ANNA PAVLOVNA (to THEODORE IVANITCH). Turn them out at once! They are to leave my kitchen immediately! It is terrible! No one listens to me; they do it out of spite.... I turn them out from there, and they bring them in here! And with my illness.... (Gets more and more excited, and at last begins to cry.) Doctor! Doctor! Peter Petrovitch!... He's gone too!... [Exit, sobbing, followed by LEONID FYODORITCH. [All stand silent for a long time. THIRD PEASANT. Botheration take them all! If one don't mind, the police will be after one here. And I have never been to law in all my born days. Let's go to some lodging-house, lads! THEODORE IVANITCH. (to TANYA). What are we to do? TANYA. Never mind, Theodore Ivanitch, let them sleep with the coachman. THEODORE IVANITCH. How can we do that? The coachman was complaining as it is, that his place is full of dogs. TANYA. Well, then, the porter's lodge. THEODORE IVANITCH. And supposing it's found out? TANYA. It won't be found out! Don't trouble about that, Theodore Ivanitch. How can one turn them out now, at night? They'll not find anywhere to go to. THEODORE IVANITCH. Well, do as you please. Only they must go away from here. [Exit. [PEASANTS take their bags. DISCHARGED COOK. Oh those damned fiends! It's all their fat! Fiends! SERVANTS' COOK. You be quiet there. Thank goodness they didn't see you! TANYA. Well then, daddy, come along to the porter's lodge. FIRST PEASANT. Well, but how about our business? How, for example, about the applience of his hand to the signature? May we be in hopes? TANYA. We'll see in an hour's time. SECOND PEASANT. You'll do the trick? TANYA (laughs). Yes, God willing! CURTAIN ACT III Evening of the same day. The small drawing-room in LEONID FYODORITCH'S house, where the seances are always held. LEONID FYODORITCH and the PROFESSOR. LEONID FYODORITCH. Well then, shall we risk a seance with our new medium? PROFESSOR. Yes, certainly. He is a powerful medium, there is no doubt about it. And it is especially desirable that the seance should take place to-day with the same people. Grossman will certainly respond to the influence of the mediumistic energy, and then the connection and identity of the different phenomena will be still more evident. You will see then that, if the medium is as strong as he was just now, Grossman will vibrate. LEONID FYODORITCH. Then I will send for Simon and ask those who wish to attend to come in. PROFESSOR. Yes, all right! I will just jot down a few notes. [Takes out his note-book and writes. [Enter SAHATOF. SAHATOF. They have just settled down to whist in Anna Pavlovna's drawing-room, and as I am not wanted there--and as I am interested in your seance--I have put in an appearance here. But will there be a seance? LEONID FYODORITCH. Yes, certainly! SAHATOF. In spite of the absence of Mr. Kaptchitch's mediumistic powers?