There are plenty of people in the monastery without me. Please tell Mr. Savva that I have gone to the ravine to catch fireflies. Ask him to call out: "Ho, ho!"
Why, to scare the monks with. I'll put two fireflies next to each other like eyes, and they'll think it's, the devil. Tell him, please, to call: "Ho, ho, ho!" _(He disappears in the darkness)_
He can't come to-day. _(To Speransky)_ Gone already--ran off.
They buried three in the cemetery to-day, Miss Olympiada.
No, I am sorry to say I haven't. I say, they buried three people to-day. One old man--perhaps you knew him--Peter Khvorostov?
Yes, and two children. The women wept a great deal.
I am sorry, but I don't know. It didn't interest me. Some children's disease, I suppose. When children die, Miss Olympiada, they turn all blue and look as if they wanted to cry. The faces of grown people are tranquil, but children's faces are not. Why is that so?
There's father now. I told you to go to bed. Now I've got to listen to your brawling. I'll get out.
Learned it from Savva. _(To Tony)_ And you, what's the matter with you? How long, how long, for Christ's sake? How long am I to stand all this from you, you good-for-nothing loafers? Eh? Where did you get the whiskey, eh?
TONY _(falls on the sofa, still holding on to the bottle)_
All right, swill until you bust, devil. What was I saying? That fool put it out of my head. Oh yes, the pilgrims are going, it strong this time. It's been a bad year for the crops. That's another reason, I suppose. There's no grub, they have nothing to eat, and so they'll pray. If God listened to every fool's prayer, we'd have a fine time of it. If he listened to every fool, what chance would the wise man have? A fool remains a fool. That's why he is called a fool.
I should say it is correct. Father Parfeny is a smart man. He flim-flams them all right. He put up a new coffin--did you hear that? The old one has all been eaten away by the pilgrims, so he put a new one into its place. It was old, so he put a new one instead. They'll eat that one away. No matter what you give them--Tony, are you drinking again?
I am! I am! I'll hand you out another one in a moment and we'll see what you say then.
_[Enter Savva, looking very gay and lively. He stoops less than usual, talks rapidly, and looks sharp and straight, but his gaze does not rest long on the same person or object._