The Complete Works of Count Tolstoy/Volume 18/The Power of Darkness/Act 3
DRAMATIS PERSONÆ OF ACT III.
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Akím.
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Anyútka.
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ACT III.
Peter's hut. Winter. Nine months have passed since the Second Act. Anísya, in everyay attire, working at the loom. Anyútka on the oven. Mitrich, the hired hand.
Scene I.
Mítrich (walks in slowly. Takes off his coat). O Lord, be merciful! Has the master returned?
Anísya. What?
Mítrich. Has Nikíta come back from town?
Anísya. No.
Mítrich. He is evidently on a spree. O Lord!
Anísya. Have you done your work on the threshing-floor?
Mítrich. Of course. I have fixed everything as is proper, and have covered it with straw. I don't like to do things by halves. O Lord! Merciful St. Nicholas! (Picking his callosities.) It is time for him to be back.
Anísya. Why should he be in a hurry? He has money, so, I suppose, he is celebrating with a girl—
Mítrich. He has money,—then why not celebrate? What did Akulína go to town for?
Anísya. You ask her why the unclean one has taken her there.
Mítrich. Why to town? In town there is much of everything if you only have the means. O Lord!
Anyútka. I have heard it myself. "I will buy you a shawl," says he, "I will," truly, says he. "You shall pick it out yourself," says he. And she dressed herself up: she put on the plush sleeveless coat and the French kerchief.
Anísya. It is true: a girl's chastity goes as far as the threshold. Let her step across it, and she forgets everything. Shameless one!
Mítrich. Well, what is there to be ashamed of? Celebrate as long as there is any money! O Lord! Is it too early for supper? (Anísya keeps silent.) In the meantime I will warm myself. (Climbs on the oven.) O Lord! Most Holy Mother of God! St. Nicholas!
Scene II. The same and Sponsor.
Sponsor (enter). Your man has not come back yet?
Anísya. No.
Sponsor. It is time he should have. I wonder whether he has not gone to our inn. Sister Fékla told me that a number of sleighs from town were standing there.
Anísya. Anyútka, O Anyútka
Anyútka. What?
Anísya. Run down, Anyútka, to the inn, and see whether he is not there, and drunk.
Anyútka (jumping down from the oven, and putting on her coat). Right away!
Sponsor. Has he taken Akulína with him?
Anísya. For what else would he go there? She is the cause of it all. He said that he had to go to the bank to get some money, but it is only she who is taking him to town.
Sponsor (shaking her head). What is the use of talking about it? (Silence.)
Anyútka (at the door). If he is there, what shall I say to him?
Anísya. Just find out whether he is there.
Anyútka. All right, I'll go quick. (Exit.)
Scene III. Anísya, Mítrich, and Sponsor. (Long silence.)
Mítrich (bellowing). O Lord! Holy St. Nicholas!
Sponsor (shuddering). Oh, how he has frightened me! Who is that?
Anísya. Mítrich, the hired hand.
Sponsor. Oh, he has given me a fright! I had forgotten about him. I have heard that somebody has been asking for Akulína's hand.
Anísya (coming out from behind the loom and seating herself at the table). The Dyédlov people hinted about it; but evidently they heard something. They hinted about it, and then they kept silent,—and that was the end of it. Who should want her?
Sponsor. What about the Lizúnovs from Zúev?
Anísya. They made inquiries, but the inquiries did not come to anything. He did not even receive them.
Sponsor. You ought to get her married.
Anísya. I should say I ought to. I should like to get her away from the farm, but I do not know how to do it. He does not want to let her go, nor does she want to go herself. You see, he has not yet had enough of his beauty.
Sponsor. Oh, what sins! What he is up to! And he is her stepfather.
Anísya. Oh, friend! They have cheated and deceived me so cleverly! In my foolishness I did not notice anything and did not think about it, and so I married him. I did not suspect a thing, but they had an understanding long before.
Sponsor. Oh, oh, what an affair!
Anísya. The farther it went, the more they began to hide it from me. Ah, friend, I am tired, I am tired of my life. It would be different if I did not love him!
Sponsor. Yes, it is bad.
Anísya. It pains me, friend, to be wronged by him in such a manner. Oh, it pains me!
Sponsor. They say that he has become rough in his ways.
