Plays by Aleksandr Nikolaevich Ostrovsky Part 23

LYUBoV GORDeYEVNA. Some one's coming! Go away quietly, dearest, and I'll come later.

MiTYA _goes out quietly_. ARiNA _comes in with a candle_; LYUBoV GORDeYEVNA _goes to meet her_.

SCENE III

ARiNA, LYUBoV GORDeYEVNA, _and afterwards_ EGoRUSHKA

ARiNA. Well, you! You frightened me enough! What are you doing here? Your mother is looking for you there, and here you are! Why are you wandering about in the dark! Oh, you modest maiden! Fairy princess. [LYUBoV GORDeYEVNA _goes out_] Well, really, wasn't some one there with her?

[_Looks into the corner_] But I'm a silly old woman, I suspected some one!

[_Lights the candles_] Oh, deary me, some trouble will be sure to come in my old age. [EGoRUSHKA _enters_] Go along, Egorushka, and call the girls in from the neighbors; tell them Pelageya Egorovna told you to invite them to come and sing songs.

EGoRUSHKA. Oh! how are you, Arina, my dear?

ARiNA. What are you so happy about, silly?

EGoRUSHKA. Why shouldn't I be happy? It's such fun! Ha, ha, ha! [_Jumps about._

ARiNA. And maybe the mummers are coming; the young people wanted to dress up.

EGoRUSHKA. Oh, I shall die! Oh, Lord, I shall die!

ARiNA. What's the matter with you, you scamp?

EGoRUSHKA. Oh, I shall die of laughing! Oh, granny, I've got such giggles!

ARiNA. Dress up yourself.

EGoRUSHKA. I will, I will! Oh, Lord! Oh, Oh, Oh.

ARiNA. Now you run along quickly and fetch the girls.

EGoRUSHKA. In a second! [_Goes out._

PELAGeYA EGoROVNA _comes in._

SCENE IV

ARiNA _and_ PELAGeYA EGoROVNA

PELAGeYA EGoROVNA. Arinushka, did you send for the girls?

ARiNA. I did, my dear.

PELAGeYA EGoROVNA. That's right. Let them have a song with our folks, and cheer up Lyubov and the guests. This is the time for them to enjoy themselves--while they're young. You know what a girl's life is--behind bolts and bars, never seeing the world! Now's their holiday!--Yes, let 'em have a good time!

ARiNA. Yes, to be sure, to be sure! Why shouldn't they?

PELAGeYA EGoROVNA. Bring in some Madeira, Arinushka, the oldest we have; and gingerbread for the young people, and sweets--whatever you choose!

Attend to it yourself, but don't forget the Madeira.

ARiNA. I understand, I understand; there'll be enough of everything.

Directly, my dear, directly!

PELAGeYA EGoROVNA. And a snack for the young men.

ARiNA. Everything, everything will be all right. Don't you worry yourself; you join the guests. I'll do everything with pleasure. [_Goes out._

PELAGeYA EGoROVNA. [_Going to the door_] Girls, boys, come here! There's more room here and it's lighter.

_Enter_ LYUBoV GORDeYEVNA, MaSHA, LiZA, ANNA IVaNOVNA, RAZLYULYaYEV, MiTYA, GuSLIN, _and two_ GUESTS.

SCENE V

PELAGeYA EGoROVNA, LYUBoV GORDeYEVNA, MaSHA, LiZA, ANNA IVaNOVNA, RAZLYULYaYEV, MiTYA, GuSLIN, _and two_ GUESTS _(old women)._

PELAGeYA EGoROVNA. [_To the old women_] We'll sit here. [_Seats herself on the sofa, with the old women near her;_ ANNA IVaNOVNA _and_ GuSLIN _take chairs and talk quietly;_ MiTYA _stands near them;_ MaSHA, LYUBoV GORDeYEVNA, _and_ LiZA _walk about the room with their arms round each other;_ RAZLYULYaYEV _follows them_] We'll watch them while they play.

LiZA. "Just imagine, mother!" I said, "he doesn't know how to talk properly, and he even uses such words that it's absolutely impolite."

RAZLYULYaYEV. Do you mean me?

LiZA. We aren't talking about you; it's no business of yours. [_She continues_] "But why, mother, must I love him?" [_Speaks in a whisper._

PELAGeYA EGoROVNA. Yes, my friend, I love the good old ways. Yes, our good old Russian ways. But there! my husband doesn't care for them! What can you do about it? That's his character. But I love them, I'm naturally jolly; yes, I love to give a person a bite and to get them to sing songs to me!

Yes, I take after my family. Our family are all jolly, and love singing.

FIRST GUEST. When I look round, my dear Pelageya Egorovna, there isn't the gayety that there used to be when we were young.

SECOND GUEST. No, no.

PELAGeYA EGoROVNA. In my young days I was the merriest sort of girl--always singing and dancing---indeed I was. Yes, what songs I knew! They don't sing such songs now.

FIRST GUEST. No, they don't sing them; new songs have come in now.

SECOND GUEST. Yes, yes, one remembers the old times.

PELAGeYA EGoROVNA. Yasha dear! Sing us some good old songs.

GuSLIN _takes the guitar._