Right.
May I speak to Alla, please?
She's not here, they sent her home.
She had chest pains.
Yes!
- What's the matter? Are you sick?
- It's nothing. A few little pains.
- You should call a doctor.
- He's already been here.
- What did he say?
- He said I should rest a day or two.
- Well then, rest.
- I'm resting.
What's Varvara been telling you?
- Nothing new.
- What'd she say exactly?
She said that you and Nina were
a very devoted couple,
that you'd lived together like two
lovebirds for an eternity,
that you'd feel awful
if you did anything to hurt her.
I know all of that, but to hear it
from somebody else...
- You should've hung up on her.
- That's what I did. It was so awful.
- Is she having an affair?
- Who? Varvara?
Your Nina, of course.
No, I don't think so.
Why then she would sow that
button with the wrong color thread?
- What button?
- This one, on your belly.
- Yeah, really.
- See? Take off your coat.
Time to go home.
No. I've got to go see my publisher,
that's all.
Excellent, Andrei.
Excellent, as always.
- Thanks, I'm glad.
- And I'm not!
- Why not?
- I'm turning it down.
Turning it down? Why?
That Simon just published
an article with racist overtones.
The progressives are putting up
a hell of stink about it.
It's hardly the moment to puff him
up by printing his work.
In what shape is "Fragmented Moon"?
- In fragments.
- What do you mean, in fragments?
It's on my calendar: The tenth,
Bouzykine, "Fragmented Moon".
And today's the ninth.
It's due tomorrow.
I can't possibly make it.
All right.
The thirteenth is your deadline.
I'll do what I can.
I'll have to work day and night.
Do it. It would be better for you
than chasing women, at your age.
What d'you mean, women?
Leningrad is a small town.
Nina, I'll be home a little late
today. We've got another meeting.
It's very impolite, you know. He's
been waiting for you for 2 hours.
You promised to take him
to Dostoyevsky's house.
Oh damn! I'm on my way.
- Where are you now?
- I told you, at a meeting.
I thought your meetings were
on Thursday.
I'll explain when I get home.
They're knocking on the phone booth.
- Phone booth? At your meeting?
- I really have to go.
Young man!
You forgot your flowers.
Thanks a lot!
Flowers and medicine, and this...
I've got to go now. Hansen's
waiting for me.
How about your button?
- He's been waiting for 2 hours...
- Just a sec. You can eat meanwhile.
- Why'd you do that?
- I knew you'd be hungry.
Andrei, who does your daughter
look like?
Is she more like you or her?
Not like either of us. Dropped out
of college. Hardly comes to see us.
And her husband is a funny guy.
I've tried to talk to him,
but it's hopeless.
You see?
And if we had a...
He would respect you...
All right, I'll be quiet. Eat.
- Yes?
- May I come in?
Of course, Uncle Kolia.
- Well, how is our cardiac case?
- Much better, thank you.
- Hello, Andrei, how are you?
- Hello, Nikolay Afanasievich.
Look at that poor girl. It's just
nerves, that's what it is.
Andrei is in a rush. A professor
from Denmark is waiting for him.
- Go ahead and eat.
- Thank you.
Andrei's helping him
translate Dostoyevsky.
- You know Danish too?
- Not much. My language is English.
Don't you think that Andrei looks
like a rabbit when he eats?
What a thing to say.
He eats like a normal person.
Alla, I have something to say
to you...
Sooner or later, this ordeal
of yours will come to an end.
You will be able to formalize
your relationship...
Uncle Kolia, why bring that up?
Andrei, am I saying something
wrong?
No, not at all.
I want you to know
that her father was my closest
friend.
Now that he's gone, I consider
Alla like my own daughter.
Otherwise, I'd never dream of
interfering. It's your business.
Uncle Kolia, I beg you not to...
Wait a minute. Let me finish.
When you finally make up your
minds, I'll move out to the country
and you can have my room.
Thus, this