poetry, it’s music, it’s how they write of it, it’s how I write it! How you're meant to love when you're young, but I’ve been at meetings and editor’s doors and publishers’ parties and now it’s here, bec, bec, beckoning me towards it... ARKADINA: You might really have gone mad TRIGORIN: If I have. Does it matter? ARKADINA: All of you are just ganging up to torture me today! TRIGORIN: You won't understand, she doesn’t understand, she doesn’t want to understand ‘ARKADINA: Am I really so old, and so ugly, so irrelevant that you can talk to me about other women with no shame? I no longer matter, I’m no longer here, not really acontender, not even an obstacle... (Goes up to him.) You're just infatuated, TRIGORIN: ’m.., ARKADINA is holding him. ARKADINA: Pd die if you left me TRIGORIN: Oh... 65 Scanned with CamScannerARKADINA: Mad for some silly little girl. You have a ertish, She has a ctush, (Kisses him.) You are the last page of my life. : Someone ome ARREADINATT aon" Gavel Tdont care! Why would I cael? T should-be-emberrasset that T ai iit love With yOu? _-TRIGORIN.tries.to-ewtricate himself gaily Bul sha won't let him, ARKADINA: I can’t let you do this. I won't let you do this to yourself. You're mine. Yes? Remember, You're mine, These are my eyes, my nose, my mouth. You're all mine, ele Tow Tets-- please, TRIGORIN has extracted himself, she doesn’t touch him now... ARKADINA: You are the greatest writer alive, You are the greatest talent. The greatest writer I’ve ever known. ... I find it hard to look at you. You, your... characters are so alive, you have sincerity, integrity in every line, this weight, but, but i’ fresh, i's funny. Everyone reads you, everyone knows your name, You write books, in this world, in this age, do you know how obsolete you should be! How antiquated - but the excitement, the mention of your name, The room fizzes at the mention of you. That's you. That’s your work. Your talent. Your fame. And who could not love it, love you for it? ‘She comes closer again. ARKADINA: I can’t blame her, But my love, could she tell you these things? Could you believe them if she did. Could you trust it? Look at me, Look at me, Am I lying? Have I ever lied to you? Have I? TRIGORIN shakes his head, ARKADINA: I know you, Darling, I know you, and J tell you the truth, and the truth is that you are, you are... extraordinary, (Touching him now.) You won't leave me? 66 Scanned with CamScannerYou won't really go, will you? You need me, don’t you? You need me, don’t you darling? Come, what are we to do my love? TRIGORIN Pil do as you will ARKADINA: Yes? TRIGORIN: P've never had any will of my own. I don’t know how you can find that attractive. ‘She looks at him, she shrugs. TRIGORIN: Are we leaving now then? ARKADINA: We can stay longer. If you like. TRIGORIN: No ARKADINA: If you want to. Or I could go ahead, you could leave in a few days, my brother wouldn’t mind, you - ‘TRIGORIN: No P'll leave with you: Just, just take me away from this place. Don’t let me out your sight ARKADINA: If that’s what you want TRIGORIN: Yes. We - A car horn outside startles them, ARKADINA: Imagine after all that and we miss the ferry. What are you -? The horn goes again aggressively. TRIGORIN is writing in his notebook. TRIGORIN: You used a nice phrase, just... just then ‘SHAMRAYEV enters. SHAMRAYEV: Honk, Honk. (Indicates that was him outside.) Brought the car round. Bags? ARKADINA: Oh they are just... ARKADINA gestures to the bags, he starts to move them. ‘TRIGORIN: Shall we go? To the car, to the ferry, to the train, a change, another car ARKADINA: Perhaps even a taxi, if we can’t face the train 67 Scanned with CamScanner