Anísya. Yes, that is so. Formerly he used to be peaceful when he drank; he used to strike me before, but he loved me; now, when he fills himself up with drink, he rushes against me and wants to trample upon me. The other day he stuck his hands into my braids, and I had the hardest time to get away from him. And the girl is worse than a snake. I wonder how the earth can bring forth such evil ones!
Sponsor. Oh, oh, oh, friend! You look pretty well worn out! It is hard to bear it all. You picked him up when he was a beggar, and this is the way he treats you. Shall you not try to stop him?
Anísya. Oh, my dear friend! What shall I do with my heart? My former husband was very severe, but I twisted him as I wanted; I cannot do so with this one. The moment I see him my heart softens. I have no courage against him: I walk around before him like a wet chicken.
Sponsor. Oh, oh, friend! You must be bewitched. They say Matréna does such things. It must be she who has done it.
Anísya. I think so myself, my friend. I sometimes feel so angry, I should like to tear him to pieces; but the moment I see him my heart does not allow me to raise my hands against him.
Sponsor. There is no doubt, you are bewitched. It does not take long to spoil a person by witchcraft. It makes me feel badly to see what has become of you.
Anísya. My legs are as thin as sticks. But look at silly Akulína! She is a slattern and a good-for-nothing, but just look at her! Where did it all come from? He has dressed her up. She has spread out and is as bloated as a bladder on the water. Although she is silly, she has got it into her head to say: "I," says she, "am the mistress here. The house is mine. Father wanted me to marry him." And oh, how mean she is! God save us from her! When she gets angry she tears the straw down from the roof.
Sponsor. Oh, oh, friend, what a life you lead! And people envy you! They say you are rich; but evidently, my dear, tears flow also over gold.
Anísya. What is there to envy? The wealth will all pass away like dust. He squanders the money terribly.
Sponsor. But how is it, my friend, you have let it happen? The money is yours.
Anísya. If you only knew it all! I made a little blunder.
Sponsor. If I were in your place, my friend, I should go to some great officer. The money is yours. How can he squander it? There are no such laws.
Anísya. They pay no attention to this nowadays.
Sponsor. Oh, friend, you look pretty weak!
Anísya. Yes, my dear, I am weak, very weak. He has ruined me. I do not know what to do. Oh, oh, my wretched head!
Sponsor. Somebody is coming, I think. (Listens. The door opens. Enter Akím.)
Scene IV. The same and Akím.
Akím (crosses himself. Shakes off the mud from his shoes and takes off his wraps). Peace be upon this house! How are you? Good day, aunty.
Anísya. Good day, father! Are you from the farm?
Akím. I thought, so to speak, I would come down to see my son, so to speak. I started late, after dinner, so to speak; as I walked, it was snowing, and it was hard to walk, so to speak, and so I am late. Is my son at home? Is he at home?
Anísya. No. He is in town.
Akím (sits down on the bench). I have some business, so to speak, some business with him. I told him the other day, so to speak, about my need, so to speak; the horse has died, so to speak. I must get me another horse, so to speak, any kind of a horse, so to speak. So I have come, so to speak.
Anísya. Nikíta told me about it. You will talk with him when he comes home. (Walks toward the oven.) You eat supper, and by that time he will be here. Mítrich, oh, Mítrich, come to supper!
Mítrich. O Lord, merciful St. Nicholas!
Anísya. Come to supper!
Sponsor. I will go now. Good-bye! (Exit.)
Scene V. Akím, Anísya, and Mítrich.
Mítrich (climbing down). I do not know how I came to fall asleep. O Lord, St. Nicholas! Good evening, Uncle Akím!
Akím. Oh, Mítrich! What are you doing here, so to speak?—
Mítrich. I am working for Nikíta, your son.
Akím. I say! So you are working for my son, so to speak? I say!
Mítrich. I was staying with a merchant in town, but I took to drinking there; so I came back to the village. I have no place to go to, so I hired out at your son's. (Yawning.) O Lord!
Akím. Well, so to speak, how is Nikíta doing, so to speak? He must be doing well, so to speak, to be able, so to speak, to hire a man.
Mítrich. He has money, then why should he—
Akím. That is all in vain, so to speak, all in vain. In vain, I say. Looseness, so to speak.
