Page:Plays by Anton Tchekoff (1916).djvu/215

ACT IV

tinually in sight. If my Simon could only get his remove I should forget it all in a month or two. It is a trifle.

and come in through the door on the left, wheeling  in an arm-chair.

. I have six mouths to feed now, and flour is at seventy kopecks.

. A hard riddle to solve!

. It is easy for you to make light of it. You are rich enough to scatter money to your chickens, if you wanted to.

. You think I am rich? My friend, after practising for thirty years, during which I could not call my soul my own for one minute of the night or day, I succeeded at last in scraping together one thousand roubles, all of which went, not long ago, in a trip which I took abroad. I haven’t a penny.

. [To her husband] So you didn’t go home after all?

. [Apologetically] How can I go home when they won’t give me a horse?

. [Under her breath, with bitter anger] Would I might never see your face again!

in his chair is wheeled to the left-hand side of the room. ,, and sit down beside him. stands sadly aside.

. What a lot of changes you have made here! You have turned this sitting-room into a library.

. Constantine likes to work in this room, because from it he can step out into the garden to meditate whenever he feels like it.

[The watchman’s rattle is heard.

. Where is my sister?

. She has gone to the station to meet Trigorin. She will soon be back.

. I must be dangerously ill if you had to send for my sister. [He falls silent for a moment] A nice business this is!