Page:Complete Works of Count Tolstoy - 18.djvu/305

 fortable position. He is choking me. See what Grossmann is doing. Now you must be as attentive as possible.

(Tánya throws the peasants' paper on the table.)

. Something has fallen on the table.

. See what it is.

. A paper! A folded sheet of paper! (Tánya throws a pocket inkstand on the table.)

. An inkstand!

(Tánya throws a pen on the table.)

. A pen!

(Semén bellows and chokes them.)

(out of breath). Excuse me, this is an absolutely new phenomenon. Not the elicited mediumistic energy is here at work, but the medium himself. Open the inkstand, and put the pen on the paper! He will write.

(Tánya walks up to Leoníd Fédorovich from behind, and bangs his head with the guitar.)

. He has struck my head! (Looking at the table.) The pen is not writing yet, and the paper is folded.

. See what kind of paper it is, and be quick about it! Apparently a double force, his and Grossmann's, is producing the perturbations.

(goes out with the paper, and immediately returns). Extraordinary! This paper is a contract with the peasants, which I declined this morning to sign, and which I gave back to the peasants. Apparently he wants me to sign it.

. Of course! Of course! You ask him!

. Nicholas! Shall I do so?

(Tánya raps twice.)

. Do you hear? There is no doubt about it!