FÉDYA [having finished writing, drinks and reads over his letter] Go away, please!
IVÁN PETRÓVICH. Go away? Well, good-bye then! I am not going to restrain you. I shall do the same. But not yet. I only want to tell you ...
FÉDYA. All right! You'll tell me afterwards. And now, dear chap, just one thing: give this to the manager [gives him money] and ask if a parcel and a letter have come for me.... Please do!
IVÁN PETRÓVICH. All right--then you'll wait for me? I have still something important to tell you--something that you will not hear in this world nor in the next, at any rate not till I come there.... Am I to let him have _all_ of this?
FÉDYA. As much as is necessary. [Exit Iván Petróvich.]
Fédya sighs with relief; locks the door behind Iván Petróvich; takes up the revolver, cocks it, puts it to his temple; shudders, and carefully lowers it again. Groans.
FÉDYA. No; I can't! I can't! I can't! [Knock at the door] Who's there?
FÉDYA. Who's "me"? Oh, Másha ... [opens door].
MÁSHA. I've been to your place, to Popóv's, to Afrémov's, and guessed that you must be here. [Sees revolver] That's a nice thing! There's a fool! A regular fool! Is it possible you really meant to?
MÁSHA. Do I count for nothing at all? You heathen! You had no pity for me? Oh, Theodore Vasílyevich, it's a sin, a sin! In return for my love ...
FÉDYA. I wished to release them. I promised to, and I can't lie.
FÉDYA. What about you? It would have set you free too. Is it better for you to be tormented by me?
MÁSHA. Seems it's better. I can't live without you.
FÉDYA. What sort of life could you have with me? You'd have cried a bit, and then gone on living your own life.
MÁSHA. I shouldn't have cried at all! Go to the devil, if you don't pity me! [Cries].
FÉDYA. Másha, dearest! I meant to do it for the best.
FÉDYA [smiles] How's that, when I meant to kill myself?
MÁSHA. Of course, best for yourself! But what is it you want? Tell me.
FÉDYA. First of all, to keep my promise. That is the first thing, and quite sufficient. To lie, and do all the dirty work necessary to get a divorce ... I can't!
MÁSHA. Granted that it's horrid--I myself ...
FÉDYA. Next, they must really be free--my wife and he. After all, they are good people; and why should they suffer? That's the second thing.