CHARACTERS

VALENTÍN PÁVLYCH BABÁYEV[1], a young landowner

[Footnote 1: womanish]

LEV RODIÓNYCH KRASNÓV, a shopkeeper, about thirty years of age

TATYÁNA DANÍLOVNA (called TÁNYA), his wife

LUKÉRYA DANÍLOVNA ZHMIGÚLIN (called, LÚSHA), her sister, an old maid and daughter of a government clerk now dead.

ARKHÍP, blind old man, grandfather of KRASNÓV

AFÓNYA (AFANÁSY), invalid boy about eighteen years of age, brother of
KRASNÓV

MANÚYLO KALÍNYCH KÚRITSYN, flour dealer about forty-five years of age

ULYÁNA RODIÓNOVNA KÚRITSYNA, his wife, sister of KRASNÓV

SHISHGÁLEV, government clerk

ZÁYCHIKHA (called PROKÓFYEVNA), landlady of the lodgings taken by
BABÁYEV

KARP, BABÁYEV'_s attendant

The action takes place in a district town_.