TWO MONTHS LATER
What do you call this?
In other houses,
people grieve for at least a year.
But here nothing is proper.
Who ever heard of getting a new wife before the year is up?
The lady's only been dead for two months,
and he found a new one already.
Doesn't even bear thinking about.
I think when I pass
and go to the other place,
I'll see our lady Anna Lvovna...
and she'll say,
Pavlina, how could you let this happen?
How could you let my memory...
get trampled like this?
When the young lord comes back from Paris,
he'll make this right.
He won't let his father's mistress in the house.
Look how it is all coming together.
Just right,
as they say.
The tobacco contract
with the Ministry of War,
the harvest...
And you're with me.
Starting yesterday,
I am the happiest man alive.
They're going to kill each other.
What the... What you doing?
You trying to rip it apart?
Can't be bothered to move the ladder
and take it down properly?
Tugging at it...
I'm doing what I can.
If you don't like it, call that Katia instead.
Why's she dallying about?
Listen to you talk.
You got your job and she got hers.
Right,
job.
I'd be so...
happy to walk around the rooms
with a brush like this,
I'd do it dawn to dusk.
No one has ever given me flowers before.
I'll shower you in flowers.
I'll mow down every field.
I don't need all of them. These daisies are enough.
What?
What's the matter?
Why did you order the mourning over before it's time?
You... you don't do that.
You don't do what? Why can't I?
This is my house, I do what I want.
-What will the people say? -What people?
Many people visit you.
Merchants, landlords... What are they going to think?
Who cares what they think?
I'm sick and tired of the color black,
of the long faces...
And wherever you go, they feel sorry for you.
I'd be fine if it was real,
but it's all so fake.
All right, enough.
Enough, I'm seeing black already.
Hey...
What is this?
I said what is this?
Didn't you hear my order?
Take those widow's rags off right this instant,
or I'll tear them off myself!
Enough, enough!
Piotr Ivanovich, can't you see she is sick at heart?
Let her. Please, for me.
Please.
Don't let me catch sight of you.
Come, get out of here.
Enough.
Get out.
I know you're not as harsh
as you want people to think.
And you have a heart.
Come on...
This is all you.
What did you do to me,
you witch?
I fell in love.
Fell in love.
You love me, do you?
Tell me, do you?
-I do. -You do...
What?
What's wrong?
Larisa.
Your son and his wife.
But they are far away.
But they will come back,
and what will they think of my presence?
-Doesn't it-- -Larisa, this is my house.
They will have to choose: accept you or get out.
And still, I do not understand.
How did it happen
that we are almost out of money?
We couldn't have spent all of it, could we?
My dear,
Paris is not Nezhin...
or Chernigov, life there is not cheap.
Don't worry,
my mother is supposed to have left me a sizable inheritance.
So soon enough we'll be back
on Rue de Santal.
I feel good enough at home.
I've missed it so much.
You should have written after all.
Written what?
We'll just come home.
We're coming back to our house.
Well...
you're not still angry with him?
Grig,
two months have passed.
Enough.
He must be terribly sorry about everything
that happened between you, too.
I doubt that very much.
However, I am not bothered.
I just have to put up with him till the will is read.
But he is your father!
We are family!
Grig, I really want everything to be good for us.
Do you think I don't?
Aleksandr Vasilyevich Doroshenko is here.
Why did he...
have to come so soon?
Ask him to come.
I'm going to my room.
Wait, wait, no, don't.
You're the lady of the house now,
please receive your guests.
Piotr Ivanovich, I shouldn't...
Dear father-in-law!
Hello, Piotr Ivanovich, hello!
Larisa Viktorovna,
my respects.
-Please. -Thank you.
Thank you.
To what do I owe such an early visit?
Please don't be angry about my coming so early.
I couldn't stay home, I didn't manage to.
I wanted to embrace my little bird.
I've missed her terribly.
Natalie wrote me that they are coming today.
Did Grigoriy not tell you?
Strange...
Perhaps he wanted to surprise you.
Right.
I will go give the order to prepare a festive dinner.
What for?
If he's coming unannounced,
there's no need for feasts.
Maybe the letter got lost in the mail, these things happen.
I will go
tell Pavlina to get ready.
Piotr Ivanovich...
This is none of my business,
of course, but...
Will Larisa Viktorovna live
in Chervinka now?
Yes. Why?
Maybe you should...
wait a little.
You know your son well.
There could be another scandal.
