Arkadina. [Frightened ] Peter! [She tries to support him] Peter! dearest! [She calls] Help!  Help!

TREPLIEFF and Medviedenko come in; TREPLIEFF has a bandage around his head.

Arkadina.  He is fainting!

Sorin.  I am all right. [He smiles and drinks some water] It is all over now.

TREPLIEFF. [To his mother] Don’t be frightened, mother, these attacks are not dangerous; my uncle often has them now. [To his uncle] You must go and lie down, Uncle.

Sorin.  Yes, I think I shall, for a few minutes.  I am going to Moscow all the same, but I shall lie down a bit before I start. [He goes out leaning on his cane.]

Medviedenko. [Giving him his arm] Do you know this riddle?  On four legs in the morning; on two legs at noon; and on three legs in the evening?

Sorin. [Laughing] Yes, exactly, and on one’s back at night.  Thank you, I can walk alone.

Medviedenko.  Dear me, what formality! [He and Sorin go out.]

Arkadina.  He gave me a dreadful fright.

TREPLIEFF.  It is not good for him to live in the country.  Mother, if you would only untie your purse-strings for once, and lend him a thousand roubles!  He could then spend a whole year in town.

Arkadina.  I have no money.  I am an actress and not a banker. [A pause.]

TREPLIEFF.  Please change my bandage for me, mother, you do it so gently.

Arkadina goes to the cupboard and takes out a box of bandages and a bottle of iodoform.

Arkadina.  The doctor is late.

TREPLIEFF.  Yes, he promised to be here at nine, and now it is noon already.

Arkadina.  Sit down. [She takes the bandage off his head] You look as if you had a turban on.  A stranger that was in the kitchen yesterday asked to what nationality you belonged.  Your wound is almost healed. [She kisses his head] You won’t be up to any more of these silly tricks again, will you, when I am gone?

TREPLIEFF.  No, mother.  I did that in a moment of insane despair, when I had lost all control over myself.  It will never happen again. [He kisses her hand] Your touch is golden.  I remember when you were still acting at the State Theatre, long ago, when I was still a little chap, there was a fight one day in our court, and a poor washerwoman was almost beaten to death.  She was picked up unconscious, and you nursed her till she was well, and bathed her children in the washtubs.  Have you forgotten it?

Arkadina.  Yes, entirely. [She puts on a new bandage.]

TREPLIEFF.  Two ballet dancers lived in the same house, and they used to come and drink coffee with you.

Arkadina.  I remember that.

TREPLIEFF.  They were very pious. [A pause] I love you again, these last few days, as tenderly and trustingly as I did as a child.  I have no one left me now but you.  Why, why do you let yourself be controlled by that man?