KRASNOV.  What are they doing to me?  Must I really be on my guard, or are they just frightening me?  Where then is love!  Is it possible, Lord, that I have taken unto me not a joy but a torture!  Rouse yourself, Lev Rodionych, rouse yourself.  Hearken not to the fiend.  You have one joy—­he’s seizing it, and draining your heart.  You will ruin your whole life!  You will perish for no cause.  All those are slanderous words.  They’re spiteful because my wife is good, and we get along together—­so they begin to stir up trouble.  That’s clearly seen.  It’s so in every family.  The best way is to drop it and not think about it.  The gentleman will have to be gotten rid of; I must see that he never looks our way any more.  “Come oftener,” I’ll tell him, “we like it better when you aren’t here.”  So there’ll be less talk and my heart will be calmer.

Enter BABAYEV, TATYANA, and LUKERYA.

SCENE IV

BABAYEV, KRASNOV, TATYANA, and LUKERYA

BABAYEV.  So this is where you live!  Is this your own little house?

TATYANA.  Our own.  This is my husband.

BABAYEV.  I’m delighted.  I’ve known your wife a long while.

KRASNOV.  That’s your affair.

BABAYEV.  You’re in business?

KRASNOV.  That’s my affair.

TATYANA.  Won’t you be seated? [BABAYEV and KRASNOV take seats]
Shouldn’t you like some tea?

BABAYEV.  No, thank you; I don’t care for tea now.

LUKERYA.  Ah, Tanya, we’ve forgotten that now in St. Petersburg they have different tastes. [To BABAYEV] We can have coffee immediately.

BABAYEV.  No, please do not trouble yourself; I’ve already had some.  Let us rather sit and talk.  Are you happy here?  Have you any amusements here?

TATYANA.  No.  What sort of amusements can one have here?

BABAYEV.  How do you spend your time?  Is it possible you are always at home?

TATYANA.  Mostly.

KRASNOV.  And that is proper among such as us.  Our Russian way is:  husband and dog in the yard, and wife and cat in the house.

LUKERYA. [In a low voice to KRASNOV] Can’t you speak more politely?

KRASNOV.  I know my business.

BABAYEV.  So you’re a housekeeper.  I should think it must have been hard for you to get used to your new duties.

TATYANA. [Glancing at her husband] Yes; of course I can’t say—­of course—­at first——­

BABAYEV. [To LUKERYA] I’m asking, but I don’t really know myself what these duties consist of.

LUKERYA.  But considering your noble birth, that’s beneath your knowledge.

KRASNOV.  There’s nothing vulgar about it.

BABAYEV.  Really, what is there vulgar in it?

LUKERYA.  The words are low and even quite coarse, and they aren’t usually spoken before people of good breeding.