been old I have been hateful to myself, and I am sure, hateful to you all as well.
Helena. You speak as if we were to blame for your being old.
Serebrakoff. I am more hateful to you than to any one.
Helena gets up and walks away from him, sitting down at a distance.
Serebrakoff. You are quite right, of course. I am not an idiot; I can understand you. You are young and healthy and beautiful, and longing for life, and I am an old dotard, almost a dead man already. Don’t I know it? Of course I see that it is foolish for me to live so long, but wait! I shall soon set you all free. My life cannot drag on much longer.
Helena. You are overtaxing my powers of endurance. Be quiet, for God’s sake!
Serebrakoff. It appears that, thanks to me, everybody’s power of endurance is being overtaxed; everybody is miserable, only I am blissfully triumphant. Oh, yes, of course?
Helena. Be quiet! You are torturing me.
Serebrakoff. I torture everybody. Of course.
Helena. [Weeping] This is unbearable! Tell me, what is it you want me to do?
Serebrakoff. Nothing.
Helena. Then be quiet, please.
Serebrakoff. It is funny that everybody listens to Ivan and his old idiot of a mother, but the moment I open my lips you all begin to feel ill-treated. You can’t even stand the sound of my voice. Even if I am hateful, even if I am a selfish tyrant, haven’t I the right to be one at my age? Haven’t I deserved it? Haven’t I, I ask you, the right to be respected, now that I am old?
Helena. No one is disputing your rights. [The window slams in the wind] The wind is rising, I must shut the window.
