Mitya. I didn’t do it.

Katya. We were at my place together.

Gromov. I wish I believed that.

Mitya. Dad, don’t you believe me?

Gromov. I don’t know, Mitya.

Mitya. Do you believe me?!

Gromov. I couldn’t believe you gave up studying in London. I could never believe you gambled your new car away. I couldn’t imagine you were taking drugs until I saw you lying in the bathroom with foam at the mouth. How can I believe you now?

Mitya. You don’t believe me, then.

Gromov. Listen to this. You’ll go to the police right now and give testimony. Katherine, can you confirm he has been with you all this time?

Katya. Yes. We’ve been together. The whole night.

Mitya. I didn’t do it! Father!

Gromov. Stay here and wait. I’ll call our lawyer. (Leaves)

Katya. Listen to your father. He’ll settle everything out.

Mitya. He doesn’t believe me.

Katya. I believe you, Mitya! I love you! Everything will be fine!

Mitya. I am sorry, Katya. I must go. I’ll do it myself. Please, go home now.

Katya. Mitya, no! Stay.

Mitya. I’ll come to you soon. Thank you, sweetheart. (Kisses Katya) I love you very much. It seems, for the first time in my life I really love. (Runs out)

Scene 5

Tuesday. It’s one day before the opening of the exhibition. Professor Lebedev’s house. Inna and Katya are talking with animation.

Katya. I’ll never forget the day when Mitya and I learnt that somebody had shot Nikolay Orlov. Are you angry at me, Inna?

Inna. Of course I’m not. I’m even happy that everything has become clear between us. Do you remember how we first met their company at a night club? Mitya started to court you first. I didn’t even pay attention to him then.

Katya. You were so absorbed with your preparing for your graduation play at the institute that you didn’t even notice me. Or did the director charm you that much? (Both laugh)

Inna. Yeah, yeah! You offered to go to the Dead Sea and I refused. Then I started dating Pavel from a basketball team, and Mitya went to London. We met again only half a year later when he came back and came to the avant garde exhibition in mum’s gallery together with Leonid Fyodorovich. Then it all got started.

He had grave problems in relationships with his father because of his studying and in a week Mitya had to go back to London.

Look, he sent me his verse from England then (takes out an envelope with a letter):

I’ll bring some sea foam to you

I gathered it to the sound of waves.

Like a silent smile of a thousand slaves,

I’ll give you my dull ennui.

«Ah! That’s another beggar poet’

We hear from an art abuser

«Two thousand years have brought

Completely out of common uses

All romance and love words.

«Ah! That’s another stupid poet’

One should keep silent, no reply.

He has his point in certain way.

Then my first line, like a firefly,

Will come back after doomsday.

It sings of love, of motherland, of pain,

Of misery that tears the heart apart,

Of northern sea, that roars in vain,

And time that gives no second start.

I’ll bring some sea foam to you

I gathered it to the sound of waves.

Like a silent smile of a thousand slaves,

I’ll give you my dull ennui.

Katya. (sobs, covers her face with her hands)

Inna. Katya, what’s wrong?

Katya. Leonid Fyodorovich isn’t his enemy. On the opposite, he cares about him and has strong feelings for his son. I met him and Lilia Vasilievna. They love their son a lot.

Inna. I know, Katya! It’s simply that Mitya’s father has always been too strict to him… but it hasn’t done much good. I almost went insane when I learnt that Nikolay had been shot. I remembered my brother’s death. I won’t survive another loss like that. Thanks God he’s all right.