Page:Plays by Anton Tchekoff (1916).djvu/103

ACT II

. Quite right.

yawns.

. How dare you yawn in the presence of ladies?

. I beg your pardon! It was quite an accident.

gets up and goes out through the door on the right.

. Two in hearts.

. Pass.

. Pass.

. [Aside] Heavens! This is deadly! I shall die of ennui.

Enter and  through the door on the right.

. Why do you go off by yourself like a prima donna? Come and sit with our guests!

[She sits down in her former place.

. [Yawning] Oh, dear, our sins are heavy! [He catches sight of ] Why, there is my little sugar-plum! How is your most esteemed highness?

. Very well, thank you.

. Splendid, splendid! [He sits down in an arm-chair] Quite right—Oh, Gabriel!

''brings him a glass of vodka and a tumbler of water. He empties the glass of vodka and sips the water''.

. Good health to you!

. Good health is too much to ask. I am content to keep death from the door. [To his wife] Where is the heroine of this occasion, Zuzu?

. [In a plaintive voice] Look here, why haven’t we taken any tricks yet? [He jumps up] Yes, why have we lost this game entirely, confound it?

. [Jumps up angrily] Because, friend, you don’t know how to play it, and have no right to be sitting here at