NATALYA runs blindly into a thickly wooded area, and CHUBUKOV pursues
grimly, using his tools to knock plants and branches out of his way. CHUBUKOV loses sight of
NATALYA for a moment, and in a panic glances around the woods. He sees nothing.

CHUBUKOV, already holding the pickaxe, swings it into the dirt. He swiftly lifts and strikes, again
and again. When satisfied, he picks up the shovel, and begins to dig, tossing the dirt in a
wellformed
mound. NATALYA steps back, but keeps watching.
CHUBUKOV
Even freshly moved, the ground is thick with rocks and roots, but I
fear I lose more time by rotating tools than by breaking my back
with this one. Perhaps you could assist, at least until the black
work is to be done?
NATALYA
(disbelieving that things could get worse) Black work?
CHUBUKOV stops, pants, and leans on the shovel.
CHUBUKOV
Could you still be so ignorant? What I do now is the work of a
gopher, a rabbit, a mole, a worm. I am digging a hole. The hard
part comes when the coffin is struck, and we must remove the
nailsNATALYA
Stop! I won’t hear any more!
NATALYA, in tears, begins to run.
CHUBUKOV
Natalya! No! Wait!
NATALYA runs full sprint into the wilderness. CHUBUKOV pursues, carrying, oddly, the pickaxe
and the shovel.

She closes
her eyes and turns away, and sets the shovel to the earth. As she begins to use her foot to push
the shovel into the dirtCHUBUKOV
Not there, my dear. Here, where the soil is freshly turned.
A look of terror appears on NATALYA’s face.
NATALYA
You mean we are to bury himCHUBUKOV
In the grave of another, yes.
NATALYA
No, no, there is no need, no need to perform this foul deed.
CHUBUKOV
There will time enough to repent of foul deeds when we are done
with them, but we have no time to abhor them. You asked with
irony whether I meant to erect a marker over our friend’s grave. Of
course I do not. But do you know what a large plot of upturned
earth in this middle of this land would be? To those who till this
land, it would be as clear a sign as a granite obelisk that rose to
the moon.
NATALYA
I would sooner die myself than profane myself by molesting the
dead.
CHUBUKOV
There is no time to debate. If you cannot be useful, then do not be
a distraction.
CHUBUKOV, already holding the pickaxe, swings it into the dirt. He swiftly lifts and strikes, again
and again. When satisfied, he picks up the shovel, and begins to dig, tossing the dirt in a
wellformed
mound.

CHUBUKOV throws down a PICKAXE, a SHOVEL, a HAMMER, and a box of NAILS.
NATALYA
Hammer and nails? But what purpose could we possibly have for
such things? Surely you do not mean to erect a marker for the
grave.
CHUBUKOV
I fear you have misunderstood my intentions from the outset. We
are not the first open this earth. The world beneath us is teeming
with the remains of the dead, as though a battle were fought and
lost by all sides. Mark Lomov’s grave? Not here. To mark a grave
in this field would be blasphemy, for this is the abode of the
nameless, the cemetery of the unknown.
NATALYA
(Trembling) You have not answered me. For what purpose the
hammer? And for what purpose the nails?
CHUBUKOV
My forefather long held that it was bad luck, and poor form, to
forestall action in order to declare one’s intentions. If you truly
cannot follow the deed we must do, then you need follow no more
than my words. Now, take the shovel. (She does.) Dig.
NATALYA looks sadly at the covered corpse of LOMOV as she gingerly holds the shovel with
one hand, by the tip of the handle, as if it were a foul object she didn’t wish to touch.

You should be grateful it was Chubukov and I who were
here and not some other persons. Chubukov’s wise decision will
keep your shame hidden. And worry not about poor Guess. We
will hide his shame as well.
NATALYA then reaches into her dress and removes a small piece of dried meat. She places it
into LOMOV’s hand and closes it.
NATALYA
Guess is a good dog. Not the best as you so often claimed but
a good dog. I realize that the Reaper has now taken you but
I wish to bury you with this little bit of meat. I know that it is a
favorite treat of Guess and so by burying you with it, you may
have a little connection to him in the land beyond.

CHUBUKOV gives a hearty laugh and gestures behind him.
CHUBUKOV
But you forget, I arrived by horse and cart. I still have my
picks and shovels loaded and available. We need but merely
to fetch them.
NATALYA
And what of passersby? Will they not hear our efforts?
CHUBUKOV
Perhaps from a distance but at this late hour I expect few will
wander close enough to spy us. We should have the whole of
the area to ourselves until dawn.
NATALYA
Oh, Chubukov, you truly are the wisest of men! Let us begin
right away so that we may be done with this grisly business
before the cock stirs.
CHUBUKOV
A most excellent idea. You should move poor Lomov over there,
to a less visible area and drape your cloak upon him. We should
be cautious even if we expect to be undisturbed. I shall tend to
the horse for a moment and fetch our tools.
CHUBUKOV exits while NATALYA drags LOMOV aside. She then places her cloak over his
body. She turns momentarily but then turns back to LOMOV. She bends down and moves the
cloak aside from his face and chest.
NATALYA
I’m sorry poor Lomov. We never meant to put you in such a
state. You must realize how difficult it was to see any truth in
your claims about your heart. You made them so often and
about such trivial matters we could only infer that you spoke
in jest. After all, who ever heard of a Russian man with a weak
heart?

NATALYA
But what of the passersby? Perhaps one of them heard our
discourse as it’s passions grew. Will they not report this once
news of his passing has spread? How might our intentions appear
then? Everyone knows of his fragile heart for he spoke of it at
every opportunity. Will we then not be blamed for taunting him at
such length?
CHUBUKOV quietly thinks this over while running his fingers through his beard.
CHUBUKOV
You may be correct in your thinking my dear. Even if the rest of
the town were to recognize our innocence in the matter, Lomov’s
damnable sister, Lidiya will surely make claim otherwise.
NATALYA drops LOMOV’s legs where she stands.
NATALYA
Then surely there must be some alternative. Perhaps we can
simply walk away and allow someone else to stumble upon
his corpse?
CHUBUKOV
No, no that carries too much risk. Remember, it may already
be known that we were meeting with this poor creature at this
place.
Both are silent for a beat as they mull over their remaining options.
CHUBUKOV
I can think of only one suitable plan. We must bury him here
and now. Any other option carries with it too much risk.
NATALYA
But how are we to bury him here? Will we not be spied? And
we have no tools for digging? While my hands are sturdy and
thick with callouses like any good Russian woman’s, even
they can not burrow through that much of this earth quickly
enough for our purposes.

LOMOV. And are you a hunter? You only go hunting to get in with the Count and to intrigue. . . .
Oh, my heart! . . . You’re an intriguer!
CHUBUKOV. What? I an intriguer? [Shouts] Shut up!
LOMOV. Intriguer!
CHUBUKOV. Boy! Pup!
LOMOV. Old rat! Jesuit!
CHUBUKOV. Shut up or I’ll shoot you like a partridge! You fool!
LOMOV. Everybody knows thatoh
my heart!your
late wife used to beat you. . . . My feet . . .
temples . . . sparks. . . . I fall, I fall!
CHUBUKOV. And you’re under the slipper of your housekeeper!