Tánya. I suppose so. They have had him in the chair once.
Fédor Iványch. Wonderful! (Putting on his eye-glasses.) But is he clean?
Tánya. How do I know?
Fédor Iványch. So you had better—
Tánya. What, Fédor Iványch?
Fédor Iványch. Go, take a nail-brush and scented soap,—take mine, if you want to,—and cut his nails and wash them clean.
Tánya. He will wash them himself.
Fédor Iványch. Well, tell him to do so. And let him put on clean linen.
Tánya. All right, Fédor Iványch. (Exit.)
Scene X. Fédor Iványch (alone, sitting down in an armchair).
Fédor Iványch. He is learned, yes, Aleksyéy Vladímirovich is a professor, but I often have my doubts about him. Popular superstitions are coarse, and they are destroyed: the superstitions about house-spirits, wizards, witches— And when you come to think of it, this is just such a superstition. Really, is it possible for the spirits of the dead to speak and play the guitar? Somebody is fooling them, or maybe they are fooling themselves. I can't make it out about Semén. (Looking through the album.) Here is their spiritualistic album. How can one take a photograph of a spirit? Here is a picture of a Turk sitting with Leoníd Fédorovich— A wonderful human weakness!
Scene XI. Fédor Iványch and Leoníd Fédorovich.
Leoníd Fédorovich (entering). Well, is everything ready?