Anísya. Yes, he is spoilt, dreadfully spoilt.
Akím. That's it! I was thinking, so to speak, how to do it better, but he is doing it worse, so to speak. A man gets spoilt by wealth, so to speak,—he does.
Mítrich. Even a dog maddens from fat,—then why should a man not spoil from fat? You ought to have seen me going on a spree when I had money! I drank for three weeks without stopping. I gave my last trousers for drinks. When I did not have anything left I stopped. Now I have sworn off. Bother!
Akím And your old woman, so to speak, where is she?
Mítrich. The old woman, my friend, is well fixed. She sits now in one inn in town, now in another. She looks fine one eye is torn out, the other is black, and her mouth is all awry. She is never sober,—pea-pie choke her!
Akím. Oh, oh! How is that?
Mítrich. Where else is there a place for a soldier's wife? This is her proper occupation. (Silence.)
Akím (to Anísya). Has Nikíta taken anything to town? Has he, so to speak, taken anything to sell?
Anísya (setting the table and passing the food). He went with nothing. He went to fetch some money from the bank.
Akím (eating). What do you want to do with the money? Do you want to use it for something, so to speak?
Anísya. No, we do not touch it. Only twenty or thirty roubles; we had to take them out.
Akím. Had to take them? Why should you take the money, so to speak? You take it to-day, and you take it to-morrow, so to speak, and then you use it all up, so to speak.
Anísya. This is above the capital. The money is not touched.
Akím. Not touched? How not touched? You take it, and it is, so to speak, not touched? You pour flour, so to speak, into a box, so to speak, or into the granary, and take the flour out again,—well, will it remain untouched, so to speak? There is something wrong, they are cheating you, so to speak. You had better find out, or they will cheat you. How can it be untouched? You are taking away, so to speak,—and it is not touched!
Anísya. I don't know about that. Iván Moséich advised us to do it. "Put the money into the bank," says he, "then the money will be safe, and you will get interest on it."
Mítrich (through eating). That is correct. I used to live at the house of a merchant: he did it the same way. All one has to do is to put the money in, and then lie on the oven and receive money.
Akím. You are saying some wonderful things, so to speak. How is one to receive it, so to speak? You receive it, so to speak, and from whom do they get the money, so to speak?
Anísya. The bank gives us the money.
Mítrich. What is that? A woman can't make it out. Look here! I will explain it to you. Listen! Let us suppose, for example, you have money, and I, for example, have my land lying fallow; it is spring, and I have no seed; or I have to pay the taxes. So I come to you, and say: "Akím, give me ten roubles! I will have the harvest in by St. Mary's Intercession and then I will give it back to you, with a tithe for the accommodation." You, for example, see that I can be flayed, having a horse or a cow, so you say: "Give me two or three roubles for the accommodation." The noose is around my neck, and I cannot get along without it. "Very well," says I, "I will take the ten roubles." In the fall I sell some things, and I bring you the money, and you skin me in addition for three roubles.
Akím. But this is, so to speak, a wrong done to a peasant. If one forgets God, so to speak, it is not good.
Mítrich. Wait a minute! She will soon strike the same thing. So remember what you have done: you have fleeced me, so to speak, and Anísya, for example, has some money which is lying idle. She has no place to put it in and, being a woman, does not know what to do with it. So she comes to you: "Can't I," says she, "make some use of my money?" "Yes, you can," you say. And so you wait. Next summer I come to you once more. "Give me another ten roubles," says I, "and I will pay you for the accommodation." So you watch me to see whether my hide has not been turned yet, whether I can be flayed again, and if I can, you give me Anísya's money. But if I have not a blessed thing, and nothing to eat, you make your calculations, seeing that I cannot be skinned, and you say: "God be with you, my brother!" and you look out for another man to whom to give Anísya's money, and whom you can flay. Now this is called a bank. So it keeps going around. It is a very clever thing, my friend.
Akím (excitedly). What is this? This is a nastiness, so to speak. If a peasant, so to speak, were to do it, the peasants would regard it as a sin, so to speak. This is not according to the Law, not according to the Law, so to speak. It is bad. How can the learned men, so to speak—
Mítrich. This, my friend, is their favourite occupation. You consider this: If there is one who is not very clever, or a woman, who has money and does not know what to do with it, they take it to a bank, and the bank snatches it up,—pea-pie choke them, and skins the people with that money. It's a clever thing.
