BORTSOV. It may be mean and wicked on my part, but what am I to do? I’m doing this wicked thing, not reckoning on what’s to come.... If I was tried for it, they’d let me off. Take it, only on condition that you return it later, when I come back from town. I give it to you in front of these witnesses. You will be my witnesses! [Takes a gold medallion out from the breast of his coat] Here it is.... I ought to take the portrait out, but I’ve nowhere to put it; I’m wet all over.... Well, take the portrait, too! Only mind this... don’t let your fingers touch that face.... Please... I was rude to you, my dear fellow, I was a fool, but forgive me and... don’t touch it with your fingers.... Don’t look at that face with your eyes. [Gives TIHON the medallion.]
TIHON. [Examining it] Stolen property.... All right, then, drink.... [Pours out vodka] Confound you.
BORTSOV. Only don’t you touch it... with your fingers. [Drinks slowly, with feverish pauses.]
TIHON. [Opens the medallion] Hm... a lady!... Where did you get hold of this?
MERIK. Let’s have a look. [Goes to the bar] Let’s see.
TIHON. [Pushes his hand away] Where are you going to? You look somewhere else!
FEDYA. [Gets up and comes to TIHON] I want to look too!
[Several of the tramps, etc., approach the bar and form a group. MERIK grips TIHON’s hand firmly with both his, looks at the portrait, in the medallion in silence. A pause.]
MERIK. A pretty she-devil. A real lady....
FEDYA. A real lady.... Look at her cheeks, her eyes.... Open your hand, I can’t see. Hair coming down to her waist.... It is lifelike! She might be going to say something.... [Pause.]