Khlestakov and Marya Antonovna.
MARYA. Oh!
KHLESTAKOV. What frightened you so, mademoiselle?
MARYA. I wasn't frightened.
KHLESTAKOV [showing off]. Please, miss. It's a great pleasure to me
that you took me for a man who--May I venture to ask you where you were
going?
MARYA. I really wasn't going anywhere.
KHLESTAKOV. But why weren't you going anywhere?
MARYA. I was wondering whether mamma was here.
KHLESTAKOV. No. I'd like to know why you weren't going anywhere.
MARYA. I should have been in your way. You were occupied with important
matters.
KHLESTAKOV [showing off]. Your eyes are better than important matters.
You cannot possibly disturb me. No, indeed, by no means. On the
contrary, you afford me great pleasure.
MARYA. You speak like a man from the capital.
KHLESTAKOV. For such a beautiful lady as you. May I give myself the
pleasure of offering you a chair? But no, you should have, not a chair,
but a throne.
MARYA. I really don't know--I really must go [She sits down.]
KHLESTAKOV. What a beautiful scarf that is.
MARYA. You are making fun of me. You're only ridiculing the provincials.
KHLESTAKOV. Oh, mademoiselle, how I long to be your scarf, so that I
might embrace your lily neck.
MARYA. I haven't the least idea what you are talking
about--scarf!--Peculiar weather today, isn't it?
KHLESTAKOV. Your lips, mademoiselle, are better than any weather.
MARYA. You are just saying that--I should like to ask you--I'd rather
you would write some verses in my album for a souvenir. You must know
very many.
KHLESTAKOV. Anything you desire, mademoiselle. Ask! What verses will you
have?
MARYA. Any at all. Pretty, new verses.
KHLESTAKOV. Oh, what are verses! I know a lot of them.
MARYA. Well, tell me. What verses will you write for me?
KHLESTAKOV. What's the use? I know them anyway.
MARYA. I love them so.
KHLESTAKOV. I have lots of them--of every sort. If you like, for
example, I'll give you this: "Oh, thou, mortal man, who in thy anguish
murmurest against God--" and others. I can't remember them now. Besides,
it's all bosh. I'd rather offer you my love instead, which ever since
your first glance--[Moves his chair nearer.]
MARYA. Love? I don't understand love. I never knew what love is. [Moves
her chair away.]
KHLESTAKOV. Why do you move your chair away? It is better for us to sit
near each other.
MARYA [moving away]. Why near? It's all the same if it's far away.
KHLESTAKOV [moving nearer]. Why far? It's all the same if it's near.
MARYA [moving away]. But what for?
KHLESTAKOV [moving nearer]. It only seems near to you. Imagine it's far.
How happy I would be, mademoiselle, if I could clasp you in my embrace.
MARYA [looking through the window]. What is that? It looked as if
something had flown by. Was it a magpie or some other bird?
KHLESTAKOV [kisses her shoulder and looks through the window]. It's a
magpie.
MARYA [rises indignantly]. No, that's too much--Such rudeness, such
impertinence.
KHLESTAKOV [holding her back]. Forgive me, mademoiselle. I did it only
out of love--only out of love, nothing else.
MARYA. You take me for a silly provincial wench. [Struggles to go away.]
KHLESTAKOV [still holding her back]. It's out of love, really--out of
love. It was just a little fun. Marya Antonovna, don't be angry. I'm
ready to beg your forgiveness on my knees. [Falls on his knees.] Forgive
me, do forgive me! You see, I am on my knees.