Akím (sighing). As I look at it, so to speak, there is trouble without money, so to speak, and with money the trouble is double, so to speak. God has commanded to work. But you put the money in the bank, so to speak, and lie down to sleep, and the money will feed you, so to speak, while you are lying. This is bad,—not according to the Law, so to speak.
Mítrich. Not according to the Law? The Law does not trouble people nowadays, my friend. All they think about is how to clean out a fellow. That's what!
Akím (sighing). The time is coming near, so to speak. I have seen water-closets, so to speak, in the city. What have they come to? They are nice and clean, so to speak, like an inn. What does it all lead to, what does it lead to? Oh, they have forgotten God! They have forgotten Him, so to speak. We have forgotten God, yes, we have forgotten Him. Thank you, my dear, I have had enough,—I am satisfied. (Comes out from behind the table. Mítrich climbs upon the oven.)
Anísya (taking away the dishes, and eating). Father might talk to him, but I am ashamed to mention it to him.
Akím. What?
Anísya. Nothing, I was just speaking to myself.
Scene VI. The same and Anyútka (enter).
Akím. Ah, clever girl! Still flying around? You are frozen, I suppose.
Anyútka. I am dreadfully frozen. Good evening, grandfather!
Anísya. Well? Is he there?
Anyútka. No. Andrián, who has come back from town, says that he is still in town, in an inn. Father, he says, is dead drunk.
Anísya. Do you want to eat? Here, take it!
Anyútka (goes to the oven). Oh, it is so cold! My hands are numb. (Akím takes off his coat and shoes. Anísya washes the dishes.)
Anísya. Father!
Akím. What do you wish?
Anísya. Is Marína living well?
Akím. Not bad. She is getting along. She is a clever woman, so to speak, and peaceable, and is getting on well, so to speak. She is a good worker, so to speak, and tries hard, and, so to speak, is obedient. She is all right, so to speak.
Anísya. They say that a relative of Marína's husband wanted to marry our Akulína. Haven't you heard anything about it?
Akím. The Mirónovs? The women were saying something about it. I did not pay any attention to it, so to speak. I do not know for sure, so to speak. The women were saying something. But I do not remember, I do not remember it, so to speak. Well, the Mirónovs are good peasants, so to speak.
Anísya. I wish so much I could get her married at once.
Akím. What is it?
Anyútka (listening). They have come.
Anísya. Keep out of their way! (Continues to wash the spoons, without turning her head.)
Scene VII. The same and Nikíta.
Nikíta. Anísya, my wife, who has come? (Anísya looks around and, turning away, keeps silent.)
Nikíta (angrily). Who has come? Have you forgotten?
Anísya. Stop blustering! Go!
Nikíta (more angrily still). Who has come?
Anísya (walks over to him and takes hold of his hand). Well, my husband has come. Go into the room.
Nikíta (holding back). That's it, your husband. What is his name? Say it correctly!
Anísya. Well, Nikíta.
Nikíta. That's it! You boor, call me by my patronymic!
Anísya. Akímych. Well?
Nikíta (still at the door). That's it. No, you tell my family name!
Anísya (laughing, and pulling him by his hand). Chilíkin. How angry you look!
Nikíta. That's it. (Holding on to the door-post). No, you tell me what foot Chilíkin puts first as he steps into the room.
Anísya. That will do! The room is getting cold.
Nikíta. Tell me what foot. You must tell me by all means.
Anísya (aside). He'll tire me out. Well, the left. Come now.
Nikíta. That's it.
Anísya. See who is in the room!
Nikíta. My father? Well, I am not ashamed of my father. I can show the proper respect to my father. Good evening, father! (Bows to him and gives him his hand.) My respects to you!
Akím (not answering him). The liquor, the liquor, so to speak, is doing it. It is bad.
Nikíta. The liquor? Because I have drunk some? I am quite guilty of this. I have taken a drink with a friend.
Anísya. Go and lie down!
Nikíta. Wife, where am I standing? Speak!
Anísya. Now, stop it! Go and lie down!
