Plays by Anton Chekhov, Second Series by Anton Chekhov

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[Voices behind the stage: "You can't, you can't! What do you want?"
Enter MERCHUTKINA, waving her arms about.]

MERCHUTKINA. What are you dragging at me for. What else! I want him
himself! [To SHIPUCHIN] I have the honour, your excellency ... I am
the wife of a civil servant, Nastasya Fyodorovna Merchutkina.

SHIPUCHIN. What do you want?

MERCHUTKINA. Well, you see, your excellency, my husband has been
ill for five months, and while he was at home, getting better, he
was suddenly dismissed for no reason, your excellency, and when I
went to get his salary, they, you see, deducted 24 roubles 36
copecks from it. What for? I ask. They said, "Well, he drew it from
the employees' account, and the others had to make it up." How can
that be? How could he draw anything without my permission? No, your
excellency! I'm a poor woman ... my lodgers are all I have to live
on. ... I'm weak and defenceless. ... Everybody does me some harm,
and nobody has a kind word for me.

SHIPUCHIN. Excuse me. [Takes a petition from her and reads it
standing.]

TATIANA ALEXEYEVNA. [To KHIRIN] Yes, but first we. ... Last week I
suddenly received a letter from my mother. She writes that a
certain Grendilevsky has proposed to my sister Katya. A nice,
modest, young man, but with no means of his own, and no assured
position. And, unfortunately, just think of it, Katya is absolutely
gone on him. What's to be done? Mamma writes telling me to come at
once and influence Katya. ...

KHIRIN. [Angrily] Excuse me, you've made me lose my place! You go
talking about your mamma and Katya, and I understand nothing; and
I've lost my place.

TATIANA ALEXEYEVNA. What does that matter? You listen when a lady
is talking to you! Why are you so angry to-day? Are you in love?
[Laughs.]

SHIPUCHIN. [To MERCHUTKINA] Excuse me, but what is this? I can't
make head or tail of it.

TATIANA ALEXEYEVNA. Are you in love? Aha! You're blushing!

SHIPUCHIN. [To his wife] Tanya, dear, do go out into the public
office for a moment. I shan't be long.

TATIANA ALEXEYEVNA. All right. [Goes out.]

SHIPUCHIN. I don't understand anything of this. You've obviously
come to the wrong place, madam. Your petition doesn't concern us at
all. You should go to the department in which your husband was
employed.

MERCHUTKINA. I've been there a good many times these five months,
and they wouldn't even look at my petition. I'd given up all hopes,
but, thanks to my son-in-law, Boris Matveyitch, I thought of coming
to you. "You go, mother," he says, "and apply to Mr. Shipuchin,
he's an influential man and can do anything." Help me, your
excellency!

SHIPUCHIN. We can't do anything for you, Mrs. Merchutkina. You must
understand that your husband, so far as I can gather, was in the
employ of the Army Medical Department, while this is a private,
commercial concern, a bank. Don't you understand that?

MERCHUTKINA. Your excellency, I can produce a doctor's certificate
of my husband's illness. Here it is, just look at it. ...

SHIPUCHIN. [Irritated] That's all right; I quite believe you, but
it's not our business. [Behind the scene, TATIANA ALEXEYEVNA'S
laughter is heard, then a man's. SHIPUCHIN glances at the door]
She's disturbing the employees. [To MERCHUTKINA] It's strange and
it's even silly. Surely your husband knows where you ought to
apply?

MERCHUTKINA. Your excellency, I don't let him know anything. He
just cried out: "It isn't your business! Get out of this!" And ...

SHIPUCHIN. Madam, I repeat, your husband was in the employ of the
Army Medical Department, and this is a bank, a private, commercial
concern.

MERCHUTKINA. Yes, yes, yes. ... I understand, my dear. In that
case, your excellency, just order them to pay me 15 roubles! I
don't mind taking that to be going on with.

SHIPUCHIN. [Sighs] Ouf!

KHIRIN. Andrey Andreyevitch, I'll never finish the report at this
rate!

SHIPUCHIN. One moment. [To MERCHUTKINA] I can't get any sense out
of you. But do understand that your taking this business here is as
absurd as if you took a divorce petition to a chemist's or into a
gold assay office. [Knock at the door. The voice of TATIANA
ALEXEYEVNA is heard, "Can I come in, Andrey?" SHIPUCHIN shouts]
Just wait one minute, dear! [To MERCHUTKINA] What has it got to do
with us if you haven't been paid? As it happens, madam, this is an
anniversary to-day, we're busy ... and somebody may be coming here
at any moment. ... Excuse me. ...

