NIKiTA. Marina? What's she to me? Much I care about her!... Plenty of them buzzing around.

ANiSYA. Then what has made your father come here? It's you have told him to. You've gone and deceived me.

[Cries.

NIKiTA. Anisya, do you believe in a G.o.d or not? I never so much as dreamt of it. I know nothing at all about it. I never even dreamt of it--that's flat. My old dad has got it all out of his own pate.

ANiSYA. If you don't wish it yourself who can force you? He can't drive you like an a.s.s.

NIKiTA. Well, I reckon it's not possible to go against one's parent.

But it's not by my wish.

ANiSYA. Don't you budge, that's all about it!

NIKiTA. There was a fellow wouldn't budge, and the village elder gave him such a hiding.... That's what it might come to! I've no great wish for that sort of thing. They say it touches one up....

ANiSYA. Shut up with your nonsense. Nikita, listen to me: if you marry that Marina I don't know what I won't do to myself.... I shall lay hands on myself! I have sinned, I have gone against the law, but I can't go back now. If you go away I'll....

NIKiTA. Why should I go? Had I wanted to go--I should have gone long ago. There was Ivan Semyonitch t'other day--offered me a place as his coachman.... Only fancy what a life that would have been! But I did not go. Because, I reckon, I am good enough for any one. Now if you did not love me it would be a different matter.

ANiSYA. Yes, and that's what you should remember. My old man will die one of these fine days, I'm thinking; then we could cover our sin, make it all right and lawful, and then you'll be master here.

NIKiTA. Where's the good of making plans? What do I care? I work as hard as if I were doing it for myself. My master loves me, and his missus loves me. And if the wenches run after me, it's not my fault, that's flat.

ANiSYA. And you'll love me?

NIKiTA (embracing her). There, as you have ever been in my heart....

MATRYoNA (enters and crosses herself a long time before the icon.

NIKiTA and ANiSYA step apart). What I saw I didn't perceive, what I heard, I didn't hearken to. Playing with the la.s.s, eh? Well,--even a calf will play. Why shouldn't one have some fun when one's young? But your master is out in the yard a-calling you, sonny.

NIKiTA. I only came to get the axe.

MATRYoNA. I know, sonny, I know; them sort of axes are mostly to be found where the women are.

NIKiTA (stooping to pick up axe). I say, mother, is it true you want me to marry? As I reckon, that's quite unnecessary. Besides, I've got no wish that way.

MATRYoNA. Eh, honey! why should you marry? Go on as you are. It's all the old man. You'd better go, sonny; we can talk these matters over without you.

NIKiTA. It's a queer go! One moment I'm to be married, the next, not.

I can't make head or tail of it.

[Exit.

ANiSYA. What's it all about, then? Do you really wish him to get married?

MATRYoNA. Eh, why should he marry, my jewel? It's all nonsense, all my old man's drivel. "Marry, marry." But he's reckoning without his host.

You know the saying, "From oats and hay, why should horses stray?"

When you've enough to spare, why look elsewhere? And so in this case.

(Winks.) Don't I see which way the wind blows?

ANiSYA. Where's the good of my pretending to you, Mother Matryona? You know all about it. I have sinned. I love your son.

MATRYoNA. Dear me, here's news! D'you think Mother Matryona didn't know? Eh, la.s.sie,--Mother Matryona's been ground, and ground again, ground fine! This much I can tell you, my jewel: Mother Matryona can see through a brick wall three feet thick. I know it all, my jewel! I know what young wives need sleeping draughts for, so I've brought some along.

[Unties a knot in her handkerchief and brings out paper-packets.

As much as is wanted, I see, and what's not wanted I neither see nor perceive! There! Mother Matryona has also been young. I had to know a thing or two to live with my old fool. I know seventy-and-seven dodges. But I see your old man's quite seedy, quite seedy! How's one to live with such as him? Why, if you p.r.i.c.ked him with a hayfork it wouldn't fetch blood. See if you don't bury him before the spring.