Nikíta. I will have a samovár with father. Fix the samovár! Akulína, come in!
Scene VIII. The same and Akulína.
Akulína (dressed up. Walks with her purchases up to Nikita). How you scatter things! Where is the harness?
Nikíta. The harness? The harness is there. Oh, Mítrich, where are you? Are you asleep? Go and put the horse up!
Akím (not seeing Akulína and looking at his son). What are you doing? The old man is, so to speak, worn out: he has been threshing, and you are all bloated, so to speak. "Put the horse up!" Pshaw, how bad that is!
Mítrich (climbs down from the oven and puts on his felt boots). O merciful Lord! Is the horse in the yard? I suppose you have worn it out! Thunder, he is sopped in liquor,—through and hrough. O Lord! St. Nicholas! (Puts on the fur coat and exit.)
Nikíta (sitting down). Forgive me, father! I have drunk some, that is so; but what is to be done? A chicken drinks, too. Am I not right? So forgive me! As to Mítrich,—he will not be offended, he will put the horse up.
Anísya. Do you really want the samovár?
Nikíta. Make it! Father has come, and I want to drink tea with him and talk. (To Akulína.) Have you taken out all the purchases?
Akulína. The purchases? I took out what belongs to me; the rest are in the sleigh. Take this; it does not belong to me. (Throws a roll on the table, and puts the purchases into a coffer. Anyútka watches Akulína putting away things. Akím does not look at his son, and puts away his leg-rags and the bast shoes on the oven.)
Anísya (exit with the samovár). The coffer is full, but he has bought more things.
Scene IX. Akím, Akulína, Anyútka, and Nikíta.
Nikíta (tries to look sober). Father, don't be angry with me! You think that I am drunk. I can do everything I can drink without losing my senses. I can talk with you, father, as though nothing had happened. I remember everything. You told me about the money: you said that the horse has died,—I remember it all. That can be done. It is all in our hands. If an immense sum were asked I would have to put it off for some time, but this I can do. Here it is.
Akím (still busy with his rags). Oh, my son, a spring path is, so to speak, not a road—
Nikíta. What do you mean by it? You can't talk well with a drunken man. Never mind! We will have some tea together. I can do everything, positively I can.
Akím (shaking his head). Oh, oh, oh!
Nikíta. Here is the money. (Puts his hand into his pocket, gets the pocketbook, flourishes the money and pulls out a ten-rouble bill.) Take this for your horse! Take it for the horse! I cannot forget a father. I will positively not abandon you. Here, take it! I do not begrudge you the money. (Comes up and pushes the money into Akím's hand, but Akim does not want to take it.) Take it, I say! I give it with pleasure.
Akím. I cannot take it, so to speak. I cannot speak with you, so to speak, because there is no decency about you, so to speak.
Nikíta. I will not let you go. Take it! (Pushes the money into Akím's hand.)
Scene X. The same and Anísya.
Anísya (enters and stops). You had better take it, for he will give you no rest.
Akím (takes it, shaking his head). Oh, the liquor! You are not a man, so to speak—
Nikíta. This is better. If you give it back to me it will be well; if not, God be with you! That's my way! (Seeing Akulína.) Akulína, show your presents!
Akulína. What?
Nikíta. Show your presents!
Akulína. The presents? What is the use of showing them? I have put them away.
Nikíta. Get them out, I say! Anyútka likes to see them. Show them, I say, to Anyútka! Open up the shawl! Give it to me!
Akím. Oh, it makes me feel bad to look at him. (Climbing on the oven.)
Akulína (taking out her things and putting them on the table). Here they are. What is there to look at?
Anyútka. Oh, how nice they are! This is not worse than Stepanídina's.
Akulína. Stepanídina's? Stepanídina's does not come up to this. (Becoming more animated and opening the shawl.) Look at it! See what quality it is: it is of French make.
Anyútka. And what pretty chintz! Mashútka has one like it, only hers is lighter, on an azure field. This one is so nice!
Nikíta. That's it. (Anísya goes angrily into the storeroom and returns with the samovár pipe and tablecloth, and walks over to the table.)
Anísya. How you have scattered things here!
Nikíta. Look here!
Anísya. What am I to look at? I have seen such things before. Take them away! (Brushes the shawl down on the floor.)
