Enter LOPAKHIN. CHARLOTTA is singing to herself.
GAEV. Charlotta is happy; she sings!
CHARLOTTA. [Takes a bundle, looking like a wrapped-up baby] My little baby, bye-bye. [The baby seems to answer, 'Oua! Oua!'] Hush, my nice little boy. ['Oua! Oua!'] I'm so sorry for you! [Throws the bundle back] So please find me a new place. I can't go on like this.
LOPAKHIN. We'll find one, Charlotta Ivanovna, don't you be afraid.
GAEV. Everybody's leaving us. Varya's going away. . . we've suddenly become unnecessary.
CHARLOTTA. I've nowhere to live in town. I must go away. [Hums] Never mind.
Enter PISCHIN.
LOPAKHIN. Nature's marvel!
PISCHIN. [Puffing] Oh, let me get my breath back. . . . I'm fagged out . . . My most honoured, give me some water. . . .
GAEV. Come for money, what? I'm your humble servant, and I'm going out of the way of temptation. [Exit.]
PISCHIN. I haven't been here for ever so long . . . dear madam. [To LOPAKHIN] You here? Glad to see you . . . man of immense brain . . . take this . . . take it. . . [Gives LOPAKHIN money] Four hundred roubles. . . . That leaves 840. . . .
LOPAKHIN. [Shrugs his shoulders in surprise] As if I were dreaming. Where did you get this from?
PISCHIN. Stop . . . it's hot. . . . A most unexpected thing happened. Some Englishmen came along and found some white clay on my land. . . . [To LUBOV ANDREYEVNA] And here's four hundred for you . . . beautiful lady. . . . [Gives her money] Give you the rest later. . . . [Drinks water] Just now a young man in the train was saying that some great philosopher advises us all to jump off roofs. 'Jump!' he says, and that's all. [Astonished] To think of that, now! More water!
LOPAKHIN. Who were these Englishmen?
PISCHIN. I've leased off the land with the clay to them for twenty-four years. . . . Now, excuse me, I've no time. ... I must run off. . . . I must go to Znoikov and to Kardamonov ... I owe them all money. . . . [Drinks] Good-bye. I'll come in on Thursday.
LUBOV. We're just off to town, and to-morrow I go abroad.
PISCHIN. [Agitated] What? Why to town? I see furniture ... trunks. . . . Well, never mind. [Crying] Never mind. These Englishmen are men of immense intellect. . . . Never mind. . . . Be happy. . . . God will help you. . . . Never mind. . . . Everything in this world comes to an end. . . . [Kisses LUBOV ANDREYEVNA'S hand] And if you should happen to hear that my end has come, just remember this old . . . horse and say: 'There was one such and such a Simeonov-Pischin, God bless his soul. . . .' Wonderful weather ... yes. . . . [Exit deeply moved, but returns at once and says in the door] Dashenka sent her love! [Exit.]
LUBOV. Now we can go. I've two anxieties, though. The first is poor Fiers [Looks at her watch] We've still five minutes. . . .
ANYA. Mother, Fiers has already been sent to the hospital. Yasha sent him off this morning.
LUBOV. The second is Varya. She's used to getting up early and to work, and now she's no work to do she's like a fish out of water. She's grown thin and pale, and she cries, poor thing. . . . [Pause] You know very well, Ermolai Alexeyevitch, that I used to hope to marry her to you, and I suppose you are going to marry somebody? [Whispers to ANYA, who nods to CHARLOTTA, and they both go out] She loves you, she's your sort, and I don't understand, I really don't, why you seem to be keeping away from each other. I don't understand!
LOPAKHIN. To tell the truth, I don't understand it myself. It's all so strange. . . . If there's still time, I'll be ready at once . . . Let's get it over, once and for all; I don't feel as if I could ever propose to her without you.
LUBOV. Excellent. It'll only take a minute. I'll call her.
LOPAKHIN. The champagne's very appropriate. [Looking at the tumblers] They're empty, somebody's already drunk them. [YASHA coughs] I call that licking it up. . . .
