The theater was packed with people. In the special seat on the right, a young, beautiful and elegant lady is watching the stage attentively. Her face was red. It can be seen that she came to see the premiere with special excitement and tension.
The third act begins. Nina, the heroine, is saying goodbye to playwright Terry Goering. She handed him a medal and said ... as a parting souvenir. I carved your initials on it ... and the name of one of your books on the other side.
"This is too valuable!" Trigoring kissed the medal and said, "What a lovely gift!" "
When Nina left, Trigoring stroked the medal over and over again and clearly read: "... face 12 1, line 1 1 and 12." Then she stepped aside, looked at the figures again and asked the hostess who had just walked in, "Is there any work of mine here?" Then read: "12 1 Fang ...".
He got the book, found the lines, and then read word for word:
"If you need my life, come and take it."
He stepped aside and reread the sentence.
Such a plot that is not particularly conspicuous has produced unexpected artistic effects on this young lady. She paused, as if out of breath and her brain was buzzing. However, she tried to remember the numbers and recited them several times: face 12 1, line 1 1, line 12. ..... After the performance, she got into the carriage in confusion and walked home.
It was a day in February of 1895, and Chekhov received a delicate little package from Gortsev (editor-in-chief of Russian magazine Thought). Inside is a beautiful little box with a gold bracelet pendant. The style is very special and interesting. It is neither the usual circle, diamond or rectangle, nor the tacky heart-shaped symbol of love, but a model of a book. One side of the book is engraved with "Collection of Novels by Ann Chekhov" and the other side is engraved with "Page 267, lines 6 and 7."
According to this page number, if you open Chekhov's novel, you will find two lines we read from Trigoring in the work Neighbor:
"If you need my life, come and take it."
What a novel gift, what a sincere confession of love! From this short sentence, it seems that you can feel the slight tremor of a soul full of contradictions and pains, struggling in such complicated feelings.
Whose gift is this? Chekhov immediately fully understood: this is a gift from a 28-year-old female writer Avinova.
Chekhov carefully hid the gift, but he didn't say a word. He didn't reply or visit. It's simple. They have been in love for several years, and have reached the level of mutual understanding, warm and deep love, purity and nobility ... but they all know that it is absolutely impossible to be together-Avinova not only has a husband who loves her, but also a mother of three children. If she's going to give up her life, it's not a, no, no.
I remember one time. They chatted with some friends. Some people say: because you chose the wrong husband or wife, you ruined the couple's life, right? Some people say that there is no question of right or wrong here. Now that you're married in the church, you can't change it. Some people cite various reasons to strongly oppose it. Chekhov didn't speak, but suddenly asked Avinova in a low voice, "What do you think?" Avinova said without thinking: "We must first decide whether it is worth it." "I don't understand, what is worth it?" Is it worth the sacrifice for the new feelings? ..... You know, sacrifice is inevitable, and children come first. You should think of sacrifice, not yourself. This will make it clear whether it is worth it. "
Obviously, he can't give any answer yet, but he must give some answers. ..... A year later, they met unexpectedly. Avinova dressed up in disguise at a masked ball held by a writer. She wore a mask and a shovel in her mouth, which changed her original voice. She went straight to Chekhov and stopped.
"I'm so glad to see you!" She said.
"You don't know me, masked man." Chekhov looked at her carefully and replied.
Really don't know each other? No, Chekhov recognized her at a glance. Chekhov took her arm and took it to an empty corridor.
"You know, my play will be on soon."
"I know, seagull."
"Then take a closer look. I want to answer you in the play. But listen carefully and don't forget. "
"What question do you want to answer me?"
"Answer a lot of questions, be sure to be serious, and remember when you go to the opera."
Avinova is waiting for Chekhov's promise, and she is anxiously waiting for this day ... three "It seems that this is the answer.
He answered me on the stage: page 12 1, lines 1 1 and 12 ... "Avinova mused these numbers," but this number is completely different from what I carved on the bracelet pendant.
What is the answer? "She thought anxiously.
When she came home, she found Chekhov's collection. With trembling hands, she turned to page 12 1 and found those two lines:
"... but why are you looking at me so engrossed? Do you like me? "
Can't understand. What do you mean? Is this not a joke? She was lying in bed and suddenly got up again. Like lightning, an idea rose in my mind: "Why don't you choose two lines in my book as my answer?" She soon found her collection of novels "Happy People", turned to two lines according to the page number, and read aloud a way:
"Young girls should not go to masquerade parties."
By the way, this is the real answer. It did answer many questions: who gave the bracelet pendant, who wore a mask, who loved him so much … everything, everything, he knew.
Her eyes were filled with tears of pain and happiness.
In love, they didn't go further. Chekhov and Avinova seldom meet each other, but they have always maintained a sincere and close friendship and kept correspondence. In his letter, Chekhov directed the writing of female writers, frankly and seriously pointed out the shortcomings and deficiencies in his works, and gave moderate, pertinent and beneficial suggestions. This communication continued until Chekhov's death.