MERCHUTKINA. Your excellency, have pity on me, an orphan! I'm a
weak, defenceless woman. ... I'm tired to death . ... I'm having
trouble with my lodgers, and on account of my husband, and I've got
the house to look after, and my son-in-law is out of work. ...

SHIPUCHIN. Mrs. Merchutkina, I ... No, excuse me, I can't talk to
you! My head's even in a whirl. ... You are disturbing us and
making us waste our time. [Sighs, aside] What a business, as my
name's Shipuchin! [To KHIRIN] Kusma Nicolaievitch, will you please
explain to Mrs. Merchutkina. [Waves his hand and goes out into
public department.]

KHIRIN. [Approaching MERCHUTKINA, angrily] What do you want?

MERCHUTKINA. I'm a weak, defenceless woman. ... I may look all
right, but if you were to take me to pieces you wouldn't find a
single healthy bit in me! I can hardly stand on my legs, and I've
lost my appetite. I drank my coffee to-day and got no pleasure out
of it.

KHIRIN. I ask you, what do you want?

MERCHUTKINA. Tell them, my dear, to give me 15 roubles, and a month
later will do for the rest.

KHIRIN. But haven't you been told perfectly plainly that this is a
bank!

MERCHUTKINA. Yes, yes. ... And if you like I can show you the
doctor's certificate.

KHIRIN. Have you got a head on your shoulders, or what?

MERCHUTKINA. My dear, I'm asking for what's mine by law. I don't
want what isn't mine.

KHIRIN. I ask you, madam, have you got a head on your shoulders, or
what? Well, devil take me, I haven't any time to talk to you! I'm
busy. ... [Points to the door] That way, please!

MERCHUTKINA. [Surprised] And where's the money?

KHIRIN. You haven't a head, but this [Taps the table and then
points to his forehead.]

MERCHUTKINA. [Offended] What? Well, never mind, never mind. ... You
can do that to your own wife, but I'm the wife of a civil servant. ...
You can't do that to me!

KHIRIN. [Losing his temper] Get out of this!

MERCHUTKINA. No, no, no ... none of that!

KHIRIN. If you don't get out this second, I'll call for the
hall-porter! Get out! [Stamping.]

MERCHUTKINA. Never mind, never mind! I'm not afraid! I've seen the
like of you before! Miser!

KHIRIN. I don't think I've ever seen a more awful woman in my life. ...
Ouf! It's given me a headache. ... [Breathing heavily] I tell you
once more ... do you hear me? If you don't get out of this, you old
devil, I'll grind you into powder! I've got such a character that
I'm perfectly capable of laming you for life! I can commit a crime!

MERCHUTKINA. I've heard barking dogs before. I'm not afraid. I've
seen the like of you before.

KHIRIN. [In despair] I can't stand it! I'm ill! I can't! [Sits down
at his desk] They've let the Bank get filled with women, and I
can't finish my report! I can't.

MERCHUTKINA. I don't want anybody else's money, but my own,
according to law. You ought to be ashamed of yourself! Sitting in a
government office in felt boots. ...

[Enter SHIPUCHIN and TATIANA ALEXEYEVNA.]

TATIANA ALEXEYEVNA. [Following her husband] We spent the evening at
the Berezhnitskys. Katya was wearing a sky-blue frock of foulard
silk, cut low at the neck. ... She looks very well with her hair
done over her head, and I did her hair myself. ... She was
perfectly fascinating. ...

SHIPUCHIN. [Who has had enough of it already] Yes, yes ...
fascinating. ... They may be here any moment. ...

MERCHUTKINA. Your excellency!

SHIPUCHIN. [Dully] What else? What do you want?

MERCHUTKINA. Your excellency! [Points to KHIRIN] This man ... this
man tapped the table with his finger, and then his head. ... You
told him to look after my affair, but he insults me and says all
sorts of things. I'm a weak, defenceless woman. ...

SHIPUCHIN. All right, madam, I'll see to it ... and take the
necessary steps. ... Go away now ... later on! [Aside] My gout's
coming on!

