The Steppe and Other Stories, 1887-91 by Anton Chekhov

Author:Anton Chekhov
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780141915708
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2009-08-12T16:00:00+00:00

V

‘I haven’t died,’ Olga thought when she became aware of her surroundings again and the pains had gone.

A bright summer’s day looked in through the two wide-open bedroom windows. Sparrows and magpies chattered incessantly in the garden outside.

The drawers in the chest were shut now; her husband’s bed had been made. There was no midwife, no Barbara, no maid in the bedroom, only Pyotr standing motionless as before at the window, looking into the garden. There was no crying child, no congratulations or rejoicing, and clearly the small creature had been stillborn.

‘Pyotr!’ Olga called out to her husband.

Pyotr looked round. A long time must have passed since the last guest had left and Olga had insulted her husband, since Pyotr had become noticeably thinner and pinched-looking.

‘What’s the matter?’ he asked, going over to the bed.

He looked away, twitched his lips and smiled like a helpless child.

‘Is it all over?’ Olga asked.

Pyotr wanted to reply, but his lips trembled and his mouth twisted like an old man’s – like toothless Uncle Nikolay’s.

‘Olga,’ he said, wringing his hands, and suddenly large tears gushed from his eyes. ‘Olga! I don’t need your money, courts…’ (here he sobbed) ‘differing opinions, those guests, your dowry… I don’t need anything! Why did we lose our child? Oh, what’s the use of talking!’

He waved his arm in defeat and left the bedroom.

But Olga did not care about anything now. Her head was muzzy from the chloroform, she felt spiritually drained. The dull indifference to life that had come over her when the two doctors were performing the operation still had not deserted her.

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