MARTHA [takes hatchet] I must go and chop some firewood. AKULÍNA [with a pail] He'd have beaten you black and blue yesterday, had it not been for that fellow. I don't see him. Has he gone? I suppose he has. [Exit one after the other]. MICHAEL [climbs down from the top of the oven] Just look, the sun's already quite high. [Puts on his boots] She must have gone to fetch water with mother. How my head aches! I won't do it again; the devil take it! [Crosses himself before the icon, prays, and then washes his hands and face] I'll go and harness. Enter Martha with firewood. MARTHA. And yesterday's beggar? Has he gone? MICHAEL. Must have gone. Can't see him. MARTHA. Oh well, let him go. He seemed a clever chap though. MICHAEL. He took your part! MARTHA. What of that! Michael puts on his coat. MARTHA. And the tea and sugar? Did you put them away last night, eh? MICHAEL. I thought you did. Enter Akulína with a pail of water. MARTHA [to Akulína] Mother, have you taken the parcel? AKULÍNA. No, I know nothing about it. I haven't seen it. MARTHA. Last night, I put it on the window-sill. AKULÍNA. Yes, I saw it there. MARTHA. Where can it be? [They look for it]. AKULÍNA. Dear me, what a shame! Enter Neighbour. NEIGHBOUR. Well Michael Tikhónych, are we to go for the wood? MICHAEL. Yes, of course. I'm just going to harness; but you see we've lost something. NEIGHBOUR. Dear me! What is it? MARTHA. Why, you see, my old man brought a parcel from town yesterday, with tea and sugar in it, and I put it down here on the window-sill and didn't remember to put it away; and now it's gone. MICHAEL. And we're committing the sin of suspecting a tramp who spent the night here. NEIGHBOUR. What sort of tramp? MARTHA. Well, he's rather thin and has no beard. MICHAEL. His coat's all in rags. NEIGHBOUR. Curly hair and rather hooked nose? MICHAEL. Yes, yes! NEIGHBOUR. I've just met him, and wondered why he was stepping out so fast. MICHAEL. It must be him. Where was he? NEIGHBOUR. I don't think he can have crossed the bridge yet. MICHAEL [snatches up his cap and goes out quickly, followed by the Neighbour] I'll catch the knave. It's him. MARTHA. Oh, what a shame, what a shame! It's surely him.