BETSY. And I thought they were the beaters. Are you not beaters? FIRST PEASANT. No, no, lady. We have come to see Leoníd Fyódoritch about the signing into our possession of the title-deeds to some land. BETSY. Then how is it? Vovo was expecting some beaters who were to come to-day. Are you sure you are not the beaters? [The Peasants are silent] How stupid they are! [Goes to Vasíly Leoníditch's door] Vovo? [Laughs]. MÁRYA KONSTANTÍNOVNA. But we met him just now upstairs! BETSY. Why need you remember that? Vovo, are you there? Petrístchef enters. PETRÍSTCHEF. Vovo is not here, but I am prepared to fulfil on his behalf anything that may be required. How do you do? How do you do, Márya Konstantínovna? [Shakes hands long and violently with Betsy, and then with Márya Konstantínovna]. SECOND PEASANT. See, it's as if he were pumping water! BETSY. You can't replace him,--still you're better than nobody. [Laughs] What are these affairs of yours with Vovo? PETRÍSTCHEF. What affairs? Our affairs are fie-nancial, that is, our business is fie! It's also nancial, and besides it is financial. BETSY. What does nancial mean? PETRÍSTCHEF. What a question! It means nothing, that's just the point. BETSY. No, no, you have missed fire. [Laughs]. PETRÍSTCHEF. One can't always hit the mark, you know. It's something like a lottery. Blanks and blanks again, and at last you win! [Theodore Ivánitch goes into the study]. BETSY. Well, this was blank then; but tell me, were you at the Mergásofs' last night? PETRÍSTCHEF. Not exactly at the _Mère_ Gásof's, but rather at the _Père_ Gásof's, or better still, at the _Fils_ Gásof's. BETSY. You can't do without puns. It's an illness. And were the Gypsies there?[3] [Laughs]. [3] The Gypsy choirs are very popular in Moscow. PETRÍSTCHEF [sings] "On their aprons silken threads, little birds with golden heads!" ... BETSY. Happy mortals! And we were yawning at Fofo's. PETRÍSTCHEF [continues to sing] "And she promised and she swore, She would ope' her ... her ... her ..." how does it go on, Márya Konstantínovna? MÁRYA KONSTANTÍNOVNA. "Closet door." PETRÍSTCHEF. How? What? How, Márya Konstantínovna? BETSY. _Cessez, vous devenez impossible!_[4] [4] BETSY. Cease! You are becoming quite unbearable! PETRÍSTCHEF. _J'ai cessé, j'ai bébé, j'ai dédé...._[5] [5] PETRÍSTCHEF. I have C said (_ceased_), B said, and D said. BETSY. I see the only way to rid ourselves of your wit is to make you sing! Let us go into Vovo's room, his guitar is there. Come, Márya Konstantínovna, come! [Exeunt Betsy, Márya Konstantínovna, and Petrístchef]. FIRST PEASANT. Who be they? GREGORY. One is our young lady, the other is a girl who teaches her music. FIRST PEASANT. Administrates learning, so to say. And ain't she smart? A reg'lar picture! SECOND PEASANT. Why don't they marry her? She is old enough, I should say. GREGORY. Do you think it's the same as among you peasants,--marry at fifteen?