KULYGIN [embarrassed]. Never mind, let her cry -- let her. . . . My good Masha, my dear Masha! . . . You are my wife, and I'm happy, anyway. . . . I don't complain; I don't say a word of blame. . . . Here Olya is my witness. . . . We'll begin the old life again, and I won't say one word, not a hint. . . .
MASHA [restraining her sobs]. By the sea-strand an oak-tree green. . . . Upon that oak a chain of gold. . . . Upon that oak a chain of gold. . . . I am going mad. . . . By the sea-strand . . . an oak-tree green. . . .
OLGA. There, there, Masha. . . . Calm yourself. . . . Give her some water.
MASHA. I'm not crying now. . . .
KULYGIN. She's not crying now . . . she's being good. . . .
[The faint sound of a far-away shot.]
MASHA. By the sea-strand an oak-tree green, upon that oak a chain of gold. . . . The cat is green . . . the oak is green. . . . I am mixing it up . . . [drinks water]. My life's a failure, . . . I want nothing now. . . . I'll calm down in a minute. . . . It doesn't matter. . . . What does 'strand' mean? Why do these words haunt me? My thoughts are in a tangle. [Enter IRINA.]
OLGA. Calm yourself, Masha. Come, that's a good girl. Let's go indoors.
MASHA [angrily]. I'm not going in. [Sobs, but at once checks herself] I don't go into that house now and I won't.
IRINA. Let's sit together, even if we don't say anything. I'm going away tomorrow, you know . . . [a pause].
KULYGIN. I took a false beard and moustache from a boy in the third form yesterday, just look . . . [puts on the beard and moustache]. I look like the German teacher . . . [laughs]. Don't I? Funny creatures, those boys.
MASHA. You really do look like the German teacher.
OLGA [laughs]. Yes.
[MASHA weeps.]
IRINA. There, Masha!
KULYGIN. Awfully like. . . .
[Enter NATASHA.]
NATASHA [to the maid]. What? Mr. Protopopov will sit with Sofochka, and let Andrey Sergeyitch push Bobik's carriage. What a lot there is to do with children . . . [To IRINA] Irina, you're going away tomorrow, what a pity. Why not stay just another week? [Seeing KULYGIN utters a shriek; the latter laughs and takes off the beard and moustache.] Well, what in the. . . you gave me such a fright! [To IRINA] I'm used to you and do you suppose that it will be easy for me to part with you? I'll put Andrey with his violin into your room -- let him saw away there! -- and we will put Sofochka in his room. Adorable, delightful baby! Isn't she a good little girl! Today she looked at me with such eyes and said 'Mamma'!
KULYGIN. A fine child, that's true.
NATASHA. So tomorrow I'll be all alone here [sighs]. First of all I'll have this avenue of fir trees cut down, and then that maple. . . . It looks so ugly in the evening. . . . [To IRINA] My dear, that sash does not suit you at all. . . . It's in bad taste. You need to wear something brighter. And then I'll have flowers, flowers planted everywhere, and there'll be such a scent. . . . [Severely] Why is there a fork lying about on that seat?
