Without a dowry / Бесприданница. Книга для чтения на английском языке

Larisa Dmitriyevna, tell me something. Only please, speak frankly.

Larisa. What is it?

Karandyshov. How am I any worse than Paratov?

Larisa. Oh no, don’t ask that!

Karandyshov. But why not?

Larisa. Better not, better not! How can there be any comparison!

Karandyshov. That’s what I’d like to hear from you.

Larisa. Don’t ask, there’s no need!

Karandyshov. But why not?

Larisa. Because the comparison will not be to your advantage. By yourself you have value, you’re a good and honest man.

But in comparison with Sergey Sergeyich you lose everything.

Karandyshov. But those are just words, we need proof. Give him and me a real analysis.

Larisa. Do you know the man you’re comparing yourself with! How can you be so blind! Sergey Sergeyich… is the ideal man. Do you understand what ideal is? Maybe I’m wrong, I’m still young and don’t know people, but it will be impossible to change this opinion in me, it will die with me.

Karandyshov. I just can’t understand what’s so special about him, I don’t see anything.

There’s a certain boldness, an impudence. But anybody can have that if he wants.

Larisa. And do you know what boldness is?

Karandyshov. Whatever it is, what’s so wonderful about it? All it takes is putting on airs.

Larisa. To show what it is I’ll tell you something that happened. There was an officer from the Caucasus passing through here, an acquaintance of Sergey Sergeyich, and he was a wonderful shot. They were both at our place, and Sergey Sergeyich says to him, “I hear you’re a wonderful shot.

” “Yes, not bad,” says the officer. Sergey Sergeyich gives him a pistol, puts a glass on his own head, and he goes off to another room, about twelve steps away. “Shoot,” he says.

Karandyshov. And he shot?

Larisa. He shot, and, of course, he knocked off the glass, only he turned a little pale. Sergey Sergeyich says, “You shoot beautifully, but you turned pale, and you were shooting at a man, and a man not close to you.

Look, I’m going to shoot at a young woman who’s dearer to me than anything in the world, and I won’t turn pale.” He gives me a coin to hold, and, with indifference and a smile, he shoots from the same distance and hits it.

Karandyshov. And you obeyed him?

Larisa. How could I do anything else?

Karandyshov. You really had so much confidence in him?

Larisa. How can you ask! How could I not have confidence in him?

Karandyshov.