MITRITCH. I was living with a tradesman in town, but drank all I had there. Now I've come back to the village. I've no home, so I've gone into service. (Gapes.) Oh Lord! AKIM. But how's that, what d'you call it, or what's name, Nikita, what does he do? Has he some business, I mean besides, that he should hire a laborer, a laborer, I mean, hire a laborer? ANISYA. What business should he have? He used to manage, but now he's other things on his mind, so he's hired a laborer. MITRITCH. Why shouldn't he, seeing he has money? AKIM. Now that's what d'you call it, that's wrong, I mean, quite wrong, I mean. That's spoiling oneself. ANISYA. Oh, he has got spoilt, that spoilt, it's just awful. AKIM. There now, what d'you call it, one thinks how to make things better, and it gets worse I mean. Riches spoil a man, spoil, I mean. MITRITCH. Fatness makes even a dog go mad; how's one not to get spoilt by fat living? Myself now; how I went on with fat living. I drank for three weeks without being sober. I drank my last breeches. When I had nothing left, I gave it up. Now I've determined not to. Bother it! AKIM. And where's what d'you call, your old woman? MITRITCH. My old woman has found her right place, old fellow. She's hanging about the gin-shops in town. She's a swell too; one eye knocked out, and the other black, and her muzzle twisted to one side. And she's never sober; drat her! AKIM. Oh, oh, oh, how's that? MITRITCH. And where's a soldier's wife to go? She has found her right place. [Silence. AKIM (to ANISYA). And Nikita,--has he what d'you call it, taken anything up to town? I mean, anything to sell? ANISYA (laying the table and serving up). No, he's taken nothing. He's gone to get money from the bank. AKIM (sitting down to supper). Why? D'you wish to put it to another use, the money I mean? ANISYA. No, we don't touch it. Only some twenty or thirty roubles as have come due; they must be taken. AKIM. Must be taken. Why take it, the money I mean? You'll take some to-day I mean, and some to-morrow; and so you'll what d'you call it, take it all, I mean. ANISYA. We get this besides. The money is all safe. AKIM. All safe? How's that, safe? You take it, and it what d'you call it, it's all safe. How's that? You put a heap of meal into a bin, or a barn, I mean, and go on taking meal, will it remain there, what d'you call it, all safe, I mean? That's, what d'you call it, it's cheating. You'd better find out, or else they'll cheat you. Safe indeed! I mean you what d'ye call ... you take it and it remains all safe there? ANISYA. I know nothing about it. Ivan Mosevitch advised us at the time. "Put the money in the bank," he said, "the money will be safe, and you'll get interest," he said. MITRITCH (having finished his supper). That's so. I've lived with a tradesman. They all do like that. Put the money in the bank, then lie down on the oven and it will keep coming in.