KHIRIN. [In a low tone to SHIPUCHIN] Andrey Andreyevitch, send for
the hall-porter and have her turned out neck and crop! What else
can we do?

SHIPUCHIN. [Frightened] No, no! She'll kick up a row and we aren't
the only people in the building.

MERCHUTKINA. Your excellency.

KHIRIN. [In a tearful voice] But I've got to finish my report! I
won't have time! I won't!

MERCHUTKINA. Your excellency, when shall I have the money? I want
it now.

SHIPUCHIN. [Aside, in dismay] A re-mark-ab-ly beastly woman!
[Politely] Madam, I've already told you, this is a bank, a private,
commercial concern.

MERCHUTKINA. Be a father to me, your excellency. ... If the
doctor's certificate isn't enough, I can get you another from the
police. Tell them to give me the money!

SHIPUCHIN. [Panting] Ouf!

TATIANA ALEXEYEVNA. [To MERCHUTKINA] Mother, haven't you already
been told that you're disturbing them? What right have you?

MERCHUTKINA. Mother, beautiful one, nobody will help me. All I do
is to eat and drink, and just now I didn't enjoy my coffee at all.

SHIPUCHIN. [Exhausted] How much do you want?

MERCHUTKINA. 24 roubles 36 copecks.

SHIPUCHIN. All right! [Takes a 25-rouble note out of his pocket-book
and gives it to her] Here are 25 roubles. Take it and ... go!

[KHIRIN coughs angrily.]

MERCHUTKINA. I thank you very humbly, your excellency. [Hides the
money.]

TATIANA ALEXEYEVNA. [Sits by her husband] It's time I went home. ...
[Looks at watch] But I haven't done yet. ... I'll finish in one
minute and go away. ... What a time we had! Yes, what a time! We
went to spend the evening at the Berezhnitskys. ... It was all
right, quite fun, but nothing in particular. ... Katya's devoted
Grendilevsky was there, of course. ... Well, I talked to Katya,
cried, and induced her to talk to Grendilevsky and refuse him.
Well, I thought, everything's, settled the best possible way; I've
quieted mamma down, saved Katya, and can be quiet myself. ... What
do you think? Katya and I were going along the avenue, just before
supper, and suddenly ... [Excitedly] And suddenly we heard a shot. ...
No, I can't talk about it calmly! [Waves her handkerchief] No, I
can't!

SHIPUCHIN. [Sighs] Ouf!

TATIANA ALEXEYEVNA. [Weeps] We ran to the summer-house, and there ...
there poor Grendilevsky was lying ... with a pistol in his hand. ...

SHIPUCHIN. No, I can't stand this! I can't stand it! [To
MERCHUTKINA] What else do you want?

MERCHUTKINA. Your excellency, can't my husband go back to his job?

TATIANA ALEXEYEVNA. [Weeping] He'd shot himself right in the heart ...
here. ... And the poor man had fallen down senseless. ... And he
was awfully frightened, as he lay there ... and asked for a doctor.
A doctor came soon ... and saved the unhappy man. ...

MERCHUTKINA. Your excellency, can't my husband go back to his job?

SHIPUCHIN. No, I can't stand this! [Weeps] I can't stand it!
[Stretches out both his hands in despair to KHIRIN] Drive her away!
Drive her away, I implore you!

KHIRIN. [Goes up to TATIANA ALEXEYEVNA] Get out of this!

SHIPUCHIN. Not her, but this one ... this awful woman. ... [Points]
That one!

KHIRIN. [Not understanding, to TATIANA ALEXEYEVNA] Get out of this!
[Stamps] Get out!

TATIANA ALEXEYEVNA. What? What are you doing? Have you taken leave
of your senses?

SHIPUCHIN. It's awful? I'm a miserable man! Drive her out! Out with
her!

KHIRIN. [To TATIANA ALEXEYEVNA] Out of it! I'll cripple you! I'll
knock you out of shape! I'll break the law!

TATIANA ALEXEYEVNA. [Running from him; he chases her] How dare you!
You impudent fellow! [Shouts] Andrey! Help! Andrey! [Screams.]

SHIPUCHIN. [Chasing them] Stop! I implore you! Not such a noise?
Have pity on me!

KHIRIN. [Chasing MERCHUTKINA] Out of this! Catch her! Hit her! Cut
her into pieces!

SHIPUCHIN. [Shouts] Stop! I ask you! I implore you!

