SAVVA _(suddenly bursting into a good-natured, merry laugh)_ Oh, a trifle! All right, the circus, why not? We'll both join it, Speransky and I. Not as acrobats though, but as clowns. How about it? Can you swallow hot junk? No? Well, I'll teach you. As for you, Lipa, won't you please let me have something to eat? I haven't had anything since this morning. YEGOR A regular Satan, a regular Satan! Hasn't had anything to eat! Who has ever heard of eating at this hour of the night? Who has ever seen such a thing? SAVVA I'll give you a chance to see it now. It's very interesting. Wait, I'll teach you also how to swallow hot junk. I'll make you an expert. You'll be a wonder. YEGOR Me? Fool, you can't teach me anything any more. Tony, give me the whiskey. TONY I won't. YEGOR The devil take you all! Brought up and fed a lot of--_(Exit)_ LIPA _(handing him milk and dark bread)_ You seem to be happy to-night? SAVVA Yes, I am, and you are happy too. LIPA _(laughing)_ I am. SAVVA And I am happy. _(He drinks the milk with avidity; the footsteps in the street grow louder, filing the room with their sound, and then die away again)_ What a treading and a tramping! LIPA _(looking out of the window)_ The weather will be fine to-morrow. As long as I can remember the sun has always been shining brightly that way. SAVVA Hm, yes. That's good. LIPA And when they carry the ikon, it sparkles all over with the precious stones like fire. Only His face remains gloomy. All the gems don't give him any pleasure. He is sad and gloomy like the people's woe. SAVVA _(coolly)_ Hm, yes. Is that so? LIPA Just think how many tears have fallen upon Him, how many sighs and groans He has heard! That alone is enough to make the ikon holy for all who love and sympathize with the people and understand their soul. Why, they have nobody except Christ, all those unfortunate, miserable people. When I was a little girl, I was always waiting for a miracle-- SAVVA It would be interesting. LIPA But now I understand that He Himself is waiting for a miracle from the people. He is waiting for the people to stop fighting, hating, and destroying each other. SAVVA Well, what of it? LIPA _(fixing her gaze upon him)_ Nothing. To-morrow you'll see for yourself when they carry Him in the procession. You'll see what effect the mere consciousness that He is there with them has upon them, how it transforms them, what it does to them. The whole year round they live a dog's life, in filth, quarrelling with each other, suffering. On that day all the ugliness seems to vanish. It is an awful and a joyous day when suddenly you cast away from yourself all that is superfluous and when you feel so clearly your nearness to all the unfortunates that are and ever were, and your nearness to God. SAVVA _(abruptly)_ What time is it? SPERANSKY The clock has just struck a quarter past eleven, if I am not mistaken. LIPA It's still early. SAVVA Early for what? LIPA