Bad Weather (Chekhov)
Short summary
A small Russian town, presumably late 19th century. During a prolonged summer rain, Nadyezhda Filippovna and her mother sat in their summer villa while Alexey Stepanovitch Kvashin, Nadyezhda's husband, remained in town, claiming the bad weather affected his bronchitis and work.
After five days without seeing her husband, Nadyezhda decided to visit him in town. Upon arrival, she discovered their flat locked up. She returned home distraught.
"He is deceiving us, mamma!" repeated her daughter, and her chin began to quiver. "Our flat is locked up. The porter tells me that Alyosha has not been home once for these five days. He is not living at home!"
That evening, Kvashin arrived at the summer villa. He fabricated a story about working on a creditors' meeting and sleeping on a bench. His wife and mother-in-law, overjoyed to find their suspicions unfounded, eagerly prepared food for him.
As Kvashin fell asleep, he thought contentedly that despite their provincial ways, he could enjoy spending a day or two with them each week.
Detailed summary
Division into chapters is editorial.
A rainy day at the summer villa
Heavy rain pattered against the dark windows of a summer villa. It was one of those persistent, depressing summer rains that seemed to drain all energy and joy. Inside the dining room, two women sat at the table - an elderly lady and her daughter, Nadyezhda Filippovna.
He was of the opinion that the sight of the grey sky and the tears of rain on the windows deprived one of energy and induced the spleen. In the town, where there was greater comfort, bad weather was scarcely noticed.
The older woman was playing patience with cards while her daughter pretended to read, though her mind was clearly elsewhere. From the kitchen came the sound of the cook's prolonged yawns. Alexey Stepanovitch Kvashin, Nadyezhda's husband, was not present.
He had remained in town during the rainy weather, as the dampness aggravated his bronchitis and hindered his work. The grey, dreary atmosphere of the countryside was too depressing for him, whereas in town, with its greater comforts, the bad weather was less noticeable.
Concerns over Kvashins absence
The mother-in-law shuffled her cards and mentioned that she had been trying to divine whether the weather would improve tomorrow and if Alexey Stepanovitch would visit. It had been five days since his last visit, whereas in May he had never stayed away for more than two or three days at most.
She asked her daughter if she missed him, and Nadyezhda confirmed that she did. The mother-in-law mentioned that she had ordered a chicken and carp prepared for Alexey's arrival, as he particularly enjoyed fish. Nadyezhda expressed concern for her husband, imagining him alone in his empty flat with no servants to care for him.
Both looked at the cards and imagined how their Alexey Stepanovitch, utterly forlorn, was sitting now in the town in his gloomy, empty study and working, hungry, exhausted, yearning for his family...
She questioned why he had insisted on renting the summer villa at all, recalling that he had claimed it was for her health, though she felt perfectly well. What troubled her most was the thought of him suffering discomfort on her account.
Nadyezhdas decision to visit her husband
As mother and daughter contemplated Kvashin's lonely situation, Nadyezhda suddenly brightened with an idea. If the weather remained poor the next day, she would take the first train to town to see her husband. She could check on him, look after him, and pour his tea.
Both women were surprised they hadn't thought of this simple solution earlier. The journey would take only half an hour by train and twenty minutes by cab. They went to bed feeling more content, though sleep eluded them as they continued to worry about Alexey's wellbeing in town, particularly his meals.
A shocking discovery in town
The next morning, though the rain had stopped, the sky remained grey. Nadyezhda decided to proceed with her plan. Her mother wrapped her up carefully, reminding her to tell Alexey not to think too much about his cases and to rest properly. She also sent along the chicken, insisting that home-cooked food was better than restaurant meals.
Nadyezhda departed, promising to return either that evening or the next morning. However, she returned much earlier than expected, before dinnertime. She entered her mother's bedroom in a state of distress, pale and agitated. Without removing her hat, she collapsed onto the bed.
When her mother asked what had happened, Nadyezhda revealed a shocking discovery: "He is deceiving us, mamma!" Their flat in town was locked up, and the porter had informed her that Alexey had not been home once during the past five days.
This revelation contradicted Kvashin's recent letter claiming he never left the flat. Nadyezhda became hysterical, repeatedly crying out that he was not at home. Her mother was horrified, questioning where he could possibly be sleeping if not at home.
Kvashins return and explanation
The mother-in-law was indignant, reminding her daughter that she had provided a twenty-thousand-rouble dowry and that they could take legal action against such deception. Both women were so distraught that they failed to notice the weather had improved - patches of blue had appeared in the sky and sunbeams were gliding over the wet grass.
That evening, Kvashin arrived at the summer villa. Before coming, he had stopped by his flat and learned from the porter that his wife had visited in his absence. He entered his mother-in-law's room with feigned cheerfulness, pretending not to notice their tear-stained faces.
He kissed his wife's and mother-in-law's hands, then collapsed into an armchair with an air of exhaustion. Kvashin explained that he had been working tirelessly for nearly five days at the meeting of Shipunov's and Ivantchikov's creditors, working in Galdeyev's office at the shop.
"I haven't been to the flat once, would you believe it? I have been busy... I've had nothing to eat or to drink, and slept on a bench, I was chilled through... I hadn't even time to go to the flat."
As he spoke, Kvashin stealthily observed his wife and mother-in-law to gauge the effect of his lie. To his satisfaction, both women looked at each other with joyful astonishment, as though they had unexpectedly recovered something precious they had lost.
Willful acceptance of a lie
The mother-in-law immediately jumped up, calling for tea and asking if he was hungry. Nadyezhda removed the vinegar-soaked bandage from her head and began giving orders to prepare food. Both women, relieved and happy, bustled about the room.
The old lady could not help laughing at her daughter who had slandered an innocent man, while the daughter felt ashamed. Kvashin, who actually smelled of madeira and liqueurs and was already full, pretended to be hungry. He forced himself to eat while continuing his fabricated story about the creditors' meeting.
"Though they are regular tradesmen's wives, though they are Philistines, yet they have a charm of their own, and one can spend a day or two of the week here with enjoyment... All serene!"
His wife and mother-in-law gazed adoringly at him, thinking how clever, kind, and handsome he was. Later, as Kvashin settled into the comfortable feather bed, he reflected with satisfaction that despite their provincial, tradesman-like qualities, the women had their charms, making his occasional visits to the summer villa quite enjoyable.