Akulína. Don't throw about things like that! Throw your own things! (Picks it up.)
Nikíta. Anísya, look out!
Anísya. What am I to look out for?
Nikíta. You think I have forgotten you. Look here! (Shows the roll and sits down upon it.) It is a present for you. Only you have to earn it. Woman, where am I sitting?
Anísya. Stop your nonsense! I am not afraid of you. On whose money are you celebrating, and buying presents for your hussy? On mine.
Akulína. Yes, yours! You wanted to steal it, but you did not succeed. Get away! (Wants to pass by and pushes her.)
Anísya. Don't push that way! I will give you a push!
Akulína. You will? Try it! (Pushes against her.)
Nikíta. Women, women, stop! (Stands between them.)
Akulína. She started it. She had better keep quiet. You think we do not know all about you?
Anísya. What do you know? Say, say what you know!
Akulína. I know something about you.
Anísya. You are a slut! You are living with a married man.
Akulína. And you have killed your husband!
Anísya (rushes at Akulína). You lie!
Nikíta (holding her back). Anísya, have you forgotten?
Anísya. You can't frighten me. I am not afraid of you.
Nikíta. Get out of here! (Turns her away and pushes her out.)
Anísya. Where shall I go? I won't go away from my house.
Nikíta. Get out, I say! And don't you dare put your foot in again!
Anísya. I will not go. (Nikíta pushes her; Anísya weeps and cries, holding on to the door.) What? You want to kick me out of my own house? What are you doing, you rascal? Do you think there is no law against you? Just wait!
Nikíta. Well, well!
Anísya. I will go to the elder, to the officer.
Nikíta. Get out, I say. (Pushes her out.)
Anísya (behind the door). I will hang myself!
Scene XI. Nikíta, Akulína, Anyútka, and Akím.
Nikíta. That's all right.
Anyútka. Oh, oh, oh! Mother dear, mother dear. (Weeping.)
Nikíta. I am not much afraid of her. What are you crying about? Never mind, she will come back. Go and look after the samovár! (Anyútka exit.)
Scene XII. Nikíta, Akím, and Akulína.
Akulína (picking up her purchases and putting them away). How that accursed one has been carrying on! Just wait! I will cut up your sleeveless coat. Upon my word, I will.
Nikíta. I have driven her away,—what more do you want?
Akulína. She has soiled my new shawl. Dog! If she had not gone I would have scratched out her eyes.
Nikíta. Stop your noise! What are you making a noise about? You know I do not love her!
Akulína. Love her? A fine person to love,—that woman with the big snout. If you had let her go then, nothing would have happened. You ought to have sent her to the devil. The house is mine, anyway, and so is the money. She says she is the mistress. Mistress! What kind of a mistress is she to her husband? She is a ruiner of souls, that's what she is. She will do the same to you!
Nikíta. There is no stopping up a woman's mouth! You don't know yourself what you are yelling about.
Akulína. Yes, I do. I will not live with her. I will drive her away. She cannot stay with me. And she calls herself mistress. She is not a mistress, but a jailbird.
Nikíta. That will do. What have you to do with her? Don't look at her! Look at me! I am the master. I do what I want. I do not love her any longer—I love you. I love whomever I please. I rule here. She will be locked up. This is where she is. (Points under his feet.) Oh, I have no accordion!
The rolls are on the stove,
The mush is on the shelf,
And we will live,
And celebrate,
And death will come,
And we will die.
The rolls are on the stove,
The mush is on the shelf.
Scene XIII. The same and Mítrich (enter. Takes off his wraps and climbs on the oven).
Mítrich. Evidently the women have been fighting again. O Lord, merciful St. Nicholas!
Akím (sitting on the edge of the oven. Takes the leg-rags and shoes, and puts them on). Creep past me to the corner.
Mítrich (creeping). They won't agree at all. O Lord!
Nikíta. Get the syrup! We will drink the tea with it.
Scene XIV. The same and Anyútka.
Anyútka (enter, to Akulina). Sister! the samovár is boiling over.
Nikíta. Where is mother?
Anyútka. She is standing in the vestibule and weeping.
Nikíta. Go and call her, and tell her to bring in the samovár! Akulína, let us have the dishes!