There won't be.
My house, my rules.
Well,
that's your business.
All right,
you won't listen to my advice, anyway.
When they arrive,
would you be so kind as to tell me?
The Shefer mansion.
That means we'll be home soon.
I'm so tired of this carriage rocking.
Poor Liddy...
We should visit with her.
The poor thing loved Aleksey so much, she must be suffering right now.
Natalie, let us not talk about Kosach.
My mood is terrible as it is.
And my leg hurts like hell again.
Grig,
I want to talk to you about it.
Your pain...
it has already brought you
that awful opium addiction.
I beg you,
let's see a doctor.
Perhaps there is something to be done.
You can't keep soothing the pain
with that horrible poison.
And in Paris...
You wouldn't let the pipe out of your hands.
If there were anything to be done,
they would have done it at the hospital.
Surgeon Bakhmutov said...
the bullet is stuck right by the bone.
There is no way to take it out,
unless it comes out by itself someday.
Or we will have to take the leg.
I'm sorry,
but I have no desire to lose my leg.
And the opium is just a remedy.
What would I do without you,
Nikolai Aleksandrovich?
Sofia Stanislavovna, why didn't you send for me right away?
I don't know anything about housekeeping.
Aliosha was in charge of that.
Oh, when...
What about your steward?
Lidiya Ivanovna was paying his wages.
So now, I suppose...
So now, after Aleksey’s death,
she can't be bothered.
No, of course not...
She must have simply forgotten.
She grieved so much at the funeral,
cried so much...
She probably just forgot.
And it felt wrong for me to remind her.
Now I don't know what to do.
I will handle the steward's wages.
I am so grateful to you for handling...
my affairs, Nikolai Aleksandrovich.
God bless you.
Come now, Sofia Stanislavovna, this is my duty.
It cannot be any other way.
Aliosha was like a brother to me.
And you shouldn't be so worried about the state of your affairs.
In the short time Aleksey was handling them,
he was rather successful.
-Truly? -Yes.
He made several lucrative deals,
so you have money.
Not that much, but you won't be in poverty, either.
You've put me at ease.
I had a dream
about Aliosha the other night.
Yes,
he was so beautiful, smiling...
He came up to me, embraced me and said.
How splendid of you
to knit those socks for me.
And I was here, in my dream,
sitting on this sofa
and knitting goat hair socks.
Striped ones.
That's enough.
That was a good dream.
Aliosha can see you from heaven...
and he comforts you.
Faster! Faster! Grind it faster!
You're like a tired butterfly,
it'll never be ready like that.
They're coming any moment now,
God give me strength.
So clumsy.
Give it here.
Leave her alone, will you?
Leave her alone.
She's doing it the way she can.
It's all right, we'll be on time.
Sure we will.
Katrusia,
honey...
Go make some flower bunches. Come on.
Come on, sweetie, go.
Don't stand around.
-Take the bowl and grind. -Me?
You wanted it, didn't you?
You've never seen...
real grief, Galia.
That's why you say those nasty things.
What?
They weren't even engaged.
But she walks around like a widow.
Shush, you, shush!
Have you no heart?
Not even a little bit?
Who needs heart?
And as for Vasia,
don't worry about it.
I will definitely handle
organizing his future.
He's a smart boy.
Everything is going to be fine.
I keep thinking, how could he?
How could my Aliosha do that to himself?
Now everyone says
his conscience had caught up with him.
You know, Nikolai,
nobody in this world was
as conscientious as my son.
He was absolutely sure that he was right.
If something were amiss,
I would have felt it.
You can't fool a mother's heart.
What do you mean?
I will never believe that my son was suicidal.
No matter what they say.
No matter what notes they show me.
I don't believe that either.
And if you and I are right,
I will not rest until
I have found your son's murderer or murderers.
Thank you.
Greetings to your house.
Panas! Come in.
You've been coming often,
has something happened?
Your Yasha won't quit.
Raised the rent again, so I'm on the road.
That devil...
You and the men should get together
and complain about him to the lord.
Want some dinner?
What am I, crazy...
to turn down your borsch?
Pour it.
You say we should complain.
Do you think the master doesn't know about it?
I guess such is our fate.
-Here. -So good...
Great.
I came to see you for a reason, Aunt Pavlina.
I bring news from your mother.
How is she, in good health? Has something happened?
Everything is fine.
Old Motria will outlive us both.
Asked you to visit her soon as you can.
