Page:Plays by Anton Tchekoff (1916).djvu/25

ACT I

. Man is forgetful, but God remembers.

. Thank you for that. You have spoken the truth.

Enter ''from the house. He has been asleep after dinner and looks rather dishevelled. He sits down on the bench and straightens his collar''.

. H’m. Yes. [A pause] Yes.

. Have you been asleep?

. Yes, very much so. [He yawns] Ever since the Professor and his wife have come, our daily life seems to have jumped the track. I sleep at the wrong time, drink wine, and eat all sorts of messes for luncheon and dinner, It isn’t wholesome. Sonia and I used to work together and never had an idle moment, but now Sonia works alone and I only eat and drink and sleep. Something is wrong.

. [Shaking her head] Such a confusion in the house! The Professor gets up at twelve, the samovar is kept boiling all the morning, and everything has to wait for him. Before they came we used to have dinner at one o’clock, like everybody else, but now we have it at seven. The Professor sits up all night writing and reading, and suddenly, at two o’clock, there goes the bell! Heavens, what is that? The Professor wants some tea! Wake the servants, light the samovar! Lord, what disorder!

. Will they be here long?

. A hundred years! The Professor has decided to make his home here.

. Look at this now! The samovar has been on the table for two hours, and they are all out walking!

. All right, don’t get excited; here they come.

Voices are heard approaching. ,, , and come in from the depths of the garden, returning from their walk.

. Superb! Superb! What beautiful views!