Arkady comes in, and he and Rakitin greet each other. Arkady then complains at length about the work he's doing on the estate. He says he's hardworking and practical. He used to dream of being another kind of man but realized his mistake, and he is now living the life he believes he's meant to live. He wonders where Beliayev is, saying he asked him to check on the progress of construction on some new barns. Beliayev comes in, reporting to Arkady that work on the barns is ahead of schedule. Natalya enters also, and Arkady greets her distractedly. Then, Arkady invites them all to look at a new piece of machinery before dinner. Rakitin agrees to go, but Natalya says she'll stay behind.
Arkady and Rakitin go out. Beliayev is about.....