MERCHUTKINA. Little fathers ... little fathers! [Screams] Little
fathers! ...

TATIANA ALEXEYEVNA. [Shouts] Help! Help! ... Oh, oh ... I'm sick,
I'm sick! [Jumps on to a chair, then falls on to the sofa and
groans as if in a faint.]

KHIRIN. [Chasing MERCHUTKINA] Hit her! Beat her! Cut her to pieces!

MERCHUTKINA. Oh, oh ... little fathers, it's all dark before me!
Ah! [Falls senseless into SHIPUCHIN'S arms. There is a knock at the
door; a VOICE announces THE DEPUTATION] The deputation ...
reputation ... occupation ...

KHIRIN. [Stamps] Get out of it, devil take me! [Turns up his
sleeves] Give her to me: I may break the law!

[A deputation of five men enters; they all wear frockcoats. One
carries the velvet-covered address, another, the loving-cup.
Employees look in at the door, from the public department. TATIANA
ALEXEYEVNA on the sofa, and MERCHUTKINA in SHIPUCHIN'S arms are
both groaning.]

ONE OF THE DEPUTATION. [Reads aloud] "Deeply respected and dear
Andrey Andreyevitch! Throwing a retrospective glance at the past
history of our financial administration, and reviewing in our minds
its gradual development, we receive an extremely satisfactory
impression. It is true that in the first period of its existence,
the inconsiderable amount of its capital, and the absence of
serious operations of any description, and also the indefinite aims
of this bank, made us attach an extreme importance to the question
raised by Hamlet, 'To be or not to be,' and at one time there were
even voices to be heard demanding our liquidation. But at that
moment you become the head of our concern. Your knowledge,
energies, and your native tact were the causes of extraordinary
success and widespread extension. The reputation of the bank ...
[Coughs] reputation of the bank ...

MERCHUTKINA. [Groans] Oh! Oh!

TATIANA ALEXEYEVNA. [Groans] Water! Water!

THE MEMBER OF THE DEPUTATION. [Continues] The reputation [Coughs] ...
the reputation of the bank has been raised by you to such a height
that we are now the rivals of the best foreign concerns.

SHIPUCHIN. Deputation ... reputation ... occupation. ... Two
friends that had a walk at night, held converse by the pale
moonlight. ... Oh tell me not, that youth is vain, that jealousy
has turned my brain.

THE MEMBER OF THE DEPUTATION. [Continues in confusion] Then,
throwing an objective glance at the present condition of things,
we, deeply respected and dear Andrey Andreyevitch ... [Lowering his
voice] In that case, we'll do it later on. ... Yes, later on. ..."
[DEPUTATION goes out in confusion.]

Curtain.

THE THREE SISTERS
A DRAMA IN FOUR ACTS

CHARACTERS

ANDREY SERGEYEVITCH PROSOROV
NATALIA IVANOVA (NATASHA), his fiancee, later his wife (28)
His sisters:
OLGA
MASHA
IRINA
FEODOR ILITCH KULIGIN, high school teacher, married to MASHA (20)
ALEXANDER IGNATEYEVITCH VERSHININ, lieutenant-colonel in charge of
a battery (42)
NICOLAI LVOVITCH TUZENBACH, baron, lieutenant in the army (30)
VASSILI VASSILEVITCH SOLENI, captain
IVAN ROMANOVITCH CHEBUTIKIN, army doctor (60)
ALEXEY PETROVITCH FEDOTIK, sub-lieutenant
VLADIMIR CARLOVITCH RODE, sub-lieutenant
FERAPONT, door-keeper at local council offices, an old man
ANFISA, nurse (80)

The action takes place in a provincial town.

[Ages are stated in brackets.]

THE THREE SISTERS

ACT I

[In PROSOROV'S house. A sitting-room with pillars; behind is seen a
large dining-room. It is midday, the sun is shining brightly
outside. In the dining-room the table is being laid for lunch.]

[OLGA, in the regulation blue dress of a teacher at a girl's high
school, is walking about correcting exercise books; MASHA, in a
black dress, with a hat on her knees, sits and reads a book; IRINA,
in white, stands about, with a thoughtful expression.]

