PELAGÉYA EGÓROVNA. Oh, yes, here they all are! [_To the girls_] Now, then, girls, a jolly song! Yes, a jolly one! Now we'll celebrate the wedding with all our hearts! With all our hearts! [_The girls begin to sing._ LYUBÍM KÁRPYCH. Sh! Obey orders! _He sings; the girls join in._ "We have done the business; All the trade is driven. The betrothal we will plight, And upon the wedding night A fine feast shall be given." SIN AND SORROW ARE COMMON TO ALL A DRAMA IN FOUR ACTS CHARACTERS VALENTÍN PÁVLYCH BABÁYEV[1], _a young landowner_ [Footnote 1: womanish] LEV RODIÓNYCH KRASNÓV, _a shopkeeper, about thirty years of age_ TATYÁNA DANÍLOVNA (_called_ TÁNYA), _his wife_ LUKÉRYA DANÍLOVNA ZHMIGÚLIN (_called,_ LÚSHA), _her sister, an old maid and daughter of a government clerk now dead._ ARKHÍP, _blind old man, grandfather of_ KRASNÓV AFÓNYA (AFANÁSY), _invalid boy about eighteen years of age, brother of_ KRASNÓV MANÚYLO KALÍNYCH KÚRITSYN, _flour dealer about forty-five years of age_ ULYÁNA RODIÓNOVNA KÚRITSYNA, _his wife, sister of_ KRASNÓV SHISHGÁLEV, _government clerk_ ZÁYCHIKHA (_called PROKÓFYEVNA_), _landlady of the lodgings taken by_ BABÁYEV KARP, BABÁYEV'_s attendant The action takes place in a district town_. SIN AND SORROW ARE COMMON TO ALL ACT I TABLEAU I _A room, cheaply papered, shabbily furnished; in the rear two doors, one opening on the street, the other leading into an adjoining room; the windows are hung with chintz curtains._ SCENE I _KARP is unfastening a valise, and ZÁYCHIKHA (PROKÓFYEVNA) is looking out of the window._ PROKÓFYEVNA. Just look, dear sir, how many people have gathered. KARP. What do they want? Why are they curious? PROKÓFYEVNA. Every one, dear sir, wishes to know who it is that has arrived. KARP. They say you're provincials, and you certainly are provincials. Well, tell them that it's Babáyev, Valentin Pávlich, a landowner. PROKÓFYEVNA. [_Speaking through the window_] Babáyev, a landowner. [_To KARP_] They're asking why you came. KARP. On business, of course. Did you think we came here for sport? Much chance there would be for that here. PROKÓFYEVNA. [_Through the window_] For business. [_To KARP_] Will you remain long? KARP. We certainly haven't come to settle here. We may stay two days; not longer, you may be sure. PROKÓFYEVNA. [_Through the window_] For two days. [_Withdraws from the window_] Now I've satisfied them. In five minutes the entire city will know. KARP. Your lodging is all right; it's clean. PROKÓFYEVNA. Certainly it's clean, sir. No great frills, but it's clean. Of course there's no great travelling to our town. KARP. It isn't on the highway. PROKÓFYEVNA. Highway, not much! Yet the best people that do come here, lodge with me. I know a lot of the landowners who come here. They are used to me; very few of them ever go to the hotel. KARP. Because it's so noisy.