MATRYoNA. Oh, oh, how frightened he's got! You should go and have a sleep now!

NIKiTA. I have nowhere to go; I'm lost!

MATRYoNA (shaking her head). Oh, oh, I'd better go and tidy things up.

He'll sit and rest a bit, and it will pa.s.s!

[Exit.

[NIKiTA sits with his face in his hands. MiTRITCH and NAN seem stunned.

NIKiTA. It's whining! It's whining! It is really--there, there, quite plain! She'll bury it, really she will! (Runs to the door.) Mother, don't bury it, it's alive....

[Enter MATRYoNA.

MATRYoNA (whispers). Now then, what is it? Heaven help you! Why won't you get to rest? How can it be alive? All its bones are crushed!

NIKiTA. Give me more drink.

[Drinks.

MATRYoNA. Now go, sonny. You'll fall asleep now all right.

NIKiTA (stands listening). Still alive ... there ... it's whining!

Don't you hear?... There!

MATRYoNA (whispers). No! I tell you!

NIKiTA. Mother! My own mother! I've ruined my life! What have you done with me? Where am I to go?

[Runs out of the hut; MATRYoNA follows him.

NAN. Daddy dear, darling, they've smothered it!

MiTRITCH (angrily). Go to sleep, I tell you! Oh dear, may the frogs kick you! I'll give it to you with the broom! Go to sleep, I tell you!

NAN. Daddy, my treasure! Something is catching hold of my shoulders, something is catching hold with its paws! Daddy dear ... really, really ... I must go! Daddy, darling! let me get up on the oven with you! Let me, for Heaven's sake! Catching hold ... catching hold! Oh!

[Runs to the stove.

MiTRITCH. See how they've frightened the girl.... What vile creatures they are! May the frogs kick them! Well then, climb up. Nan (climbs on oven). But don't you go away! Mitritch. Where should I go to? Climb up, climb up! Oh Lord! Gracious Nicholas! Holy Mother!... How they have frightened the girl. (Covers her up.) There's a little fool-- really a little fool! How they've frightened her; really, they are vile creatures! The deuce take 'em!

CURTAIN

ACT V

SCENE I

In front of scene a stack-stand, to the left a thrashing ground, to the right a barn. The barn doors are open. Straw is strewn about in the doorway. The hut with yard and out-buildings is seen in the background, whence proceed sounds of singing and of a tambourine. Two GIRLS are walking past the barn towards the hut.

FIRST GIRL. There, you see we've managed to pa.s.s without so much as getting our boots dirty! But to come by the street is terribly muddy!

(Stop and wipe their boots on the straw. FIRST GIRL looks at the straw and sees something .) What's that?

SECOND GIRL (looks where the straw lies and sees some one). It's MiTRITCH, their laborer. Just look how drunk he is!

FIRST GIRL. Why, I thought be didn't drink.

SECOND GIRL. It seems he didn't, until it was going around. First Girl. Just see! He must have come to fetch some straw. Look! he's got a rope in his hand, and he's fallen asleep.

SECOND GIRL (listening). They're still singing the praises.[9] So I s'pose the bride and bridegroom have not yet been blessed! They say Akoulina didn't even lament![10]

FIRST GIRL. Mammie says she is marrying against her will. Her stepfather threatened her, or else she'd not have done it for the world! Why, you know what they've been saying about her?

MARiNA (catching up the GIRLS). How d'you you do, la.s.sies?

GIRLS. How d'you do?

MARiNA. Going to the wedding, my dears?

FIRST GIRL. It's nearly over! We've come just to have a look.

MARiNA. Would you call my old man for me? Simon, from Zouevo; but surely you know him?

FIRST GIRL. To be sure we do; he's a relative of the bridegroom's, I think?

MARiNA. Of course; he's my old man's nephew, the bridegroom is.

SECOND GIRL. Why don't you go yourself? Fancy not going to a wedding!

MARiNA. I have no mind for it, and no time either. It's time for us to be going home. We didn't mean to come to the wedding. We were taking oats to town. We only stopped to feed the horse, and they made my old man go in.

FIRST GIRL. Where did you put up then? At Fyodoritch's?

MARiNA. Yes. Well then, I'll stay here and you go and call him, my dear--my old man. Call him, my pet, and say "Your missis, Marina, says you must go now!" His mates are harnessing.

FIRST GIRL. Well, all right--if you won't go in yourself.

[The GIRLS go away towards the house along a footpath. Sounds of songs and tambourine.

MARiNA (alone, stands thinking). I might go in, but I don't like to, because I have not met him since that day he threw me over. It's more than a year now. But I'd have liked to have a peep and see how he lives with his Anisya. People say they don't get on. She's a coa.r.s.e woman, and with a character of her own. I should think he's remembered me more than once. He's been caught by the idea of a comfortable life and has changed me for it. But, G.o.d help him, I don't cherish ill-will! Then it hurt! Oh dear, it was pain! But now it's worn away and been forgotten. But I'd like to have seen him. (Looks towards hut and sees NIKiTA.) Look there! Why, he is coming here! Have the girls told him? How's it he has left his guests? I'll go away! (NIKiTA approaches, hanging his head down, swinging his arms, and muttering.) And how sullen he looks!

NIKiTA (sees and recognises MARiNA). Marina, dearest friend, little MARiNA, what do you want?

MARiNA. I have come for my old man.

NIKiTA. Why didn't you come to the wedding? You might have had a look round, and a laugh at my expense!