CHEBUTIKIN. Nature only brought us into the world that we should love! [Laughs.]
ANDREY. [Angrily] Please don’t! Aren’t you tired of it?
[Enter FEDOTIK and RODE with a large basket of flowers.]
FEDOTIK. They’re lunching already.
RODE. [Loudly and thickly] Lunching? Yes, so they are....
FEDOTIK. Wait a minute! [Takes a photograph] That’s one. No, just a moment.... [Takes another] That’s two. Now we’re ready!
[They take the basket and go into the dining-room, where they have a noisy reception.]
RODE. [Loudly] Congratulations and best wishes! Lovely weather to-day, simply perfect. Was out walking with the High School students all the morning. I take their drills.
FEDOTIK. You may move, Irina Sergeyevna! [Takes a photograph] You look well to-day. [Takes a humming-top out of his pocket] Here’s a humming-top, by the way. It’s got a lovely note!
IRINA. How awfully nice!