OLGA. It's just a year since father died last May the fifth, on
your name-day, Irina. It was very cold then, and snowing. I thought
I would never survive it, and you were in a dead faint. And now a
year has gone by and we are already thinking about it without pain,
and you are wearing a white dress and your face is happy. [Clock
strikes twelve] And the clock struck just the same way then.
[Pause] I remember that there was music at the funeral, and they
fired a volley in the cemetery. He was a general in command of a
brigade but there were few people present. Of course, it was
raining then, raining hard, and snowing.

IRINA. Why think about it!

[BARON TUZENBACH, CHEBUTIKIN and SOLENI appear by the table in the
dining-room, behind the pillars.]

OLGA. It's so warm to-day that we can keep the windows open, though
the birches are not yet in flower. Father was put in command of a
brigade, and he rode out of Moscow with us eleven years ago. I
remember perfectly that it was early in May and that everything in
Moscow was flowering then. It was warm too, everything was bathed
in sunshine. Eleven years have gone, and I remember everything as
if we rode out only yesterday. Oh, God! When I awoke this morning
and saw all the light and the spring, joy entered my heart, and I
longed passionately to go home.

CHEBUTIKIN. Will you take a bet on it?

TUZENBACH. Oh, nonsense.

[MASHA, lost in a reverie over her book, whistles softly.]

OLGA. Don't whistle, Masha. How can you! [Pause] I'm always having
headaches from having to go to the High School every day and then
teach till evening. Strange thoughts come to me, as if I were
already an old woman. And really, during these four years that I
have been working here, I have been feeling as if every day my
strength and youth have been squeezed out of me, drop by drop. And
only one desire grows and gains in strength ...

IRINA. To go away to Moscow. To sell the house, drop everything
here, and go to Moscow ...

OLGA. Yes! To Moscow, and as soon as possible.

[CHEBUTIKIN and TUZENBACH laugh.]

IRINA. I expect Andrey will become a professor, but still, he won't
want to live here. Only poor Masha must go on living here.

OLGA. Masha can come to Moscow every year, for the whole summer.

[MASHA is whistling gently.]

IRINA. Everything will be arranged, please God. [Looks out of the
window] It's nice out to-day. I don't know why I'm so happy: I
remembered this morning that it was my name-day, and I suddenly
felt glad and remembered my childhood, when mother was still with
us. What beautiful thoughts I had, what thoughts!

OLGA. You're all radiance to-day, I've never seen you look so
lovely. And Masha is pretty, too. Andrey wouldn't be bad-looking,
if he wasn't so stout; it does spoil his appearance. But I've grown
old and very thin, I suppose it's because I get angry with the
girls at school. To-day I'm free. I'm at home. I haven't got a
headache, and I feel younger than I was yesterday. I'm only
twenty-eight. ... All's well, God is everywhere, but it seems to me
that if only I were married and could stay at home all day, it
would be even better. [Pause] I should love my husband.

TUZENBACH. [To SOLENI] I'm tired of listening to the rot you talk.
[Entering the sitting-room] I forgot to say that Vershinin, our new
lieutenant-colonel of artillery, is coming to see us to-day. [Sits
down to the piano.]

OLGA. That's good. I'm glad.

IRINA. Is he old?

TUZENBACH. Oh, no. Forty or forty-five, at the very outside. [Plays
softly] He seems rather a good sort. He's certainly no fool, only
he likes to hear himself speak.

IRINA. Is he interesting?

TUZENBACH. Oh, he's all right, but there's his wife, his mother-in-law,
and two daughters. This is his second wife. He pays calls and tells
everybody that he's got a wife and two daughters. He'll tell you so
here. The wife isn't all there, she does her hair like a flapper
and gushes extremely. She talks philosophy and tries to commit
suicide every now and again, apparently in order to annoy her
husband. I should have left her long ago, but he bears up
patiently, and just grumbles.

SOLENI. [Enters with CHEBUTIKIN from the dining-room] With one hand
I can only lift fifty-four pounds, but with both hands I can lift
180, or even 200 pounds. From this I conclude that two men are not
twice as strong as one, but three times, perhaps even more. ...

CHEBUTIKIN. [Reads a newspaper as he walks] If your hair is coming
out ... take an ounce of naphthaline and hail a bottle of spirit ...
dissolve and use daily. ... [Makes a note in his pocket diary] When
found make a note of! Not that I want it though. ... [Crosses it
out] It doesn't matter.

IRINA. Ivan Romanovitch, dear Ivan Romanovitch!