Must have taken ill.
You know how she is?
She'll never say anything
until it gets bad.
I'm telling you, she's healthy.
Healthy.
Kept carrying water all day yesterday,
as if she decided to clean the whole house.
And the pies she was making...
The whole street smelled good.
She must be expecting some dear guest.
Well, thank you so much.
I'd eat your borsch forever,
if you'd only let me.
-You're welcome. -Thanks.
Oh,
almost forgot, curse my head.
Your mother told me to tell you
that you have to come with Katerina, not alone.
And she told me three times not to forget that.
So that's what it is...
Wait...
How did I not realize this right away?
You're trying...
to find a match for our Katerina!
-Panas! -Who is it?
-Go! -What, really?
Thank you for the message, go.
All right, I'm going.
-Will you invite me to the wedding? -I will, go already!
All right, thanks!
Grig, I think you're being
too harsh on your father.
Look, I think he's very happy
about our return.
Sure, surprising.
Honey, you promised.
All right.
Oh, come on...
Piotr Ivanovich,
we're so happy to see you.
Welcome home, my darlings.
East or west, home is best.
That's right.
Let's come inside, everyone is waiting for you.
Who is everyone?
I know, it must be Dad! Right?
I wrote to him. Is Nikolai here, too?
No.
Come. Aleksandr Vasilyevich came by, but he has left.
He asked me to alert him as soon as you arrived.
So I'm going to send the boy to him now.
-Who is it, then? -Come, come.
You'll see for yourselves, come.
See?
I see.
I hope you had a good journey.
We did. I feel like a new man.
The air there is different, the water...
Piotr Ivanovich,
why such splendor?
What do you mean? You're still newlyweds.
I doubt you were received like that in Paris.
They don't do that in Paris, papa.
And in fact,
we are in mourning.
One can't grieve forever,
especially not when one's children
come back from afar.
So charming. Grig,
what matters is the memory in our hearts,
not the one for show.
Right...
Piotr Ivanovich, come clean.
Did you set this up yourself?
Of course not, it was all her.
She was the one who wanted to receive you in the best way possible.
Who's she, papa?
She.
Well, my dear...
Receive your guests.
Grigoriy Petrovich, Natalia Aleksandrovna.
Piotr Ivanovich and I
were looking forward to your return.
Are you tired from the road?
So this is...
what it's about.
So I'm a guest here now.
In my own house.
It's just a figure of speech.
Would you like some tea or...
How dare you bring this...
Watch your tongue.
Larisa Viktorovna is my wife now.
-Wife? -Yes.
How dare you come here?
Get out of here.
Easy, easy. Silence!
This is my house,
and my word is law here.
I wonder...
how it feels to be a sponger in a house...
where a different woman lived so recently.
A woman who was better, purer
and more wonderful than you.
The woman you killed.
-Grig... -Larisa.
Larisa!
-I'm begging you, please don't. -Natalie.
Please don't.
Natalie, I'm asking you. Go upstairs,
start unpacking our suitcases.
I'm begging you.
Frol, shut the door.
-Listen, you brat. -What?
You are going to come up to Larisa Viktorovna
and apologize.
-Why would I do that? -Because!
For what?
You want to enjoy your little actress?
Do it. But not here.
Not in this house.
My mother in the grave wasn't enough,
now you've taken that wench into your bed, too!
Larisa Viktorovna will stay with me,
whether you like it or not.
And if not, here is the floor...
and there is the door.
It's too early to celebrate, Dad.
Too early to kick me out of my own house.
The will has not been read yet.
And there I was thinking
why you came, the fool.
Missed home, you say?
-Listen me... -You want money?
Your mommy's? It's all right,
you won't have to wait long.
The executive will be here tomorrow.
Great! Tomorrow!
Tomorrow, we will see
you get left with nothing!
Here you go!
Listen, kid.
I do what I want,
live with whomever I want.
Because I am Piotr Chervinsky.
And I don't care for you at all, little worm.
Katia.
Katia girl.
You're still in mourning for Mother.
The only one.
I'm very pleased about it.
You've changed.
I've missed you so much, Katia.
Missed you so much.
Out.
Larisa,
what the blazes is this?
Leave it, Piotr Ivanovich.
I should not have come at all.
Oh, why did I listen to you...
It was clear how it would end.
You're not going anywhere.
Enough, Piotr Ivanovich.
I don't wish to be a wedge
to divide you and Grigoriy Petrovich.
