ANÍSYA. Come to supper.
NEIGHBOUR. I shall go now. Good-night. [Exit].
MÍTRITCH [gets down from the oven] I never noticed how I fell asleep. Oh Lord! gracious Nicholas! How d'you do, Daddy Akím?
AKÍM. Ah, Mítritch! What are you, what d'ye call it, I mean?…
MÍTRITCH. Why, I'm working for your son, Nikíta.
AKÍM. Dear me! What d'ye call … working for my son, I mean. Dear me!
MÍTRITCH. I was living with a tradesman in town, but drank all I had there. Now I've come back to the village. I've no home, so I've gone into service. [Gapes] Oh Lord!
AKÍM. But how's that, what d'you call it, or what's name, Nikíta, what does he do? Has he some business, I mean besides, that he should hire a labourer, a labourer I mean, hire a labourer?
ANÍSYA. What business should he have? He used to manage, but now he's other things on his mind, so he's hired a labourer.
MÍTRITCH. Why shouldn't he, seeing he has money?