approve of my daughter's having left her husband, if I'm ever glad,
well, you may be quite sure he deserved it. She has no reason to be
miserable--on the contrary, she ought to be delighted at being freed
from such a wretch.

SASHA. Mother! Why do you go on like this? It's not the truth and you
know it. He's not a wretch, he's wonderful. Yes, in spite of all his
weakness.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. I suppose you'd like her to wait till he'd spent every
kopec they had, and smile sweetly when be brought his gypsy mistresses
home with him.

SASHA. He hasn't any mistresses.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. There you go again. Why, the man's simply bewitched
you, but I can see through him, and he knows it. If I'd been Lisa, I'd
left him a year ago.

SASHA. Oh, how easily you speak of these serious things.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. Not easily, not easily at all. Do you suppose it's
agreeable for me to have my daughter admit her marriage a failure? But
anything's better than for her to throw away her life in a lie. Thank
God, she's made up her mind to finish with him for good.

SASHA. Maybe it won't be for good.

ANNA PAVLOVNA. It would be if only he'd give her a divorce.