The Chorus Girl (Chekhov)
Short summary
Russia, late 19th century. Nikolay Petrovitch Kolpakov was visiting his lover, a chorus girl, at her summer villa during a hot day. When the doorbell rang, he hid in another room while she answered the door. A beautiful, well-dressed lady entered, revealing herself to be Kolpakov's wife. She accused the chorus girl of taking expensive gifts from her husband, who had embezzled money from his workplace.
Pasha denied receiving gifts from Kolpakov, insisting he only brought her sweet cakes. The wife explained that her husband needed nine hundred roubles to avoid arrest and disgrace. She begged Pasha to return the gifts, even threatening to go down on her knees. Moved by the woman's desperation and thoughts of hungry children, Pasha impulsively gave her jewelry and valuables received from other admirers, claiming they were from Kolpakov.
After the wife left with the items, Kolpakov emerged from hiding, horrified by what had transpired. He was deeply ashamed that his wife had humiliated herself before Pasha.
"My God! She, a lady, so proud, so pure... She was ready to go down on her knees to... to this wench! And I've brought her to this! I've allowed it!" He clutched his head in his hands and moaned.
Disgusted with Pasha and himself, Kolpakov left her. Pasha lay down and began wailing, regretting giving away her possessions and feeling hurt by his contempt.
Detailed summary
Division into chapters is editorial.
Initial setting and characters
On a hot, stifling day, Nikolay Petrovitch Kolpakov visited the summer villa of his lover, a chorus girl named Pasha. Having just consumed a bottle of inferior port, Kolpakov felt ill-humored and restless. Both were bored and waiting for the heat to subside so they could go for a walk. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Kolpakov, who was sitting without his coat and in his slippers, quickly gathered his clothes and retreated to the next room while Pasha went to answer the door.
The unexpected visit from Kolpakovs wife
To Pasha's surprise, at the door stood not the postman or one of her friends, but an unknown woman who was young, beautiful, and dressed like a lady. The visitor was pale and breathing heavily, as if she had been running. After a moment of silence, she asked if her husband, Nikolay Petrovitch Kolpakov, was there. Pasha, suddenly frightened, denied knowing any husband.
The lady did not at once answer. She took a step forward, slowly looked about the room, and sat down in a way that suggested that from fatigue, or perhaps illness, she could not stand.
The lady smiled oddly and accused Pasha of being horrid and vile. Pasha felt ashamed of her appearance in front of this elegant visitor, conscious of her chubby red cheeks and the pockmark on her nose. She felt that if she had been thinner and without powder on her face, she might have been able to disguise the fact that she was not "respectable."
Pasha felt that on this lady in black with the angry eyes and white slender fingers she produced the impression of something horrid and unseemly, and she felt ashamed of her chubby red cheeks.
Accusations and the truth about embezzlement
The lady revealed that money had been missed at Kolpakov's office and he was about to be arrested for embezzlement. She blamed Pasha for bringing her husband to this terrible position, calling her a "low, horrid creature" and a "loathsome, mercenary hussy." Though helpless against Pasha, the lady warned that God would punish her for every tear she had shed and for all her sleepless nights.
Pasha burst into tears, insisting she knew nothing about it. The lady accused her of lying, saying she knew Kolpakov had been spending every day with Pasha for the past month. Pasha replied that she had many visitors but didn't force anyone to come - Kolpakov was free to do as he liked.
The lady explained that her husband had embezzled money from his office for Pasha's sake. If he were condemned and sent into exile, his wife and children would starve. However, there was a chance to save him - if she could take nine hundred roubles to his office that day, they would let him go. She wasn't asking Pasha for money but for the return of expensive gifts her husband had given her.
Pasha insisted that Kolpakov had never given her any presents except for a gold bracelet and a thin ring with a ruby, which she promptly returned. The lady was offended, saying she wasn't asking for charity but for what rightfully belonged to her family. She mentioned seeing Pasha wearing expensive jewelry when with her husband at the harbor on Thursday.
Pasha surrenders her jewelry
Pasha continued to deny receiving anything from Kolpakov except the bracelet, ring, and sweet cakes. The lady sat down, pondering what to do next. She wondered aloud whether to kill "this low woman" or go down on her knees to her. As she broke into sobs, she begged Pasha to save her husband. She reminded Pasha that while she might have no feelings for Kolpakov, his innocent children had done nothing wrong.
"What shall I do now? If I don't get nine hundred roubles, he is ruined, and the children and I am ruined, too. Shall I kill this low woman or go down on my knees to her?"
Imagining children crying with hunger in the street, Pasha also began to sob. She insisted again that she had received nothing from Nikolay Petrovitch and explained that only one girl in their chorus had a rich admirer - the rest lived on bread and kvass. She had welcomed Kolpakov because he was educated and refined, and they were bound to make gentlemen welcome.
When the lady threatened to go down on her knees, Pasha was horrified. She felt that this proud, beautiful lady might actually humiliate herself simply from pride, to exalt herself while degrading the chorus girl. Hastily, Pasha pulled out a drawer and gave the lady a diamond brooch, coral necklace, rings, and bracelets, insisting they were gifts from other gentlemen, not from Kolpakov.
Pasha shrieked with horror and waved her hands. She felt that this pale, beautiful lady who expressed herself so grandly, as though she were on the stage, really might go down on her knees to her.
Kolpakovs reaction and departure
The lady examined the jewelry and noted there wouldn't be five hundred roubles' worth. Impulsively, Pasha added a gold watch, cigar-case, and studs, declaring she had nothing else left. Without a word or even a nod, the visitor wrapped everything in her handkerchief and left.
After the lady departed, Kolpakov emerged from the next room. He was pale and shaking, with tears in his eyes. When Pasha demanded to know what presents he had ever given her, he ignored her question. Instead, he was horrified that his wife, a proud and pure lady, had humbled herself before a "wench" like Pasha. He blamed himself for allowing such a situation to occur.
Disgusted with both Pasha and himself, Kolpakov quickly dressed, pushed her aside contemptuously, and left. Pasha lay down and began wailing loudly, already regretting the jewelry she had given away so impulsively. She remembered how three years ago a merchant had beaten her for no reason, and she wailed even more loudly.
He rapidly dressed, and pushing Pasha aside contemptuously, made for the door and went out. Pasha lay down and began wailing aloud. She was already regretting her things which she had given away so impulsively.