LIPA

Life, Vassya, real life will come. Oh, mercy! I still feel like crying for joy. Don't be afraid.

[Speransky and Tony enter, the latter very gloomy, glancing sideways and sighing. In a queer way he sometimes recalls Savva his gait and look.

SPERANSKY

Good morning, Miss Olympiada. Good morning, Vassya. What an extraordinary event, if we are to believe what people say.

LIPA

Believe, Mr. Speransky, believe.

SPERANSKY

You judge in a very simple offhand manner. If, however, you take into consideration the fact that it is highly probable that nothing exists, that even we ourselves do not exist—

TONY