MADAM ULANBEKOV.  Fiddlesticks!  What I have once said is sacred.  And what do you mean by this scene?  Can’t you see that I’m not well?  To keep on plaguing me!  Potapych!  She has no father; you be a father to her instead; and impress upon her in fatherly fashion the baseness of her conduct, and the fact that she must obey my commands.

POTAPYCH.  You listen, Nadezhda, to what the mistress commands!  Because when she intrusts you to me, it means that I must show my authority over you.  If you command it, mistress, I can at once, in your presence, give her some moral instruction with my own hand!  Here, if you dare to say one tiny word to the contrary, I’ll drag you off by the hair, no matter what any one says.

[He raises his hand threateningly.]

NADYA.  Oh!... [She crouches.]

MADAM ULANBEKOV.  Don’t strike her!  What disgusting scenes!

POTAPYCH.  But, mistress!  You can’t get results by talking!  Besides, if I’m her father, that’s the regular thing!  That’s the law, and according to that, since she is rebelling against you now, I ought to give you that satisfaction.

NADYA. [Weeping] Mistress, don’t ruin me!

MADAM ULANBEKOV.  Oh, my God!  You don’t spare me at all.  Tears, squabblings!  Send for the doctor at once!  How many times have I got to say it?  It’s your own fault, you’ve nobody to blame for your tears.  Potapych! get this business over with!  I don’t like to repeat the same thing ten times over.

She goes out, GAVRILOVNA after her.  Silence.  GAVRILOVNA returns.

GAVRILOVNA.  She’s gone to bed, and banged the door behind her.

POTAPYCH. [At the window] Antoshka!  Antoshka!  Post boy!  Saddle the horse and ride to town for the doctor.  Oh, you!  Lord!

NADYA. [Rising from her knees] Don’t you think it’s a sin for you to abuse me, Potapych?  What have I ever done to you?

POTAPYCH.  What do I care?  What do I care about you?  When the mistress really wants something, I have to try to please her in every way; because I was born her servant.

NADYA.  If she had commanded you to kill me, would you have done it?

POTAPYCH.  That’s not my affair, I can’t argue about that.

GAVRILOVNA.  That’s enough, Nadya, don’t cry!  God doesn’t abandon orphans.

NADYA falls upon GAVRILOVNA’S bosom.

LIZA. [To VASILISA PEREGRINOVNA] Well, is your heart content now?

VASILISA PEREGRINOVNA.  Wait, my dear, your turn will come.

LEONID enters.

SCENE V

The same and LEONID

LEONID.  What’s this?  What has happened?

VASILISA PEREGRINOVNA.  You made all the trouble yourself, and then ask what has happened.

LEONID.  What trouble did I make?  What are you continually thinking up?