Larisa,
you are my woman and you must be with me!
Why do you say that? Who am I to you?
Larisa, you will stay.
You will stay and be the lady
of the house, which is what you are.
It won't work. I had better go.
Larisa, I will not let you go.
Nobody and nothing...
will take my happiness away.
Grig,
I heard screaming.
-What has happened? -Nothing.
The same thing as always.
That old fool thinks everybody will...
dance to his tune.
Perhaps we should have gone to Nezhin first.
To see my people. Papa would be very happy.
Absolutely not.
Can't you see it?
He dreams about us leaving.
So that he can enjoy life without us.
-Grig... -No!
This house belonged to my mother and I grew up here!
And I will not let some gold digger...
kick me out of here!
So what do we do now?
We live in our own house.
You are the lady of the house now, and you alone.
And you must make her understand this.
All right...
but still.
If Piotr Ivanovich really did marry her,
we will have to make peace with that fact.
It's all bluffing.
Bluffing!
And even if it is so,
I will never, never accept her in my house.
Maybe there's a peaceful way.
Wait until tomorrow.
-What happens tomorrow? -The executive of the will comes
and reads the will.
I'm sure that Mother left everything to me.
The land, the house,
the funds... She hinted at it.
And that old lecher...
will be left looking a fool!
-How so? -Wait, you don't know.
What?
He married her eying her money.
Even though Mother's house was in decline,
their name was known from Warsaw to St Petersburg.
And this house belonged to them.
I'm sure that most of the capital was Mother's, too.
And that lowly pleb...
You think him a nobleman? No.
They bought the tile
with money made from selling pigs.
As soon as I get the right to inherit,
we will leave here that instant.
Where do you want to go? St Petersburg, Kiev?
We will buy a house or a manor there.
And I will sell everything here, everything!
Let him jump like an imp on a frying pan.
How so?
What do you mean, the case is closed?
It's clear as day.
Suicide.
Yes, here we have the doctor's conclusion.
The suicide note. What else do you want?
He could not have done it. He could not!
You know, Nikolay Aleksandrovich, whether he could or could not...
Nobody can know another person's soul.
I ask you, no,
I demand that you reopen the case.
On what grounds?
Please.
Nikolay Aleksandrovich,
I don't like to think
that Aleksey Fiodorovich was suicidal, either. It's a great sin.
But, you know,
one can't argue with the facts.
All that is left for us is hope
is for the Lord to forgive the poor man.
-To pray? -To pray.
Where is the note?
If it's closed, you no longer need it.
Let me have it.
How could I?
It's evidence.
What if there's an inspection?
Come, now. The case is closed.
And those are the last words of the deceased.
I could say, of course,
that the note got lost...
Although, you know, the governor
starts these inspections sometimes...
You know, a certain fool knocked over lamp
at the archive recently.
There was no big fire,
but a few folders did get burned.
Yes.
Fire is a scary thing.
I understand.
Yes.
Come in, Pavlina.
Say what you want to say.
My mother's taken ill.
Please let me visit with her.
Why are you asking me?
You have a new lady.
She's no lady of mine.
Don't be insulting, m'lady.
Fine, fine.
Prepare everything for breakfast
and go with God.
Something else, Pavlina?
And also...
please let Katrusia come with me.
Kitty?
How is she?
Why haven't I seen her yet?
Call her up to me. Let her play something.
I'm afraid you won't have much use for her now, m'lady.
What's the matter with her?
Oh, she's terrible.
Walking around more dead than alive.
Like a ghost.
And always silent.
Hasn't said a word to anybody in a month.
Just cries and keeps silent. So I thought,
if you'd let her come to the village with me,
she could help me.
There's a lot of work to be done.
Maybe,
you know... keeping busy will distract her.
All right.
Perhaps it will help her.
-Go. -Thank you.
Take this.
I see you keep getting richer, Yakov Yukhimovich.
Me?
-This is all the master's. -Oh come...
You have a new jacket there, a gold watch.
What are you doing counting my wealth?
I'm not counting,
I'm happy for you.
You're so clever and industrious.
Soon you'll buy your own little hamlet.
Maybe so.
-What do you care? -What do you mean?
This concerns me more than anybody.
When are you thinking of buying me out?
Why the hell would I do that?
By God's will, not hell.
I'm going to have your baby soon, Yakov Yukhimovich.
Your wife and son shouldn't be someone else's serfs.
So that's what it is.