CHEBUTIKIN. What does my own little girl want?

IRINA. Ivan Romanovitch, dear Ivan Romanovitch! I feel as if I were
sailing under the broad blue sky with great white birds around me.
Why is that? Why?

CHEBUTIKIN. [Kisses her hands, tenderly] My white bird. ...

IRINA. When I woke up to-day and got up and dressed myself, I
suddenly began to feel as if everything in this life was open to
me, and that I knew how I must live. Dear Ivan Romanovitch, I know
everything. A man must work, toil in the sweat of his brow, whoever
he may be, for that is the meaning and object of his life, his
happiness, his enthusiasm. How fine it is to be a workman who gets
up at daybreak and breaks stones in the street, or a shepherd, or a
schoolmaster, who teaches children, or an engine-driver on the
railway. ... My God, let alone a man, it's better to be an ox, or
just a horse, so long as it can work, than a young woman who wakes
up at twelve o'clock, has her coffee in bed, and then spends two
hours dressing. ... Oh it's awful! Sometimes when it's hot, your
thirst can be just as tiresome as my need for work. And if I don't
get up early in future and work, Ivan Romanovitch, then you may
refuse me your friendship.

CHEBUTIKIN. [Tenderly] I'll refuse, I'll refuse. ...

OLGA. Father used to make us get up at seven. Now Irina wakes at
seven and lies and meditates about something till nine at least.
And she looks so serious! [Laughs.]

IRINA. You're so used to seeing me as a little girl that it seems
queer to you when my face is serious. I'm twenty!

TUZENBACH. How well I can understand that craving for work, oh God!
I've never worked once in my life. I was born in Petersburg, a
chilly, lazy place, in a family which never knew what work or worry
meant. I remember that when I used to come home from my regiment, a
footman used to have to pull off my boots while I fidgeted and my
mother looked on in adoration and wondered why other people didn't
see me in the same light. They shielded me from work; but only just
in time! A new age is dawning, the people are marching on us all, a
powerful, health-giving storm is gathering, it is drawing near,
soon it will be upon us and it will drive away laziness,
indifference, the prejudice against labour, and rotten dullness
from our society. I shall work, and in twenty-five or thirty years,
every man will have to work. Every one!

CHEBUTIKIN. I shan't work.

TUZENBACH. You don't matter.

SOLENI. In twenty-five years' time, we shall all be dead, thank the
Lord. In two or three years' time apoplexy will carry you off, or
else I'll blow your brains out, my pet. [Takes a scent-bottle out
of his pocket and sprinkles his chest and hands.]

CHEBUTIKIN. [Laughs] It's quite true, I never have worked. After I
came down from the university I never stirred a finger or opened a
book, I just read the papers. ... [Takes another newspaper out of
his pocket] Here we are. ... I've learnt from the papers that there
used to be one, Dobrolubov [Note: Dobroluboy (1836-81), in spite
of the shortness of his career, established himself as one of the
classic literary critics of Russia], for instance, but what he
wrote--I don't know ... God only knows. ... [Somebody is heard
tapping on the floor from below] There. ... They're calling me
downstairs, somebody's come to see me. I'll be back in a minute ...
won't be long. ... [Exit hurriedly, scratching his beard.]

IRINA. He's up to something.

TUZENBACH. Yes, he looked so pleased as he went out that I'm pretty
certain he'll bring you a present in a moment.

IRINA. How unpleasant!

OLGA. Yes, it's awful. He's always doing silly things.

MASHA. "There stands a green oak by the sea.
And a chain of bright gold is around it ...
And a chain of bright gold is around it. ..."
[Gets up and sings softly.]

OLGA. You're not very bright to-day, Masha. [MASHA sings, putting
on her hat] Where are you off to?

MASHA. Home.

IRINA. That's odd. ...

TUZENBACH. On a name-day, too!

MASHA. It doesn't matter. I'll come in the evening. Good-bye, dear.
[Kisses MASHA] Many happy returns, though I've said it before. In
the old days when father was alive, every time we had a name-day,
thirty or forty officers used to come, and there was lots of noise
and fun, and to-day there's only a man and a half, and it's as
quiet as a desert ... I'm off ... I've got the hump to-day, and am
not at all cheerful, so don't you mind me. [Laughs through her
tears] We'll have a talk later on, but good-bye for the present, my
dear; I'll go somewhere.

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