Концерт. перевод рассказа В. Вересаева

CONCERT
Young newlyweds Kemberovsky and Chernomorova stuck after the wedding tour in the city Pilsk in transit from the Crimea to Moscow. He is a chorister of the Bolshoy Theatre,  she – a figurant of the Khudozhestvenny theatre. Both are very nice people. But they had a very good time in the Crimea. And now have been sitting in Pilsk for the whole week, didn’t pay for the hotel and were in the same situation, as Khlestakov before his moving to the house of the mayor. And in the same way they saw, as a short man was eating salmon in the dining room of the hotel, and not only salmon.  They fell into talk with him. The short man learnt about their stalemate and was greatly surprised.
 –The artist of the Bolshoy Theatre…The artist of the Khudozhestvenny theatre… It’s a capital!  Give the concert here, what is the matter?

– Who will come? Who knows us? And who will arrange it?
– I will. And the whole Pilsk will go, if to do it skillfully.

He called the waiter, proposed the surprised marrieds to choose the menu and ordered it.
Sipping Malaga from the glass, the short man was saying:

– I am no philanthropist. I am a commercial man. And we shall act in the following way, if you consent. I take upon myself all the expenses as to the arrangement of the concert. And the net profit we shall share in half. One more thing: it will be difficult for only the two of you to conduct the whole concert. My wife is an excellent pianist. I hope she will not refuse to take part in the concert. Let us discuss the program. It is a serious matter.

The sated and happy spouses returned to their room in the hotel.
Big and bright posters appeared on the walls and fences of the town Pilsk. They announced, that the concert of Moscow artists would take place in the local city theatre, the date and the year:

Artist of Moscow Bolshoy theatre Arcady Alexandrovich Kimberovsky will perform Lensky’s aria from “Evgeny Onegin”, the song of the Indian guest from the opera “Sadko”, the duke’s aria from “Rigoletto” and other popular things.

Artist of the Moscow Khudozhestvenny theatre Zinaida Nikolayevna Chernomorova will  perform the monologue of Nina Zarechnaya from Anton  Chekov’s play “The Seagull”, Sonya’s  monologue from  “Uncle Vanya” and other monologues from the repertoire of the Khudozhestwenny  theatre.

Besides, the local pianist –amateur Raisa Borisovna Slavutskaya will perform some Chopin’ s nocturnes, Tchaikovsky’s“ Times of the year” and others.
Below the poster, as usual, there was a pricing of the seats, printed ordinary, but one more line was added in the bold type:

                “Tickets are not for sale”.
Soon, after the posters pasting, people began tp appear at the box office of the city. The window of the box office was closely shut, yet the people’s voices were heard behind it. A decently dressed man came up, modestly knocked at the window. It opened, the impatient voice asked:

– What do you want?
– Excuse me, can I get a ticket for the concert of Moscow artists?
– Oh, dear me! What kind of people!..It is written in Russian: “Tickets are not for sale”.
– But I need only two.
– Understand, I have no right to sell!.. Still…Wait a minute… –The cashier was long examining the tickets notes, sighed; finally said: – I can offer you two tickets in the second row, 5 rubles each.

– Here you are!
The man gladly paid the money, and the cashier unwillingly cut off two tickets for him.
Then appeared a decisive man of the gloomy appearance and powerfully knocked on the window.
– What do you need?
– From the trade union of the communal establishment. 10 tickets.
– We don’t sell tickets.
– It’s none of my business. There must be tickets for the trade union.
– They were bargaining long but in the end the angry gentleman left as a winner,  obtaining  even15 tickets instead of 10 and proudly said to his companion:
– I can always get what I need! They have attacked the wrong man!

More new people came up to the window –from the trade unions, from schools and separate people. Disputes and arguments were getting sharper and sharper, it was becoming still more difficult to get the tickets. The cashier was begging the people to leave him alone, appealed to their consciousnes
.
All the tickets have been sold in one day. The concert was held with the house full. How it was held is the other question, not having to do with the matter. The young newlyweds received their part, paid for the hotel, had a jolly and square supper with the manager of the concert and left for Moscow.
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