_Cath._ And that you should love him? _Vera._ O, no! I couldn't help loving _him_! _Cath._ [_Shaking her head and taking up her work_] My thread, child. I left it in the kitchen. [_Exit Vera, second entrance, right_] _Vet._ [_Looking after her_] She is like her mother, Catherine. _Cath._ Yes ... dear Polya. I thought she was going to have a wilful heart, but she is just a woman. _Vet._ [_Moodily_] I wish they were both with their parents in the only safe place in Russia, the grave. _Cath._ [_Looking at Vasil_] Hush! He will be safe enough soon. The Shepherd is good to send him away, and he so poor himself. Buy him from the army, and all. _Vet._ Send an innocent lad out of his own country to be safe. _Cath._ He is to be a musician as well as a scholar. Berlin is the place. The Shepherd knows. He could not keep out of trouble at our universities. You know what you were in your youth, Petrovich. _Vet._ I wanted to be a scholar too. But they beat me back. _Cath._ You have been a good peasant. You might have been a poor scholar. And we have had the teachers. Don't you remember the first night-class in our cottage, and the noble's daughter who wore peasant clothes and taught grown men to read? That was thirty years ago. _Vet._ And she went to Kara for it ... to the mines ... for teaching men to read. _Cath._ But others came. _Vet._ And went ... as she did. _Cath._ God bless them! We can all read our Bibles now. And the lad is going to a university. _Vet._ 'Tis far, Berlin. I am old. The Shepherd is needed everywhere. He may go any time. Vasil ought to stay with his sister. _Cath._ She has Alexander. _Vet._ How long will he keep out of prison with that big heart and hot head? _Cath._ God will protect her. _Vet._ As he did her mother! Yes. _Cath._ You are hardening your heart, Petrovich. [_Turns toward icon, crossing herself_] _Vera._ [_Re-entering_] Grandmamma! [_Stands in door_] _Cath._ The thread, child. _Vera._ O, I forgot. Uliana is in the kitchen. _Cath._ [_Rising quickly_] Uliana! _Vera._ It's bad news, I'm afraid. She keeps wiping her eyes pretending she isn't. _Cath._ Did she tell you anything? _Vera._ No, grandmamma. I couldn't make her. [_Catherine hurries across to kitchen entrance. Vetrova takes up his crutch and hobbles after her_] _Cath._ [_Sternly_] Stay with the children, Petrovich. [_Exit, closing door behind her_] _Vera._ [_Opening door for Vetrova_] Go on, grandfather. [_Laughs and kisses him_] Are you afraid? I promise you Vasil and I will stay here. She wants _you_, I know. _Vet._ [_Lifting her chin_] A good child, but too pretty, too pretty. [_Exit_] _Vera._ [_Turns and looks at Vasil, who is absorbed in his book. Crosses to him_] Vasil? _Vasil._ [_Looking up reluctantly_] Ten pages beyond Adrian's mark. He will be pleased. _Vera._ Is there anything you like better than to please Adrian? _Vasil._ [_Listening_] Who is in the kitchen? _Vera._ Uliana.