Then you'll need some one in the house. Well, what's wrong with my son? He'll do as well as another. Then where's the advantage of my taking him away from a good place? Am I my child's enemy?

ANiSYA. Oh, if only he does not go away!

MATRYoNA. He won't go away, birdie. It's all nonsense. You know my old man. His wits are always wool-gathering; yet sometimes he takes a thing into his pate, and it's as if it were wedged in, you can't knock it out with a hammer.

ANiSYA. And what started this business?

MATRYoNA. Well, you see, my jewel, you yourself know what a fellow with women the lad is,--and he's handsome too, though I say it as shouldn't. Well, you know, he was living at the railway, and they had an orphan wench there to cook for them. Well, that same wench took to running after him.

ANiSYA. Marina?

MATRYoNA. Yes, the plague seize her! Whether anything happened or not, anyhow something got to my old man's ears. Maybe he heard from the neighbors, maybe she's been and blabbed....

ANiSYA. Well, she is a bold hussy!

MATRYoNA. So my old man--the old blockhead--off he goes: "Marry, marry," he says, "he must marry her and cover the sin," he says. "We must take the lad home," he says, "and he shall marry," he says. Well, I did my best to make him change his mind, but, dear me, no. So, all right, thinks I,--I'll try another dodge. One always has to entice them fools in this way, just pretend to be of their mind, and when it comes to the point one goes and turns it all one's own way. You know, a woman has time to think seventy-and-seven thoughts while falling off the oven, so how's such as he to see through it? "Well, yes," says I, "it would be a good job,--only we must consider well beforehand. Why not go and see our son, and talk it over with Peter Ignat.i.tch and hear what he has to say?" So here we are.

ANiSYA. Oh dear, oh dear, how will it all end? Supposing his father just orders him to marry her?

MATRYoNA. Orders, indeed! Chuck his orders to the dogs! Don't you worry; that affair will never come off. I'll go to your old man myself, and sift and strain this matter clear--there will be none of it left. I have come here only for the look of the thing. A very likely thing! Here's my son living in happiness and expecting happiness, and I'll go and match him with a s.l.u.t! No fear, I'm not a fool!

ANiSYA. And she--this Marina--came dangling after him here! Mother, would you believe, when they said he was going to marry, it was as if a knife had gone right through my heart. I thought he cared for her.

MATRYoNA. Oh, my jewel! Why, you don't think him such a fool, that he should go and care for a homeless baggage like that? Nikita is a sensible fellow, you see. He knows whom to love. So don't you go and fret, my jewel. We'll not take him away, and we won't marry him. No, we'll let him stay on, if you'll only oblige us with a little money.

ANiSYA. All I know is, that I could not live if Nikita went away.

MATRYoNA. Naturally, when one's young it's no easy matter! You, a wench in full bloom, to be living with the dregs of a man like that husband of yours.

ANiSYA. Mother Matryona, would you believe it? I'm that sick of him, that sick of this long-nosed cur of mine, I can hardly bear to look at him.

MATRYoNA. Yes, I see, it's one of them cases. Just look here. (Looks round and whispers.) I've been to see that old man, you know he's given me simples of two kinds. This, you see, is a sleeping draught.

"Just give him one of these powders," he says, "and he'll sleep so sound you might jump on him!" And this here, "This is that kind of simple," he says, "that if you give one some of it to drink it has no smell whatever, but its strength is very great. There are seven doses here, a pinch at a time. Give him seven pinches," he says, "and she won't have far to look for freedom," he says.

ANiSYA. O-o-oh! What's that?

MATRYoNA. "No sign whatever," he says. He's taken a rouble for it.

"Can't sell it for less," he says. Because it's no easy matter to get 'em, you know. I paid him, dearie, out of my own money. If she takes them, thinks I, it's all right; if she don't, I can let old Michael's daughter have them.

ANiSYA. O-o-oh! But mayn't some evil come of them? I'm frightened!