Plays

right benches; at the back a rail fen

EN

NáDYA

: what comparison could there b

e so specially fin

n a bench.] When I was in Petersburg with the mistress, one had only to take a look at the sort of people who came to see us, and at the wa

as pretty fi

u about it, if you haven't seen it yourself, you'll never understand. And when a young lady, the mistress's n

world did you ta

partners, and about the officers of the guard. And as she was often at balls, she told me wh

hat do

hole winter in Moscow. Seeing all this, my dear, you try to act like a born lady yo

we try to be fine lad

hat sort of wives our officials have; well, what a lot they are! And I understand life and society ten times better than they do. Now I have just one hope: to marr

t do you notice how the young

othing to expect from me; because I am decidedly not of that sort; and on the other hand, I'm trying now in

times no joy! You may get such

. That's easy to see at once from their manners and conversation. But the mistress is so unreasonable in holding us in so strictly, and i

as if the mas

t's go. [They

mes in wi

EN

nd then

? Why are they always running away from me? You c

s behind th

hope to fl

afflictio

thin the he

ill in it

to the fence] What a

tty, but

. Come

. Wh

o me in t

Why go

to town and bu

u're onl

stands with bowed head musing. POTáPY

eep up with you, sir;

ost in thought] All this

he old master, so we must serve you.... Because you're of the same blood...

ce, Potápych; I shall come directly t

must enter the

I must! They'll make me a copying

find a position for you-of the most gentlemanly, delicate sort; your clerks will work, b

ke me vice-governor, or elec

It's not i

I'm vice-governor, sh

s cringe, but for us it's all the same. You

ll me, Potápych, have we

arefully. Now just take this: she herself marries off the protégées and housemaids whom she likes. If a man pleases her, she marries the girl off to him, and even gives her a dowry, not a big one-needless to say. There are always two or three protégées on the place. The mistress takes a little g

D. Bu

cause, sir, I reason this way: who wants to see disobedience in a person he's brought up? And sometimes it happens that the bride doesn't like the groom, nor the groom the bride: then the lady falls into a great rage. She even goes out of her head. She took a notion to marry one protégée

You do

way: that they are stupid; that if she doesn't look after them closely now, they'll just waste their life and never amount to anything. That's the way, sir.

reats other people's

g without her permission. And the way she looks after her protégées is just a wonder. She dresses them as if they were her own daughters. Sometimes she has them eat

now, that's

a poor man, and will live your life in poverty, and will work, and will do your duty. And now forget," she says, "how you lived here, because not for you I did all this; I was merely dive

ll, now, t

t, sir. Somehow they all get tired of ma

o they pine a

they don't like it

That's

sbands mostly tu

. Is t

good living for the husband; because if they want to drive him out of the court, or have done so, he goes at once to our mistress with a complaint, and she's a regular bulwark for

ych, why is it that the

they help running?

Why mu

under age, the mistress wants to watch over you as

watches us

e] What next, sir? It's your mamma's business to be strict, because she is a lady. But why should you mind her! You ought to act for yoursel

but I don't know how

about? What kind of sciences would you talk about with them? Much

side] Who's this coming?

ch, how pr

ployed in a confectioner's in Moscow. When her mother died, her mistress took and brought her up, an

s if they were

. Well,

A and NáD

NE

GAVRíLOVNA

ow do you do,

Bows] How

ter, I suppose you're

No, no

u with a hundred eyes. Well, as for you, it goes without saying, you're a young gentleman, y

to GAVRíLOVNA] Yes

GAVRíLOVN

me, you ought to have a little fun with the young master. That's what young fo

me, what'

lemen, and you see they didn't eat me. Perhaps even he won't bite you. Quit playing the pr

you not wish t

ir! You talk to her as i

her N

are you afr

is s

till for? And I'm going, sir; I must g

EN

áDYA, and

eed, even we do not want anybody to speak evil of us. Pr

you going to

ery girl hopes to g

t have you

Not y

ve no suitor, then, maybe y

ll, no, I needn't fib about it, I

h great joy]

ossible to forc

y? Don't y

! What sort of love is that? Clean ruin! Here comes Líza running

com

you please! You

íD.

ching] What i

she trembles with pleasur

lking about, master! Girls of our

out for you

smiles] Why, everybody knows. Wha

do now? Indeed, I don't kno

ust make love a little bit. Hea

I asked her: she sai

girls right out whether they were in love or not! Eve

íD.

nly let me go, sir! [She gets

o the garden after supper

don't lose

. Plea

SA PEREGRíNOVNA enters] Master, plea

l right, I

EN

d VASILíSA

OVNA. I saw you,

nothing to see

to complain about? I shall simply say that you lie.

grimace an

als] I believe that if I had the power I'd do this to all of you! I'd do this to all of you! I'd do this to all of you! You just wait, you young scamp! I'll catch you. My heart boils, i