_Borís_ (_not seeing Katerína_). O Lord! That is her voice! Where is she? (_Looks round._)

_Katerína_ (_runs up to him and falls on his neck_). At last I see you again! (_Weeps on his breast. Silence._)

_Borís._ Well, God has granted us to weep together.

_Katerína._ You have not forgotten me?

_Borís._ How can you speak of forgetting?

_Katerína._ Oh, no, it was not that, not that! You are not angry?

_Borís._ Angry for what?

_Katerína._ Forgive me! I did not mean to do you any harm: I was not free myself. I did not know what I said, and what I did.

_Borís._ Don’t speak of it! Don’t!

_Katerína._ Well, how is it with you? What are you going to do?

_Borís._ I am going away.

_Katerína._ Where are you going?

_Borís._ Far away, Kátya, to Siberia.

_Katerína._ Take me away from here.

_Borís._ I can’t, Kátya. I am not going of my own will: my uncle is sending me off, and the horses are waiting already. My uncle gave me but a minute to be away; I wanted to bid farewell to the place where we used to see each other.

_Katerína._ God speed you! Do not grieve over me. At first, I suppose, you, poor fellow, will pine for me, but you will soon forget me.

_Borís._ Let us not talk of me! I am a free bird! But how will it be with you? What of your mother-in-law?

_Katerína._ She torments me, she locks me up. She tells everybody, and my husband too: “Do not trust her, she is sly!” They follow me all day and laugh at me before my eyes. At every word they reproach me with you.

_Borís._ And your husband?

_Katerína._ He is now kind, and now angry, but he is drinking all the time. I loathe him, I loathe him; I loathe his kindness worse than his blows.

_Borís._ It is hard for you, Kátya.

_Katerína._ Yes, so hard, so hard, that death would be easier!

_Borís._ Who could have told that we would have to suffer so for our love? It would have been better if I had run away then.

_Katerína._ It was for misfortune that I saw you. I have seen little joy, but oh, how much sorrow! And how much there is still ahead of me! Well, what use is there to think of what will be? I am seeing you now, and that they will not take away from me! I need nothing else. All I wanted was to see you. Now I feel much more at ease: as though a mountain had rolled off my shoulders. And there, I thought that you were angry with me, that you cursed me----

_Borís._ How could you? How could you?

_Katerína._ No, it is not that I mean. I wanted to say something else. I was longing for you, that is it; and now, I have seen you----

_Borís._ If they should find us here!

_Katerína._ Wait, wait! I wanted to tell you something! I have forgotten again! Something important I had to tell you! my head is in a whirl, I can’t remember anything.

_Borís._ It is time for me to go, Kátya!

_Katerína._ Wait, wait!

_Borís._ Well, what was it you wanted to say?

_Katerína._ I will tell you right away. (_Thinking a moment._) Yes! As you will travel on the road, don’t let any beggar go by without giving him something, and tell them to pray for my sinful soul.

_Borís._ Ah, if these people knew how hard it is for me to leave you! God grant they may some day feel as bad as I do now! Good-bye, Kátya! (_Embraces her and is about to go._) Rascals! Monsters! If I only had the power!

_Katerína._ Wait, wait! Let me take a last look at you! (_Looks into his eyes._) That will do me! Now, God be with you! Go, go quickly!

_Borís_ (_walks a few steps and stops_). Kátya, something is wrong! You have something in your mind! I shall worry on my journey, thinking of you!

_Katerína._ No, no! God speed you! (_Borís is about to walk up to her._) Don’t, don’t, that is enough!

_Borís_ (_sobbing_). Well, God be with you! I must pray to God that she may die soon, that she may not suffer long! Farewell! (_Greets her._)

_Katerína._ Farewell! (_Exit Borís. Katerína follows him with her eyes and stands a while, lost in thought._)