Akulína. The dishes? All right. (Taking up the dishes.)
Nikíta (gets the syrup, pretzels, and herring). This is for myself; for the woman there in the vestibule,—the goods. And here is the money. Wait! (Takes the abacus.) I will figure it up at once. (Casts the account on the abacus.) The wheat flour eight dimes, the oil Father, ten roubles. Father! Come to tea! (Silence. Akím is sitting on the oven and fixing the bast cords of his shoes.)
Scene XV. The same and Anísya.
Anísya (carrying in the samovár). Where shall I put it?
Nikíta. Put it on the table! Well, have you been to the elder's? That's it: talk, and be done with it! Stop being angry! Sit down and drink tea! (Fills a wine-glass for her.) Here is a present for you. (Gives her the roll on which he had been sitting. Anísya takes it in silence, shaking her head.)
Akím (climbing down and putting on his fur coat. Goes up to the table and puts the money upon it). Take the money,—take it!
Nikíta (not seeing the money). Where are you getting ready to go?
Akím. I will go, I will go, so to speak, for Christ's sake forgive me! (Takes his cap and belt.)
Nikíta. I declare: Where do you want to go in night-time?
Akím. I cannot, so to speak, remain in your house. I cannot, so to speak, stay here. Forgive me!
Nikíta. But why are you rushing away from the tea?
Akím (girding himself). I will go away, because, so to speak, it is not good here; it is not good here, Nikíta, so to speak. You are living badly, so to speak, Nikíta, badly. I will go away.
Nikíta. Stop talking! Sit down and drink tea
Anísya. Father, it will be a disgrace before people. What is it that has offended you?
Akím. I have not been offended, so to speak, but I see that everything is making for ruin, so to speak,—yes, my son, for ruin, so to speak.
Nikíta. What ruin? Prove it!
Akím. To ruin, to ruin, you are going to ruin. I told you so last year.
Nikíta. What of it if you told me?
Akím. I told you about the orphan. You have wronged, so to speak, the orphan, Marína,—you have wronged her.
Nikíta. What are you thinking about? Of old yeast make not a new feast! That is a thing of the past—
Akím (excitedly). Past? No, friend, it is not past. One sin holds on to another and pulls you along. Nikíta, you are stuck in sins. You are stuck, I see, in sins. You are stuck fast, so to speak.
Nikíta. Sit down and drink tea, and stop that talking!
Akím. I cannot, so to speak, drink tea with you. Because your evil deeds, so to speak, make me feel bad. I cannot, so to speak, drink with you.
Nikíta. You are repeating one and the same story. Go to the table!
Akím. You are sitting in your wealth, so to speak, as though in a snare, in a snare, so to speak. Oh, Nikíta, one needs a soul.
Nikíta. What right have you to talk to me that way in my own house? What do you want of me, anyway? Am I a little boy that will allow himself to be pulled by his hair? They don't do these things nowadays.
Akím. That is so: I have heard that nowadays they pull fathers' beards, so to speak,—but this leads only to ruin, to ruin, so to speak.
Nikíta (angrily). We are getting along without your help. But you have come to ask aid of me.
Akím. Money? There is your money. I will go and beg, so to speak, but I will not, so to speak, take the money.
Nikíta. Stop that! Why are you so angry, and breaking up the company? (Holds him back by his hand.)
Akím (moaning). Let me go! I will not stay! I would rather sleep near the fence than in your nastiness. Pshaw, God forgive you! (Exit.)
Scene XVI. Nikíta, Akulína, Anísya, and Mítrich.
Nikíta. I declare!
Scene XVII. The same and Akím.
Akím (opening the door). Nikíta, come to your senses! One needs a soul! (Exit.)
Scene XVIII. Nikíta, Akulína, Anísya, and Mítrich.
Akulína (taking the cups). Well, shall I pour out the tea? (All are silent.)
Mítrich (bellowing). O Lord, have mercy on me, sinful man! (All tremble.)
Nikíta (lying down on a bench). Oh, I feel bad, so bad. Akulína, where is the accordion?
Akulína. The accordion? What are you thinking about? You have left it to be mended. I have filled the glasses. Come and drink!
Nikíta. I don't want to. Put out the light— Oh, I feel bad, so bad! (Weeping.)
Curtain.