AKOULiNA. Yours indeed? No fear! You wished to steal it, but it did not come off! Get out of the way!

[Pushes her while trying to pa.s.s.

ANiSYA. What are you shoving for? I'll teach you to shove!

AKOULiNA. Shove me? You try!

[Presses against ANiSYA.

NIKiTA. Now then, now then, you women. Have done now!

[Steps between them.

AKOULiNA. Comes shoving herself in! You ought to keep quiet and remember your doings! You think no one knows!

ANiSYA. Knows what? Out with it, out with it! What do they know?

AKOULiNA. I know something about you!

ANiSYA. You're a s.l.u.t who goes with another's husband!

AKOULiNA. And you did yours to death!

ANiSYA (throwing herself on AKOULiNA). You're raving!

NIKiTA (holding her back). Anisya, you seem to have forgotten!

ANiSYA. Want to frighten me! I'm not afraid of you!

NIKiTA (turns ANiSYA round and pushes her out). Be off!

ANiSYA. Where am I to go? I'll not go out of my own house!

NIKiTA. Be off, I tell you, and don't dare to come in here!

ANiSYA. I won't go! (NIKiTA pushes her, ANiSYA cries and screams and clings to the door.) What! am I to be turned out of my own house by the scruff of the neck? What are you doing, you scoundrel? Do you think there's no law for you? You wait a bit!

NIKiTA. Now then!

ANiSYA. I'll go to the Elder! To the policeman!

NIKiTA. Off, I tell you!

[Pushes her out.

ANiSYA (behind the door). I'll hang myself!

NIKiTA. No fear!

NAN. Oh, oh, oh! Mother, dear, darling!

[Cries.

NIKiTA. Me frightened of her! A likely thing! What are you crying for?

She'll come back, no fear. Go and see to the samovar.

[Exit NAN.

AKOULiNA (collects and folds her presents). The mean wretch, how she's messed it up. But wait a bit, I'll cut up her jacket for her! Sure I will!

NIKiTA. I've turned her out; what more do you want?

AKOULiNA. She's dirtied my new shawl. If that b.i.t.c.h hadn't gone away, I'd have torn her eyes out!

NIKiTA. That's enough. Why should you be angry? Now if I loved her....

AKOULiNA. Loved her? She's worth loving, with her fat mug! If you'd have given her up, then nothing would have happened. You should have sent her to the devil. And the house was mine all the same, and the money was mine! Says she is the mistress, but what sort of mistress is she to her husband? She's a murderess, that's what she is! She'll serve you the same way!

NIKiTA. Oh dear, how's one to stop a woman's jaw? You don't yourself know what you're jabbering about!

AKOULiNA. Yes, I do. I'll not live with her! I'll turn her out of the house! She can't live here with me. The mistress indeed! She's not the mistress,--that jailbird!

NIKiTA. That's enough! What have you to do with her? Don't mind her.

You look at me! I am the master! I do as I like. I've ceased to love her, and now I love you. I love who I like! The power is mine, she's under me. That's where I keep her. (Points to his feet.) A pity we've no concertina.

[Sings.

"We have loaves on the stoves, We have porridge on the shelf. So we'll live and be gay, Making merry every day, And when death comes, Then we'll die! We have loaves on the stoves, We have porridge on the shelf...."

[Enter MiTRITCH. He takes off his outdoor things and climbs on the oven.

MiTRITCH. Seems the women have been fighting again! Tearing each other's hair. Oh Lord, gracious Nicholas!

AKiM. (sitting on the edge of the oven, takes his leg-bands and shoes and begins putting them on). Get in, get into the corner.

MiTRITCH. Seems they can't settle matters between them. Oh Lord!

NIKiTA. Get out the liquor, we'll have some with our tea.

NAN (to AKOULiNA). Sister, the samovar is just boiling over.

NIKiTA. And where's your mother?

NAN. She's standing and crying out there in the pa.s.sage.

NIKiTA. Oh, that's it! Call her, and tell her to bring the samovar.

And you, Akoulina, get the tea things.