NIKITA. Go away from me! What have you done with me? MATRYONA. Come, come, sonny! Now, really, what's the matter with you? [Takes his hand. NIKITA. Go away from me! I'll kill you! It's all one to me now! I'll kill you! MATRYONA. Oh, oh, how frightened he's got! You should go and have a sleep now! NIKITA. I have nowhere to go; I'm lost! MATRYONA (shaking her head). Oh, oh, I'd better go and tidy things up. He'll sit and rest a bit, and it will pass! [Exit. [NIKITA sits with his face in his hands. MITRITCH and NAN seem stunned. NIKITA. It's whining! It's whining! It is really--there, there, quite plain! She'll bury it, really she will! (Runs to the door.) Mother, don't bury it, it's alive.... [Enter MATRYONA. MATRYONA (whispers). Now then, what is it? Heaven help you! Why won't you get to rest? How can it be alive? All its bones are crushed! NIKITA. Give me more drink. [Drinks. MATRYONA. Now go, sonny. You'll fall asleep now all right. NIKITA (stands listening). Still alive ... there ... it's whining! Don't you hear?... There! MATRYONA (whispers). No! I tell you! NIKITA. Mother! My own mother! I've ruined my life! What have you done with me? Where am I to go? [Runs out of the hut; MATRYONA follows him. NAN. Daddy dear, darling, they've smothered it! MITRITCH (angrily). Go to sleep, I tell you! Oh dear, may the frogs kick you! I'll give it to you with the broom! Go to sleep, I tell you! NAN. Daddy, my treasure! Something is catching hold of my shoulders, something is catching hold with its paws! Daddy dear ... really, really ... I must go! Daddy, darling! let me get up on the oven with you! Let me, for Heaven's sake! Catching hold ... catching hold! Oh! [Runs to the stove. MITRITCH. See how they've frightened the girl.... What vile creatures they are! May the frogs kick them! Well then, climb up. Nan (climbs on oven). But don't you go away! Mitritch. Where should I go to? Climb up, climb up! Oh Lord! Gracious Nicholas! Holy Mother!... How they have frightened the girl. (Covers her up.) There's a little fool-- really a little fool! How they've frightened her; really, they are vile creatures! The deuce take 'em! CURTAIN ACT V SCENE I In front of scene a stack-stand, to the left a thrashing ground, to the right a barn. The barn doors are open. Straw is strewn about in the doorway. The hut with yard and out-buildings is seen in the background, whence proceed sounds of singing and of a tambourine. Two GIRLS are walking past the barn towards the hut. FIRST GIRL. There, you see we've managed to pass without so much as getting our boots dirty! But to come by the street is terribly muddy! (Stop and wipe their boots on the straw. FIRST GIRL looks at the straw and sees something .) What's that? SECOND GIRL (looks where the straw lies and sees some one). It's MITRITCH, their laborer. Just look how drunk he is! FIRST GIRL. Why, I thought be didn't drink.