h! How do you know? Are you wiser than the
rest of us?

KRASNOV. Please stop. I can't discuss with you. What do you want? _Strikes
the spoon against the bowl angrily_. LUKERYA _enters, places a bowl of mush
on the table, and goes out_.

ARKHIP. Your wife is wiser than you, really wiser.

KRASNOV. If she were wise she'd obey her husband.

ARKHIP. Not necessarily! One can't be on one's guard every minute! Don't
you hold anger for every little thing. One wrong--is no wrong; and two
wrongs--a half wrong; it takes three wrongs to make a whole wrong.

KRASNOV. What wrongs! All wrongs aren't the same. For some wrongs
strangling would be mild.

ARKHIP. What makes you so fierce? Nowadays, they don't hang a man even for
highway robbery.

KRASNOV. I can't even eat my food.

ARKHIP. You have a terrible temper! I began to talk about your wife; that
wasn't just for the sake of saying something. She came to her senses before
you did. [KRASNOV _listens_] "Grandfather Arkhip," says she, "put in a word
for me to my husband! I love him," says she, "but I'm afraid of his temper.
He seems to think me bad without any reason. I wouldn't exchange him
for any one," says she. "I'd try to please him in every way, just so he
forgives me and doesn't get angry."

KRASNOV. Is that true?

ARKHIP. Have you gone absolutely crazy? Do you think I'd turn liar in my
old age? She'd have told you herself; she wants to bow down to you but, you
see, she's ashamed, and then she's afraid.

KRASNOV. [_Rising_] Grandfather Arkhip, understand me! You know how I love
her, there's no need telling! Until this happened, we lived together very
comfortably; you all saw how I simply doted on her. Now that this gentleman
has come I see that he talks in too free and easy a way with her; and that
made me angry. Would you believe me, I didn't know what I was doing or
saying. When she went to him, I waited half an hour--she didn't return; I
waited an hour--she didn't return; I became furious; my very teeth began
to chatter. Here I was imagining all sorts of things! Maybe I'm doing her
wrong, am unjust to her; maybe she meant nothing; but what was there to do?
I'm consumed with a fire, absolutely consumed, I wronged her, I admit; but
was it easy for me? If you'd told me that she'd just died--I don't know
what I'd do with myself, but it would be easier; then no one could take her
from me. [_Weeps_] Some want money or reputation, but I need nothing except
her love. Gi