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youā€™re jabbering about! AkoulĆ­na Yes, I do. Iā€™ll not live with her! Iā€™ll turn her out of the house! She canā€™t live here with me. The mistress indeed! Sheā€™s not the mistressā ā€”that jailbird! NikĆ­ta

Thatā€™s enough! What have you to do with her? Donā€™t mind her. You look at me! I am the master! I do as I like. Iā€™ve ceased to love her, and now I love you. I love who I like! The power is mine, sheā€™s under me. Thatā€™s where I keep her. Points to his feet. A pity weā€™ve no concertina. Sings.

ā€œWe have loaves on the stoves,
We have porridge on the shelf.
So weā€™ll live and be gay,
Making merry every day,
And when death comes,
Then weā€™ll die!
We have loaves on the stoves,
We have porridge on the shelfā ā€Šā ā€¦ā€

Enter MĆ­tritch. He takes off his outdoor things and climbs on the oven. MĆ­tritch Seems the women have been fighting again! Tearing each otherā€™s hair. Oh Lord, gracious Nicholas! AkĆ­m Sitting on the edge of the oven, takes his leg-bands and shoes and begins putting them on. Get in, get into the corner. MĆ­tritch Seems they canā€™t settle matters between them. Oh Lord! NikĆ­ta Get out the liquor, weā€™ll have some with our tea. Nan To AkoulĆ­na. Sister, the samovar is just boiling over. NikĆ­ta And whereā€™s your mother? Nan Sheā€™s standing and crying out there in the passage. NikĆ­ta Oh, thatā€™s it! Call her, and tell her to bring the samovar. And you, AkoulĆ­na, get the tea things. AkoulĆ­na The tea things? All right. Brings the things. NikĆ­ta Unpacks spirits, rusks, and salt herrings. Thatā€™s for myself. This is yarn for the wife. The paraffin is out there in the passage, and hereā€™s the money. Wait a bit, takes a counting-frame Iā€™ll add it up. Adds. Wheat-flour, eighty kopecks, oilā ā€Šā ā€¦ Father, ten roubles.ā ā€Šā ā€¦ Father, come letā€™s have some tea! Silence. AkĆ­m sits on the oven and winds the bands round his legs. Enter AnĆ­sya with samovar. AnĆ­sya Where shall I put it? NikĆ­ta Here on the table. Well! have you been to the Elder? Ah, thatā€™s it! Have your say and then eat your words. Now then, thatā€™s enough. Donā€™t be cross, sit down and drink this. Fills a wineglass for her. And hereā€™s your present. Gives her the parcel he had been sitting on. AnĆ­sya takes it silently and shakes her head. AkĆ­m Gets down and puts on his sheepskin, then comes up to the table and puts down the money. Here, take your money back! Put it away. NikĆ­ta Does not see the money. Why have you put on your things? AkĆ­m Iā€™m going, going I mean; forgive me for the Lordā€™s sake. Takes up his cap and belt. NikĆ­ta My gracious! Where are you going to at this time of night? AkĆ­m I canā€™t, I mean what dā€™ye call ā€™em, in your house, what dā€™ye call ā€™em, canā€™t stay I mean, stay, canā€™t stay, forgive me. NikĆ­ta But are you going without having any tea? AkĆ­m Fastens his belt. Going, because, I mean, itā€™s not right in your house, I mean, what dā€™you call it, not right, NikĆ­ta, in the house, what dā€™ye call it, not right! I mean, you are living a bad life, NikĆ­ta, badā ā€”Iā€™ll go. NikĆ­ta Eh now! Have done talking! Sit down and drink your tea! AnĆ­sya Why, father, youā€™ll shame us before the neighbours. What has offended you? AkĆ­m Nothing what dā€™ye call it, nothing has offended me, nothing at all! I mean only, I see, what dā€™you call it, I mean, I see my son, to ruin I mean, to ruin, I mean my sonā€™s on the road to ruin, I mean. NikĆ­ta What ruin? Just prove it! AkĆ­m Ruin, ruin; youā€™re in the midst of it! What did I tell you that time? NikĆ­ta You said all sorts of things! AkĆ­m I told you, what dā€™ye call it, I told you about the orphan lass. That you had wronged an orphanā ā€”MarĆ­na, I mean, wronged her! NikĆ­ta Eh! heā€™s at it again. Let bygones be bygonesā ā€Šā ā€¦ All thatā€™s past! AkĆ­m Excited. Past! No, lad, itā€™s not past. Sin, I mean, fastens on to sinā ā€”drags sin after it, and youā€™ve stuck fast, NikĆ­ta, fast in sin! Stuck fast in sin! I see youā€™re fast in sin. Stuck fast, sunk in sin, I mean! NikĆ­ta Sit down and drink your tea, and have done with it! AkĆ­m I canā€™t, I mean canā€™t what dā€™ye call it, canā€™t drink tea. Because of your filth, I mean; I feel what dā€™ye call it, I feel sick, very sick! I canā€™t what dā€™ye call it, I canā€™t drink tea with you. NikĆ­ta Eh! There he goes rambling! Come to the table. AkĆ­m Youā€™re in your riches same as in a netā ā€”youā€™re in a net, I mean. Ah, NikĆ­ta, itā€™s the soul that God needs! NikĆ­ta Now really, what right have you to reprove me in my own house? Why do you keep on at me? Am I a child that you can pull by the hair? Nowadays those things have been dropped! AkĆ­m Thatā€™s true. I have heard that nowadays, what dā€™ye call it, that nowadays children pull their fathersā€™ beards, I mean! But thatā€™s ruin, thatā€™s ruin, I mean! NikĆ­ta Angrily. We are living without help from you, and itā€™s you who came to us with your wants! AkĆ­m The money? Thereā€™s your money! Iā€™ll go begging, begging I mean, before Iā€™ll take it, I mean. NikĆ­ta Thatā€™s enough! Why be angry and upset the whole company! Holds him by the arm. AkĆ­m Shrieks. Let go! Iā€™ll not stay. Iā€™d rather sleep under some fence than in the midst of your filth! Faugh! God forgive me! Exit. NikĆ­ta Hereā€™s a go! AkĆ­m Reopens the door. Come to your senses, NikĆ­ta! Itā€™s the soul that God wants! Exit. AkoulĆ­na Takes cups. Well, shall I pour out the tea? Takes a cup. All are silent. MĆ­tritch Roars. Oh Lord, be merciful to me a sinner! All start. NikĆ­ta Lies down on the bench. Oh, itā€™s dull, itā€™s dull! To
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