LUKERYA.  But he loves you very much, Tanya.

TATYANA.  Is that so?  Oh, bother him.  That’s just it; at first I haven’t enough sense, then I have to cry over it.  My mother used to say to me:  “Be careful, daughter, your lack of common sense will be your ruin.”

LUKERYA.  You want to see him, I suppose?  I think he’s waiting.

TATYANA.  Well, of course.  If it depended on me, I’d fly to him.

LUKERYA.  We’ll have to rack our brains how we may work that.

TATYANA.  No matter how I rack my brain, I can’t think of anything.

LUKERYA.  I know what, Tanya!  You’ll have to fool your husband.

TATYANA.  How?

LUKERYA.  We women couldn’t live without cunning, because we’re the weaker sex, and abused on all sides.

TATYANA.  But what cunning?  Tell me!

LUKERYA.  Now that you and your husband live like cats and dogs, he can’t help getting the notion into his noddle that you don’t love him, but do love another.

TATYANA.  How shall I manage?

LUKERYA.  You’ll have to change your tactics.  Be very submissive; peasants like that.  Make believe that you’re in love with him; give him all sorts of humbug and he’ll prick up his ears at it.  Flatter him with all sorts of flatteries—­that’ll be a new thing for him.

TATYANA.  I’ll have to say what I don’t feel.

LUKERYA.  Where’s the harm in that?  How does he know what’s in your heart?  He doesn’t need to understand that your action is make-believe, and not sincere.  You’ll see, after such actions, he’ll believe in you so much that even though you made love before his very eyes, he wouldn’t notice it.

TATYANA.  One can’t make such a sudden change in oneself.

LUKERYA.  It certainly must be sudden.  What’s there to wait for?

TATYANA.  He’s angry with me now; how can I approach him?  I can’t beg his pardon!

LUKERYA.  Why pardon? [She thinks] Do it this way:  you tell grandfather Arkhip that you’d like to make up with your husband, so that you’d have no misunderstandings, that you love your husband, and that you feel his displeasure very much.

TATYANA.  Well, I’ll try.

LUKERYA.  It’s all the same to me!  I’m talking for your own good.

TATYANA.  Go and bring grandfather; he’s sitting in the garden. [LUKERYA goes out] That’s what it is for a woman to have wits!  Even if she takes a fancy to a man she won’t let anybody guess it.  She’ll so fool her husband that he’ll just dote on her.  But without wit one is lost.

LUKERYA comes in leading ARKHIP.

SCENE II

TATYANA, LUKERYA, ARKHIP

ARKHIP.  Do you need me?  What do you want me for?  Tatyana, are you here?

TATYANA.  Yes, grandfather.

ARKHIP.  Lukerya is leading me, and she says:  “Grandfather Arkhip, we need you!” What business can you have of me in my old age?