SCENE IX
The same and LYUBÓV GORDÉYEVNA, ANNA IVÁNOVNA, MÁSHA, and LÍZA.
ANNA IVÁNOVNA. Peace, honest company!
RAZLYULYÁYEV. I welcome you to our shanty.
MÍTYA. Our respects! Please come in! What good wind brings you here?
ANNA IVÁNOVNA. No wind—we just took it into our heads and came. Gordéy Kárpych has gone out, and Pelagéya Egórovna has gone to lie down, so now we are free! Be as jolly as you please!
MÍTYA. I humbly beg you to sit down.
They sit down; MÍTYA seats himself opposite LYUBÓV GORDÉYEVNA; RAZLYULYÁYEV walks about.
ANNA IVÁNOVNA. It grew dull sitting silent cracking nuts. "Come on, girls," said I, "and see the boys," and that suited the girls.
LYUBÓV GORDÉYEVNA. What stories you do make up! We never thought of coming here—that was your idea.
ANNA IVÁNOVNA. Much you didn't! You were the first! Everybody knows, if a person wants a thing, then he thinks about it; the boys of the girls, and the girls of the boys.
RAZLYULYÁYEV. Ha, ha, ha! Anna Ivánovna, you have said it exactly.
LYUBÓV GORDÉYEVNA. Not a bit of it!
MÁSHA. [To LÍZA] Oh, how embarrassing!
LÍZA. Anna Ivánovna, you are just saying what isn't true.
ANNA IVÁNOVNA. Oh, you modest thing! I'd like to say a word—but it wouldn't be nice before the boys!—I've been a girl myself. I know all about it.
LYUBÓV GORDÉYEVNA. There are girls and girls!
MÁSHA. Oh, how embarrassing!
LÍZA. What you say sounds very strange to us, and, I must say, it's disconcerting.
RAZLYULYÁYEV. Ha, ha, ha!
ANNA IVÁNOVNA. What were we talking about just now up-stairs? Do you want me to tell? Shall I tell them? Well, have you calmed down now?
RAZLYULYÁYEV. Ha, ha, ha!
ANNA IVÁNOVNA. What are you opening your mouth for? It wasn't about you—don't you worry.
RAZLYULYÁYEV. Even if it wasn't about me, still it may be there is some one who thinks about me. I know what I know! [Dances to a tune.
"Who does not love a hussar!
Life without love would be sad!"
ANNA IVÁNOVNA. [Walking towards GÚSLIN] Well, guitar player, when will you marry me?
GÚSLIN. [Playing on the guitar] When I can get permission from Gordéy Kárpych. What's the use of hurrying! It isn't raining on us! [Nods his head] Come along here, Anna Ivánovna; I've got something to say to you.
She goes to him, and sits near him; he whispers in her ear, looking towards LYUBÓV GORDÉYEVNA and MÍTYA.
ANNA IVÁNOVNA. What do you say!—Really?
GÚSLIN. It's really true.
ANNA IVÁNOVNA. Well, then, all right; keep quiet! [They talk in a whisper.
LYUBÓV GORDÉYEVNA. You, Mítya, will you come to us later on in the evening?
MÍTYA. I will.
RAZLYULYÁYEV. And I'm coming; I'm good at dancing. [Stands with arms akimbo] Girls! do fall in love with me, one of you!
MÁSHA. You ought to be ashamed of yourself! What's that you're saying?
RAZLYULYÁYEV. Why such airs! I say, fall in love with me, somebody—yes—for my simplicity.
LÍZA. People don't talk like that to girls. You ought to wait till they do fall in love with you.
RAZLYULYÁYEV. Yes, much I'll get from you by waiting! [Dances
"Who does not love a hussar!"
LYUBÓV GORDÉYEVNA. [Looking at MÍTYA] It may be somebody loves somebody and won't tell! He must guess himself.
LÍZA. How can any girl in the world say that!
MÁSHA. I know it!
ANNA IVÁNOVNA. [Goes up to them and looks now at LYUBÓV GORDÉYEVNA and now at MÍTYA and sings:
"Already it is seen
If somebody loves somebody—
Opposite the beloved one she seats herself
Heavily sighing."
MÍTYA. Who does that apply to?
ANNA IVÁNOVNA. We know to whom.
RAZLYULYÁYEV. Stay, girls, I'll sing you a song.
ANNA IVÁNOVNA. Sing, sing!
RAZLYULYÁYEV. [Sings slowly]
"A bear was flying through the sky."
ANNA IVÁNOVNA. Don't you know anything worse than that!
LÍZA. We might think you were making fun of us.
RAZLYULYÁYEV. If this isn't good enough I'll sing you another, for I'm a jolly fellow. [Sings.
"Beat! Beat! upon the board.
Moscow! Moscow! that's the word.
Moscow's got it in his head
That Kolomna he will wed.
Tula laughs with all his heart.
But with the dowry will not part.
Buckwheat is tuppence. It's twenty for oats.
Millet is sixpence and barley three groats.
[Turns towards the girls.
If only oats would but come down!
It's costly carting 'em to town."
See! What weather!
MÁSHA. This doesn't concern us.
LÍZA. We don't trade in flour.
ANNA IVÁNOVNA. What are you interrupting for! Just guess this riddle.
What's this: round—but not a girl; with a tail—but not a mouse?[1]
[Footnote 1: A turnip.]
RAZLYULYÁYEV. That's a hard one!
ANNA IVÁNOVNA. Indeed it is!—You just think it over! Now, girls, come along! [The girls rise and get ready to go] Come along, boys!
GÚSLIN and RAZLYULYÁYEV get ready.
MÍTYA. But I'll come later. I'll put things to rights here first.
ANNA IVÁNOVNA. [Sings while they are getting ready]
"Our maids last night,
Our pretties last night,
They brewed us a brew of the beer last night.
And there came to our maids,
And there came to our pretties
A guest, a guest whom they didn't invite."
ANNA IVÁNOVNA lets them all pass through the door, except LYUBÓV
GORDÉYEVNA; she shuts the door and does not allow her to pass.