Mari d'Elle (Chekhov)
Short summary
Russia, late 19th century. Opera singer Natalya Andreyevna Bronin (Nikitin) was enjoying a rare night of rest, thinking about her distant daughter, when her husband Denis Petrovitch Nikitin arrived home drunk and noisy.
He disturbed her peace by talking about business schemes, including a plan to import sausage-skins from the Caucasus and open a private theater. He asked for her money, but she refused. When he left in a huff, she was relieved, but he soon returned with a provincial theater manager.
Furious at his return, Natalya confronted her husband in the drawing room where he was undressing. Unaware of the visitor's presence, she erupted in anger.
"If you don't go away, you insolent creature, I shall go," the singer goes on, stamping her bare foot, and looking at him with flashing eyes. "I shall go! Do you hear, insolent... worthless wretch, flunkey, out you go!"
Only then did she notice the embarrassed theater manager. Mortified, she fled to her bedroom. Her husband stretched out on the sofa, telling the manager that his wife was affectionate only until money was mentioned, then promptly fell asleep.
Detailed summary
Division into chapters is editorial.
The opera singers peaceful solitude
Natalya Andreyevna Bronin, known by her married name Nikitin, was enjoying a rare moment of peace on her free night. The opera singer lay in her bedroom, drowsy and content, thinking about her little daughter who lived far away with relatives. Her child meant more to her than all the public adoration, bouquets, and admirers combined. All Natalya wanted was to be left undisturbed to doze and dream about her beloved daughter.
She is happy, at peace, and all she longs for is not to be prevented from lying undisturbed, dozing and dreaming of her little girl. All at once the singer starts, and opens her eyes wide: there is a harsh abrupt ring in the entry.
The husbands noisy arrival disrupts her rest
Suddenly, the doorbell rang harshly, followed by two more rings in quick succession. The door opened noisily, and someone entered, stamping loudly and snorting from the cold. Natalya heard a husky bass voice complaining about the lack of a proper hatstand, despite her substantial earnings as a celebrated singer. She immediately recognized her husband and suspected he had brought a friend to stay the night, much to her annoyance.
No more peace. When the loud noise of someone blowing his nose and putting off his goloshes dies away, the singer hears cautious footsteps in her bedroom... It is her husband, mari d'elle, Denis Petrovitch Nikitin.
Denis entered the bedroom bringing cold air and the smell of brandy. He stumbled around in the dark, breathing heavily and apparently searching for something. When Natalya complained that he had woken her, he explained he was looking for matches and had brought her greetings from Zagvozdkin, the redheaded man who often sent her bouquets.
Complaints about money and Zagvozdkin
When Natalya asked why he had visited Zagvozdkin, Denis replied that they had simply talked and had a drink. He then launched into a tirade about how much he disliked the man, calling him a blockhead despite his wealth. Denis complained that Zagvozdkin's six hundred thousand in capital was useless because he neither spent it nor allowed others to use it. He argued passionately that idle capital was harmful to Russia's economy, unlike in England where every farthing was in circulation.
Despite Natalya's attempts to end the conversation and return to sleep, Denis continued his complaints. He revealed that he had asked Zagvozdkin for a loan without security, insisting there would have been no risk involved. The wealthy man had refused, which Denis found incomprehensible. When Natalya worriedly asked if he had requested the loan in her name, Denis was offended, claiming that as a businessman, he was more likely to receive money than she was.
Business schemes and investment plans
Denis then began explaining his latest business scheme involving sausage-skins. He described how provision shops and sausage-makers currently paid high prices for locally sourced skins, while in the Caucasus these same items were worthless and discarded. His plan was to import these skins and sell them at a fraction of the current price, potentially generating hundreds of thousands in profit. Natalya begged him to save his explanations for later as she was tired.
Undeterred, Denis continued expounding on his business philosophies, claiming that with capital one could make money anywhere and from anything, even cigarette ends. He cited the example of Lentovsky, a theatre owner who failed because he lacked capital and proper strategy. Denis insisted that nowadays, one could easily make money with a theatre by producing the right plays and charging affordable admission prices.
He then revealed that he already had a manager and had found a suitable building for a private theatre, but lacked the necessary funds. Denis suggested that Natalya should invest her five percent Preference shares in his venture. She firmly refused, accusing him of having fleeced her enough already. This led to an argument where Denis reminded her that he had supported her before she became famous and had rescued her from poverty. Natalya dismissed his claims and told him to go to bed and sleep off his drunkenness.
"What we give we remember, but we don't remember what we take." "I have never taken anything from you." "Is that so? But when we weren't a celebrated singer, at whose expense did we live then? And who... lifted you out of beggary?"
Confrontation and the husbands departure
The argument escalated as Denis, feeling humiliated, threatened to leave. Natalya enthusiastically encouraged his departure, and he eventually stormed out. As she heard the sounds of whispering, shuffling goloshes, and the door closing, she was relieved that he had finally gone and she could return to sleep. Before drifting off, she reflected on how her husband had changed since she became successful.
She remembered that when she first told him about her plans to become a singer, he had been furious, complained to her parents, and even thrown her out of the house. She had been forced to pursue her career without his permission. Later, when he learned from newspapers and acquaintances about her substantial earnings, he had "forgiven her," abandoned his bookkeeping job, and attached himself to her success. Natalya was amazed at how he had acquired new tastes and mannerisms, wondering where he had learned to appreciate oysters and fine wines.
Unexpected return with a provincial manager
Just as Natalya was beginning to relax, the doorbell rang again. The housemaid, grumbling and shuffling in her slippers, went to answer it. Someone entered, stamping loudly like before. Furious at the disturbance, Natalya leapt from her bed and ran barefoot to the drawing room where her husband usually slept, determined to make him leave for good.
She found Denis calmly undressing and demanded that he leave immediately. When he suggested she should show some shame before outsiders, Natalya suddenly noticed an unfamiliar man with an actor's countenance in the room. The stranger appeared deeply embarrassed at seeing the singer in her nightclothes. Denis introduced him as Bezbozhnikov, a provincial theatre manager. Mortified, Natalya shrieked and fled to her bedroom. As she left, she heard her husband remark to his guest that she had been all affection earlier, but turned hostile as soon as money was mentioned.
"There, you see..." says mari d'elle, as he stretches himself on the sofa, "it was all honey just now... my love, my dear, my darling, kisses and embraces... but as soon as money is touched upon, then... As you see... money is the great thing."