SCENE II
KRASNÓV, TATYÁNA, LUKÉRYA, AFÓNYA, KÚRITSYN, and ULYÁNA.
KRASNÓV. [To his wife] How are you? [Kisses her.
TATYÁNA. How affectionate!
KRASNÓV. Never mind. We have a perfect right to! Let me treat you. We've just received fresh grapes. [Gives her a bunch] Here I have brought you some company. The samovar is all ready—that's good.
ULYÁNA. How do you do, sister? You are so proud you never call on us! But we're common folks; so we picked ourselves up and came, uninvited.
KÚRITSYN. How do you do, sister? Why are you so contemptuous of your relatives? You might run over once in a while for tea; your feet are able to carry you!
KRASNÓV. How has she time to go visiting? She has so much to do at home.
She's just beginning to get used to the household!
ULYÁNA. Yes, sister, you must get used to the household. That's our woman's duty. You didn't marry a millionaire, so you needn't put on airs.
KÚRITSYN. Yes, you'd better learn, and well.
ULYÁNA. [Approaching AFÓNYA] Ah, Afónya, are you still sick? You ought to take something!
KÚRITSYN. [Also approaching AFÓNYA] You eat more—then you'll get well. If you don't want to, then force yourself to eat; that's what I tell you! [Speaks in a low voice to AFÓNYA.
TATYÁNA. [To her husband] What have you done! What sort of company have you brought?
LUKÉRYA. To be frank, you've spoiled everything. How embarrassing, how awfully embarrassing!
KRASNÓV. What, embarrassing? Is some lord coming? What's the odds! Nothing to get excited over! Let him see our relatives.
LUKÉRYA. Much he's interested!
KRASNÓV. I can't chase my sister away for him. So there's nothing more to be said about it. I haven't set eyes on him yet, I don't know what he's like; these, at any rate, are our own. And, besides, they'll not stay long. [To his wife] Be seated; pour the tea! Brother, sister, have a cup of tea.
All excepting AFÓNYA seat themselves at the table.
KÚRITSYN. Brother, this is a holiday occasion, so it is customary before tea to—just a little. Don't you drink, yourself?
KRASNÓV. From the day I married Tatyána Danílovna I stopped all that.
Tatyána Danílovna, treat brother and sister with some vodka.
TATYÁNA. [Takes out of the cupboard and places on the table decanter, glasses, and refreshments] Have some, sister! [ULYÁNA drinks] Have some, brother!
KÚRITSYN. That's no invitation, you don't know how to do it.
KRASNÓV. Brother, don't be quite so particular! My wife doesn't know your common ways, and there's no use knowing them. Please, without ceremony.
KÚRITSYN. [After drinking] You are spoiling your wife, that's what I tell you. Freedom spoils even a good wife. You ought to take example from me, and teach her common sense; that would be lots better. Ask your sister how I trained her; we had a hot time of it.
ULYÁNA. Yes, you, Manuylo Kalinich, are a terrible barbarian, and a blood-sucker! You spend your whole life bossing your wife and showing your authority.
KÚRITSYN. What words are those? Who's talking? What's that you say? [Looking around] Is any stranger here? Seems to me, my people in my own house don't dare to speak that way!
ULYÁNA. [With a start] I just said that for instance, Manuylo Kalinich. Because, sister, women like us can't live without strict discipline. It's a true proverb: "If you beat your wife, the soup tastes better."
TATYÁNA. Every one to his own taste! You, sister, like such treatment, while I consider it the height of rudeness.
LUKÉRYA. Nowadays, such peasant's conduct is discarded everywhere; it's getting out of fashion.
KÚRITSYN. You lie! Such treatment of women can never get out of fashion, because you can't get along without it. Brother, listen to what point I've brought Ulyana. We used to have disputes among ourselves, among acquaintances or relatives, whose wife was more attentive; I'd bring 'em to my house, sit on the bench, and push my foot out, so—and say to wife, "What does my foot want?" and she understood because she'd been trained. Of course she at once fell at my feet.
ULYÁNA. Yes, that's so, that used to happen. I can say that without shame, to everybody.
KRASNÓV. There's nothing good in that, just swagger.
KÚRITSYN. Ah, brother! Beat your overcoat and it will be warmer; beat a wife—she'll be smarter.
TATYÁNA. Not every wife will allow herself to be beaten, and the one that allows it, isn't worth any other treatment.
ULYÁNA. Why are you giving yourself such airs all of a sudden, sister? Am I worse than you? You just wait awhile, you'll taste all that. We can clip your wings, too.
KRASNÓV. Yes, but be careful.
ULYÁNA. What are you saying? Married a beggar and you're putting on airs.
Do you think that you've married the daughter of a distinguished landowner?
KRASNÓV. What I think—is my business, and you can't understand it with your wits. You'd better keep still.
LUKÉRYA. What an interesting conversation—worth while hearing!
ULYÁNA. It seems to me she doesn't come from nobles but from government clerks. Not a very great lady! Goats and government clerks are the devil's own kin.
KRASNÓV. I told you to keep still! I shouldn't have to tell you ten times.
You ought to understand it at once.
KÚRITSYN. Leave them alone. I like it when the women start a row.
KRASNÓV. But I don't like it.
ULYÁNA. What do I care what you like! I'm not trying to please you. My, how stern you are! You'd better scold your own wife, not me; I'm not under your orders; you aren't my boss. I have a good husband who can boss me, not you. I'm not to blame because your wife wanders around highways and byways, and flirts with young gentlemen for hours.
KRASNÓV. [Jumping up] What's that!
TATYÁNA. I know nothing of highways and byways; I have told you, Lev Rodionych, that I met Valentin Pávlich on the bank, and even everything that we said.
LUKÉRYA. Yes, I was there with them.
ULYÁNA. Yes, you're the same sort.
KRASNÓV. You're a regular snake in the grass! And you call yourself a sister. What do you want? To make trouble between us? You're spiteful because I love my wife! You may rest assured that I wouldn't change her for anybody. For thirty years I've slaved for my family, labored till I sweated blood, and I thought of marriage only when I'd provided for the whole family. For thirty years I haven't known any pleasures. That's why I have to be thankful to my wife, who has beauty and education, for loving me, a peasant. Formerly I worked for you; now I will work for her forever. I'll perish working, but I'll give her every comfort. I should kiss her feet, because I very well understand that I and my whole household aren't worth her little finger. Do you think after this I will allow her to be abused! I respect her—and you all must respect her!
LUKÉRYA. Sister herself understands that she deserves all respect.
KRASNÓV. What's that you were saying, Ulyana? If you're right, then it's all up with me! See here! I have only one joy, one consolation, and I should have to give it up. Is that easy? Is it? I'm not made of stone that I can look at such wifely doings through my fingers! Your foolish words have entered my ears and wrenched my heart. If I believed you, then—God keep me from it—I should soon do some violence! One can't vouch for himself as to what may happen. Maybe the devil will jog my elbow. God save us! This is not a joking matter! If you wanted to hurt me, you should have taken a knife and thrust it into my side—that would have been easier for me. After such words it's better that I never see you again, you breaker-up of families. I'd rather disown all my people than endure your poison.
ULYÁNA. I'm not the cause of separation. It's she that's breaking up families.
KÚRITSYN. Well, brother! Evidently, if it's the wife's kin—open the door; but if it's the husband's kin—then shut the door. You visit us and we'll show you hospitality. Come, wife, we'd better go home!
ULYÁNA. Well, good-by, sister, but remember! And you, brother, just wait; we'll settle accounts somehow. [They go out.