You're trying to noose me.
Fancy that.
Don't even think about it.
I have nothing to do with your bastard.
Who knows where you got it?
You've been milling around the forge for days!
Maybe it's Nazar's, and I'm supposed to feed it?
Yasha.
But I...
I only want you...
Eying my wealth, are you?
You think I don't know how you got it?
All right, let's go.
The master fell in love
and forgot all about his estate.
And you're only too happy to get fat off it.
I saw everything, I saw it all.
What did you see? Huh?
Who added a day to the corvee? Was it the landlord?
Who raised the rent? Was it the lord?
And the money from it - who has it, the lord?
And that's before I even get to the pork
you sell with the innkeeper.
You snake!
I won't say a word to anyone.
Would a wife betray her husband?
We'll get married,
have a nice quiet life at our own hamlet.
I'm a great housewife, you couldn't find a better one.
Get out! Get out!
No means no, Yakov Yukhimovich.
Suit yourself.
When the master asks me where I got the belly,
I'll just have to tell him.
You snake!
Help!
I'll kill you!
You're here, too?
Nazar,
what the hell are you doing?
No, I'm not hungry.
Wait.
Is this what I think it is? Are you afraid?
Not at all, I just have no appetite.
I'd rather go take a walk in the garden.
So you are afraid.
Do you really think I can't protect you?
Of course not, I don't think that at all.
That's good.
Let's go then.
-Well, if you insist... -Yes, I insist.
Larisa Viktorovna,
I'm not going to dine without you.
Do you really want me to starve to death?
No, I don't want that.
That pipsqueak learned his lesson yesterday.
He won't say another offensive word.
And if he does,
I'll grind him into dust.
Do you believe me?
I do.
You awake?
You sons of bitches, I'm going to...
Anyone who's around, get over here!
Scream all you want, half-blood Yasha, no one's going to hear you.
Listen here.
We suffered long, but enough is enough.
Either you get a grip on yourself...
or we'll do it for you.
You touch Galia again,
we'll take the crowbars to your ribs and you'll never stand straight again,
got me?
I got you.
Couldn't be any clearer.
I don't even want her.
I'm not coming near her.
Be a man,
live like a man.
And if you act like a beast again...
...you won't last the night.
You'll be on the bottom of Lake Black.
Remember, Yasha,
we're everywhere.
I apologize for starting without you, Dad.
The air here...
is great for the appetite.
There is no ceremony between family.
Now this is just wrong.
How dare you sit that canary in mother's seat?
I see...
you won't give up.
Gentlemen, stop!
Piotr Ivanovich, come!
The notary is here.
Ask him in.
Go on, ask him.
Nestor Pavlovich, hello!
The pleasure is all mine.
Piotr Ivanovich,
Grigoriy Petrovich.
It seems I have interrupted your dinner.
Not at all.
We would be honored if you shared it with us.
With great pleasure.
Katrusia.
Katrusia, my child,
watch where you're going.
You walked off the pass,
you could stumble on a root...
and hurt yourself. There...
Piotr Ivanovich,
thank you for inviting me to your table.
The poppy cakes were wonderful.
Forgive my forgetfulness,
but I would like to invite another person
who is mentioned in Anna Lvovna's will.
And who would that be?
Katerina Stepanovna Verbitskaya, her pupil.
Kitty?
But she is not here right now.
I let her go to see Pavlina's mother in the village.
They return tomorrow.
I do not think we will wait until tomorrow.
Verbitskaya is my serf wench.
Even if she is to get something,
I can represent her as her landlord.
Yes, of course.
All right, if you please...
I, Anna Chervinskaya, conscious of death
and not knowing when my day will come,
announce my last will and testament.
My ancestral home I give to my son Grigoriy Petrovich Chervinsky.
My favorite grand piano
I give to my pupil and goddaughter
Katerina Stepanovna Verbitskaya,
for how much she loves and appreciates music.
All of my money, of which I do not have much -
280 rubles in gold and jewelry -
I donate to the Holy Trinity Church of Nezhin.
Lastly,
I ask you not to put an exuberant obelisk on my grave.
The best monument to me would be peace and understanding
between my beloved husband Piotr Ivanovich
and my son Grisha.
Anna Lvovna Chervinskaya, nee Latynina.
Written in 1856, on the 12th of May.
So what, is that it?
Yes, that is it.
Wait, but how...
Come...
Katrusia,
my child...
...that is your father.