. .

LIUBOV (weeping quietly)My little boy died, drowned. (cries out) Why? Tell me why, Petya. (quieter again) Anya’s asleep next door and here I am, raising my voice and making a scene. Let me look at you, Petya. Why have you lost your looks? How did you get so old?

TROFIMOVAn old woman on the train yesterday called me “that mangy gentleman.”

LIUBOVYou were only a boy, a nice young student. Now you’re losing your hair and wearing glasses. Are you really still a student?

She goes to the door.

TROFIMOVI expect I’ll die a student.

Liubov kisses her brother, then Varya.

LIUBOVWell, now, it’s bed time. You’ve aged too, Leonid.

PISHCHIK (following her)Yes, time to get some sleep. Ouch, my gout. I’ll stay with you tonight. And in the morning, dearest heart, see your way . . . two hundred and forty roubles . . .?

GAEVHe doesn’t give up.

PISHCHIKTwo hundred and forty roubles to pay the interest . . .?

LIUBOVI have no money, my sweet.

PISHCHIKI’ll give it back, my dear. It’s a trifling sum.

LIUBOVOh, all right—ask Leonid for it—go on, Leonid—give it to him.

GAEVI give it to him?—he’ll be lucky.

LIUBOVWhat else can one do? He has to have it. He’ll pay it back.

Liubov, Trofimov, Pishchik, and Firs go out. Gaev, Varya, and Yasha remain.

GAEVMy sister’s still in the habit of throwing her money away. (to Yasha) Could you stand further away, you smell like a hen house.

YASHA (with a smirk)You haven’t changed a bit either.

GAEVWhat? What did he say?

VARYA (to Yasha)Your mother’s come from the village, she’s been sitting in the back hall since yesterday wanting to see you.

YASHAI wish her luck.

VARYAYou’re shameless.

YASHAWhat’s the rush? Tomorrow would have done.

Yasha goes out.

VARYAMama’s just the same, she hasn’t changed at all. Left to herself she’d give away everything she had.

GAEVYes. (pause) Whenever you have a lot of different remedies prescribed for some disease, it means there’s no cure. I’ve been cudgelling my brains, I can think of lots of remedies, which means, in effect, I haven’t got any. If only someone left us lots of money, if only Anya married a millionaire, or we could go to Yaroslavl and try our luck with the countess. Auntie is really enormously rich, you know.

VARYA (weeps)If only God would come to our help.

GAEVDon’t howl. Auntie’s rich but she doesn’t like us. To start with, my sister married a lawyer instead of marrying into the nobility .