The Conformist. City life scenes in four acts

Mitya looks at her in silence, then sits on a chair.

Inna. Mitya…

Silence.

Mitya. I respect your choice.

Inna. I’m not indifferent to you.

Mitya. They say, people who survived clinical death have sharper perception of everything around them. I saw how you were looking at each other. And I understood everything at once.

Inna. I don’t know how it happened. And I’m supposed to be feel guilty about it, but…

Mitya. Inna! (Interrupts) You have nothing to blame yourself for. I still have the same attitude to you.

Inna rises abruptly, comes up to him and hugs tight, clinging to his cheek. Mitya holds her around her shoulders.

Come Aglaya and Lebedev.

Lebedev. Here are our lovey-doves.

Mitya. I’ve stayed too late, I should go. Thank you for your hospitality.

Inna. I’ll see you to the door.

Aglaya. Good-bye, Mitya! We were happy to see you, do come and visit us. Send our love to Lilia Vasilievna.

Lebedev. See you soon, Mr Gromov.

Mitya and Inna leave.

Lebedev. She’s grown up so fast, our little rebel.

Aglaya. She’s always been your favourite. Alexey adored her as well. This Wednesday is the anniversary of his death. Time flies by.

Silence.

Alexey and I were born a year apart and I always perceived him as my older brother. I remember our last meeting, just a week before he died in a crash during a trial flight. It wasn’t the best time in my life, I had just split apart with Frolov after I had learned he had been cheating on me.

I think I was crying and Alexey was comforting me, as he always would. I still remember his words:

«Don’t ask me where to find a decent and rich husband…

A lot of girls still believe with their whole heart that a pretty face will suffice to claim all treasures in this life. But they are wrong. Mature people are interested in a relationship between two personalities rather than exchanging money for sex.

If you don’t see a decent man near yourself, chances are you don’t have the qualities necessary to attract him, and you are moving on different orbits.

Then you should ask yourself: what are you made of? How clever are you? How educated? How interesting is your life? How successful are you at work? How much do you earn, after all? And judging upon the answers you should either improve yourself or lower your demand».

Lebedev. Alexey loved you and Inna a lot. Your mother and me miss him so much.

Victoria Pavlovna and Inna come in.

Victoria Pavlovna. Darling, the weather is wonderful today, let’s go around the garden before bedtime.

Lebedev. I’d love to, dear.

Victoria Pavlovna. Aglaya, will you stay overnight? I could make you a bed in your study or in the guest bedroom.

Aglaya. No, mum, thank you, I’ll go home. Tomorrow’s Monday, I have a lot of things to do.

Victoria Pavlovna. Well, see you, then. Good night, Inna.

Lebedev. See you tomorrow, my sweethearts. (Kisses his daughters).

Inna. Good night.

Aglaya. Mum and dad, I love you.

Victoria Pavlovna and Lebedev go off.

Inna. Mitya has gone.

Aglaya. Aren’t you happy to see him?

Inna. I’ve been waiting for him for a long time, but when I say him today, I suddenly understood I had been afraid of his return at the same time.

Aglaya. That’s strange news! (Pensively) The parents were so happy to hear about your engagement last winter! Veselov said Mitya gave up drugs. The senior Gromov was generous to treat him. It seems the treatment in Switzerland has really done him good.

Inna. They say there are no ex-addicts. But this is not what’s worrying me.

Aglaya, sister, you are ever so sensible and you’ve never lied to me. Just look at us- what kind of a husband and wife are we? My relationship with Mitya is nothing more than gratifying our mother and his father’s wish. Mother dreams of settling me with some rich heir. Mitya’s father hopes that his silver spoon will become steady and start doing business once he marries. But those are only their dreams and wishes, and nobody’s asked us!

Aglaya. Inna, my dear! Our parents mean well. I’m not saying you are wrong. Certainly, love and feelings are still in force, but one can’t underestimate the importance of choosing sensibly.

Inna. Choosing sensibly… a sensible choice… a convenience marriage. Whatever you call it, it’s not me.

I don’t want to be a rich heir’s wife. I don’t need a pushover for a husband, afraid of holding reins of his own life. I want to be a Muse! Men seek inspiration… I want him to be feel good with me. I want the relationship with this man to be the main project of my life. I want to invest effort, time and energy into my man, so that he would go to conquer the world and achieve whatever he wanted!

Aglaya. Alexey once said we couldn’t have expectations regarding something we don’t control. I didn’t pay much attention then…

We all had a perfect picture of your ideal future ready in our heads. We expected your union with Gromov to bring some income, but obviously brother didn’t call you a rebel without a reason. Really, we can’t have any expectation from something we don’t control.

Scene 3

The office at Victoria Lebedeva’s gallery whish belongs to Veselov. It’s well-furnished and has a door to a balcony.

Veselov is in his arm-chair. Nikolay and Katya are drinking and playing fool: Katya is playing The Flea Waltz on a small keyboard, Nikolay Orlov is miming a phone conversation.