THIRD PEASANT. That be so truly. Oh Lord! VASILY LEONIDITCH (off the scene, rings, and then shouts). Gregory! Gregory! FIRST PEASANT. Now who's that, for example, disturbing himself in such a way, if I may say so? TANYA. That's the young master. THIRD PEASANT. Oh Lord! Didn't I say we'd better wait outside until the time comes? [Silence. SECOND PEASANT. Is it you, Simon wants to marry? TANYA. Why, has he been writing? [Hides her face in her apron. SECOND PEASANT. It's evident he's written! But it's a bad business he's imagined here. I see the lad's got spoilt! TANYA (quickly). No, he's not at all spoilt! Shall I send him to you? SECOND PEASANT. Why send him? All in good time. Where's the hurry? VASILY LEONIDITCH (desperately, behind scene). Gregory! Where the devil are you?... [Enters from his room in shirt-sleeves, adjusting his pince-nez. VASILY LEONIDITCH. Is every one dead? TANYA. He's not here, sir.... I'll send him to you at once. [Moves towards the back door. VASILY LEONIDITCH. I could hear you talking, you know. How have these scarecrows sprung up here? Eh? What? TANYA. They're peasants from the Koursk village, sir. [PEASANTS bow. VASILY LEONIDITCH. And who is this? Oh yes, from Bourdier. [VASILY LEONIDITCH pays no attention to the PEASANTS' bow. TANYA meets GREGORY at the doorway and remains on the scene. VASILY LEONIDITCH (to GREGORY). I told you the other boots.... I can't wear these! GREGORY. Well, the others are also there. VASILY LEONIDITCH. But where is there? GREGORY. Just in the same place! VASILY LEONIDITCH. They're not! GREGORY. Well, come and see. [Exeunt GREGORY and VASILY LEONIDITCH. THIRD PEASANT. Say, now, might we not in the meantime just go and wait, say, in some lodging-house or somewhere? TANYA. No, no, wait a little. I'll go and bring you some plates to put the presents on. [Exit. [Enter SAHATOF and LEONID FYODORITCH, followed by THEODORE IVANITCH. [The PEASANTS take up the presents, and pose themselves. LEONID FYODORITCH (to PEASANTS). Presently, presently! Wait a bit! (Points to PORTER.) Who is this? PORTER. From Bourdey's. LEONID FYODORITCH. Ah, from Bourdier. SAHATOF (smiling). Well, I don't deny it: still you understand that, never having seen it, we, the uninitiated, have some difficulty in believing. LEONID FYODORITCH. You say you find it difficult to believe! We do not ask for faith; all we demand of you is to investigate! How can I help believing in this ring? Yet this ring came from there! SAHATOF. From there? What do you mean? From where? LEONID FYODORITCH. From the other world. Yes! SAHATOF (smiling). That's very interesting--very interesting!