Page:Plays by Anton Tchekoff (1916).djvu/221

ACT IV

. [With a sigh] On foot in this weather? [She takes a seat at the card-table] Shall we begin?

. It is only six miles. Good-bye. [He kisses his wife’s hand] Good-bye, mother. [His mother-in-law gives him her hand unwillingly] I should not have troubled you all, but the baby— [He bows to every one] Good-bye.

[He goes out with an apologetic air.

. He will get there all right, he is not a major-general.

. Come, let us begin. Don’t let us waste time, we shall soon be called to supper.

,, and sit down at the card-table.

. [To ] When the long autumn evenings descend on us we while away the time here by playing lotto. Look at this old set; we used it when our mother played with us as children. Don’t you want to take a hand in the game with us until supper time? [She and sit down at the table] It is a monotonous game, but it is all right when one gets used to it.

[She deals three cards to each of the players.

. [Looking through the pages of the magazine] He has read his own story, and hasn’t even cut the pages of mine.

He lays the magazine on his desk and goes toward the door on the right, stopping as he passes his mother to give her a kiss.

. Won’t you play, Constantine?

. No, excuse me please, I don’t feel like it. I am going to take a turn through the rooms.

[He goes out.

. Are you all ready? I shall begin: twenty-two.

. Here it is.

. Three.

. Right.