Short Fiction by Anton Chekhov (libby ebook reader .txt) π
Description
Anton Chekhov is widely considered to be one of the greatest short story writers in history. A physician by day, heβs famously quoted as saying, βMedicine is my lawful wife, and literature is my mistress.β Chekhov wrote nearly 300 short stories in his long writing career; while at first he wrote mainly to make a profit, as his interest in writingβand his skillβgrew, he wrote stories that heavily influenced the modern development of the form.
His stories are famous for, among other things, their ambiguous morality and their often inconclusive nature. Chekhov was a firm believer that the role of the artist was to correctly pose a question, but not necessarily to answer it.
This collection contains all of his short stories and two novellas, all translated by Constance Garnett, and arranged by the date they were originally published.
Read free book Β«Short Fiction by Anton Chekhov (libby ebook reader .txt) πΒ» - read online or download for free at americanlibrarybooks.com
- Author: Anton Chekhov
Read book online Β«Short Fiction by Anton Chekhov (libby ebook reader .txt) πΒ». Author - Anton Chekhov
βWhat devilry is this?β he thought. βIβm a married man, and to send me such a queerβ ββ β¦ silly letter! Who wrote it?β
Pavel Ivanitch turned the letter over and over before his eyes, read it through again, and spat with disgust.
βββI love youββββ ββ β¦ he said jeeringly. βA nice boy she has pitched on! So Iβm to run off to meet you in the arbour!β ββ β¦ I got over all such romances and fleurs dβamour years ago, my girl.β ββ β¦ Hm! She must be some reckless, immoral creature.β ββ β¦ Well, these women are a set! What a whirligigβ βGod forgive us!β βshe must be to write a letter like that to a stranger, and a married man, too! Itβs real demoralisation!β
In the course of his eight years of married life Pavel Ivanitch had completely got over all sentimental feeling, and he had received no letters from ladies except letters of congratulation, and so, although he tried to carry it off with disdain, the letter quoted above greatly intrigued and agitated him.
An hour after receiving it, he was lying on his sofa, thinking:
βOf course I am not a silly boy, and I am not going to rush off to this idiotic rendezvous; but yet it would be interesting to know who wrote it! Hm.β ββ β¦ It is certainly a womanβs writing.β ββ β¦ The letter is written with genuine feeling, and so it can hardly be a joke.β ββ β¦ Most likely itβs some neurotic girl, or perhaps a widowβ ββ β¦ widows are frivolous and eccentric as a rule. Hm.β ββ β¦ Who could it be?β
What made it the more difficult to decide the question was that Pavel Ivanitch had not one feminine acquaintance among all the summer visitors, except his wife.
βIt is queerβ ββ β¦β he mused. βββI love you!ββ ββ β¦ When did she manage to fall in love? Amazing woman! To fall in love like this, apropos of nothing, without making any acquaintance and finding out what sort of man I am.β ββ β¦ She must be extremely young and romantic if she is capable of falling in love after two or three looks at me.β ββ β¦ Butβ ββ β¦ who is she?β
Pavel Ivanitch suddenly recalled that when he had been walking among the summer villas the day before, and the day before that, he had several times been met by a fair young lady with a light blue hat and a turn-up nose. The fair charmer had kept looking at him, and when he sat down on a seat she had sat down beside him.β ββ β¦
βCan it be she?β Vyhodtsev wondered. βIt canβt be! Could a delicate ephemeral creature like that fall in love with a worn-out old eel like me? No, itβs impossible!β
At dinner Pavel Ivanitch looked blankly at his wife while he meditated:
βShe writes that she is young and nice-looking.β ββ β¦ So sheβs not old.β ββ β¦ Hm.β ββ β¦ To tell the truth, honestly I am not so old and plain that no one could fall in love with me. My wife loves me! Besides, love is blind, we all know.β ββ β¦β
βWhat are you thinking about?β his wife asked him.
βOhβ ββ β¦ my head aches a littleβ ββ β¦β Pavel Ivanitch said, quite untruly.
He made up his mind that it was stupid to pay attention to such a nonsensical thing as a love-letter, and laughed at it and at its authoress, butβ βalas!β βpowerful is the enemy of mankind! After dinner, Pavel Ivanitch lay down on his bed, and instead of going to sleep, reflected:
βBut there, I daresay she is expecting me to come! What a silly! I can just imagine what a nervous fidget sheβll be in and how her tournure will quiver when she does not find me in the arbour! I shanβt go, though.β ββ β¦ Bother her!β
But, I repeat, powerful is the enemy of mankind.
βThough I might, perhaps, just out of curiosityβ ββ β¦β he was musing, half an hour later. βI might go and look from a distance what sort of a creature she is.β ββ β¦ It would be interesting to have a look at her! It would be fun, and thatβs all! After all, why shouldnβt I have a little fun since such a chance has turned up?β
Pavel Ivanitch got up from his bed and began dressing. βWhat are you getting yourself up so smartly for?β his wife asked, noticing that he was putting on a clean shirt and a fashionable tie.
βOh, nothing.β ββ β¦ I must have a walk.β ββ β¦ My head aches.β ββ β¦ Hm.β
Pavel Ivanitch dressed in his best, and waiting till eight oβclock, went out of the house. When the figures of gaily dressed summer visitors of both sexes began passing before his eyes against the bright green background, his heart throbbed.
βWhich of them is it?β ββ β¦β he wondered, advancing irresolutely. βCome, what am I afraid of? Why, I am not going to the rendezvous! Whatβ ββ β¦ a fool! Go forward boldly! And what if I go into the arbour? Well, wellβ ββ β¦ there is no reason I should.β
Pavel Ivanitchβs heart beat still more violently.β ββ β¦ Involuntarily, with no desire to do so, he suddenly pictured to himself the half-darkness of the arbour.β ββ β¦ A graceful fair girl with a little blue hat and a turn-up nose rose before his imagination. He saw her, abashed by her love and trembling all over, timidly approach him, breathing excitedly, andβ ββ β¦ suddenly clasping him in her arms.
βIf I werenβt married it would be all rightβ ββ β¦β he mused, driving sinful ideas out of his head. βThoughβ ββ β¦ for once in my life, it would do no harm to have the experience, or else one will die without knowing what.β ββ β¦ And my wife, what will it matter to her? Thank God, for eight years Iβve never moved one step away from her.β ββ β¦ Eight years of irreproachable duty! Enough of her.β ββ β¦ Itβs positively vexatious.β ββ β¦ Iβm ready to go to spite her!β
Trembling all over and holding his breath, Pavel Ivanitch went up to the arbour, wreathed with ivy and wild vine, and peeped into it.β ββ β¦ A smell of dampness and mildew reached him.β ββ β¦
βI believe thereβs nobodyβ ββ β¦β he thought, going into the arbour,
Comments (0)