FIRST PEASANT. It's to your honour we've come ...

Enter Petristchef briskly, in fur-lined overcoat.

PETRiSTCHEF. Is Vasily Leoniditch awake yet? [Seeing Leonid Fyodoritch, bows, moving only his head].

LEONiD FYoDORITCH. You have come to see my son?

PETRiSTCHEF. I? Yes, just to see Vovo for a moment.

LEONiD FYoDORITCH. Step in, step in.

Petristchef takes off his overcoat and walks in briskly. Exit.

LEONiD FYoDORITCH [to Peasants] Well, what is it you want?

SECOND PEASANT. Please accept our presents!

FIRST PEASANT [smiling] That's to say, the peasants' offerings.

THIRD PEASANT. Say no more about it; what's the good? We wish you the same as if you were our own father! Say no more about it!

LEONiD FYoDORITCH. All right. Here, Theodore, take these.

THEODORE IVaNITCH [to Peasants] Give them here. [Takes the presents].

LEONiD FYoDORITCH. Well, what is the business?

FIRST PEASANT. We've come to your honour ...

LEONiD FYoDORITCH. I see you have; but what do you want?

FIRST PEASANT. It's about making a move towards completing the sale of the land. It comes to this ...

LEONiD FYoDORITCH. Do you mean to buy the land?

FIRST PEASANT. That's just it. It comes to this ... I mean the buying of the property of the land. The Commune has given us, let's say, the power of atturning, to enter, let's say, as is lawful, through the Government bank, with a stamp for the lawful amount.

LEONiD FYoDORITCH. You mean that you want to buy the land through the land-bank.

FIRST PEASANT. That's just it. Just as you offered it to us last year.

It comes to this, then, the whole sum in full for the buying of the property of the land is 32,864 roubles.

LEONiD FYoDORITCH. That's all right, but how about paying up?

FIRST PEASANT. As to the payment, the Commune offers just as it was said last year--to pay in 'stalments, and your receipt of the ready money by lawful regulations, 4000 roubles in full.[2]

[2] The present value of the rouble is rather over two shillings and one penny.

SECOND PEASANT. Take 4000 now, and wait for the rest of the money.

THIRD PEASANT [unwrapping a parcel of money] And about this be quite easy. We should p.a.w.n our own selves rather than do such a thing just anyhow say, but in this way, let's say, as it ought to be done.

LEONiD FYoDORITCH. But did I not write and tell you that I should not agree to it unless you brought the whole sum?

FIRST PEASANT. That's just it. It would be more agreeable, but it is not in our possibilities, I mean.

LEONiD FYoDORITCH. Well then, the thing can't be done!

FIRST PEASANT. The Commune, for example, relied its hopes on that, that you made the offer last year to sell it in easy 'stalments ...

LEONiD FYoDORITCH. That was last year. I would have agreed to it then, but now I can't.

SECOND PEASANT. But how's that? We've been depending on your promise--we've got the papers ready and have collected the money!

THIRD PEASANT. Be merciful, master! We're short of land; we'll say nothing about cattle, but even a hen, let's say, we've no room to keep.

[Bows] Don't wrong us, master! [Bows].

LEONiD FYoDORITCH. Of course it's quite true, that I agreed last year to let you have the land for payment by instalments, but now circ.u.mstances are such that it would be inconvenient.

SECOND PEASANT. Without this land we cannot live!

FIRST PEASANT. That's just it. Without land our lives must grow weaker and come to a decline.

THIRD PEASANT [bowing] Master, we have so little land, let's not talk about the cattle, but even a chicken, let's say, we've no room for.

Master, be merciful, accept the money, master!

LEONiD FYoDORITCH [examining the doc.u.ment] I quite understand, and should like to help you. Wait a little; I will give you an answer in half-an-hour.... Theodore, say I am engaged and am not to be disturbed.

THEODORE IVaNITCH. Yes, sir. [Exit Leonid Fyodoritch].

The Peasants look dejected.

SECOND PEASANT. Here's a go! "Give me the whole sum," he says. And where are we to get it from?

FIRST PEASANT. If he had not given us hopes, for example. As it is we felt quite insured it would be as was said last year.

THIRD PEASANT. Oh Lord! and I had begun unwrapping the money. [Begins wrapping up the bundle of bank-notes again] What are we to do now?

THEODORE IVaNITCH. What is your business, then?

FIRST PEASANT. Our business, respected sir, depends in this. Last year he made us the offer of our buying the land in 'stalments. The Commune entered upon these terms and gave us the powers of atturning, and now d'you see he makes the offering that we should pay the whole in full!

And as it turns out, the business is no ways convenient for us.

THEODORE IVaNITCH. What is the whole sum?

FIRST PEASANT. The whole sum in readiness is 4000 roubles, you see.

THEODORE IVaNITCH. Well, what of that? Make an effort and collect more.