Act 3, Part 1 Summary

This act is again set in the drawing room. Rakitin and Shpigelsky come in from outside, with Shpigelsky complaining that on the one hand, Bolshintsov is pestering him to find out about Natalya's position on the marriage while on the other, Natalya and Vera are ignoring him. When Rakitin says Bolshintsov is a fool, Shpigelsky protests that even foolish men have the right to marry. In trying to help Bolshintsov, he claims he's just being a good friend, but under pressure he admits that he's been offered three horses in exchange for that help. Further conversation reveals that Shpigelsky wants Rakitin to help him convince Natalya to allow the relationship between Bolshintsov and Vera to go ahead. The audience understands this to be the "something" that Shpigelsky wanted to discuss with Rakitin at the end of Act 2. Shpigelsky sees Natalya coming...