at all without her.

CHACHO. That is the best of all. Why, she has a married daughter as old
as you are!

SALOME. What of that? Whoever has money can always play. But what do you
say to the wife of blind Gigoli? She hasn't enough to eat, but gives
herself airs before us just the same.

CHACHO. Don't talk to me about her! A few weeks ago she pawned a silver
pitcher to one of our neighbors for five rubles without her husband's
knowledge. God punished her for it, for that same evening she lost it
all at cards. I should like to know how she is going to redeem the
pitcher.

SALOME [_arranging her dress before the mirror_]. Yes, yes; no one can
take her measure better than I.
[_Enter Ossep_.

OSSEP [_angrily_]. And what have you gotten ready for again?

SALOME. What was to be done? Look and see how many guests there are in
the garden!

OSSEP. It was very wrong of them to come here. Has no one invited them,
then? They should have asked me first.

SALOME. You are a singular being! We have betrothed our daughter and
they were obliged to come and congratulate us.

OSSEP. Congratulate! As though my joy went to their hearts! On the
contrary, they would enjoy it if I had a misfortune; they could put
their heads together and criticise and laugh at me.

CHACHO. What are you so ill-humored about? For the last two days you
have been intolerable.

OSSEP. If I could unbosom myself to you and show you my heart, you would
comprehend what the cause of it is.

CHACHO. God protect you from all evil!

OSSEP. Am I not right? Tell me yourself! This is not the time for
card-playing. Why have they come, then? If they wished to congratulate
us, they could come separately. How does it happen that they all
thought of us at once? Perhaps each has sent word to the other that
Salome has betrothed her daughter and they have all taken advantage of
the opportunity to come. Of course only for the sake of those damned
cards! This one or that one has probably been invited by her [_pointing
to Salome_]. She sent word to them, "Come to us, I pray! X and Z are
already here." [_To Salome_:] Say, isn't that so?

SALOME. What nonsense he talks! Ought they not to know at your uncle's
house that we have betrothed our daughter? I was obliged to give them
some information about it, was I not?

OSSEP. And to whom beside?

SALOME. Whom else? Your cousins. And I have just sent for your
sister-in-law.

OSSEP [_anxiously_]. For wha